2016-02-25
Senator Richard Di Natale
Malcolm Turnbull has made no changes to the Direct Action sham, Abbott's pathetic pollution reduction targets, or the Liberals' intention to abolish our innovation-driving, revenue-raising ARENA and CEFC.
Tony Abbott promised a Wind Farm Commissioner and Malcolm Turnbull delivered. Tony Abbott backed the Carmichael coal mine, the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere, and it's received fresh approvals under Turnbull's leadership.
Secrecy still rules Australia's immigration policy, and the Liberals continue to turn people seeking asylum back to sea. Australian laws are still locking children up in prison camps and indefinitely detaining people found to be refugees. The government is still restricting refugees to Temporary Protection Visas. Doctors and detention centre staff continue to be gagged from speaking out, branded criminals if they reveal the harm being inflicted in the camps.
The Liberal/National government is still pushing ahead with control orders for 14 year olds. They're still dropping bombs on Syria and Iraq with no plan and no exit strategy.
They're rolling out Abbott's discriminatory and paternalistic cashless welfare card. They're refusing to reverse Abbott's cuts to legal services and crisis accommodation for women fleeing domestic violence. There's no clarity around the government's plan for tax reform and they're still planning a costly plebiscite to delay a vote on marriage equality.
Back to the Jurassic
This week the dinosaurs have really come to life. Cory Bernardi managed to grab control of the government's agenda to initiate a review into the Safe Schools program. What a kick in the guts for all of us concerned about homophobic and transphobic bullying and discrimination in schools. As Rob Simms told the Senate, “When Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister I had hoped that that was the end of Jurassic Park, but no. There's a sequel. Jurassic World is here.”
None other than Abbott-backer Andrew Nikolik has been appointed by Turnbull as the new chair of Parliament's powerful security and intelligence committee. This is a man who's on the record describing the debate about civil liberties as 'redundant' and a 'luxury'. As Nick McKim told the press, “Mr Nikolic holding such extremist views should have ruled him out of such an important position.”
Eric Abetz outdid himself on Lateline the other night, discussing the value of SBS. He said, “I believe that we should be encouraging new Australians to learn the English language and I'm not necessarily sure that SBS caters for that.” Fortunately Scott Ludlam was the show's next guest, where he was able to say, “hang on, SBS is important.”
But we're not done yet. In the House of Representatives this week Dennis Jensen repeated the offensive Abbott notion that life in remote indigenous communities is a 'lifestyle choice'. He went one awful step further, referring to Aboriginal peoples living in remote communities as 'noble savages'. Rachel Siewert called him out on this display of extreme ignorance of Aboriginal culture, of the effects of colonisation, disadvantage and of our international obligations under various conventions. Rach rightly reminded him Australians have made it quite clear that remote communities should not be closed.
Then there's Peter Dutton. The Minister who moved into the Immigration portfolio when Turnbull became Prime Minister. This week he suggested baby Asha might have been hurt by her mother as a strategy to manipulate the government. Adam Bandt spoke the outrage we all felt, telling the House of Reps, “I have not met one parent anywhere ever of any race, of any nationality, who would ever consider putting their child in harm's way whatever the potential gain. Detention harms children.”
Don't look behind the curtain
Robert Simms put the key question to the Chamber: Who precisely is in charge of the government? Is it Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, is it Senator Cory Bernadi, or is it former Prime Minister, Tony Abbott? Who is running this show?
People had very high hopes when Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister. After the awful Abbott years, it was reasonable to expect that any change would be a change for a better. But now it's clear the Liberal Party has changed him. The Malcolm Turnbull who used to advocate for a price on pollution, for ending discrimination in marriage, for a republic and for innovation, has become a leader who'll fire climate scientists from the CSIRO, who'll make life harder for young LGBTIQA people, and who'll follow the Abbott playbook on everything from defence spending to attacking people's rights at work.
People wondered what the switch to Malcolm Turnbull would mean for the Greens. It's turned out our task is as big and important as ever. We have to be just as vigilant and vocal in standing up against discrimination, against moves that would entrench inequality, and against decisions that accelerate dangerous global warming. In the absence of vision and leadership from the government, we have to be courageous in taking on tough issues like drug law reform, ending unfair tax breaks, establishing a national ICAC and setting truly transformative clean energy targets.
This is why we are in Parliament. To change the conversation, change the law, and help make Australia a kinder, more caring, more sustainable, prosperous and equal society than if we left it up to the others.
Thank you so much for your support,
Richard.