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April 17, 2005
clever
I watched the ABC's Insiders this morning. It is something I rarely do as I hardly ever watch the Sunday morning current affairs shows on free-to-air television. I'm generally online reading this kind of material.
Most of the commentary on Insiders was devoted to the Medicare backflip and the implausible justification given by the Government about just becoming aware of the "economic blowout" of the Medicare safety net and the Government needing to be economically responsible.
There was a section on Insiders called Talking Pictures which discussed the week's political cartoons with Bruce Petty. That is innovative section as some of the best commentary in Australia is by the cartoonists. Why not bring in cultural studies academics to comment?
Matt Golding
Very clever don't you think?
The significance of the backflip is pointed out by Michelle Grattin in The Age. With control of the Senate, the Howard Government, "is not just determined, after July 1, to get through legislation that's been rejected; it will feel free, when it chooses, to unpick and redo things previously legislated after compromises." It's called rollback.
Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at April 17, 2005 12:34 PM
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Comments
It does not matter....another contingent to Iraq, an expedient military appointment and everybody will forget it and line up behind 'conviction politician' Howard.
Posted by: Guido at April 18, 2005 11:48 AM
Cheer up. You must be heartened by this.
On the other hand, I read in the AFR that Senator Minchin is trawling the past looking for legislation over the last nine years to rollback.
Legislation mentioned includes WIK native title legislation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act, GST, electoral reform.
The Government has the mandate to amend this legislation is the argument. The other argument, which is being run by Michael Baume in the AFR, is that it (Medicare safety net) is the fault of the 4 crossbench Senators with power and no responsibility. They made the government do what it did not want to do. And they are now hanging poor brave Tony Abbott out to dry.
Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson at April 18, 2005 01:09 PM