When Malcolm Turnbull replaced Tony Abbott, Barnaby Joyce and the Nationals initially reacted with anger. They were happy with Tony, known to be further to the right. But he then accepted the change in the Liberal leadership, saying the National Party has secured a new “Coalition Agreement” which would deliver good things for our regions.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Fair enough I thought, so let’s see it I said. Oh no, “that isn’t possible” I was told. So it seems the deal that allows Malcolm Turnbull to govern is a secret. Surely we are entitled to know what the two political parties agreed they would do or not do.
Not happy, I sought the document under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws. I was denied. I am now fighting the matter in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). Having already paid a hefty application fee, I’m lucky to have found lawyers including a barrister (because the PM will have one), to fight my case on behalf of the people.
But who is paying Malcolm Turnbull’s lawyers in the matter Joel Fitzgibbon v The Prime Minister? You guessed it; it’s you!
It’s not the first time. Last year I asked for a copy of a letter from the former Secretary of the Department of Agriculture to his Minister, Barnaby Joyce. The departmental boss was sacked by his Minister for standing up to him when he wrongly changed his Hansard record from an answer he gave me in Parliament’s Question Time. That FOI case cost the taxpayer a lot of money before the Government finally provided me the letter.
Malcolm Turnbull has not learned anything. People expect honesty and transparency from their governments. That’s not what they are getting at the moment.
STILL FIGHTING
I continue to fight for more resources for our Centrelink/Medicare offices. People continue to walk through my door seeking help to navigate the Centreline office nightmare.
In addition to pensioners, the disabled, students, and the unemployed, people simply trying to attend to the affairs of the parents are being affected. So too are our farmers.
Farm Household Allowance is an unemployment benefit for farming families doing it tough, often because of drought. It’s a different payment because it has a different assets test. The rules are different because farmers often have farm-related assets that would knock them out of eligibility for unemployment benefit.
The problem is farmers – like everyone else – can’t negotiate the Centrelink nightmare. I will support the change, it can’t make matters worse. But without fixing Centrelink, it won’t fix the problem. I support farmers in light of their unique situation but the Government is extending waiting periods for others. Not fair!
