Senator Andrew Bartlett
Sunday, August 29, 2004
 
Election Day announced

I started the Sunday assuming I would spend Monday one of two different ways - either in the Senate as usual dealing with the various issues on the agenda there, or out on the campaign trail on the first full day of the election. Instead, I'll be doing both at once. It's a fairly transparent attempt by the Prime Minister to avoid scrutiny and further revealing of the truth whilst trying to appear not to be doing so.

However, there are always good things that can be achieved in the Senate - plenty of questions that need asking and a few good legislative actions that could happen. For example, there's some very unfair and big hikes in the visa fees which some aged parent migrants have to pay that I'd love to get the chance to overturn if possible. We'll have to see what happens.

Good to see some of the refugees from the "children kept-onboard" boat finally getting to tell their side of the story in the papers and on the TV this weekend. I guess a lot of the significance of this will be lost know the election has been called, as sadly attention will immediately shift elsewhere.

The sick irony is that the children of course did end up in the water when their boat sank, but this only happened because the Prime Minister insisted they not be rescued from their unseaworthy boat when it was intercepted by the Navy. This was a new approach from the Government to boats with refugees on them and of course put lives at much greater risk. It's amazing that after all this time, the fact that it was the Prime Minister that caused many children to end up in the ocean at risk of drowning seems not to be appreciated.

In what I guess could be seen as brilliant timing, the "Rock Against Howard" CD gets released into the record stores tomorrow. Tracks by 33 different contemporary Australian musical artists (plus a 16 year old song by one of my old bands), widely varying in style (and musical ability!) but united in their desire and belief that Australia would be better off without John Howard as Prime Minister (see www.rockagainsthoward.com)

posted by Andrew Bartlett @ Sunday, August 29, 2004 Permalink
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