A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
Welcome to the August Edition of my occasional electronic Newsletter Northern Opinion Online
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Long term Coalition goals for Renewable Energy Targets were fulfilled during the week with the passing of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment Bill. While the Bill offered by the Labor Party did prescribe a 20% renewable energy target by 2020, it was deficient in that again (similar to the CPRS Bill) it would have decimated Queensland's industries and caused substantial job losses.
The Coalition made it clear that whilst we supported the renewable target, we would not be supporting the Bill unless substantial amendments were made to protect industries so vital to job creation in Queensland.
Unlike their approach to the CPRS Bill, the Government, this time, decided to accept suggestions from the Coalition on needed amendments. After a couple of days of intense negotiations, the Government eventually agreed to our amendments which were then included in the Bill and the Bill was passed on 20th August, 2009.
LABOR/MEDIA ALLIANCE
I happened to be having dinner in an 'out of the way' smallish Canberra restaurant during the last week of sittings, when lo and behold, who should turn up to the same restaurant at what turned out to be a BIG party.
First of all Wayne Swan wandered in, followed by John Faulkner, Anthony Albanese, Kate Ellis and then Com Car number 1 turned up and disgorged none other than Kevin Rudd. Nothing particularly unusual about this I suppose, but was interesting that the function was to celebrate the 30th birthday of one of Mr. Rudd's media advisers. Along with these heavies of the Labor Party at this cosy gathering were some of the best recognized faces of the Australian media. It was a jolly party (even though Kevin, as usual, read his birthday speech) but when you note the interaction and bonhomie between senior Labor heavies and senior journalists, you'd understand why the media spin in favour of the Labor Party, is so intense.
LABOR CRONYISM
On a related subject, every week I learn more and more about how the Labor Party operates in Queensland. Union heavies and Labor Party apparatchiks turn up in Senior Board positions in most Government Corporations and Bodies throughout Queensland. Labor heavies seem to get more than their fair share of contracts for consultancies, investigations and enquiries.
Some enterprising, balanced journalist (there are a couple!) would do well to use their very substantial resources to have a look at how party members, union heavies and relatives of senior Labor Politicians dominate Queensland Government related or reliant Corporations in Queensland.
CARBON POLLUTION REDUCTION SCHEME
This sitting week of Parliament saw the comprehensive defeat of the Rudd/Wong Emissions Trading Scheme proposal.
It was an interesting sight in the Senate when the vote was taken to see the Labor Party forlornly sitting by themselves while every other Senator voted against the Bill.
And it was also interesting to see the relief on faces of a number of Labor Senators when the Bill was consigned to the scrapheap. I know that many Labor Senators were petrified at the job losses the Bill would have caused had it been passed, but being the Labor Party no independent expression of opinion is allowed, on threat of dismissal from the Party.
Some of the myths propagated by the Labor Party in relation to the proposal were clearly exposed during debate.
These included
• the suggestion that by passing the Bill in Parliament, less than 1.4% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions would arrest the changing climate of the world – impossible given that we were dealing with a small percentage of Australia's emissions in any case.
• the fallacious proposition that by rejecting the Bill, the Coalition was destroying the Great Barrier Reef.
Until the United States, China, India, Russia and many other high emitting countries do something about their emissions, the changing climate of the world and any impact on the Barrier Reef, will not alter.
The CPRS Bill would, however, have destroyed tens of thousands of jobs in the manufacturing and resources industries, particularly in Queensland, for absolutely no gain.
If the Labor Party persists with the same Bill then it should be rejected by the Coalition – and to Kevin Rudd's threats of a double-dissolution, I say - bring it on!
An election on the job destroying Bill put up by the Labor Party, will guarantee Coalition wins in the electorates of Flynn, Capricornia, Dawson, Herbert and Kennedy – and that's in Queensland alone.
NORTHERN AUSTRALIA AGAIN TO THE ECONOMIC RESCUE
The announcement during the week of the $50 billion gas supply deal between Western Australia's Exon/Mobile Gorgon Natural Gas project – Econ Mobile and China highlights, yet again, the significant role Northern Australia plays in Australia's GDP
COMPULSORY STUDENT UNIONISM THROWN OUT.
In another decision during the week, students at James Cook University in Townsville and Cairns and indeed at all universities throughout Australia, were protected from a proposed Labor Party tax increase of $250 per student, when the Compulsory Student Union proposed fee was defeated in the Senate.
Coming on top of changes in the Student Allowance which impact disproportionately on country students, the Labor proposal of an additional compulsory fee of $250 on university students would have been the final straw in denying many regional students a place at a university.
Is was amusing to hear the crocodile tears of university chiefs in southern universities, desperate to get their hands on any form of new money, as the Labor Party has cut back on funding to the universities.
The Labor Party continue to talk big when it comes to support for universities but their actions are remarkably different.
PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE
It was interesting to see the Government trying to decimate private health insurance with their proposals in the deceptively so-called Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2009.
How different is this Bill to the promises of the Labor Party before the last election.
A letter written by Kevin Rudd on 20th November 2007 (a few days before the Election) to the Chief Executive of the Australian Health Insurance Association said this “both my Shadow Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon and I have made it clear on many occasions this year that Federal Labor is committed to retaining the existing private health insurance rebates, including the 30% general rebate and the 35 and 40% rebates for older Australians”
Can you ever trust anything Labor says?
LET ME KNOW
If there are issues you believe the Federal Opposition should be investigating, please do not hesitate to drop me a note.
As a Senator, the whole of the State is my constituency, and I am happy to help in any way possible.
I also welcome your feedback, positive or negative, on any of the issues raised in this online newsletter.
Ian Macdonald
Liberal Senator for Queensland
Opposition Spokesman on Northern Australia.