Senator Christine Milne’s Address To The National Press Club

Feb 19, 2013 Leave a Comment

The leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Christine Milne, has addressed the National Press Club and announced that the party’s agreement with the Gillard minority government is at end end.

Milne

  • Listen to Milne’s speech (31m)

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  • Listen to Milne’s responses to questions (31m)

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  • Watch Milne (61m)

Text of Senator Christine Milne’s Address to the National Press Club.

Australian Democracy at the Crossroads: The mining industry and the quarry past versus the people and the innovative future.

Parliamentary colleagues, distinguished guests and friends.

Australian democracy is at the crossroads. Our future as a nation, our sense of who we are and what we want for our society and local community is now being determined by mining billionaires in boardrooms for themselves and their overseas shareholders, and what they want, is being delivered through our state and federal parliaments.

The mining industry has become so powerful that the lines between business and politics have become blurred to the detriment of people and the well being of our society. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio2013, Climate Change, Greens, Indigenous, Mining, Video Tagged With: , , , ,

Greens End Agreement With Gillard Government

Feb 19, 2013 Leave a Comment

The leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Christine Milne, has ended the party’s agreement with the Gillard minority government.

Speaking at the National Press Club today, Milne said the ALP had walked away from the agreement and “into the arms of the big miners”.

Milne

Milne said: “The Labor government is making it clear to all that it no longer has the courage or the will to work with the Greens on a shared agenda in the national interest.”

The Greens will continue to support the government on confidence motions and budget Supply, ensuring that the parliamentary status quo will remain through until the election.

Milne’s announcement is a clear sign of differentiation as the 7-month election campaign grinds on. The announcement has also been greeted approvingly by senior figures in the ALP.

  • Sep 1, 2010: Greens Signs Agreement To Support Gillard
  • Watch Milne:
  • Listen to Milne (3m)

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Extract of Senator Christine Milne’s speech to the National Press Club.

What has become manifestly clear is that Labor by its actions has walked away from its agreement with the Greens and into the arms of the big miners.

Let’s call a spade a spade.

By choosing the big miners, the Labor government is making it clear to all that it no longer has the courage or the will to work with the Greens on a shared agenda in the national interest.

By choosing the big miners, the Labor government is no longer honouring our agreement to work together to promote transparent and accountable government and the public interest or to address climate change.

Labor has effectively ended its agreement with the Greens. So be it. But, we will not allow Labor’s failure to uphold the spirit of our agreement to advance the interest of Tony Abbott.

We will not walk away from the undertakings we gave to the government in the Agreement and the people of Australia to deliver confidence and supply until the Parliament rises. We will see this parliament through to its full term.

The Greens will not add to the instability that Labor creates for itself every day. We are moving beyond the agreement as the key debates and outcomes left in this 43rd parliament fall outside it. We will continue to vigorously pursue the rapid transition to a clean green and clever country, reforms to the mining tax, a $50 a week increase to Newstart, increased funding to public schools through the Gonski reforms, implementation of the NDIS, and protection of Australia’s precious environment.

Filed Under: 2013 Federal Election, Audio2013, Gillard, Greens, House of Reps, Video Tagged With: , ,

Act Of Recognition Passes In House Of Representatives

Feb 13, 2013 Leave a Comment

A Bill recognising the “unique and special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples” has been passed by the House of Representatives.

The Bill is a step on the path to constitutional recognition. Its passage came on the fifth anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations.

The Bill received unanimous support in the House. The text of speeches by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin are provided below.

Statement from the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard

Act of Recognition Passes

Australia has moved closer towards constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the Act of Recognition passing the House of Representatives today.

The Prime Minister was joined in the House by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and community leaders to mark this significant step towards a referendum.

The Bill recognises the unique and special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This reflects wording suggested by the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, whose significant report has put in place the foundations to enable us to progress constitutional recognition.

Today also marks the fifth anniversary of the National Apology.

On 13 February 2008, we said sorry to Indigenous Australians, in particular the Stolen Generations, for past wrongs.

We apologised for the pain and suffering and hurt that successive policies had inflicted on Indigenous Australians for more than two centuries.

This was the first step in building a reconciled Australia with relationships based on mutual respect and understanding.

The recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution is another part of this journey.

