“The Abbott government plans a drastic overhaul of the higher education system, including axing the compulsory fee collected by universities to support student services and scrapping Labor’s targets to lift participation by disadvantaged students” — The Age, September 25
“Protest groups that stymie major infrastructure projects will be targeted as the Coalition seeks to speed up an $11.5 billion roads program … The moves challenge ‘not-in-my-backyard’ protesters.” — The Australian, September 25
“Environmental groups have hit out at a Federal Government proposal to silence organisations from campaigning in overseas markets. Tasmanian senator and Parliamentary secretary for agriculture Richard Colbeck has floated the idea of amendments to consumer law aimed at stopping campaigns against Australian products” — Hobart Mercury, September 24
Did we know all about these Coalition plans before election day? They’re not ringing much of a bell.
The Coalition hammered Labor for saying there would be no carbon tax before the 2010 election, then bringing one in. Tony Abbott built his leadership on this issue and on the message that there would be “no surprises” from a Liberal government.
Now the Liberal government is here, and it should bear in mind the precedent it established. No, it’s not necessary for every government action to have been taken to the people at an election. But less than three weeks on from election day, voters are entitled to ask if the Coalition had some significant plans in the locker that it lacked the courage or conviction to share with the public.
Call it the Abbott precedent. Be very careful of actions you don’t have a mandate for, Tony.
Bad ‘Abbott’s?
“No surprises. No excuses/ A Prime Minister who says what he means and does what he says” – outside Bronco’s Leagues club, Aug 25 2013.
Previously in an earlier life (7:30 Report, May 17 ‘10) – he admitted that in the heat of political rhetoric he’s prone to put his mouth into automatic and run off at the mouth (“Medibank safety net”, “Garret/industrial manslaughter” and “Bernie Banton” spring to mind?), so he warned us not to trust whatever he says, then he said you can trust what he scripts – I thought the previous utterance negated the second?
But plenty of us were happy to vote for “Tony The Dancing Bear” the party paraded for us?
Mandate Schmandate.
Gimme a break, it will be a very boring and ineffective Government if it is not allowed to take action on matters not specifically part of the 5 week election campaign. I suspect most of these matters might have been canvassed on the period of opposition. if not then they probably couldn’t get their head up whilst they were trying to keep the Labor Govt more or less on the rails, a full time job on its own.
We voted for what the Liberal Coalition stand for as a parties in general not just what was bruited in the election campaign.
So restricting the right to protest and the right of freedom to call for boycotts as a private citizen are just minor policy adjustments, Gary? Bear in mind that this is the first month of the new government so presumably they are acting on their highest priorities and not responding to developing issues.
Sorry if I upset one of the luvvies, but I didn’t say anything about restricting rights, what I am saying, if anything, about the said movements is “yes they do have the right to protest or call for whatever they want” but under the previous Government their rights were more equal than most others and they don’t/didn’t have a monopoly on “rights” .
For example, because I have some questions about climate change i am automatically labelled a “denier” and automatically sent to perdition. That sir is BS but unfortunately is what passes for “rights and protest” nowadays.
Just sayin, the world will not come to an end neither will we all wind up eating/drinking Soylent Green under this Government.
Dear Gary
Thanks for making the case that Abbott does not have a mandate to repeal the Carbon Price
As to the education reforns Abbott specifically said that there was nothing wrong with the system and he propsed no cchanges. Obviously this turns out to mean that he either lied, didn’t know what he was talikng about or without any additional information, time to study and deliberate has flip flopped on the issue. Of course he is entitled to do the latter but it just means that mature and adult consideration of the issues escapes t=his government