The Australian Greens yesterday abandoned any pretence of not sharing power in a Labor-Greens Government or that they care about climate change or both, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today.
It follows an extraordinary and unprecedented virtual ‘no show’ from the five Greens Senators for a key Parliamentary scrutiny opportunity for what their voters presumably believe is the key portfolio of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.
“The Senate’s Environment and Communications Legislation Committee last night concluded its full-day examination of the Climate Change and Energy Efficiency portfolio,” Senator Birmingham said today.
“Only a brief and late appearance from Senator Scott Ludlam, who isn’t even their responsible spokesman in this portfolio, saved the Greens from the complete embarrassment of a total ‘no show’.
“The Greens’ total Estimates questioning in the portfolio yesterday amounted to some brief questions from Senator Ludlam relating to the National Strategy on Energy Efficiency. No Greens’ questions were asked on the carbon tax, Renewable Energy Target or international climate change negotiations.
“Senate Estimates is a central function of the Parliament’s system of scrutiny and committees, and is described on the Greens’ own website as ‘one of our parliament’s most important accountability mechanisms’[1].
“The Australian Greens state that ‘climate change poses the greatest threat to our world in human history and requires urgent local, national and global action.’[2]
“The Greens should explain to Australians tricked into voting for them why they all but didn’t turn up and either confess they are completely satisfied with every aspect of the Gillard Government’s performance in the Climate Change portfolio or admit they’re doing all their deals behind closed doors.”
[1]http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/blog/so-was-estimates (accessed 24 May 2011)
[2]http://greens.org.au/policies/climate-change-and-energy/climate-change-and-energy (accessed 24 May 2011)