GOVERNMENT AND GREENS CONTINUE TO EVADE PARLIAMENTARY SCRUTINY

Senator Mitch Fifield notes the Government's latest attempt to shut down debate:

As if the Prime Minister’s refusal to allow the Australian people their say on the carbon tax wasn’t bad enough, Labor and the Greens have again colluded to cut what little parliamentary debate they initially allowed even shorter. The Government proposed at first to allow the Senate just two weeks to consider the far-reaching, consequential legislation. This week we learned, however, that they intended to cut the debate even shorter, allowing only 6 days in total for Senators to consider the debate before bringing down the guillotine. This is effectively a gag on a gag, with the carbon tax likely to be voted on next Tuesday. I published a media release on the matter – you can read it here or below.

Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised by this action – this is a Government that is comfortable with bald-faced lies to the Australian people! They’re hardly going to quibble over their continued evasion of due and proper process in their haste to ram their deeply unpopular carbon tax through the Parliament.

To make matters worse, it would appear that the left-wing campaign organisation GetUp! was advised of the Government’s intention to bring forward the guillotine and gag debate before the Australian Senate. Many of my colleagues were understandably outraged that Bob Brown and his mates were informed of the business of the Senate before Senators themselves!

The Government’s ongoing and flagrant disregard for the important role of parliamentary scrutiny should worry anyone who values government accountability and transparency.

Editor: Here is Senator Fifield's second reading speech on the carbon tax. Well worth a watch:

 

Mitch Fifield is a Senator for Victoria and manager of Opposition business in the Senate.

Comments

[vivienne]

1.

Senator Ian Macdonald was totally correct when he likened Get-Up to the Hitler Youth Organization, but he forgot to say that The Greens are The Nazi Party of Australia.

Your freedoms are at stake here, and if you think that is an exaggeration, take a look back in history.

Gillard Labor and the Greens are on the same page, Brown supports the New World Order and so does Gillard.

Gillard “contours of a new world order" 3rd paragraph of document below.

Gillards's Vision for Australia's Future
http://www.dfat.gov.au/un/message_pm.html

If anyone believes a New World Order aka One World Government is a good thing they have rocks in their heads. "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" Lord Acton.

This is treason look up the Australian Constitution, Section 44.

Not only do Labor and the Greens want to curtail the press but they want to curtail what you can say in a comment on a blog.

[Dante]

2.

Dear Senator, Australia had a say, we voted twice (once under Howard and once for Rudd) in favour of a form of price on carbon. Your own side under Turnbull agreed with Labor to introduce a price on carbon. Your side reneged and elected a leader that simply follows the misconception of popular belief fanned by ultra conservative radio hosts with no credibility on the issue. The Science is clear on the subject. Australia and the World has listened carefully to all the phony arguments the ultra conservative right propaganda has been peddling. We now have had enough. Let's get on and attempt to do something for our grandchildren. What argument could your side of politic contribute to this well researched subject that has the consensus of all scientists that have had a close look at the damage we have been causing to our environment since 1750 when the industrial era started? I'm sure you must have better thing to do that flog a dead horse.

[vivienne]

3.

BS Dante, the IPCC science is not clear, the IPCC science is a scam. Both sides of politics are appeasing the UN on the UN scam.

The Peoples of the World are the losers in all of this. I despair for my children and grandchildren and for future generations.

Global warming/climate change is not about the environment that is utter BS its all about ushering in control and the New World Order, read the Copenhagen Agreement for yourself, it is a massive con, scam.

As for the science that has fallen over big time. Carbon Credits is a giant Ponzi scheme.

[Michael]

4.

In reponse to Dante we did not vote under Rudd for a proce on carbon,or I don't remember it being brought up in the election. Julia Gillard went to the election with her "there shall be no carbon tax" promise,which we voted on,and she promptly ignored. The science is NOT settled by a long shot,or it is,why are we the only country currently trying to implement such a scheme?

Let me refer you to the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Clean Energy Future Legislation where they asked for submissions Over 4500 submissions were received. However, the Committee has the power to decide which are “submissions” and which are “correspondence”. They decided only 70 were “submissions” and the rest were “correspondence”. Only those the committee deems to be “submissions” are published (and in reality only those will be considered).If the science is so "settled" why were the submissions gagged like this? Provide proof that the science is settled if you are so sure that it is.

Could that many Australians get it wrong? Clearly they Clearly they were intending to make submissions to the enquiry – they were making submissions that they understood would be properly considered by the committee.

With that high a proportion getting it wrong, is it more likely that the committee’s selection criteria and selection process was not made clear beforehand.

Some of the 70 that were accepted as “submissions” do not appear to meet the requirements for a submission any better than mine does. For example, some were dated after the closing date for submissions. Many did not even mention any of the Bills.

It should also be noted that the Committee Chair Person is Labor and the Deputy Chair is a Green (Senator Milne). Normally, the Deputy Chair would be from the Opposition.

Can we have any confidence in the output of this committee?

The report has just been released and the Introduction now defines the “Terms of Reference”. These are an after thought. These were not provided before over 4500 Australians wrote their submissions.

The Introduction, paragraph 1.28, says:

A large amount of correspondence was received by the committee. These items were not received as submissions to the inquiry because they did not address the actual legislation being considered.

This is not true. At least 10 of the 70 accepted submissions did not mention the legislation.

Furthermore, at least six were submitted after the closing date, including the first two listed on the website.

[robbo_wa]

5.

Hey Dante, breaking news for new: your own church (IPCC) claims that all climate variability from 1750 to about 1960 has been natural, so nothing to do with what you call "the damage we have been causing to our enviroment." Go back and do your homework, or are you too dumb to even understand your own propaganda rags?

As for having politicians who "simply follow the misconception of popular belief", that's called democracy... I know, it's a difficult concept to understand for leftist academic p*cks who get a kick from feeling morally and intellectually superior to the "ultra-conservative", ignorant plebe. In centuries past, it was the Left that fought for democracy against the arrogance of the aristocracy, how things have changed.

[RossCO]

6.

Senator - all you have to do is move an amendment which allows us to audit all expenditure with data from the CO2 and methane satellite. With this atellite we can now measure the effectiveness of Bobs 10 billion dollar investment. Wont that be fun!

PS -- Australia is a Carbon Sink according to the data and contrary to ALP Green statements.