Jay Weatherill and the South Australian Government have extraordinarily passed on the opportunity to explain the benefits of his Murray-Darling Basin deal with Julia Gillard to a Senate inquiry in Adelaide this morning. The Senate committee inquiry is taking evidence on two pieces of legislation* that relate to the much hyped announcement made…
DetailsThe Gillard Government’s reported new approach to recovering water for the Murray-Darling should be cautiously welcomed, but must be more than another headline grabbing promise without funding and other detail to support it, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. South Australians waking to a headline “Win for our River” will recall similar…
DetailsThe Gillard Government’s reported new approach to recovering water for the Murray-Darling should be cautiously welcomed, but must be more than another headline grabbing promise without funding and other detail to support it, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. South Australians waking to a headline “Win for our River” will recall similar…
DetailsSo little justification exists in support of a $20 million heritage grant that departmental officials still refuse to confirm even whether there was any application, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today. The absence of any documented rationale or request for the $20 million, provided to Museum Victoria for protection…
DetailsThe Coalition congratulates Senator Conroy and the Labor Government on the remarkable progress being made in the rollout of construction maps for the National Broadband Network (NBN). Appearing before a Senate Estimates Committee last night, Senator Conroy last night confirmed his determination to ensure construction maps covering 758,000 premises across Australia are released…
DetailsBoosting public service productivity is apparently as simple as installing expensive coffee machines, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today. It follows confirmation from the Clean Energy Regulator in Senate Estimates today, under questioning from Senator Birmingham, that the installation of eight ‘Nespresso’ coffee machines at a cost of $20,175…
DetailsClimate Change bureaucrats have today confirmed that Europe will effectively set the rate of the carbon tax adding to Australians’ electricity bills, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today. It follows carbon tax redesign and linkage with the European Union announced by the Gillard Government in August. The announced…
DetailsDepartment of Climate Change officials have confirmed today that a tender is underway for the purchase of a stainless steel wine cabinet to be housed in the Department’s plush new building’s executive dining room. Under questioning by Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham in Senate Estimates, Departmental Secretary Mr Blair Comley…
DetailsAustralian taxpayers have been informed that the late Home Insulation Program has cost them an estimated $2.156 billion in installation and clean up over four years. Final costs and written off bad debts associated with the disastrous program have been detailed by Climate Change departmental officials at Senate Estimates under questioning from Shadow…
DetailsSouth Australian Premier Jay Weatherill should apologise for misguided remarks attacking irrigators over Murray-Darling Basin water use, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. Mr Weatherill has suggested farmers suffering stock loss and property damage as a result of any flooding associated with increased environmental flows in the Basin do not deserve compensation.…
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