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| The Empire declared? |
paraclete |
06/21/06 |
In a grotesque parody of the plot in Star Wars, John Howard has moved to impose his imperial stamp on government in Australia. The "I am the Senate" syndrome is evident in these moves.
Howard pulls Senate into line
From:
By Steve Lewis
June 21, 2006
John Howard / File
Mr Howard ... 'The changes won't entrench government power.'
EVERY Senate committee will have a Coalition chairman under an audacious Howard Government plan to centralise executive power.
The Government's proposal will gut the Senate inquiry structure, allowing it to avoid embarrassing scrutiny of legislation and political controversies such as the children overboard scandal.
Announced last night by Finance Minister Nick Minchin, the plan represents the most assertive use of the Government's Senate majority since it gained control a year ago.
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said today the Government was damaging democracy with the plan.
"The very fabric of our democracy, by all these measures, is being continually undermined," Mr Beazley told the Nine Network.
"When we were in office (we) existed with a situation of a high level of Senate accountability," Mr Beazley said.
Opposition senators described the senate plan as "arrogant and high-handed", complaining that it would further sideline the Senate as a house of review.
Under the changes, the Government will have to first approve any matter or piece of legislation being referred to Senate committees.
The Government will also be able to ensure every chairman is from the Coalition and can stop embarrassing witnesses from appearing before Senate inquiries.
In a letter sent to party leaders, Senator Minchin said the changes were designed to "achieve greater efficiencies and effectiveness".
This would be done by collapsing the present 16 committees into a system of eight or 10.
But while a number of committees at present are chaired by non-Coalition senators, the Government now wants to head each of the new committees, reflecting its one-seat majority in the Senate.
John Howard has previously said the Government would be "modest, even humble" in how it used its Senate majority, which was unexpectedly gained at the 2004 election.
Last night, the Prime Minister rejected claims it would entrench government power and allow the Coalition to avoid scrutiny.
But Labor's Senate leader Chris Evans said the move was a "nail in the coffin of the Senate's capacity to hold this Government to account".
The changes to the committee structure meant the "end to the powerful system that brought revelations about children overboard and failings in military justice", he said.
Greens leader Bob Brown said the changes meant all committees would be "controlled from the Prime Minister's office" and that Parliament was "being sidelined by executive power".
Mr Beazlaey also today attacked the Government's proposed changes to electoral laws under which the electoral roll close would close on the day an election was called.
"It (the Government) is chopping kids out of a chance to vote at the next election," Mr Beazley said |
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