Clive Palmer and Andrew Wilkie were the only members of the House of Representatives to vote against three Appropriation Bills late today.
Palmer, the member for Fairfax in Queensland, and Wilkie, the member for Denison in Tasmania, voted against Appropriation Bill No.1, Appropriation Bill No.2 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill No.1. The first two bills constitute a significant proportion of the Budget, including the “ordinary annual services” of the government, such as public service salaries. They used to be known as the Supply Bills.
In a bizarre media statement, Wilkie called on the Senate to block the Appropriation Bills as a means of forcing the government “back to the drawing board to prepare a fair budget”. Wilkie argued that blocking the bills would not cause a constitutional crisis because pension payments are covered by Standing Appropriations, “and Clive and I did not move to block the other Appropriation Bills”.
Wilkie said: ““If the Senate blocks the key Appropriation Bills the Government could give itself time to remedy the Budget. Interim budgets were implemented in 1984, 1987 and 1996. And even if an election was triggered then so what?”
Wilkie’s call echoes a similar one from the NSW Greens MP, David Shoebridge, last month.
The Abbott government’s Budget has now passed the House of Representatives. Senate votes will take place this week and after July 7, following the swearing-in of new senators elected last year.
- Watch Wilkie and Palmer vote against the Appropriation bills (13m)
Statement from Andrew Wilkie, independent member for Denison.
Andrew Wilkie Votes Against Supply
The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, along with Clive Palmer were the only Members of the House of Representatives to vote against key Appropriation Bills No. 1 and No. 2 (Supply) when they came before Parliament tonight.
“I had hoped that Labor and the Greens would do the same, rather than just waive (sic) the Appropriation Bills through,” Mr Wilkie said.
“This budget is such a miserable piece of work that the convention of not opposing the Appropriation Bills should have been dispensed with. If my parliamentary colleagues, in particular in the Senate, listen to the people of Australia we could force the Government back to the drawing board to prepare a fair budget.
“Remember Appropriation Bills No. 1 and No. 2 contain, among other things, the weakening of the indexation of government pensions, the cut to the ABC and SBS, and the axing of funding for legal aid services including the Women’s Legal Service Tasmania.
“There wouldn’t be a constitutional crisis and everyone would keep being paid if Supply is blocked because pension payments are covered by Standing Appropriations, and Clive and I did not move to block the other Appropriation Bills.
“If the Senate blocks the key Appropriation Bills the Government could give itself time to remedy the Budget. Interim budgets were implemented in 1984, 1987 and 1996. And even if an election was triggered then so what?
“Labor and the Greens have been huffing and puffing against the Budget but when it came to the crunch and an opportunity to put words into actions, they sided with the Government.
“Australia is a rich and fortunate country. There is simply no good reason for the Government to wage an ideological crusade against the poorest and most disadvantaged members of the community, and in particular against students, the unemployed, the poor, the sick and disabled, the aged and single parents.”
