Government passing away by self-neglect, Opposition poised for takeover of your Model Parliament (Wed 16 Sep 2015)

WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2015 | NATIONAL POLITICS | CITIZENS’ PRESS

This week began the 3rd and final year of the 2nd r/modelparliament, with 3½ weeks remaining of this term. A rare turnout in last week’s House of Representatives no-confidence motion (which the government narrowly survived) and Saturday’s controversial rigged Senate election (in which the government narrowly won 1 seat despite not campaigning), has ended with the Australian House of Representatives mostly abandoned by lack of participation, and the Senate sitting all week with no business sent to it. Committees also remain moribund, and critical government Ministries like Treasury, Communications, Infrastructure, Education, Society, Energy and Environment remain blank, and the next general election is looming with government departments unfunded and no federal budget in sight.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Most of this week’s threads have expired without quorum, including those on their second attempt after expiring without quorum last week too. The single active thread passed through its debate stage without a single MP participating, and no activity in 49 of the 56 hours it’s been running.

SENATE

The Senate is about to start its first sitting since the election of new Senators. In an unexpected twist of circumstances, both the President and Deputy President must in fact vacate these roles and face re-election in the chamber. The two incumbents are ongoing Opposition senators and can stand for their positions again.

COALITION RISING

After almost 4 months at the helm, the bizarrely cryptic reign of the Greens since June 2015 might be nearing its end, either by a last-minute change of government or a general election to be called in early October.

For the Government, bills passed by both houses have been left unassented, current bills have been abandoned without passing, and new bills are conspicuous by their absence. The Labor-Progressives Opposition has also held off from tabling its latest bill-on-notice for the last 3 weeks.

Meanwhile, last week’s opposition-championed bi-partisan condolence motion for victims of 9/11 remains unvoted, and with narrow participation, despite an extended weekend sitting. If it will be a complete joke if it passes, since clearly most MPs have no respect for the victims at all.

Instead, Government MPs have abstained from almost all votes, only entering the chamber to rubber-stamp an opposition bill that is both faulty, and tries to unsurp the government’s management of parliamentary business. Greens MPs voted Aye for this without debate, and let every other motion rot on the vine. As is par for this course, the government was derelict in its duty by not scrutinising the bill, and abrogating due diligence to the opposition. These are the actions of a government that is trying to bring itself down and drag the parliament with it.

Despite the unsporting tactics of the Opposition in taking over the Senate without a mandate, a popular victory in the October general election would deliver it legitimacy, and give it unfettered control of both houses of parliament. If the Labor-Progressives Opposition Coalition is successful in winning government with this election, it seemingly faces little resistance from a passive minority Greens.

The Liberals get brickbat-of-the-month award for trying to rig the election instead of campaigning for it or participating in any public debate.