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buzzanddidj Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 14169 Eganstown, via Daylesford, VIC Gender:	Re: BaillieuWatch Reply #1590 - May 25^th, 2011 at 1:11pm You must have MISSED this ? Quote: What's your opinion on the projected INCREASE in speeding fine revenue ? No change to stamp duty on houses over $600K The projected DOUBLING of state debt over the next three years ? The RENEGING on of promised pay increases to poliice and teachers ?
Back to top	'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.' - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi IP Logged

buzzanddidj

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1591 - May 26^th, 2011 at 3:27pm

buzzanddidj wrote on May 25^th, 2011 at 11:55am:

buzzanddidj wrote on May 20^th, 2011 at 9:01am:

Common sense prevails ...

Quote:

Libs' wind-farm plan to 'cost jobs'
May 14, 2010

THE state opposition is facing a barrage of criticism over a new wind-farm policy that industry and councils say will shut down a vital part of the Victorian renewable energy sector.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu announced yesterday that under a Coalition government
local councils
would be given
full control
over the wind farm approval process.

Currently decisions about big wind farms are made by the state government.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/libs-windfarm-plan-to-cost-jobs-20100513-v1rn....

i

Baillieu Government back-flips on wind farm election pledge

May 19, 2011

THE future of Victoria's wind farm industry is no clearer after the Baillieu government's first wind farm approval.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy has approved three turbines
for a six-megawatt wind farm at Chepstowe, west of Ballarat, and said the decision was ''consistent with the Victorian government's wind farm policy''

.

Residents who live near the site for the new turbines and the local Pyrenees Shire have expressed confusion and disappointment at the decision.

Jenny Bruty's farm is about three kilometres from where the new turbines will be located and she is very disappointed by the decision. ''It was well over 100 to one; one person wanted them and there were well over 100 against them,'' she said.

Ms Bruty, who has lived on the 1000-hectare farm for more than two decades, is concerned about the health and environmental impacts of the turbines, particularly their impact on the Brolga bird population.

Pyrenees Shire mayor Michael O'Connor said he was disappointed
the Planning Minister had intervened and made the final decision
on the Chepstowe wind farm.

''Given the minister's stance on who should be determining wind farms … I am personally a little disappointed that he
called this in from VCAT
,'' he said.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/residents-left-in-a-spin-as-wind-farm-gets-nod...i

I dont MIND this sort of 'back-flip' - and a tacit admission that the Brumby Government's policy was the RIGHT one

It looks like the Planning Ministry is turning into a "dog's breakfast"

Morwell resident Catherine, who is upset about another proposed coal-fired power station near her home.

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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buzzanddidj

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1592 - May 27^th, 2011 at 12:01am

Equal opportunity bill defeated after MP misses vote

By Alison Savage
Posted 4 hours 35 minutes ago

A key piece of government legislation has been defeated in the Victorian Parliament because a Government MP missed the vote.

The Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill has failed because Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge was not in the chamber to cast her vote, and the Government did not have the numbers to pass it.

The bill would change the Equal Opportunity Act and would give religious schools the right to discriminate against potential staff on the basis of faith.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said the defeat of the bill was a major blow to the Baillieu Government.

"I don't think there is a legal facility, a legal ability if you like, for the Government to reintroduce this bill any time during the next four years," he said.

"I think the defeat of this bill means that this bill is defeated until Victorians go back to the polls, or a situation where they effectively prorogue the Victorian Parliament and in effect start again."

In a statement, Ms Wooldridge said she was

"embarrassed"

to have missed the vote.

"I strongly support the bill, but did not get to the chamber in time to cast my vote in favour of it," she said.

"I will be seeking to provide an explanation to the House at the earliest available opportunity when the House resumes sitting next month."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/26/3228145.htm

FANTASTIC NEWS ! ...

For supporters of equal oppotunity, anti-discrimination and human rights

This evil piece of legislation ALSO gave a state funded, so called "christian run schools
the right to EXPEL a child
- or refuse to enroll - based on his/her sexual orientation

This MUST have been an "act of God"

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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buzzanddidj

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1593 - May 30^th, 2011 at 12:46am

Baillieu can't change rules
: opposition

May 27, 2011

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu wants to change the rules by trying to reintroduce a bill after one of his own ministers failed to turn up for the vote.

The government's

Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill

failed to get through parliament on Thursday by one vote after Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge missed the division.

