Looks like parliament is only going to sit for 2 days
The prime minister’s plan to fly 150 politicians to Canberra for two days’ sitting is not only fiscally irresponsible, it’s also treating taxpayers as mugs says Labor’s manager of Opposition business and shadow finance minister, Tony Burke.
“This stunt is a recipe for fiscal recklessness on a grand scale,” Burke said.
“The Australian Financial Review is today reporting Malcolm Turnbull is planning an unprecedented move to recall the House of Representatives for just two days during the week starting 18 April.
“If nearly 150 MPs are flying to Canberra, it should be a normal parliamentary sitting week with Question Time every day beginning Monday.
“Malcolm Turnbull has questions to answer.”
“Anything less is a pure indulgence on the part of the Prime Minister and would be treating taxpayers as mugs,” Burke said.
Since parliament last sat, the PM has raised a plan for double taxation, said he would stop funding government schools but keep funding private schools, and one of his ‘inner circle’ has been embroiled in a donation scandal.
“Malcolm Turnbull has questions to answer and he cannot hide from his failures,” Burke said.
“Recalling the entire parliament for a political stunt but avoiding scrutiny.”
“Not only is Malcolm Turnbull trying to hide from accountability, he’s only willing to put up an anonymous source to confirm he’s trying to hide from accountability.
“Malcolm Turnbull needs to come clean with the Australian people about his plans for the parliament.
“We cannot have a situation where Malcolm Turnbull is recalling the entire parliament for a political stunt but avoiding scrutiny of his actions,” Burke added.
UPDATE:
The Turnbull government chaos and lack of communication within the leadership group continues today with the PM and the Leader of the House — Christopher Pyne — unable to say for how long the House of Representatives would sit when parliament returns.
On Sunday, Malcolm Turnbull told Sky News:
“The lower house will sit for a portion of that time, for at least the first part of the week beginning Monday, April 18.”
Malcolm Turnbull — SKY News — 3 April 2016
The Australian Financial Review subsequently reported:
“But the House of Representatives, which the government controls, is likely to sit only on Monday and Tuesday of the first week… said a senior source.”
AFR — 6 April 2016
“He doesn’t know if a decision has been made on how many days the House of Representatives will sit.”
Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke said the Leader of the House walked away from Malcolm Turnbull’s vague commitment and the backgrounding in the Australian Financial Review.
Christopher Pyne this morning told the ABC:
“I don’t think we’ve made a decision yet about how many days the House of Representatives needs to sit.”
and:
“That decision is something that we will make over the course of the next few days, I assume.”
Christopher Pyne — ABC Radio — 6 April 2016
“Christopher Pyne is the person responsible for managing the Turnbull government’s agenda in the House of Representatives but he’s admitted this morning even he doesn’t know if a decision has been made on how many days the House of Representatives will sit and is simply assuming a decision will be made in the next few days,” Burke said.
“If the Turnbull government can’t agree on when parliament is going to sit, how can Australians trust them to manage anything?
“The government has gone to all the expense and trouble of bringing MPs back to Canberra but they don’t have a plan for what they’ll do when they arrive.
“The Turnbull government needs to end the chaos.”
“What we need is the PM to decide to either govern or to campaign.
“If he wants to campaign, call the election and let’s get on with it.
“If he wants to govern, get back to Canberra, recall the parliament and let’s do some governing; he can’t have it both ways.
“The Turnbull government needs to end the chaos, stop trying to hide from scrutiny and commit to a full parliamentary working week with Question Time,” Burke said.
https://www.laborherald.com.au/politics/pm-turnbull-cant-hide-from-his-failures/There are some links in the story