[BITList] Two sides of the same story.

[John Feltham]

G'day Folks,



A conversation between an LNP supporter and an ALP supporter [Me]. 

John
 
Make no mistake, Labor has weakened border-protection laws that have stopped people-­smugglers, halted deaths at sea and put an end to the detention of 50,000 people. Yes, Labor has defeated the Morrison government but it was a shemozzle of a process involving emotionally driven independents, rushed decisions, deliberate avoidance of advice, constitutional defiance, the changing of parliamentary tradition and precedent, political bargains and brinkmanship.

Back in December, in answer to demands from the public, that the LNP Government said was not necessary, that the refugee people living in detention on the islands of Nauru in the Pacific and Manus in Papua New Guinea, were to be allowed to be brought to Australia to receive medical treatment which they were not getting on this two islands. Why were they complaining if as the Government says, there were at least 60 ”medical personnel’ on Nauru alone?

So, in December the Senate outvoted the Government Party with the help of cross benchers. [Those and Independent and not aligned with any Party]. 

They say [the Government Party - the LNP] that by defeating the Government on one the LNP Government's own Bills, that the ALP has weakened Australian Border Protection Laws.

Further, they claim that the ALP is responsible for over 8,000 deaths at sea by 'boat people’ trying to come to Australia. 

They, conveniently, forget to mention that if we are apportioning blame for deaths at sea, then they, the LNP, are responsible for at least half of those deaths, by not allowing the refugees to be sent to Malaysia, as was going to be done by the ALP Government. The LNP always blames the ALP for ALL of the deaths, never admitting their own part in these deaths. And they mention this blaming at the drop of a hat. I have to admit they drop a that hat, very frequently.

They also forget that the events that occurred yesterday were controlled by an "underhand Government" who at the end of the Parliamentary sitting, on or about the 8th December 2018, knew that they were going to pull a rabbit out of another hat, when Parliament resumed yesterday. ‘A smart’ move’, that was sprung yesterday on the opposition ALP in Parliament’

The smart move, which they knew about  early last December, was devised in answer to a Bill proposed and passed  in the Australian Upper House, the Senate. The Bill was to allow detainees to be brought back to Australia for any required medical attention. The decision was to increase the number of doctors on the panel to be 6 instead of just the 2 doctors selected by the "Minister” . The Bill having been voted on in the Senate, was passed to the lower house for further discussion which the Government decided not to debate this new Bill. It is thought the because the next election has to be conducted on or before a date in May, that the Government "went on strike” for 8 weeks before reopening the Parliament yesterday.

The ALP Opposition thought that the Bill would be passed after some 'argie-bargie’ by the Government. But no! The Government produced the rabbit out off the hat. In the form of "The Solicitor General” delivering a "legal opinion" that the Bill was “Unconstitutional” - because the doctors appointed to this enlarged panel were going to to receive renumeration! 

The smug arrogant looks on their ‘boats', was a sight to behold! 

“Gotcha” was their thoughts!

But no, wait - there’s more!

The lower house is allowed to amend any legislation coming to them from the Senate. The ALP spokes-person stood up and amended the Bill such that any doctors appointed to this panel would not be entitled to received any money! 

The Government said we don’t want this to happen so lets have a vote on this, no worries the opposition said.

Over the last several months of last year the LNP Government , in its ‘wisdom’ voted to sack their own Prime Minister. The man who had donated a Million Aussie Dollars from his own pocket to his party. The ex-PM resigned and such was the rage of the voters was that when his seat became vacant, along came a new election for that seat. And an INDEPENDENT Doctor won the seat. And she, sits on the cross benches totally un-beholden to the LNP.  There had been further MPs leaving the ranks of the Governing Party.

So, when the vote was taken yesterday the cross bench MPs voted against the Government. And the Government lost by one vote.

It is reasonable to assert that in the Chamber, Government members were gob-smacked - "hoisted on their own petard!"

Shorten has taken a big long-term risk for the short-term humiliation of the minority government, which is trailing in the polls and going to an election in three months.

Bill Shorten has taken the huge step of changing Australia’s ­border protection from opposition and now runs the risk that any people-smuggling venture between now and the election will be his fault.

Hardly the stuff of National leadership?



Here is the real outcome of this decision. Never mind all this bombastic rhetoric….

Some of the detained people on the island will, if their case is passed by the 6 doctor panel, be able to come to Australia to be treated for their illness.

Some of us, myself included, are worried that the Government will ‘pad' the new panel - ’they, have ‘form' - we can only wait and see.

Any boat-people who make it to Australia from yesterday onwards, are not covered by this new legislation.. 

How has this legislation “weakened border-protection laws that have stopped people-­smugglers” - I fail to see, any correlation in this argument. It is but a loud shrill noise coming from those who have supported this Government.

Another comment about this “Born to Rule”, arrogant, ’tricky’ Government.

It is the first time that an Australian Government has lost the vote, on its OWN LEGISLATION, in NINETY YEARS.

I think that it was a just income for the people living on the islands who have not been able to get treatment for their illness, for over 5 years.

My final comment is to mention that this Government has used tax payers money to fund applications to the Courts to stop detainees from entering Australia, who have not been getting treatment, for their illness.

The court costs to the Australian tax payer, is estimated at A$750,000.


ooroo



 







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