The Greens oppose the CPRS not because it is too weak, but because it will point Australia in the wrong direction with little prospect of turning it around in the timeframe within which emissions must peak, says Senator Christine Milne.
Cherie Burton part one: NSW Parly’s phantom MP
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Cherie Burton, the Labor MP for Kogarah, is State Parliament’s silent member: she said nothing in the chamber this year and spoke only four times in 2007. It means that since her re-election at the March 2007 state election, Ms Burton has barely raised her voice in parliament on behalf of her 45,000 constituents. Hansard, the official record of parliament, notes that she has spoken on four occasions in two years:
TOTAL speaking time: 11 minutes and 45 seconds in 100 parliamentary sitting days over a two-year period. This compares unfavourably with two other female MPs. In the same period, Upper House Green Lee Rhiannon has spoken on 252 occasions and her colleague Sylvia Hale has recorded 241 speeches and questions. For her toil in Macquarie Street’s ‘Bearpit’, Ms Burton is amply rewarded. As a backbencher, she receives the basic MP’s salary of $126,560 a year, plus an electoral allowance of $37,405. As the government-appointed Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters since June 2007, she receives an extra $8,859 and an expense allowance of $8,859, bringing her annual income to $181,683. Along with all other MPs, she received a logistical support allowance of $29,380, a lump sum payment to spend on electorate office expenses, printing and stationery. According to the Greens democracy4sale website, her salary and other MP’s allowances come to a grand total of $211,063. Her committee has met seven times in the past two years and she attended six of the meetings. The committee’s last meeting was eight months ago. She was housing minister in Morris Iemma’s first Cabinet after he became premier in August 2005, but he dumped her in factional wheeling and dealing which followed the March 2007 state election. Her unusual reticence in the chamber appears to coincide with her relegation to the backbench. The opposition is calling it a “massive dummy spit” while Labor colleagues say that she has become “withdrawn” since losing her place in Iemma’s Cabinet and being overlooked by the new Premier, Nathan Rees. TOMORROW: Cherie Burton’s long road to the top with the help of Bob Carr, Macquarie Bank and others. |
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8 Comments
Thanks, Michael, you beat me to it. Darren, it may have escaped your attention, but the Greens are the only party prepared to tell the unvarnished truth these days.
See http://forum.globalhousepricecrash.com/index.php?showforum=9 for more frank and fearless news and views on housing, including pollies and ‘policy’, such as it is.
Lets face it Parliaments throughout Australia are a joke - Dorothy Dixers, abuse, silence, rambling replies to questions . Our erstwhile PM recently spoke for 20 minutes in reply to a question without answering the question - it’s all the oppostions fault - how long can that line go on?
Most MP’s action in Parliament is limited to nodding at their leaders speech, look concerned where appropriate, and smile ( where required)
As well as exorbitant salaries most MP/s would get Travel Allowance for turning up to Parliament - nice work? if you can get it.
Parliament ought to revamped - do away with Question time and lets have some policy debates on the floor with back benchers asked to contribute their thoughts - at least then we, the poor suckers who have to vote would know what members stand for.
ahhh Cherie Burton !. Another Labor member who was brought up in a Housing Commission house and went on to become Housing Minister who also proclaimed “housing is a privilege, not a right!”. From privilege to privilege is our Cherie. Why does it not surprise me that she is another Carr phoney crony ?
Why is her speaking time being compared against those of other female MPs? Her slackness has nothing to do with the fact that she’s a woman.
How sad that such vicious comments can be made by someone who obviously has an axe to grind. I never usually read crikey, but I was alerted to it by a concerned constituent. This message is just for my constituents who unlike Alex have beenextremely supportive.
So the facts are
First I gave birth to my second child this year , during the pregnancy I was very unwell and post his birth he has been very unwell. Nonethe less, even while I was in hospital I was still working for my community and have continued to do so even through this difficult time.
Second I was not “dumped” from the ministry. In fact, I was offered a promotion, however I felt I couldnt be a mum and service my electorate to the best of my ability while remaining on the front bench.
The comments that have been made about me on this website are ill informed and riddled with lies.
I have always worked extremely hard for my electorate and will continue to do so.
I am extemely honoured to represent the people of the Kogarah electorate., and wish them all a happy and safe festive season.
Warm Wishes
Cherie Burton MP
State Member for Kogarah
There’s communication constipation in Queenland’s parliament as well with Purcell, Choi, Finn, Lingard, Kiernan and Bombalos all making less than 23 speeches each - Lingard coming up with just 5 points of note!! After 25 years he’s had jawing so he skipped parliament to pop over to play Rugby in France and had two month breaks inbetween speech-making. In all fairness Kiernan and Bombolas possibly cant string a meaningful sentence together with the first two not game in case they look like hypocrites. Purcell avoided court on two staff assault charges and Choi is somewhat gagged after drink-driving and speeding offences. How to earn a quid in the twilight zone.
agree that Cherie appears to be doing and saying little - but to compare her to the Greens is unfair - they seem to confuse talking with saying something of note
Don’t blame Cherie for being one of thousands of hapless MPs passing through or sitting in parliaments all thanks and none to political parties bent on getting bums on seats. There’s no point in demanding sophisticated and vigorous parliamentary debate from witless or opportunist recruits of pop bands, police forces, legal practices and medical surgeries when recognition and aptitude for their role is absent. Quite frankly the party system is st*ffed as two opinion factions fight for membership from the employment dregs. A recruitment and education drive for graduates of governance is well overdue as is an overhaul of the Westminster system. It hasn’t been updated since the last millennium.