While Mr Baillieu has acknowledged it was a bad mistake, he is confident the government can use commonwealth laws to recommit the vote.

Opposition leader Daniel Andrews said federal laws do not apply to Victorian parliament.

"If you can't get the numbers on the floor of the parliament then the bill fails and the bill ought not to come back," Mr Andrews told reporters on Friday.

"I see Mr Baillieu talking about wanting to cherry pick from the rules that operate in Canberra. We're not in Canberra, we are not the federal parliament.

"You can't say we'll change the rules, we'll move the goal posts.

"The standing orders make it very clear you can't reintroduce the same bill if it is substantially the same bill.

"These are the rules, this bill is dead and Mr Baillieu should cop it sweet."

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/baillieu-cant-change-rules-oppo...

The federal parliament allows for a bill to be put to the chamber again if a member accidentally misses a vote through confusion, error or misadventure

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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Re: Baillieu: "We Can Do Better" (or maybe n
Reply #1594 - May 30^th, 2011 at 1:25pm

Verge wrote on Feb 7^th, 2011 at 1:51pm:

buzzanddidj wrote on Feb 7^th, 2011 at 1:31pm:

Quote:

Education facing big cuts

February 7, 2011

THE Victorian Education Department is facing budget cuts of almost $350 million over the next 4½ years.

Opposition education spokesman Rob Hulls said department officials had told him at a briefing last week they had been ordered to find $338 million in savings, including $36 million by June 30.

''Here we go again - one of the Liberal government's first decisions is to hack into the education budget,''

Mr Hulls said. ''These are substantial cutbacks … they have decided to turn their back on the state school system.''

The Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals said the cuts were particularly galling given

the Coalition would increase funding to non-government schools by $240 million over the next four years

, starting from the beginning of the 2011 school year.

''I can't understand why more money is going to the private sector when we have so many government schools that need to be brought up to scratch,'' said president Frank Sal.

''Clearly from a government secondary perspective, I'd be very concerned if they are cutting any dollars from the government school sector.''

The Coalition spokesman said savings would be made by reducing expenditure on media, marketing, advertising, political opinion polling, external consultants and legal advisers, the size of ministerial offices and travel expenses.

''Savings … will be made across all departments without cuts to public servants,'' he said.

But the Victorian president of the Australian Education Union, Mary Bluett, said

any suggestion that funding cuts would not affect schools was nonsense.

''I can't see where the cuts can come from - Victoria already has the leanest education bureaucracy in the nation,'' she said. ''They want to cut $338 million from the education budget at a time when every other state and territory is increasing their funding for education.''

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/education-facing-big-cuts-warns-opposition-201...

Sound familiar ?

OPPOSITION leader Ted Baillieu has backed the former Kennett government's controversial school closures, putting him at odds with his own education spokesman.

Shadow education spokesman Martin Dixon has said some of the schools that were shut down probably should have remained open.

"I think we got it wrong in some suburbs," he told The Age.

Three hundred schools were closed and 8000 teachers sacked by the Kennett government, which held power from 1992 until 1999.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/baillieu-backs-kennett-school-closures/20...

JUST to rub it in
And say "I TOLD you so"

Nice dirty work quoting a 2006 article on the second part.

Also, nothing in the actual article that say cuts are coming, except from the opposition and Unions. Forgive me if I dont take their words for it.

State schools left to rot as Coalition cuts repair funds

May 30, 2011

SCHOOLBAGS have fallen through the rotting floor of one of dozens of dilapidated state schools left in financial limbo, principals claim.
Promised millions of dollars worth of rebuilding before last year's election, the change of government has proven a blow for many neglected schools.

Principals are complaining that sinking floors, crumbling walls, broken-down heaters, and too many portable classrooms are hampering teachers' best efforts to educate students.

A list by the Australian Education Union shows more than 30 public schools lost pledges for new classrooms and other capital works when Labor lost power, with their hopes finally dashed by the Coalition's first Budget.

Croydon Community School principal Bronwyn Harcourt, who was expecting a "major redevelopment" as part of the Maroondah Schools Regeneration Project, recognises redirected funding is part of the lottery of changing governments.

"But it's very tough trying to tell kids they are valued when you are putting them in substandard facilities every day," she said.

Essendon Keilor College principal David Adamson said the Brumby government had pledged $10 million to rebuild the "rotten and unstable" classrooms of its Niddrie campus.

