AustralianPolitics.com To Close

Apr 30, 2013 7 Comments

AustralianPolitics.com will close shortly.

The site has been online since June 1995, nearly 18 years ago. It has operated on the current domain name for the past 12 years. It contains thousands of pages of content and routinely attracts 100,000-250,000 unique monthly visitors.

The site has grown in every year it has been online. At one point, I even hoped it would become a full-time venture. It had a bumper year in 2010 due to the federal election and other political events. This election year promised to be the site’s best yet.

However, my personal circumstances dictate that the site’s time is up. It will disappear from the web when the current hosting arrangements expire. The companion sites, WhitlamDismissal.com and Watergate.info, will also close.

It has been a labour of love maintaining the site over the years. I would like to thank everyone who visited it.

- Malcolm Farnsworth


A Scenario For Tony Abbott And A Motion Of No-Confidence

May 13, 2013 1 Comment

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s intention to give notice of a no-confidence motion when Parliament returns this week has always been a potentially messy business.

A brief explanation: the government controls the Notice Paper in the House of Representatives. This is the document which outlines the order and timing of debate, including the order of legislation.

Whilst there are set times when the Opposition can bring on debate on particular issues (such as in regular Matters of Public Importance), if it wants to move a specific motion it needs to first move a motion for the Suspension of Standing Orders.

Abbott

Abbott attempted to do this during Question Time on March 21, whilst the government was preoccupied with the leadership spill that wasn’t. He sought to suspend standing orders in order to move: “That this House declares no confidence in the Prime Minister.”

The motion was carried by 73 votes to 71 but was defeated because a suspension of standing orders requires an absolute majority of 76 votes.

Abbott then announced that he would give notice of a no-confidence motion when the House resumes tomorrow. He didn’t say whether it would be no-confidence in the government or the prime minister. The difference is technically significant but may not necessarily be crucial to the outcome of any vote. [Read more...]

25th Anniversary Of Opening Of New Parliament House

May 09, 2013 Leave a Comment

Today is the 25th anniversary of the opening of Canberra’s New Parliament House on May 9, 1988.

The building was opened by the Queen. At the time, the Prime Minister was Bob Hawke and the Opposition Leader was John Howard.

The building was opened in Australia’s bicentenary year. May 9 was also the date of the first sitting of the new Commonwealth Parliament in Melbourne in 1901, as well as the date in 1927 when the provisional Parliament House was opened by the Queen’s father, then the Duke of York.

Six videos of the opening of Parliament House are available by clicking on this link. They include speeches by then Prime Minister Bob Hawke, Opposition Leader John Howard, House Speaker Joan Child and Senate President Kerry Sibraa. There is also an interview with former Whitlam government minister Fred Daly.

 

Queen’s Speech At State Opening Of U.K. Parliament

May 08, 2013 Leave a Comment

Queen Elizabeth II has opened the 2012 parliamentary year in the United Kingdom’s Parliament at Westminster.

A State Opening of Parliament is the main ceremonial occasion of the parliamentary calendar. Escorted by the Household Cavalry, the Queen travels from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. She enters the House of Lords and directs Black Rod to summon the members of the House of Commons.

Queen

Black Rod, as the chief official of the House of Lords, is ceremonially denied entry to the Commons, a practice that symbolises the independence of the Commons from the monarchy. Black Rod knocks three times on the door of the Commons chamber. When admitted, he advises the Speaker that the Queen has summonsed members to the Lords. Members then proceed to the Bar of the House and listen to the Queen’s speech.

During today’s proceedings, as Black Rod summonsed members, Dennis Skinner, the 81-year-old Labour member for Bolsover, a seat he has held for 43 years, could be heard interjecting: “The Royal Mail for sale, Queen’s head privatised”. Some of Skinner’s jokes over the years can be found here.

The Queen delivers her speech from the Throne in the House of Lords. Today she was accompanied by Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. It was the first time she has been accompanied to a State Opening by her son and heir. As TIME magazine noted this week: “After more than 60 years, the Elizabethan era is drawing to a close, and the Charlesian age is dawning.”

The Queen’s Speech is written by the government of the day. It allows the government to outline its policies and proposed legislation for new parliamentary session.

  • Listen to the Queen’s Speech (8m)

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Download a UK Parliament Factsheet on the State Opening of Parliament (PDF)

Text of the Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

Queen

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons

My Government’s legislative programme will continue to focus on building a stronger economy so that the United Kingdom can compete and succeed in the world.

It will also work to promote a fairer society that rewards people who work hard.

My Government’s first priority is to strengthen Britain’s economic competitiveness. To this end, it will support the growth of the private sector and the creation of more jobs and opportunities.

My Ministers will continue to prioritise measures that reduce the deficit – ensuring interest rates are kept low for homeowners and businesses. [Read more...]

Tony Abbott And Women Of Calibre: What Did He Actually Say?

May 08, 2013 Leave a Comment

In the increasingly bizarre world online, there was a minor flurry yesterday over comments by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on paid parental leave.

I came to it late in the day, some hours after the comments were made. My initial impression was that Abbott must have said something highly offensive.

For example, the News Limited website, news.com.au, told me Abbott defended his paid parental leave policy as a means of encouraging women of “calibre” to have children.

Farr

On Twitter, the article’s author, political writer Malcolm Farr, said the policy was all about getting women of calibre to “breed”:



Also on Twitter, the Finance Minister, Senator Penny Wong, was taking aim at Abbott:

Elsewhere, there was talk of Abbott’s new policy of eugenics.

Clearly, this was a major foot-in-mouth blunder by Abbott.

So I listened to what Abbott said. Here’s the full media conference and the specific question where Abbott made the “calibre” comment:

Abbott

  • Tony Abbott’s media conference – May 7, 2013 (22m)

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • The ‘calibre’ question (3m)

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

I’m the first to admit that my command of English is pretty basic. But surely Abbott’s remark is innocuous?

There is a legitimate debate to be had over the merits of Abbott’s policy. Or do we prefer the warm inner glow of manufactured outrage?


Reserve Bank Lowers Rates To 2.75%

May 07, 2013 Leave a Comment

The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut its cash rate 0.25% to 2.75%, the lowest rate since the 1950s.

In a statement, Governor Glenn Stevens said the RBA’s board “judged that a further decline in the cash rate was appropriate to encourage sustainable growth in the economy, consistent with achieving the inflation target.”

Swan

The Treasurer, Wayne Swan, said the economy had strong growth, low unemployment and contained inflation. He said there was no comparison between today’s low interest rates and the emergency rates that prevailed during the global financial crisis.

Hockey

The Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockey, said the Reserve Bank was showing leadership and doing the “heavy lifting” for the government by responding to a deteriorating economy. He said rates were now beyond emergency levels.

  • Listen to Wayne Swan’s remarks (11m) – transcript below

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Listen to Joe Hockey’s remarks (6m)

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Listen to remarks by Peter Anderson, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (4m)

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Interest Rates Since 1990

Text of statement from Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens.

At its meeting today, the Board decided to lower the cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.75 per cent, effective 8 May 2013.

The global economy is likely to record growth a little below trend this year, before picking up next year. Among the major regions, the United States continues on a path of moderate expansion and China’s growth is running at a more sustainable, but still robust, pace. Japan has announced significant new policy initiatives aimed at strengthening demand and ending deflation. The euro area remains in recession. Commodity prices have moderated a little in recent months though they remain high by historical standards.

Financial conditions internationally continue to be very accommodative, with risk spreads reduced, funding conditions for most financial institutions improved and borrowing costs for well-rated corporates and sovereigns exceptionally low. [Read more...]

«Older Posts