The Coalition will today move* for a Senate inquiry into another environmental program bungled by the Rudd Government, affecting the livelihoods of thousands of Australians, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action Simon Birmingham said today. The Green Loans program, now stripped of loans, will join the Home Insulation Program as both a completely…
DetailsSenator Birmingham (South Australia) (4:09 PM) -Firstly, I move this amendment to the motion: That the paragraph “The Senate calls on the Government to put in place unified Ministry of Climate Change and Energy” be deleted. At the outset let me address a couple of the comments that Senator Evans made. Firstly, in relation to the…
DetailsSenator Birmingham (South Australia) (11:57 AM) -I thank the Senate for the opportunity to speak on these important pieces of legislation, the Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2009 [No. 2] and the Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge-Fringe Benefits) Bill 2009 [No. 2]. These are measures that speak volumes of…
DetailsKIERAN GILBERT: Welcome back to AM Agenda, joining me now from Adelaide the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action, Senator Simon Birmingham. Good morning Senator. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good morning Kieran. KIERAN GILBERT: And in Sydney the Parliamentary Secretary for Employment, Jason Clare. Jason thanks for coming in and I’ll start with you.…
Details“Today’s announcement of $25.03 million in approved funding to local councils for water saving infrastructure is far short of the action needed to make a real difference to Murray Darling Basin health,” Coalition spokesman Senator Simon Birmingham said today. “Every dollar spent on water saving infrastructure is welcome, but $25.03 million is a…
DetailsSIMON BIRMINGHAM: Kevin Rudd is really misrepresenting the conclusions from Minter Ellison in that regard. There are three separate instances in the Minter Ellison Risk Register, the final copy that Minter Ellison provided to the Government, where it says that the risk is not tolerable and it recommended a delayed scheme and other actions…
DetailsMore than 100,000 householders risk missing out on Green Loans because of horrendous delays in paperwork being returned to them, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. “The revelation in Senate Question Time today is the latest example of gross failure on environmental policy by Minister Garrett and the Rudd Government,” Senator Birmingham, Shadow Parliamentary…
DetailsMore evaded questions today suggest the Minister with responsibility for coordinating the roll-out of the stimulus package was warned of the dangers of rushing the now abandoned Home Insulation Program. Mark Arbib, the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery, today again dodged questions over the disastrous program, now linked to…
DetailsThe 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…
Details· Kevin Rudd and Peter Garrett went to the last election promising to: “Offer low interest Green Loans of up to $10,000 each to make 200,000 existing homes more energy and water efficient, with subsidised environmental audits and free Green Renovations packs.” (Election 07 Policy Document: Solar Schools Solar Homes) · In the…
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