Angry constituents booed the PM and the Premier off stage during this week’s Queensland People’s Bill debate for their support of rampant development of coal and coal seam gas in this state.
An angrier Parliamentary Speaker, Mrs Simpson said this sort of behaviour was exactly why she had earlier banned the debate from being held at State Parliament as it “is inconsistent with the dignity of the Parliament”.
The independent Speaker for the debate - prominent barrister and Senior Lecturer in Environmental Regulation at the University of Queensland, Dr Chris McGrath – quickly brought the House to Order.
He invited some of our "favourite politicians" to speak including the PM, Tony Abbott (aka Bad Tony), the Premier Campbell Newman (aka Can't Do Campbell), Deputy Premier Jeff Seeeeney, Mines Minister Andrew Cripes and the outraged Speaker, Mrs Simpson (aka hand puppets)
Speakers against Queensland’s political corruption, dodgy mining statistics, lack of democracy, unrestricted mining and loss of clean air, water and foodland included:
- Mark Ogge – The Australia Institute
- Health expert, Dr Geralyn McCarron
- Tourism small businessman, Innes Larkin
- Beef farmer, Phil Laird
- Lock the Gate spokespeople Drew Hutton & Vicki Perrin
(And Dr McGrath may have crossed the line of impartiality on a few occasions.)
The debate will continue at a QandA at The Old Museum on November 29 and a People’s plebiscite will take place at the next State Election. The Bill heralds the beginning of a campaign to restore common rights to Queenslanders, thoroughly eroded by the mining industry and its political backers.
Queenslanders want to end the corruption and cronyism of mining and politics that dog this state, robbing us of democracy and putting our food, land, water and lifestyles at risk.
This Bill sets a new agenda for Queensland that restores balance and challenges the LNP government’s relentless changing of laws to aid and abet mining industries at the expense of townspeople, farmers, communities and our democratic rights.
The Bill establishes a framework for the following basic elements:
1. The right to say “no” to mining
2. The right to our health, livelihoods and the quiet enjoyment of our homes
3. The right to be represented in parliament
4. The right to our common heritage - the land, water and clean air
5. The right to object and have our objections heard
6. The right to clean politics
Photo Credit: Eve Jeffery – Tree Faerie Fotos
See here for details of the Bill and watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/103762184