Federal Parliament

Rudd thinks censoring MPs access to Internet 'sensible'?

North Coast Voices - March 5, 2010 - 12:15am

Rudd described some opposition to the government's Internet filtering schemes as "stupid debate" about "extreme civil libertarianism" that claims filtering "means the imposition of Soviet Communism a la 1980". He said most people "are sensible folk" who "know where the balance lies", according to Computer World on 1 March 2010.

Is that why the Australian Senate runs a web filter on all the internet connections it assigns and censored those of senators so that they were unable to read a reputable gay online newspaper - because it was "sensible" to reduce parliamentarian's access to information about a significant voter demographic? Read more »

The pursuit of Peter peters out… but more berating of Barnaby to come

The Stump - February 10, 2010 - 5:01pm

In the Crikey email edition today I lamented how poorly this Opposition was pursuing two of the biggest scandals in what has been a relatively trouble-free term for the Rudd Government: the outrageous handover of $250m from taxpayers to the free-to-air TV networks under the guise of assisting them to meet the local content obligations, and the bungling of the Green Loans and foil insulation programs by Peter Garrett’s Environment Department.

There was more than a trace of blood in the water around Garrett as he called a press conference right before Question Time today. Several journalists wondered whether he was going to resign, although given the lack of pressure from the Opposition, it didn’t quite scan that Garrett was either going to offer his head or was going to be pushed by Rudd.

In fact Garrett had called the press conference to announce a full auditing of houses affected by the foil insulation issue, took a number of aggressive questions, then raced off to Question Time where, it was expected, he would face a grilling. Read more »

Federal Parliament

Greg Hunt's rubbery CPRS figures presented to Parliament

North Coast Voices - February 9, 2010 - 12:15am

The Opposition's Greg Hunt spoke to the Rudd Government's third reading of the CARBON POLLUTION REDUCTION SCHEME BILL 2010 on Thursday 4 February 2010:

The ABS lists 8.7 million Australian families. Read more »

CPRS Bills 2010: Turnbull trumps Abbott in climate change debate (transcript)

North Coast Voices - February 8, 2010 - 2:55pm

Malcolm Turnbull speaking today in Parliament on anthropomorphic global warming and an emissions trading scheme, in direct opposition to his leader's new policy position:

The White Paper estimates the CPRS will result in a one off increase in the CPI by 1.1% – compared to the 2.8% one-off increase in the CPI caused by the introduction of the GST. Most households are compensated for this increase in costs either in whole or in part.

I should note that the largest component of increases in electricity prices in NSW over the next five years is, in fact, additional network charges to recognise the increased investment in the security and reliability of electricity infrastructure. Those increases, unlike the CPRS element, are not the subject of any compensation.

But given we have an apparent bi-partisan agreement that emissions should be reduced by 5% of 2000 levels, is an Emissions Trading Scheme, at a general level, the best policy to achieve the desired reduction in emissions? Read more »

House of Representatives 4 February 2010: Turnbull rises to his feet today in latest CPRS debate

North Coast Voices - February 4, 2010 - 9:14am

House of Representatives program for 4 Februrary 2010 here. Read more »

Abbott and Murdoch: breakfast but no skiing…

The Stump - February 17, 2010 - 3:48pm

When Tony Abbott was attacking Kevin Rudd yesterday over the Government’s despicable $500m handout to free-to-air television, suggesting “it looks like an election-year bribe”, he neglected to mention his own recent dealings with media moguls.

Crikey understands that Abbott had a secret meeting with News Ltd supremo Rupert Murdoch on Sunday morning and had breakfast with him. Murdoch was in Australia to celebrate his mother Elisabeth’s 101st birthday last week.

“I think there’s nothing wrong with ministers and moguls having meetings,” Abbott told talkback radio this morning. “That is probably a natural part of life and it’s probably a good thing that they meet from time to time and I don’t think it’s necessary that there be a tape recorder going that we all get access to, but I guess it’s not a great look when it looks more like a social encounter than a business meeting.” Read more »

Abbott keeping mum on real parental views

The Stump - February 9, 2010 - 11:48am

Today’s SMH story about Tony Abbott’s parental leave plan is basically old news since Tony Abbott outlined his six month scheme of paid parental leave in his book Battlelines. Abbott suggested it was to be funded by a levy of 0.5 on payroll tax, rather than from general revenue, and presumably this is still his view, since he was critical of the government’s proposal.

I agree with Abbott’s views on some aspects of the current scheme, so maybe his proposals will be a useful goad to improve the present government plans.

Firstly, six months is what most people wanted for paid parental leave and Rudd’s 18 weeks plan was a compromise with future expectations, so perhaps the six extra weeks could be a vote winner for Abbott. Read more »

Nats Luke Hartsuyker gets sprung or the local butcher gets an unfair hearing?

North Coast Voices - February 9, 2010 - 12:05am

Sometimes comic relief is all there is in Question Time and the Nationals MP for Cowper shovels in on with a predictable response from the other side.
The question voters are left with - is the butcher an honest catalyst in this exchange?
I sorta think his use of the term "great big new tax" hints at a a more thhan passing acquaintance with the Coffs Harbour Nats. Read more »

Turnbull takes aim at Abbott’s climate plan, and doesn’t miss

The Stump - February 8, 2010 - 1:49pm

Former Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has demolished Tony Abbott’s climate action plan and backed the Government’s amended CPRS legislation in a long speech explaining his decision to cross the floor in support of the Government’s ETS bills.

Last week Tony Abbott launched a climate action plan that rejected any market-based emissions abatement mechanism in favour of $10b worth of handouts for businesses and farmers to reduce emissions. Turnbull rose in the chamber early this afternoon to speak on the Government’s CPRS bills, reintroduced as promised last week. Watched by colleagues Petro Georgiou, Russell Broadbent, Paul Fletcher and, interestingly, Joe Hockey, Turnbull tore apart the proposed plan as economically inefficient, environmentally ineffective and unable to meet the task of reducing Australia’s emissions by 5% by 2020. Read more »