Last week they got a $640,000 cheque for maintenance instead.

"But everything from the foundation up has pretty much had it," Mr Adamson said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/repairs-in-limbo-at-decaying-schools/...

Quote:

The Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals said the cuts were particularly galling given

the Coalition would increase funding to non-government schools by $240 million over the next four years

, starting from the beginning of the 2011 school year.

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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buzzanddidj

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1595 - May 30^th, 2011 at 1:50pm

Wandin school outrage over Baillieu backflip

6 Apr 11

THE COMMUNITY at Wandin Yallock Primary School will hold a protest on Friday against what they say are broken promises by the Baillieu Coalition Government to fund the $4.3 million rebuild of the dilapidated school.

Parent and vice president of the school committee Tania Hodgson said the school was told there would be no $2.5 million funding for stage 2 of the school’s building works in the 2011 State Budget, due out next month.

Mrs Hodgson said the school community felt ripped off by Evelyn State Liberal MP Christine Fyffe and Minister for Education Martin Dixon who prior to their November 27 election victory last year, had committed to delivering the funding for the school rebuild to be completed by 2012

http://lilydale-yarra-valley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/wandin-yallock-...

This is the INEVITABLE - when you rip $400 MILLION out of the public school system, to buy votes in the private schools demographic

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1596 - May 30^th, 2011 at 2:26pm

buzzanddidj wrote on May 30^th, 2011 at 1:50pm:

Wandin school outrage over Baillieu backflip

6 Apr 11

http://images.whereilive.com.au/images/uploads/2011/04/06/1ee5115dbe8aea76c6de5e...

THE COMMUNITY at Wandin Yallock Primary School will hold a protest on Friday against what they say are broken promises by the Baillieu Coalition Government to fund the $4.3 million rebuild of the dilapidated school.

Parent and vice president of the school committee Tania Hodgson said the school was told there would be no $2.5 million funding for stage 2 of the school’s building works in the 2011 State Budget, due out next month.

Mrs Hodgson said the school community felt ripped off by Evelyn State Liberal MP Christine Fyffe and Minister for Education Martin Dixon who prior to their November 27 election victory last year, had committed to delivering the funding for the school rebuild to be completed by 2012

http://lilydale-yarra-valley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/wandin-yallock-...

This is the INEVITABLE - when you rip $400 MILLION out of the public school system, to buy votes in the private schools demographic

$4.5million for 205 school kids.

Why on earth does it cost so much for a government department to build anything?

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And why not, if you will permit me; why shouldn’t I, if you will permit me; spend my first week as prime minister, should that happen, on this, on your, country - Abbott with the Garma People Aug 13

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1597 - May 30^th, 2011 at 2:53pm

buzzanddidj wrote on May 18^th, 2011 at 2:04pm:

Baillieu vetoes injecting room plan

2 hours 23 minutes ago

http://mrgreatlakes.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/syringes-used-pile-lots-medical-...

The Victorian Premier, Ted Baillieu, says the State Government will block a council's plans to open a supervised injecting room for drug users in Melbourne.

The Yarra City Council last night voted in favour of an injecting room at Richmond, in a bid to cut the amount of drug use and overdoses around Victoria Street.

But Mr Baillieu has told Fairfax Radio the plan will not get Government support.

"I recognise there's a problem and it's one of the reasons why we want to have more police on the streets," he said.

"It's one of the reasons why we want to have sentencing more in line with community expectations, and we're taking steps in this direction."

He says the Government is always open to discussion but it will not be going ahead on his watch.

"We haven't supported injecting rooms, we won't support injecting rooms, and I don't support the normalisation of any of this sort of behaviour," he said.

Yarra mayor Alison Clarke says she hopes to change the Premier's mind.

"I do hear where they are coming from but I guess our direct experience is that we need something done and this is a possible solution," she said.

"Perhaps they haven't explored it in detail so I'm really urging them to do so."

Councillor Stephen Jolly says the law and order approach to halting the use and trafficking of drugs in the municipality is not working.

"We can't just put our head in the sand and close our eyes to harm minimisation approaches. It's not good enough."

[/size]

Growing support

The head of the Kings Cross injecting room in Sydney says support for the facility has grown since it opened 10 years ago.

Marianne Jauncey says the majority of residents and traders in Kings Cross see the benefits.

