Parliamentary farce

February 22, 2008, 6:15pm, 161 views,  Leave a Comment

Carboard Rudd

Federal Parliament today was farcical, with Opposition members ejected for disrupting proceedings. They were protesting the extra sitting day.

Parliament traditionally closed on Thursday evening, but the new Labor Government has added low-key Friday sessions without question time to work through legislation.

For MPs from Western Australia and country regions this has made it virtually impossible for them to return to their electorates between sitting weeks.

They rightly argue that if Friday sittings are so important there should be question time and the Prime Minister should attend.

Kevin Rudd visited an outback indigenous community today, but a life-size cardboard cutout version graced the House of Representatives.

This prompted the Speaker, Labor’s Harry Jenkins, to throw out four Opposition members.

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Media war in the west

February 22, 2008, 6:01pm, 176 views,  Leave a Comment

The escalating battle between the West Australian Government and Perth’s only daily newspaper has reached a sorry new level.

According to The Australian, a dirt file on the editor of The West Australian, Paul Armstrong, was leaked to a journalist.

The document is a damning critique of Armstrong’s editorship and gives the mobile phone number of a former reporter it says will claim that Armstrong rewrote a story to make it anti-government. Read more

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