Article item posted on Wednesday, December 2nd 2009 at 12:49 pm

The dogs have been barking for some time – the Senate has now rejected the Rudd government ETS legislation.  This sets in place, should the Rudd government choose to take it, a double dissolution trigger.  Rudd can call a general election for the House of Representatives and all the Senate.  Pundits are calling this for early March, others for August.  In reality, it could be just six weeks away.

Liberal senators Sue Boyce and Judith Troeth voted with the government,  but this support was far short of a Senate majority.  The Mad Monk Tony Abbott, practicing as he does the “withdrawal method” when it comes to all things not conservative, forced the rest of the Liberals to vote NO despite minister Wong’s previous efforts to negotiate the bill’s passage.

The Greens voted NO – as is their custom on every piece of legislation before the house and the rest on the cross benches followed suit. Their eternal purity makes them politically irrelevant and a parliamentary menace.  But politics isn’t about holiness, it is about securing the best possible outcomes, something the Democrats never, never forgot.

But what would the Democrats have done?

The ETS is not an ideal piece of legislation.  The Democrats would have negotiated for improvements in line with our own policies.  Fairer more equitable solutions, while not appealing to major polluters,  would reduce the impact any climate change mitigation legislation would have on the overall economy and on the poor.  Our view differs from The Greens’ “Put the oxy torch to all industries emitting a kilogram of CO2, dude!” economic vandalism.

We would have worked, as we always have, with the elected government to secure the best deal possible for the Australian people with a bill that, while limited, is  a step forward.  A step the Rudd government, despite having a fresh and clear mandate for it, will not now take.

That was role of the  Democrat for 30 years in the Senate – negotiating.   Ensuring the elected government functions, keeps its word and doesn’t cave in to sectional interests.  That we are needed to do this line-by-line work is demonstrated by the failure of the ETS.  A serious piece of legislation about a serious subject, one that ensures Australia’s future – from economy to environment –  has been flagrantly reduced to petty party-based squabbling.  John Howard must be laughing behind his hand as he eggs on the newly-anointed High Priest of Climate Denial – Tony Abbott.

Bob Brown is likewise congratulating the troops on a job well screwed with the rest of the cross benches looking for a pat on the head – from somebody or anybody!

Well done all!  You’ve succeeded in reducing our federal Parliament to a circus.  A national joke; a joke on the heads of the Australian people.  Thanks a bunch!

I urge those entitled to vote in the Higgins by-election to send a message to Canberra.  Use your ballot paper and the preferential system to its fullest.  Vote 1 Australian Democrats – David Collyer, and if you’re a Liberal voter and feel so compelled then (and only then) send your second preference to those who have failed you: the Liberal Party of Australia.

Scott Kane

Tags: Australian Democrats, Australian Greens, australians, balance of power, benches, best possible deal, blog, boyce, business, choices, Climate Change, climate change mitigation, conservatives, david collyer, democrat, democrats, double dissolution, economic foundations, ets, federal parliament, fiscal conservatism, general election, gove, greens, holiness, howard government, individual liberty, judith troeth, kilogram, liberal senators, liberals, mad monk, mandate, money, ordinary man, oxy torch, political thought, politics, polluters, pundits, rudd, scott kane, self interest, senate, senate majority, senator, six weeks, socialists, sound foundations, tax, taxes, tony abbott, vandalism, victorians, withdrawal method

Other Readers Also Enjoyed

• Media Release – Exempt Left-Handed From Climate Change
• Abbott writes ‘Kick Here’ on the Liberal rump. The ALP and Voters will take him at his word
• Warning Graphic Images. Australian Liberal Party’s Nuclear Agenda; dirty politics = radioactive environment
• Australia is drowning in debt – not Government borrowings – the private hellish sort that drives misery, paralysis even suicide.
• The Economics of the Deep Centre Outrun the Ranting, Canting Fools of Left and Right – Raspberries to You!
• Dont take my word for it: Climate Change Debated in Higgins, Collyer led.