Labor Doubly Wrong On Constitutional Stoush - Brown

The Rudd government is doubly wrong on its refusal to accept the Senate bill to lift single aged and veterans pensions by $30 per week, said Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown today.

"First, this is a contrived Constitutional ploy to avoid the government's responsibility to itself legislate pension increases."

"Second, the government's Constitutional stand is wrong. The Constitutional validation for the Coalition's pension bill is clearly argued in the letter to Senator Minchin from Senate Clerk Harry Evans (attached)

The government's Constitutional stoush is a red herring as it should have avoided debate on the bill by simply using its numbers to vote against the bill being brought on for debate."

For more information: Russell Kelly  0438376082