Senator Andrew Bartlett
Thursday, August 11, 2005
 
First Senate sitting week ends
After all the anticipation and build-up to the first sittings of the new Senate, most of the media focus has been on what's been happening amongst the government members, rather than proceedings in the Senate chamber.

It was fittingly symbolic that the first two pieces of legislation the Government chose to use its numbers to pass were Bills that gave huge tax cuts to the highest income earners – the Budget income tax cuts, and the abolition of the high income earners superannuation surcharge.

My motion to disallow the Regulations that have removed thousands of Australia's islands from our migration zone has still not been voted on. I got to start the debate late on Wednesday and got a bit further today, but due to other things intervening, it still won't come to a vote until Tuesday. (A bit of trivia - it is easier for the Senate to stop a Government Bill, which only needs a tied vote of 38-38 to negative the Government's motion to pass it, than it is to stop a new Government Regulation, which needs a clear majority of 39 votes, as the motion to disallow it would also be negatived with a tied vote). Either way, I don't hold out much hope of any Coalition members crossing the floor to vote with me on this one – no matter how appalling the principle and precedent is.

No significant signs of press gallery interest in the three First Speeches today – I'm sure they're all waiting for Barnaby Joyce's next week. Barnaby seems to have instantly become one of those people recognisable with just his first name – it makes me sometimes wish my parents had given me a distinctive name like Thelonious (not very often though). Still, the inherent risk in being built up so high is the greater likelihood of failing the elevated expectations and being torn down again. After all the theatre, eventually a crunch time has to come.

It seems likely the crunch time on the VSU legislation will not be next week. Next week's draft program has this Bill listed, but at the very bottom, which means it will not be reached unless the Government changes the order. One of the aspects of the new Senate which we will need to adjust to is that there will now be no way of stopping the Government from jumping a Bill up to the top of the list without warning – and in worst case scenario then using their numbers to guillotine debate.

In interesting news outside the Senate, it was pleasing to see the Queensland Government announce it was banning duck and quail hunting. I got a motion passed by the Senate in 1998 calling on all states to do this and there's still a few such as Victoria and Tasmania to go. However, this move is a tribute to the hard work of many activists in Queensland, as well as the Qld Environment Minister Desley Boyle and the Labor Member for Indooroopilly, Ronan Lee, who has worked within his party pushing this issue.

I noticed the Daily Telegraph once again had a shot at this blog (and blogging in general). This was by the same journo who labelled the parliamentary delegation to Indonesia I went on as a "jaunt" and a "waste of money" before we'd even left the country.

Finally, Brendan Nelson reportedly made a statement that is simultaneously laughable and highly worrying. Our national Education Minister apparently believes it is fine for students to be taught the theory of “intelligent design” in schools, although only if it is balanced by the instruction of established science. Perhaps he also is happy for the flat earth theory to be taught, as long as it is 'balanced' by the established scientific view that the earth is round.

I was told the other day that in response to the Kansas School Board's decision to teach Intelligent Design alongside Evolution in their classrooms, one man pointed out that Intelligent Design needn't necessarily have been drawn up by the God of Abraham. He argued in a letter to the school board that Intelligent Design by his deity - the Flying Spaghetti Monster - should also be taught in Kansas schools. His argument is hard to refute. There is certainly no evidence that can conclusively disprove his belief that evolutionary processes were put in place by His Noodly Appendage, so as long as it is balanced by alternative views, I guess it's OK with Brendan Nelson. Flying Spaghetti Monsterism has since made it into the Wikipedia.

(some good discussion on this topic over at Larvatus Prodeo)

PS I almost forgot – National Party Senate Whip, Julian McGauran, caused some consternation today when he gave a one fingered gesture to those of us gathered on the other side of the Senate chamber after the Government won a vote on a matter. I'd have to say I've seen things like this before in the chamber from others and certainly heard things I felt to be far worse, but this caused offence to some people. However, for some reason the Senate President chose to rule that the gesture was "unseemly", but "not obscene". Without getting too technical, if a Senator is ruled by the President to be guilty of disorderly conduct, he is required under Standing Orders to "attend in his place" and make an apology. Because it was only deemed "unseemly" this wasn't required. After various expressions of outrage over more than 30 minutes, Senator McGauran did make an apology of sorts, but I'd have to say it was a pretty lame one. Different people get offended by different things, but I think if someone has been offended by an action, it is appropriate to clearly apologise for causing offence.

posted by Andrew Bartlett @ Thursday, August 11, 2005 Permalink
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