The Labor Party appears to be stringing out debate on a number of relatively non-consequential bills in the House of Representatives this morning to avoid a vote on its controversial Malaysia refugee swap legislation.
Overnight, a report in the West Australian by crack parliamentary reporter Andrew Probyn – missed by all the other dailies — revealed WA Nationals crossbencher Tony Crook would slap down the government’s so-called “Malaysia Solution”, due to his concern that refugees would suffer at the hands of Malaysian authorities.
Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention.
The yarn prompted an emergency meeting of Cabinet just after 8:30am that’s believed to have closely discussed the political fallout if a sitting government lost its first lower house vote in 80 years. Its final defeat was certain anyway with the bill to be nixed in the Senate with the help of the Greens.
On the House of Representatives Daily Program, the Migration Legislation Amendment (Offshore Processing and Other Measures) Bill is listed at number 4 in the running order behind the Work Health and Safety Bill and the Social Security Amendment Bill.
This morning’s debate, mostly before a near empty chamber, featured riveting discussions on a safety bill for firefighters, a national standard for fertiliser products, Coptic Christians in Egypt and the AQIS export service rebate. Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten droned on for a number of precious minutes on proposed PAYG non-compliance withholding laws.
At one point Labor backbencher Amanda Rishworth’s speech on the OH&S bill detoured into an (admittedly horrific) anecdote about a hot oil incident at Hungry Jacks.
Earlier, Tony Crook outlined the reasons for his rejection of the people swap solution – struck down by the High Court — in which 800 asylum seekers who arrived via boat would be exchanged for 4,000 refugees from camps in Malaysia.
“I’m disappointed that it’s come to this and the government and opposition have not been able to sort out a position on this.”
“Both sides are so close yet so far and it’s a shame that politics has got in front of compromise.”
He detailed the exchange when he informed Julia Gillard of his decision to back Tony Abbott’s amendments.
“The Prime Minister was disappointed but the Prime Minister is a pretty cool customer, she will move on from this. Obviously Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott were pleased with my decision, where we go to here from this is up to the Government and Opposition,’’ he said.
The House next meets on Monday October 31.
49 thoughts on “Crook sinks House of Reps vote on Malaysia deal”
Edward James
October 13, 2011 at 6:15 pmOur so called elected representatives on both sides of govwernment are not representing us, they are preoccupied with their party business, can’t other taxpayers see that? Edward James
Observation
October 13, 2011 at 6:22 pmTTH
Because if you do it onshore you encourage more people to come.
Why? Would the process be different? Would they be treated more humanely?
packed full of kids and people claiming to be “unaccompanied minors”(despite obviously being over 18).
Did they get this news on the boat? Did it make a difference to the processing procedure? If in the future parents sent their kids on such a perilous journey alone, doesn’t this show how desperate they are and that no policy will discourage them?
It would be all through Indonesia newspapers and there are websites set up specifically for illegals to see any changes in laws in different countries.
And so the asylum seekers will say, no, all too hard to go to Australia, send me somewhere like Afghanistan or Iraq, after all, they are signatories of the UN refugee convention.
John64
October 13, 2011 at 6:24 pmSo Julia’s grand plan is to continue talking about an issue /Labor can never win/ until when…? The next election? To end a week that would’ve been a huge high from the passage of the Carbon Tax on such a low is just bad political management. Did Labor lose all their strategists?
TheTruthHurts
October 13, 2011 at 6:27 pm[“Because if you do it onshore you encourage more people to come.
Why? Would the process be different? Would they be treated more humanely?”]
How many of the 3 Billion poor people would you like to take at your house Observation?
Onshore processing is political suicide for Labor. Guess as Keating once said… they are going Absolutely Troppo!
Seems they don’t care anymore, the Carbon Tax has done them like a dinner so now they are aiming to be the worst government in Australian history.
Observation
October 13, 2011 at 6:36 pmLord Barry Bonkton – Sorry, point taken!
Suzanne Blake
October 13, 2011 at 6:39 pm@ John64
Perhaps Bruce Hawker is on holidays this week, and Jimmy and Ormonde took over?
TheTruthHurts
October 13, 2011 at 7:13 pm[“So Julia’s grand plan is to continue talking about an issue /Labor can never win/ until when…? The next election? To end a week that would’ve been a huge high from the passage of the Carbon Tax on such a low is just bad political management. Did Labor lose all their strategists?”]
Labors decided they are going to get annihilated at the next election so have decided to see how much they can destroy the country before they are gone.
TheTruthHurts
October 13, 2011 at 7:18 pmSo lets do the PM’s 2010 Big 3 Election Checklist:
1. Hold a peoples climate change summit – LIE/FAIL
2. Sort out the mining tax stuff-up – FAIL
3. Establish a detention centre in East Timor – LIE/FAIL
3 out of 3, not a bad effort. Even by her own tests, she is a complete DUD
AR
October 13, 2011 at 7:26 pmTTH=SB=MPM,FC et al. DO NOT FEED, pleeeeeez
Suzanne Blake
October 13, 2011 at 7:33 pm@ TheTruthHurts
You forgot
I will not introduce a Carbon Tax under a Government I lead LIE / FAIL