Palmer United Party Playing Politics
Story submitted by Eric Worrall
The Australian Abbott Government’s attempt to repeal the Carbon Tax has been defeated, for now, after senators from the Palmer United Party and the Motoring Enthusiasts Party decided to side with the opposition, to defeat the motion to repeal the tax.
According to Aussie Mining Magnate Clive Palmer, leader of the Palmer United Party, his party decided to oppose the bill, because of the late circulation of an amendment which he had demanded, to ensure all savings yielded by the repeal were passed on to consumers.
“When you give an amendment it normally goes to the clerk’s office by 8.30am and then it’s circulated. So our amendment didn’t do that,’’ Mr Palmer said this morning.
“Our senators went into the Senate thinking that our draft had been circulated when they hadn’t been, and they then brought on the … guillotine and then our senators would have sat in the Senate and voted on the amendment they thought was circulated, which they hadn’t circulated, and then they thought they would have had that conned.”
The Palmer amendment has drawn criticism from Libertarian senator David Leyonhjelm, of the Liberal Democratic Party, who warned he might vote against the Palmer United amendments, because they were “very proscriptive”.
Source:
Clive Palmer produced consternation a few weeks ago, when he appeared on stage with former US Vice President Al Gore, after apparently softening his opposition to Carbon pricing.
This crisis is a real popcorn moment for Aussie Politics. The Abbott Government is apparently going to have another attempt to pass the repeal next week. But if the attempted repeal fails, it is within the government’s power to demand a “double dissolution” – an Australian constitutional mechanism, by which a government deadlock can be broken by calling an immediate election, in which all senators and members of the Federal House of Representatives would have to face the voters.
One of Abbott’s key election promises is to repeal the Carbon Tax, so he will lose significant credibility if he fails.
Yet at the same time, the Abbott government has lost some popularity, as Australians worry about the impact on jobs of Abbott’s attempts to reign in the Federal deficit, by cutting spending and government services.
A Double Dissolution would be a significant risk for Abbott, and might even result in his party losing control of the Australian House of Representatives.
‘Yet at the same time, the Abbott government has lost some popularity, as Australians worry about the impact on jobs of Abbott’s attempts to reign in the Federal deficit, by cutting spending and government services.’
In the UK, the Labour opposition predicted high unemployment because of proposed cuts to government spending, while the government said it would lead to the creation of more jobs in the private sector than were lost in the public. The government were proved correct, so Australians should follow the lead and get the axe out.
There were indications a few days back that Palmer wanted an Emissions Trading Scheme as part of some sort of deal making. Has that been taken off the table? Regardless, what a grubby individual he appears to be.
Clive Palmer is an embarrassment to most Australians
Bloke down the pub says:
July 10, 2014 at 4:01 am
If only the media could get to grips with that reality. From the way the BBC spins it you’d think there’d been some sort of jobs apocalypse.
Must also be remembered that Clive Palmer gains $6million per year from the abolition of the Carbon Tax in Australia. He is just playing populous politics whilst feathering his own nest
has there ever been an example of tax repeal without blood in the street?
they wouldn’t let al gore run anything in the states; so how come he calls the tune down under?
Clive Palmer appears to be something of a disturbed individual (claiming Rupert Murdoch’s ex-wife is a Chinese spy, for instance). What’s bizarre is that people actually voted for this bloke. Worse, they voted members of his cobbled-together party into the Senate. Jacquie Lambie, from Tasmania, so far is appearing as disturbed as her dear leader. Worrying times in Australian politics.
Only if the attempt contains no new amendments. Mr Palmer is presently unable to repeat the investment he made in last years election campaign should a double dissolution election be called.
Your democracy is not working when political parties are named after people and other parties are named “Motoring Enthusiasts”.
At least the Rhinoceros Party from Canada made more sense when it was around. Like their plan to phase-in driving on the left side of the road; starting with large transport trucks in year one, other trucks in year two, small cars in year three, VW beetles in year four.
Our democracy is working just fine, thanks. Better than many others, I’d say. Palmer and PUP is a mere blip on the historical radar. As for the microparties, they have only really come into prominence at this election and will most likely also be consigned to the dustbin of history with Senate voting reform.
Presumably this makes Palmer a favourite for the Nobel Peace Prize, a hero of the Australian Establishment and a darling of the Loony Left.