"They don't want to be stepping over bodies, they don't want to be stepping over syringes," she said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/18/3219682.htm

Perhaps they should move to a "nice, leafy suburb" - like Ted's Kew ?
They don't have those problems THERE

Junkie brigade to "police" North Richmond laneways

May 30, 2011

ILLICIT drug users will be trained to police North Richmond's entrenched drug trade in order to minimise its impact on residents and businesses.

The use of public areas for injecting drugs and discarding syringes has prompted the scheme, jointly financed by the Health Department and the City of Yarra, set to start in July.

At the same time the police and the Baillieu government plan to convert a vacant unit in the suburb's low-rise public housing into a police post, from which officers will make foot patrols - but there is no room available just yet, so no one knows when the program will start. Four new CCTV cameras will also be installed.

Welfare workers say North Richmond is ''the perfect storm'' of heroin dealing. Its proliferation of laneways, public housing estates and public transport has enabled the trade to take root.

The frequency of police patrols is an inducement to users to inject as quickly as possible, regardless of the presence of the public.

''Public injecting is taking place within the housing estate laundries, car parks and … local residential streets,'' according to a Health Department outline of its program. ''There is also syringe littering, blood spills and … nuisance behaviour.''

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/junkies-to-help-police-north-richmond-laneways...i

"The LUNATICS are taking over the ASYLUM"

i

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« Last Edit: May 30^th, 2011 at 3:15pm by buzzanddidj »

'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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buzzanddidj

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1598 - May 31^st, 2011 at 3:40pm

THE

Baillieu Government

and the Herald Sun are giving

Herald-Sun readers

a significant opportunity to give their views on sentencing for a range of crimes.

The survey of tens of thousands of our readers will provide the Government with an in-depth indication of their opinions.

Readers will be asked if they strongly agree or disagree with the minimum sentences being considered.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/let-us-hear-your-verdict-on-sentencing/story-fn...

And don't forget your
"Be Magistrate for a Day"
scratch card in the
Weekend Herald-Sun

Lucky winners will be given a wig and gavel (little hammer) and spend a day sentencing in one of
Victoria's Magistrate Courts

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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Verge

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1599 - May 31^st, 2011 at 3:42pm

buzzanddidj wrote on May 31^st, 2011 at 3:40pm:

THE

Baillieu Government

and the Herald Sun are giving

Herald-Sun readers

a significant opportunity to give their views on sentencing for a range of crimes.

The survey of tens of thousands of our readers will provide the Government with an in-depth indication of their opinions.

Readers will be asked if they strongly agree or disagree with the minimum sentences being considered.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/let-us-hear-your-verdict-on-sentencing/story-fn...

And don't forget your
"Be Magistrate for a Day"
scratch card in the
Weekend Herald-Sun

Lucky winners will be given a wig and gavel (little hammer) and spend a day sentencing in one of
Victoria's Magistrate Courts

This will show the Courts just how out of touch they are with what the people want, and that's a court system that will hand down adequate sentences for serious crimes.

Do you disagree with it Buzz?

Would you rather the people have no input?

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And why not, if you will permit me; why shouldn’t I, if you will permit me; spend my first week as prime minister, should that happen, on this, on your, country - Abbott with the Garma People Aug 13

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1600 - Jun 3^rd, 2011 at 6:24pm

buzzanddidj wrote on May 31^st, 2011 at 3:40pm:

THE

Baillieu Government

and the Herald Sun are giving

Herald-Sun readers

a significant opportunity to give their views on sentencing for a range of crimes.

The survey of tens of thousands of our readers will provide the Government with an in-depth indication of their opinions.

Readers will be asked if they strongly agree or disagree with the minimum sentences being considered.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/let-us-hear-your-verdict-on-sentencing/story-fn...

And don't forget your
"Be Magistrate for a Day"
scratch card in the
Weekend Herald-Sun

Lucky winners will be given a wig and gavel (little hammer) and spend a day sentencing in one of
Victoria's Magistrate Courts

The obsession with law-and-order might be clever politics, but it's shocking public policy.

Perhaps crime does pay. At least, that's what the Baillieu government seems to think.
The Premier's lieutenants might be reluctant to discuss big issues such as infrastructure, public transport and the environment
, but ask a minister about crime or anti-social behaviour and they almost jump out of their skin with excitement. So much so that an outsider might be forgiven for thinking Melbourne has been overrun by gangs of louts screaming abuse.

