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SENATOR THE HON RICHARD COLBECK
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry
M E D I A R E L E A S E
19 July 2010
Labor Ministers pull the pin on recreational fishing roundtable
Federal Labor Ministers have today let down the recreational fishing sector by cancelling their attendance at a promised Ministerial Roundtable on the issues facing the sector.
Representatives of recreational fishing organisations around Australia travelled to Canberra to attend today's Ministerial meeting, but Fisheries Minister Tony Burke and Environment Minister Peter Garrett both pulled the pin at the very last moment (original agenda below).
"The actions by these Federal Labor Ministers are a complete disgrace," said Federal Coalition spokesperson for fisheries Senator Richard Colbeck.
"On June 22 Minister Burke personally promised the roundtable to recreational fishermen following their frustration with the bureaucracy and Government decision making. Today that promise has been blatantly broken.
"Today's no show by Labor at the roundtable they promised is symbolic of their attitude to recreational fishing. They don't understand and they don't care.
"This was the first promised meeting of the roundtable. Both Ministers live in Sydney, less than an hour away from Canberra. There was no legitimate excuse not to front even with the election campaign underway. In fact, that makes it more important.
"The Labor Ministers' no-show demonstrates they don't understand recreational fishing involves more than 3.5 million Australians every year
"And they don't understand recreational fishing is worth thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to local economies."
Over the past two and half years, Labor has:
· Cut all funding to the national peak body Recfish (originally funded by the Coalition Government);
· Threatened massive new no-take marine parks around coastal Australia;
· Banned the fishing of mako and porbeagle sharks and then back-flipped following a national grassroots political campaign by fishers; and then banned the fishing of thresher sharks; and
· Allowed fringe environmental groups to unilaterally influence marine policy.
"Unlike Labor, the recreational fishing sector and its many millions of participants can be assured they will be listened to by a Coalition Government," Senator Colbeck said.
"The Coalition will give recreational fishing the respect and recognition it fully deserves as a contributor to the environment, to healthy and enjoyable lifestyles and to the nation's economy."
MINISTER’S QUARTERLY RECREATIONAL FISHING ROUNDTABLE MEETING
0830 - 1100 Monday 19 July 2010
Room 1R1 Parliament House
Canberra
Meeting to be chaired by Hon. David Llewellyn (retired Tasmanian Labor Minister)
0820 - 0830
Meet Ministerial entrance to Parliament House and be escorted to the meeting room
0830 – 0915
Opening remarks by, and discussion with, Minister Burke
0915 – 1000
Discussion of issues arising out of the meeting with Minister Burke
1000 - 1030
Preparation for meeting with Minister Garrett
1030 - 1100
Discussion with Minister Garrett
1100 Close of meeting
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Patrick Clancy
Office of Senator Richard Colbeck
Senator for Tasmania | Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Innovation, Science & Research
Devonport - Tasmania ( 03 6424 5960 03 6424 5960 |( (m) +61 402 641 170 +61 402 641 170 |6 03 6423 5244|
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Caster, I think you are missing the point. Their no show is a reflection on how low a priority recreational fishing is for this Labor Govt. These 2 ministers, who have done nothing for recreational fishing except try to ban it and ignore it, could not even give an hour of their time to attend a meeting that they had organised.
Rest assured, they will use this roundtable as "evidence" of Labor consulting with recreational fishers. Meanwhile they will be chasing green preference votes in Sydney with promises of more no-fishing zones.
This is not about political ideology, this is about these minister's and their track record over the past 3 years and its not great.
Who would like to bet the Greens have told the ALP this is one of the conditions of their preference deals. Don't talk to the rec-fishos. Poor form if it is.
How come ministers do not have to show the common courtesy of telling people they are not going to show up for a meeting and why??
Would this be tolerated in business or family??
Nope.
One thing I read in the timetable intrigues me. 10.00-10.30....preparation for meeting with Minister Garrett.
What does this mean?? Does everybody need to shower and shave or what??
!/2 hour preparations for a 1/2 meeting. Go figure.
What happens to all the people who travelled for this meeting??
Are they just told...it's not happening people. We'll validate your parking on the way out??
I intend on living for-ever....so far so good
Dont say shower and shave around the greens mate !
(Im going to cop it for that arent I ...)
"There is certainly something in fishing that tends to produce a gentleness of spirit, a pure serenity of mind."