Abbot should call a double dissolution and call a new election.. This wau PUP will be erased from Australian History. Abbbot would winn by a landslide me suspects. LOL
Clive Palmer is a billionaire miner. He was elected to parliament on preference votes from the Greens and Labor (that’s Labor = Democrats for you septics). Me? I love it. The greens voting for a planet raper just because he’s not a conservative. Climate craziness Oz style. The Greens also voted against a budget measure to increase the cost of petrol “because the extra revenue might have been spent building roads”.
If your economy depends upon govt spending for jobs, you in big ass trouble.
Clive and Al make a good pair and the folks downunder are welcome to keep them there.
So much for ending CAGW.
Julia’s back in office I take it.
Not that it matters to the loonies but if you just follow the money you’ll find algore right there.
cn
Al and Clive can’t line their pockets with a tax.
They want a Capt’n Trade.
Now there’s some real money to be made.
FTM
cn
If you read carefully (Australian Newspapers), Palmer is actually defending the Australian Energy consumer who has been ripped off by the Carbon Tax introduced by Labor. He definitely wants its repealed but he wants the money paid back to consumers as an absolute condition. Apparently Abbot et al have not made this condition watertight enough for Palmer. Its actually a huge win for skeptics. The tax will be repealed and thanks to Palmer there will be no ETS either. Australia will basically have abandoned AGW totally. The Gore thing was a political stunt which fooled everybody especially Gore.
Intelligent leadership has been postponed…..again.
Not sure why this story has made it here – not worth it.
This is Palmer’s play for the consumer; he shows he is looking after them and is independent of the major parties. The media of course are lapping it up as some great story.
He is media smart and gets more attention than the Opposition leader. He has embellished the issue beyond recognition – with qualifications like “as far as I know it” and the like. Of course he knows and the media keep the story going.
Reality is that although the amendments were accepted by the Govt it had to be withdrawn from the Upper House vote on constitutional grounds. It needs to be passed by the Lower House first and then submitted to the Upper House. Guess what? It will pass next week and Palmer will have basked in more media glory.
He toys with them all – Govt, media and Opposition. There won’t be any double dissolution of the houses.
@Eliza says:
July 10, 2014 at 6:20 am
‘Palmer is actually defending the Australian Energy consumer who has been ripped off by the Carbon Tax introduced by Labor. He definitely wants its repealed but he wants the money paid back to consumers as an absolute condition’
Eliza,don’t believe everything you read in the newspapers.Palmer couldn’t care less about the Australian energy consumer or any other consumer,he is as grossly repugnant as Algore,if that’s possible,and has some serious questions to answer about what he has been doing with his chinese partner’s money.
“One of Abbott’s key election promises is to repeal the Carbon Tax, so he will lose significant credibility if he fails.”
Well he won’t lose credibility if he tries to put it through and fails because the electorate failed to give him a clear majority to make it happen.
However, it looks like Abbot is playing politics with gillotining the bill and not circulating Palmer’s amendment, presumably hoping no one would realise until it was too late.
Not smart when you’re one or two votes clear of pushing a bill through and counting minority players to stay on side.
I read WUWT everyday, usually more then once. I also frequent various Australian blogs. Not just Jo Nova but also Andrew Bolt and others. Reading through the comments above I am shocked at how many of the regular commenters on the Aussie blogs obviously read WUWT. I recognize their names. I’m talking political blog commenters, not Jo Nova commenters.
It’s hard to understand Australian politics. The left is tossed out for being too socialist. The right is voted in to cut down on government spending and reduce taxes. The right fails to circulate an amendment to return all future savings from a repealed carbon tax to the people and thereby loses the motion to repeal the carbon tax. This all comes about from lack of support from another right-wing party led by a mining baron who is in love with Al Gore but hates the carbon tax.
Lovely place Australia, but I wouldn’t want to vote there.
Clive is walking a very fine line
He has openly admitted using funds for his electoral campaigns, that were set aside by the chinese as a development fund for the operation of a port.
In common parlance – he missapropriated these funds to buy his way into office.
The chinese have him tied up in federal court seeking answers.
I suspect they will prosecute a charge, if they can!
HaryG says:
July 10, 2014 at 4:06 am
Clive Palmer is an embarrassment to most Australians
…Politicians are an embarrassment to humanity. 🙂
“Our senators went into the Senate thinking that our draft had been circulated when they hadn’t been, and they then brought on the … guillotine and then our senators would have sat in the Senate and voted on the amendment they thought was circulated, which they hadn’t circulated, and then they thought they would have had that conned.”
Is he suggesting that they would actually read it before they vote on it?
That would never work in Pelosi’s House.
/grin