Posted in Political Issues, tagged balance of power, Gillard Prime minister on August 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »
A musical finale for the 2010 Q&A season saw a group of singing Prime Ministers – Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Paul Keating and Bob Hawke, take to the Q&A stage to reminise about the past. Tony Jones will return for a new series of Q&A in the new year – find out more about the show at abc.net.au/qanda.
Posted in Immigration laws, parliament made law, Political Issues, tagged balance of power, human rights, immigration debate, politics, private members bill, refugees detention on June 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »
A SECOND boat disaster in a week has failed to jolt Australia’s politicians into producing a workable compromise to stop asylum seekers dying at sea.
After almost six hours of emotion-charged debate in Parliament yesterday, the Senate today is expected to vote down a bill aimed at setting up a new system of offshore processing of asylum seekers.
The legislation, proposed by independent Rob Oakeshott, is aimed at authorising both Julia Gillard’s Malaysia people-swap plan and a resumption of processing on the island of Nauru, as pushed by the opposition.
But the Greens later restated their opposition to offshore processing and said they would join the Coalition in voting against the bill in the Senate today, ensuring its defeat.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said: ”We will not be supporting any attempt to dump vulnerable people offshore, out of sight, out of mind. That is not the solution.”
he bill passed the House with support from crossbench MPs Bob Katter, Craig Thomson, Andrew Wilkie and Tony Windsor. Although Mr Wilkie has deep reservations about the Malaysia plan, the government secured his support by agreeing to his amendment for a 12-month sunset clause in the legislation.
Liberal moderate Mal Washer was deeply traumatised by the process. When the last vote came, he caused a stir in the House by sitting with the government. Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek; he then returned to the opposition’s side of the chamber.
The Federal Government’s scored a win in its bid to process asylum seekers offshore, and in particular Malaysia. It put up independent MP Rob Oakeshott’s bill which passed the Lower House last night. But it’s headed for defeat in the Senate today, with the Greens and Opposition set to vote it down. Tony Abbott says Labor’s victory is short-lived.
Firstly answer this first set of questions without any political influences
Now to the politics:
Posted in Constitution, parliament made law, Political Issues, tagged balance of power, constitution, division of powers, high court, politics on June 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Ron Williams is the man who sued God and lost – but in the process has thrown Australia’s federal system of government into a legal and constitutional crisis.
He lost the legal argument about religion in schools, but won another argument with potentially far wider ramifications – including a potential shift of power from Canberra back to the states.
The decision has thrown into doubt the constitutional validity of other programs worth billions of dollars funded by Canberra – from roads and rail projects to private schools, the arts, sport and community groups.
”This decision will force the federal government to go back to the drawing board in considering what programs it funds and how it does so.”Because there is no legislation authorising the funding, the Commonwealth argued the payments were supported by the executive power granted by section 61 of the constitution.But Chief Justice Robert French wrote that section 61 did not empower the Commonwealth, in the absence of specific legislation, to spend money on chaplaincy services.
Posted in parliament made law, Political Issues, tagged balance of power, politics on June 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Legal Issues, Political Issues, tagged balance of power, constitution, Native Title, retrospective legislation, terra nullius on June 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Legal Issues, Political Issues, tagged balance of power, democratic principles, division of powers, rule of law, Seperaton of powers on April 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Here is an excerpt from an interview with Tony Windsor in relation to the allegation against the speaker of the House, Peter Slipper.
TONY WINDSOR: His appeal was upheld in the courts and he was found not to be corrupt. So I’ve been there and done this before. We can all make political judgements and we do daily, but to make legal judgements through the political system is a dangerous pathway to go.
You can do it for short term benefit but long term it erodes the sanctity of the division of powers that our democracy is based on.
And you know I know it gets on the front pages when people say, oh he should go, he should do something else. But everybody has the due processes of law available to them and Peter Slipper has those processes as well.
ELEANOR HALL: That’s the independent MP for New England Tony Windsor.
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2012/s3483115.htm
What democratic principles is Tony Windsor referring to
Examine the political implications if Peter Slipper has to resign.
Posted in Political Issues, tagged balance of power, pairing of votes, politics on March 18, 2012| 4 Comments »
Federal Parliament will sit this week for last time before the May budget and the Government’s grip on power could face its most serious test. The Labor MP Craig Thomson who’s facing investigations relating to his time as a union official has been granted a doctor’s certificate for the entire week. But the Chief Opposition Whip Warren Entsch has only agreed to give him a pair for today. ABC AM 19/3/12
Do you agree with Opposition? Or is there more than meets the (political) eye?
Posted in Economics, Political Issues, tagged balance of power, Mining tax on March 13, 2012| 1 Comment »
GREENS leader Bob Brown will attempt to block $2.4 billion in big business tax cuts, flexing his party’s Senate muscle to redesign Labor’s minerals resource rent tax package to reflect his priorities.
Law Report Radio National Political
Legal Studs 2013 