ELEANOR HALL: Let’s go now to the debate inside the federal Coalition about whether it should maintain the hefty Government subsidies to the car industry in Australia. The Federal Government says that every country that makes cars props up its local industry, and it’s accusing the Opposition of putting auto industry jobs at…
DetailsDAVID LIPSON: … first, to political matters much closer to home, I want to go straight to our political panel today. The Shadow Parliamentary Secretary, Simon Birmingham, joins us from Adelaide and, here in Canberra, Labor MP Andrew Leigh. Good morning to both of you gentlemen and happy new year. ANDREW LEIGH: Morning,…
DetailsKIERAN GILBERT: With me now, I’ve got Labor frontbencher Senator Kate Lundy and Liberal frontbencher Senator Simon Birmingham. Good morning to you both. KATE LUNDY: Good morning. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good morning, Kieran, Kate. KIERAN GILBERT: I want to ask you, first of all, Senator Lundy… I want to ask, you first…
DetailsLYNDAL CURTIS: Hello and welcome to Capital Hill. I’m Lyndal Curtis. If nothing else, the weekend’s Labor Party conference showed that the art of the impassioned speech is not dead, even though it’s rarely seen in the Parliament. The conference endorsed same-sex marriage and a conscience vote on the same. It also endorsed offshore…
DetailsKIERAN GILBERT: With me now, Labor MP Andrew Leigh in the Canberra studio… Morning, Andrew… ANDREW LEIGH: Morning, Kieran. KIERAN GILBERT: … and from Adelaide we have Liberal Senator… Senator Simon Birmingham. Senator, thanks for your time. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good morning, Kieran. Morning, Andrew. KIERAN GILBERT: I want to ask…
DetailsLUKE GRANT: Now, as you know, the UN Climate Change Conference is happening in South Africa, in Durban. Simon Birmingham is the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray-Darling Basin and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment… Liberal Senator for South Australia and joins us on the line. Afternoon, Senator. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good afternoon,…
DetailsJOURNALIST: What’s new today? We’ve had all this coverage of it yesterday. You’ve come all the way down here. What are you still doing this for? SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Well, this is the process of actually talking to stakeholders, talking to people who have a real interest in this Basin Plan and how it’s…
DetailsJESSICA SWANN: I think the most important news of the morning is to say a very happy birthday to Reggie [phonetic], and Tony [phonetic] is also having a birthday. Gosh, all these messages coming in before the program. ‘Hi, it’s Leon here. Please, I’d like to say happy birthday in the morning to the…
DetailsMARY GOODE: … The draft Plan now faces 20 weeks of consultations and a final Plan is expected to be presented to Parliament mid-next year. There is then 15 sitting days to disallow it. Any Member of either House can move a disallowance motion but the motion needs a majority to pass. That puts…
DetailsTREVOR SCOTT: … and as you would be aware, the Murray-Darling [proposed] Basin Plan has been released and, I tell you what, it’s a little bit murky. Well, so says Senator Simon Birmingham a murky plan for murky waters. I welcome Senator Birmingham to the program. Good morning, Senator. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good…
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