That release is headlinging to the n th degree.
I would have thought that the Senator would realise that a writ has been issued and Parliament dissolved pending the election.
Therefore, in reality, these people are no longer Ministers of the Crown and they will not be until an election has been conducted..a Govt elected and Ministers sworn in.
On the other side..the buggers could have at least attended the meeting.
It just shows the contempt they have for there constituents. Sheer arrogance. Lets hope its reflected at the voting booths on the day.
Greg
So Greg do you recon every pollie that cancelled their meetings the day the election was called is arrogant and shows contempt for their constituents?
In a nutshell......if they had people`flying in to that sterile hellhole they call Canberra to meet them....YES.
Me too. If that was my hard earned I'd forked over to fly in (or Public money even), I'd at least want to have the meeting.Originally Posted by sleepygreg
Tim
Carbon Really Ain't Pollution.
Actually they are still ministers and the government is still in power. Caretaker governments just can't make any significant changes in legislation.
spot on Big Deez. They are still sworn in as the 'government'....with all the powers they had before the election was called. Its just convention that says they dont enact legislation. In Constitutional law..they can carry on just as if there was no election called until the day of the election. Lots of furphies out there about what they can and cannot do. They are NOT a 'caretaker' government..they are still the real deal. The only way they would be that is if the Gov Gen had declared a double disolution...ala the whitlam era.
So by my understanding they still had an obligation to honour the meetings they had arranged.
So Greg wouldn't it be just as bad if the good Senator Colbeck returned to Tassie to start campaining for the election and sent one of his advisors along to meeting to represent him, just as Burke and Garret did?
From last Monday both sides have cancelled just about all their meetings to start campaining (every meeting where there wasn't a TV camera that is). They all did it last election, they all do it every election.
Look, personally I recon Burke or Garret should have turned up to the meeting then buggered off to their electorate like everyone else in Canberra did that day. This meeting was the 1st of several between rec fishing and the 2 departments, it went ahead so I'd like to hear from some that attended and if they were satisfied with the prosess so far or not, I've heard something 2nd hand but I'll wait till it's confirmed before I believe it's true.
In the past I've found that press releases from any politician are usually a poor source of factual information and hardly the fodder to base an opinion on.
BTW- when I recieved this release from Senator Colbeck it had a warning prohibiting it's republication or dissemination without permision. While I'm sure the good Senator appreciates the poster spreading his word here on Ausfish, I recon removing his liability and professional privilege disclaimer could end up with him, the poster or Ausfish in hot water if it spreads further than this site.
Yes Greg lots of "furphies" alright
According to the Parliament House web site
"Federal Government agencies assumed a ‘caretaker role’ on 19 July, following the announcement of a general election scheduled for Saturday 21 August."
Their definition of "caretaker role" is very long but it basically says that from the time the writs are issued the lower house is dissolved. It also says that from that time the actions of the Government and it's Ministers should respect the fact that at the upcoming election there could be a change of Government.
BTW you can give them both a spray here if you like
Peter.Garrett.MP@aph.gov.au
Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au
"The federal electoral cycle in Australia is determined by provisions in the Constitution and the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. The House of Representatives can only meet for three years from the opening of the Parliament before its members must face re-election. According to the Constitution (section 28), the Governor-General can bring the House of Representatives to an end before that time, on the advice of the Prime Minister, by dissolving the House. The Senate is not dissolved, except in the special case of a 'double dissolution' election under section 57 of the Constitution.
Before dissolving the House of Representatives, the Governor-General issues a proclamation proroguing the Parliament. Prorogation is an ancient power of the British Crown adopted in the Australian Parliament as the means of bringing a session of Parliament to a close. A prorogation may take place separately from an election, but this rarely happens now except for ceremonial purposes. For example, in 1974 and 1977 the Parliament was prorogued when the Queen visited Australia which enabled Her Majesty to attend and open Parliament.
When an election is called, the Prime Minister usually announces a dissolution and prorogation of Parliament at the same time before they are formalised by the Secretary to the Governor-General in a public ceremony in front of Parliament House.
After the Parliament is prorogued and the House of Representatives dissolved, bills and other business before the House of Representatives and the Senate lapse and will need to be reintroduced. The government becomes a caretaker government and, by convention, does not make major decisions. The sittings of the Senate are terminated, but Senate Committees may still operate. "
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