17 December 2024

Tumultuous times
It’s been a tumultuous time for the government but a great one for the parliament. There was Australia’s biggest infrastructure debacle, the huge budget deficit and the continuing health crisis. The government’s commitment continued to our priorities of accountability, democracy and transparency continued to be questionable. Forty percent of Right to Information responses don’t comply with the legally-required 20-day response time. The Integrity Commission is the most under-funded in the country, it’s also under-staffed and has no in-house counsel. Those words were from the Chief Commissioner in the commission’s annual report. 

Lack of opposition
The Labor party is the opposition in name only. The major parties have few policy differences; most disagreements are about implementation, not goals.

But the party swung a few punches that landed. Its industrial manslaughter bill became law and leader Dean Winter kept the heat on the government TT-Line/Tas Ports infrastructure debacle. His relentless probing and revelations in Question Time contributed to the resignation of Deputy Premier and former Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson. 

Achieving
A debacle was what the major parties wanted us to believe the parliament would be if there was not a majority government. But as independent Kristie Johnston opined in The Mercury, with whom I agreed, the facts show the prediction didn’t eventuate. Members worked together to pass bills such as Ms Johnston’s bill to make easier for family violence orders to be extended. The House passed the bill unanimously.

Long overdue
The passing of the Greens’ political party donations bill strengthened democracy. Promised by the Liberals after the 2018 election, its bill passed both chambers last year after Labor reversed its decision not to support key elements, including the limit on donations to be declared. The Greens’ bill, supported by the major parties in the House of Assembly, will supersede the Liberals’ legislation and so the Legislative Council will pass them.

Award winner
While we’re on the subject of parliament, the Liberal-leaning Font Public Relations company’s podcast, Fontcast, awarded David O’Byrne the Golden Font. The award is for having the most influence on state politics, judged by the Fontcast crew. Mr O’Byrne won 10 votes, Dean Winter seven and Jeremy Rockliff five. The Font crew declared O’Byrne was the most influential crossbencher and had – among other things –  been instrumental in causing the resignation of former deputy premier and treasurer Michael Ferguson.