Is it just me, or is this law-and-order stuff getting out of hand? Take a decision this week to make

permanent laws giving police extraordinary powers to issue $240 on-the-spot fines for swearing

and offensive behaviour.

As Attorney-General Robert Clark put it: ''Victorians ought to be able to go out at night, to be able to go out with their families and not be opposed and offended and have their trip made miserable by the obnoxious and offensive behaviour of louts.''

I'm not sure where Clark spends his evenings, but last time I went out I had a very pleasant night. Not a lout in sight. Exactly what constitutes the misery-making behaviour referred to by Clark will be up to the discretion of individual police.

The government this week also announced plans for an online survey to measure

public opinion about appropriate sentences for criminals.

According to Clark, the survey - which is apparently being

conducted in tandem with the Herald Sun

- will underpin a tough new sentencing regime for criminals to ''meet community expectations''.

This sort of nonsense may represent clever politics, but it's a shocking way to conduct public policy. You can almost guarantee the results will not accurately reflect public opinion because of the survey's ''self-selecting'' approach. Anyone who feels strongly enough is invited to go online and offer their opinions, rather than relying on a random selection. Ask any pollster, and they'll tell you the results are very likely to be heavily skewed towards the extreme.

Another interpretation, of course, is this is nothing more than a cynical political exercise. If that is the case, the results will either be ignored (as they were with a similar exercise conducted by the Kennett government), or they will be used to justify the government's tougher sentencing agenda.

The government also confirmed plans to impose mandatory minimum two-year jail sentences on 16 and 17-year-olds who commit acts of gross violence. Such a move, according to legal experts, is likely to breach the
United Nations declaration on the rights of the child
, while doing little to rehabilitate young offenders.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/baillieu-finds-crime-pays-20110601-1fg...

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1601 - Jun 3^rd, 2011 at 6:29pm

JUST for the record ...

buzzanddidj wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2011 at 11:52pm:

Beware the swear word or cop a fine

Tue May 31, 2011

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lm1vd9D4Qg1qbjzg5o1_400.jpg

The Victorian Government plans to introduce laws this week that will give police permanent power to issue on-the-spot fines to people who swear.

Under the proposed legislation, people could be fined close to $240 for language that is considered indecent or offensive.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/31/3231331.htm

The silly attempt to silence the pottymouths will be drowned out by profanities.

AS IF they needed any more encouragement. Minutes after the announcement of the Baillieu government's move to make permanent the

$240 on-the-spot fine for offensive language

, my Twitter and Facebook streams were awash with the kind of cussing and obscenities that you normally only hear on the receiving end of a prolonged artillery barrage.

Questions were raised as to what exactly would beconsidered ''offensive'', and how long and sustained the profanities would have to be to cop the fine
.

Would a simple ''Sh!t!'' bring down the full fury of the law? Or would one have to accuse someone of fornicating with a close family member, or wax gynaecological to be nicked?

It's not like Big Ted and friends needed anything more to make them appear to be a bunch of wet, skivvy-wearing Youth Group leaders.
In announcing the move and making sure it reaches the talkback crowd and the outer suburban mega-church congregations, they've successfully ticked off the majority of Victorians, to whom swearing is a precious, inalienable right

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/a-curse-on-both-houses-20110601-1fgkm.html#ixzz...

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1602 - Jun 3^rd, 2011 at 6:41pm

Rip Van Asher

David Rood
June 2, 2011

Liberal deputy leader Louise Asher has snoozed through a parliamentary vote on whether to continue debating her government’s first budget.

In a further embarrassment to Premier Ted Baillieu — whose women’s affairs minister Mary Wooldridge missed a vote on changes to equal opportunity laws — Ms Asher dozed through the vote late last night.

The vote was lost because she was not in the chamber for a vote on whether or not to adjourn debate on a budget appropriation bill.

The vote was taken again and succeeded about 15 minutes later, so debate was adjourned.

"

I was asleep

",

she admitted today.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/minister-asher-snoozes-through-vote-20110602-1...

Some Labor jokers have suggested the Liberal Party change its name to Slumber Party.

Her nap follows Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge failing to make a division for the government's crucial equal opportunity bill last week.

After hours of debate yesterday, the bill was passed after
the Coalition cast aside the rules of parliament
to take a re-vote.

