Senator Simon Birmingham has accused Environment Minister Peter Garrett of stalling in a bid to avoid scrutiny over the impact of the Rudd Government’s new means test on solar rebates. It follows confirmation Mr Garrett instructed his Department to pull out of appearing at today’s Senate Committee first hearings into the impact of…
DetailsThe Rudd Government must use today’s Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting to make decisions that deliver immediate certainty for the solar industry, Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham said today. With support for solar installations listed as an agenda item for today’s meeting in Perth, Senator Birmingham said the Rudd Government also needed to…
DetailsMelissa Parke, Member for Fremantle, and Chair of the Parliamentary Association for UNICEF, and Senator Simon Birmingham, the Association’s Deputy Chair have called on concerned Australians to donate to UNICEF’s emergency appeal in order to provide life saving essentials for those affected by Cyclone Nargis. Donations can be made by visiting www.unicef.org.au or…
DetailsSouth Australian Senator Simon Birmingham has labelled the last minute withdrawal by Environment Department officials from today’s hearings into the impact of the new means test on solar rebates as disgraceful and contemptuous. “Does Minister Garrett really have so much to hide that he needs to pull his officials from attending these hearings…
DetailsCoalition Senators think the Lower Lakes can be saved, despite the Rudd Government waving the white flag on preserving them as freshwater. Coalition Senators have issued Additional Comments to the Government-controlled majority report of a Senate committee inquiry into water management of the Lower Lakes and Coorong, released today. The most damning…
DetailsCoalition Senators have attacked as ‘chaotic, shambolic and frantic’ the Rudd Labor Government’s approach to development of a National Broadband Network (NBN), Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Coalition Senators today lodged additional comments to the Senate Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee’s report into the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (National Broadband Network) Bill 2008.…
DetailsA Senate inquiry will today hear evidence in Canberra from solar panel installers about the dramatic impact on the industry of the Rudd Government’s decision to means test the solar panel rebate scheme. The Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts today begins its inquiry into the Save Our Solar (Solar…
DetailsThe Rudd Labor Government today revealed none of its election policy statements on the proposed National Broadband Network (NBN) are core requirements under the Request for Proposals (RFP). Despite supposed policy commitments relating to a minimum 12 megabytes per second, coverage for 98 per cent of Australian homes and businesses, government equity and…
DetailsThe Rudd Labor Government is bleeding an extra $150 million from taxpayers through a rise in the cost of postage, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. A one-off “special dividend” of $150 million is being paid by Australia Post in 2008-09, which according to the Budget Papers “reflects the strong financial position of Australia…
DetailsUnion officials opposed to the Rudd Government’s means test on solar rebates will be among those giving evidence today to a Senate committee inquiry into its impact, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. The hearings in Melbourne today follow those in Canberra on Friday, at which Environment Department officials responsible for the rebate program’s…
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