This Australian Government is committed to meaningful constitutional reform that reflects the hopes and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Bill passed today includes a sunset date of two years to allow the campaign for change to continue to build momentum and ensure the focus remains on the ultimate goal of a successful referendum. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Constitutional Reform, Gillard, Greens, Indigenous, Legislation Tagged With: , , ,

Current Federal Parliamentary Leaders

Feb 04, 2013 Leave a Comment

Each political party represented in the Federal Parliament elects leaders in each house.

Just as the government is decided in the House of Representatives, so the parties elect their leaders and deputy leaders from amongst their representatives in the House. If the party is not represented in the lower house, its leader will be chosen from amongst its members in the Senate.

These tables are correct as of February 4, 2013. On February 2, Senator Chris Evans announced his retirement from politics. The ALP Caucus elected Senator Stephen Conroy as his replacement on February 4. Senator Penny Wong became the deputy leader.

House of Representatives
Party Leader Deputy Leader
Australian Labor Party Julia Gillard
Member for Lalor (Vic)		 Wayne Swan
Member for Lilley (Qld)
Liberal Party Tony Abbott
Member for Warringah (NSW)		 Julie Bishop
Member for Curtin (WA)
National Party Warren Truss
Member for Wide Bay (Qld)		 Senator Nigel Scullion
Northern Territory
Australian Greens - Adam Bandt
Member for Melbourne (Vic)



The major parties also elect leaders and deputy leaders in the Senate. These people form part of the leadership group and act as the focal point for their parties in the upper house.

For example, the current ALP leader in the Senate, Chris Evans, is referred to as the Government Leader in the Senate. Senator Eric Abetz is referred to as the Opposition Leader in the Senate.

Senate
Party Leader Deputy Leader
Australian Labor Party Senator Stephen Conroy
(Victoria)		 Senator Penny Wong
(South Australia)
Liberal Party Senator Eric Abetz
(Tasmania)		 Senator George Brandis
(Queensland)
National Party Senator Barnaby Joyce
(Queensland)		 Senator Fiona Nash
(New South Wales)
Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne
(Tasmania)
-


Filed Under: A.L.P., General Information, Greens, Liberal Party, The Nationals Tagged With: ,

Gillard Government Moves Yet Closer To Howard On Asylum Seekers

Nov 21, 2012 Leave a Comment

The Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, has announced a new policy of ‘bridging visas’ for asylum seekers who will be released into the community.

Chris Bowen

 

Bowen said: “Consistent with ‘no advantage’, people from this cohort going onto bridging visas will have no work rights and will receive only basic accommodation assistance, and limited financial support.”

The change of approach is a tacit acknowledgement that the government’s refugee policies are now in tatters. Bowen said, “given the number of people who had arrived by boat since 13 August, it would not be possible to transfer them all to Nauru or Manus Island in the immediate future”.

Condemnation of the government came swiftly from the Opposition and the Greens, but for different reasons.

  • Listen to Chris Bowen’s press conference (26m)

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  • Listen to Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison (11m)

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  • Listen to Greens Senators Christine Milne and Sarah Hanson-Young (21m)

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  • Listen to Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop speak to the media today (15m)

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Media releases from Immigration Minister Chris Bowen.

No advantage onshore for boat arrivals

People who arrived by boat post-13 August and all future arrivals will have the ‘no advantage’ principle applied to their cases onshore, even if they are not transferred offshore for regional processing, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, announced today.

Mr Bowen said given the number of people who had arrived by boat since 13 August, it would not be possible to transfer them all to Nauru or Manus Island in the immediate future.

‘Accordingly, some of these people will be processed in the Australian community. They will not however be issued with a permanent Protection visa if found to be a refugee, until such time that they would have been resettled in Australia after being processed in our region,’ Mr Bowen said.

‘People arriving by boat are subject to this ‘no advantage’ principle, whether that means being transferred offshore to have their claims processed, remaining in detention, or being placed in the community.

‘Transfers to Nauru and Manus Island will continue, however in the coming weeks and months my department will begin releasing some people who arrived by boat on or after August 13 into the community on bridging visas.

‘Consistent with ‘no advantage’, people from this cohort going onto bridging visas will have no work rights and will receive only basic accommodation assistance, and limited financial support.’ [Read more...]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Audio2012, Gillard, Greens, Liberal Party, Refugees, Video Tagged With: , , , , ,
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