Attorney-General Robert Clark said Ms Asher's mistake again highlighted the importance of MPs turning up to votes, given the coalition's slim majority.

"What happened last night is another reminder that the numbers are tight and people can't afford to miss votes," Mr Clark told ABC Radio.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said several government ministers panicked when Ms Asher was not there for the vote and went to knock on her door to wake her.

"We've, I think, known for some time now that this is a dithering government, we now know that they're actually asleep at the wheel," he said.

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1603 - Jun 3^rd, 2011 at 8:22pm

buzzanddidj wrote on May 30^th, 2011 at 12:46am:

Baillieu can't change rules
: opposition

May 27, 2011

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu wants to change the rules by trying to reintroduce a bill after one of his own ministers failed to turn up for the vote.

The government's

Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill

failed to get through parliament on Thursday by one vote after Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge missed the division.

While Mr Baillieu has acknowledged it was a bad mistake, he is confident the government can use commonwealth laws to recommit the vote.

Opposition leader Daniel Andrews said federal laws do not apply to Victorian parliament.

"If you can't get the numbers on the floor of the parliament then the bill fails and the bill ought not to come back," Mr Andrews told reporters on Friday.

"I see Mr Baillieu talking about wanting to cherry pick from the rules that operate in Canberra. We're not in Canberra, we are not the federal parliament.

"You can't say we'll change the rules, we'll move the goal posts.

"The standing orders make it very clear you can't reintroduce the same bill if it is substantially the same bill.

"These are the rules, this bill is dead and Mr Baillieu should cop it sweet."

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/baillieu-cant-change-rules-oppo...

The federal parliament allows for a bill to be put to the chamber again if a member accidentally misses a vote through confusion, error or misadventure

Rules ?
WTF ?

I'm Ted Baillieu

I don't follow no "rules"

The Victorian Government has

cast the rules of Parliament aside

to reintroduce a bill that will allow faith-based groups to discriminate on grounds such as religion, marital status or gender.

In a historic move, the Government used its numbers to

suspend the rules of Parliament

and conduct a second vote on the Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill, which was defeated last week.

Despite attempts by the Opposition to stop the second vote on changes to the laws, the bill was passed on Wednesday night.

The controversial amendment was defeated last week when Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge missed the vote.

Labor tried to prevent the second vote, saying it was an unprecedented move.

But the bill passed the Lower House 43 votes to 42, following 18 speakers and almost three-and-a-half hours of debate. The bill will proceed to the Upper House, where the Government also has a slim majority.

A bitter debate ensued in the Lower House, with Premier Ted Baillieu labelled

Jeff Kennett's "Mini-me"

and Attorney-General Robert Clark accused of being homophobic.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/02/3233202.htm

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buzzanddidj

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Australian Politics

Posts: 14169
Eganstown, via Daylesford, VIC
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Re: BaillieuWatch
Reply #1604 - Jun 6^th, 2011 at 8:32am

Bullying in the workplace

Farrah Tomazin
June 5, 2011

DEPUTY Liberal leader Louise Asher is believed to have broken down during a party-room meeting convened by Ted Baillieu after she slept through a vote in Parliament, storming out after accusing the Premier of ''humiliating'' her.

Ms Asher was forced to apologise to colleagues after she became the second government MP in a week to miss a vote in the lower house .

The Innovation Minister had fallen asleep in her office during a late-night parliamentary session, and did not wake despite the loud bells that ring throughout the building to alert MPs whenever a division is taking place.

Mr Baillieu was unhappy that another vote had been missed, only days after Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge failed to turn up to a division, according to a participant in the party-room meeting.

At the meeting, the Premier again reminded MPs that they could not afford to be absent given the government's slim majority.

But a teary and visibly upset Ms Asher is said to have stunned colleagues by storming out and telling Mr Baillieu: ''You didn't have to humiliate me like that.''

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/baillieu-makes-tearful-asher-flee-20110604-1fm...

Ms Asher did not confirm or deny the incident when contacted by The Sunday Age.

The government's performance in recent weeks has fuelled opposition claims it is ''asleep at the wheel'' and some within the Coalition's own ranks have also raised concerns.

''These are senior ministers and we have a majority coalition government, yet we are not able to have confidence in our ability to get our legislative agenda through,'' a Coalition source told The Sunday Age.

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

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