Comments on: removal of Howard-era punitive treatment of refugees relies on coin-toss Fielding

By: grace pettigrew

grace pettigrew — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:34:42 +0000

I agreee with joe2. Troeth effectively said that the only reason she crossed the floor was because it would not affect her career any more. So much for principle. She then disloyally and unnecessarily dumped on those few of her party colleagues, who might also have been tempted to cross, by helpfully explaining that their political ambitions had trumped their morality and compassion. No doubt true, but I bet nobody is thanking her for pointing it out.

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:58:34 +0000

joe2, I heard Troeth talking about it on the radio, but didn’t take what she said in quite the same way. I thought she was pointing out what prevents other people from crossing the floor. But you might be right

By: joe2

joe2 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:05:52 +0000

The point Troeth made, after crossing the floor, was that she could do it, when a conscience vote was not involved, because her retirement was imminent and it would make little difference to her career. I thought better of her until she said that, given the mental pain those costs would have had on asylum seekers.

By: Tim Hollo

Tim Hollo — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:43:30 +0000

Hey, for that matter, Robert, most of Labor rank and file don’t understand it, either. the point being that it’s at least as likely that a Lib would cross the floor on it as it is that the Labor Govt would be willing to do it.

Let’s now blame it on Fielding being a sceptic or the Greens not negotiating is the point. It could happen if the Government actually wanted it to.

By: Robert Merkel

Robert Merkel — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:30:30 +0000

Interesting point, Tim.

But do you really think there’s any likelihood of a Coalition senator voting for the kind of CPRS that would be the likely outcome of a Greens/Labor deal?

As far as I know, most of the Liberal party rank and file don’t understand the science (and thus the need for action) very well at all.

By: Tim Hollo

Tim Hollo — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:10:27 +0000

One interesting aspect of Troeth crossing the floor hasn’t yet been noted here – it demonstrates that the disunity in the Coalition can cut both ways and means that Steve Fielding actually becomes less relevant.

If the Government can see its way to introducing more bills on which they can credibly present moral authority, they will be able to get them through.

There is certainly an aspect of “tim would say that” here, but consider what this might mean for the CPRS if (and it’s a big if) the Government decided to actually agree to the regular offers of negotiation from the Greens.

By: Jack Strocchi

Jack Strocchi — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:13:47 +0000

Asylums-seekers get way more political coverage than their relatively small numbers and relatively minor injustices warrant. Even so, the record shows that 90% of asylum-seekers were genuine refugees. So I'm glad that some of them don't have to cool their heels in detention indefinitely. Nor pay for the privilege. But I guess Left-liberals need some issue to feel morally superior to the Howard administration, now that the several atrocities of the cultural policies they conceived and unleashed are now so thoroughly on the nose. (Another day, another riot in Auburn. Although now at least the remote indigenes have some accountable supervision.

By: grace pettigrew

grace pettigrew — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:26:18 +0000

see post No 1, Fran, Sean has been there done that

By: Fran Barlow

Fran Barlow — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:35:15 +0000

also seemed rather perplexed by Senator Fielding’s depiction of the issue, judging by the numerous injections he made

injections?

Wow … Family First does drugs in Senate. Must be one of those Senate privileges fandangoes …

By: Ambigulous

Ambigulous — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:26:27 +0000

sg @ 62

The Liberal dissenters may not have gone as far as you wished but they did defy John Howard and did cross the floor when he was PM. For example, on detention of children. It was around the time Mr Co$tello $pat the Dummy, so many would have missed it.