Australia’s fires have created a literal smokescreen for politics, with the crisis rightfully dominating our attention and headlines.
While the country queued for face masks, here are some of the bills and policies the federal government tried (and occasionally failed) to push through.
✖ Drug testing welfare recipients: As the first fires sparked up in September, the government’s plan to drug test welfare recipients was put on hold after Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie refused to back it until greater resources are given to rehab facilities.
✔ Big Stick Energy Bill: On November 12, the “big stick” energy bill passed the upper house. The bill aims to foster competition between energy companies and make them pass price savings on to consumers. It’s been criticised as helping keep coal-fired power stations up and running.
By this point, more than 60 fires had flared up in Queensland, while a state of emergency was declared in NSW as a mega-fire formed.
✖ Cashless welfare card: On November 27, a vote on the bill to extend the cashless welfare card flopped with the House of Representatives divided. That same day, robo-debt was ruled unlawful, potentially opening the door for hundreds of thousands of welfare recipients to be repaid. It was a bad day for the Coalition — and insurance companies.
By now, the damage bill for NSW and Queensland had climbed to more than $145 million.
✖ Ensuring Integrity Bill: On November 29, the Ensuring Integrity Bill — a bill which would give the Federal Court the power to cancel and fine unions and their leaders — was rejected by the Senate after One Nation made a last-minute switch to oppose it.
✔ Medivac repeal: On December 3, the medivac law was repealed after a tearful Lambie made a secret deal and sided with the Coalition and One Nation senators. People were teary eyed in Sydney, too, although that was probably because of the smoke haze.
✔ Public Service shakeup: Just two days after the Coalition’s medivac victory, Scott Morrison announced the number of government departments will shrink from 18 to 14, effectively getting rid of the arts department. (Arts will now be managed by the same people who take care of our airports, in a move sure to be as seamless and punctual as our airports themselves).
Meanwhile, injured firefighters were airlifted out of fires in Sydney’s south-west, with multiple fires burning at emergency level.
✔ Religious Discrimination Bill (second draft): On December 10, the second draft of the religious discrimination bill was announced in a press conference by Morrison. In his speech, he made no reference to the fires.
When prompted by journalists, he said volunteer firefighters “want to be out there”, which sparked heavy criticism from the public.
✔ $2 billion relief funding: Morrison announced $2 billion for a national bushfire recovery fund in the first week of the new year.
“I never panic” (Morrison in a Sunrise Interview)
Morrison was sacked as CEO of Tourism Australia without explanation.
Morrison carried a lump of coal into the parliament: “This is coal do not be afraid, do not be scared”.
Morrison as Treasurer opposed the Banking Royal Commission as “a populist whinge”.
Morrison refused to meet with the Directors of the State Regional Fire Services before this crisis broke.
Morrison authorized his office to hide the fact that he was out of the country on holiday at the start of the burning of our nation.
Morrison was set to discuss and sign the Adani Coal Contracts with the Indian Government he cancelled the visit.
Morrison used a Liberal Party by-line to politically spin in an attempt to improve his image regarding his long-delayed acknowledgement of a nationwide fire crisis.
Morrison ran away and back to car when confronted by protestors, he must for ever wear the white feather of cowardice for this and his refusal to backtrack over Climate Change as our nation is incinerated before his eyes.
This man has lost the battle to lead the nation in this time of crisis.
Perhaps he should panic.
John Hawkins 0419985965
Chudleigh Tasmania
$2 Billion for relief funding? Soot Morrison wishes!
Tell him he’s dreamin’….
Well summarized by John Hawkins. And this does not even cover all the other grubby activities Morrison has been a part of such as demonizing asylum seekers. covertly encouraging racism in Australia, increasing government control over citizens rights to privacy and government transparency, and his role in the overthrow of Malcolm Turnbull.
Alas too late have the ‘quiet’ Australians began to have a good look at the fool in the baseball cap’ and ‘daggy Dad” . All this time the joke has been on them and their miscast votes last May.
Lionheart:
Two posts with the same datestamp.
I have the same thing on some sites I visit.
I type something, the computer dozes , I hit return which wakes up the computer causing
The Duplicate Entry (with matching datestamps).
Well summarized by John Hawkins. And this does not even cover all the other grubby activities Morrison has been a part of such as demonizing asylum seekers. covertly encouraging racism in Australia, increasing government control over citizens rights to privacy and government transparency, and his role in the overthrow of Malcolm Turnbull.
Alas too late have the ‘quiet’ Australians began to have a good look at the fool in the baseball cap’ and ‘daggy Dad” . All this time the joke has been on them and their miscast votes last May.
Perhaps when parliament next sits after the long summer recess our Labor the Greens and Andrew Wilkie could all be wearing white feathers.
That is a story that would go around the world.
Much better than black coal