The Senate today passed its first censure motion in five years, the first since the election of the Rudd Government, targeting the mismanagement of programs in Peter Garrett’s portfolio.
“Being censured by the Senate is a serious matter,” Coalition spokesman Senator Simon Birmingham said, “it is not done very often and it is certainly not done lightly.”
The motion censured the Rudd Government for:
“its gross and systematic failure in the delivery of its climate change programs including home insulation, green loans, solar rebate, renewable remote power generation program and the renewable energy target.”
“This censure motion was supported by the Liberals, Nationals, Greens, Family First and Senator Xenophon. All non-Labor Senators agreed to highlight the clear failure of the Rudd Government to effectively deliver its environmental programs,” Senator Birmingham said.
“Such uniform condemnation by non-Labor Senators is a clear demonstration of how comprehensively Peter Garrett has mismanaged his portfolio.
“The tragedy that is the Home Insulation Program, the debacle that is the Green Loans Program and the continued terrible treatment metered out to renewable energy providers stand as a testament to the complete failure of Mr Garrett.
“There is a recurrent pattern of failure in Peter Garrett’s portfolio with debacle after disaster after stuff-up.
“His failures to heed advice and properly manage his portfolio have contributed to loss of life, destruction to homes and enormous damage to business viability. These failures were clearly deserving of the censure the Senate delivered today.”