Inquiry into Dodgy Desal to Go Ahead!

The motion for my inquiry into the Lonsdale Desal Plant passed (about 1am last night!) and the committee has now been set up. I’m chairing it, with Rob Lucas and John Dawkins from the Liberals, John Darley (Independent) and John Gazzola and Carmel Zollo from the ALP.

Stay tuned here, or keep an eye on the media for more information about how you can make a submission or give evidence (in camera if needs be). 

The Terms of Reference for my Desal Inquiry (as amended by the Liberals) are below. 1.That a select committee of the Legislative Council be appointed to inquire into and report upon the Lonsdale-based Adelaide desalination plant project including the following matters:

(a) the management and administration of the project, including all issues relating to the cost and financing of this project;

(b) the procedures and practices used to deliver the project, including those with regard to workplace safety;

(c) the related matters of worker deaths and injuries; and

(d) any other relevant matter.

2. That the committee consist of six members and that the quorum of members necessary to be present at all meetings of the committee be fixed at four members and That standing order No. 389 be so far suspended as to enable the chairperson of the committee to have a deliberative vote only.

3.That this council permits the select committee to authorise the disclosure or publication, as it sees fit, of any evidence or documents presented to the committee prior to such evidence being presented to the council.

4.That standing order No. 396 be suspended to enable strangers to be admitted when the select committee is examining witnesses unless the committee otherwise resolves, but they shall be excluded when the committee is deliberating. .

Calls for Equal Love Must Be Answered

Every day in this democratic nation we speak about equality and fairness.

Equal rights and pay for men and women; equality for people of all races, colours, and religious backgrounds; equal opportunities in the workplace; fair access to healthcare and education; the list goes on.

So what about equal love?

It remains a shocking truth that in a democratic country like Australia, equal love is not extended to all citizens.

On the issue of equal love for homosexuals, right wing conservatism runs rampant in our Parliament.

Same sex couples are denied equal marriage rights and even equal parenting rights under draconian South Australian laws.

In our schools, workplaces, businesses and other institutions, how can we preach about equality and fairness when we deny a large portion of our population equal rights?

How can we claim to give all citizens ‘a fair go’ when we deny same sex couples this fairness?

A 2009 Galaxy poll revealed support for gay marriage has grown to 60 per cent and this trend will likely continue.

Why then is the Parliament so slow to respond to the public’s proven support for same sex marriage?

Gay and straight people alike have rallied together in support for same sex marriage through the Equal Love campaign.

The Greens are the only major political party that agrees all citizens should have the right to make a life-long commitment through marriage.

We believe discrimination of any form – including on the basis of a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity – cannot be tolerated.

This young and democratic state has grandiose ideas that we are uniquely multicultural, uniquely free and uniquely tolerant.

While our tolerance and achievements should be celebrated, we must challenge our leaders to deliver equality and fairness to all citizens by granting same sex couples equal marriage rights.

Furthermore, we must actively reject discrimination on the basis of a person’s sexual orientation.

I call on the Australian Government to legislate for equal marriage rights for all citizens and I ask you to let the Government know how you feel.

Write letters to your local member, email the Prime Minister’s office, sign the Equal Love petition or share your thoughts with me.

Shameful Discrimination Against Same Sex Families Must End

Throughout Australia’s history, there have been shameful events we would sometimes rather forget.

Australians once denied equal voting rights to women, enacted a ‘White Australia’ policy and created a Stolen Generation of Indigenous children aimed at viciously stripping them of their cultural ties.

In each case, progressive Australians fought to recognise these wrongs. Women fought for the right to vote, forward-thinking individuals brought down ‘White Australia’ and former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologised to Indigenous Australians for past injustice.

Thanks to progress, Australians came to realise these discriminations were wrong.

Every human is inherently similar. We all breathe, bleed, love and fear.

And it is precisely this fear of the unknown that leads to discrimination.

Once upon a time it was fear of women’s intelligence and a fear of people of colour. Now this same fear and discrimination is levelled at homosexual Australians.

Admittedly, we have come a long way. Homosexual Australians are recognised as de facto partners in the same way as heterosexual partners and are able to have children.

But injustices and discrimination remain.

Today more than 27,000 same sex couples have children, yet South Australia is the only state that fails to recognise both parents as legal guardians, exposing same sex families to unnecessary heartache.

The non-recognised same sex parent can’t travel alone with their child interstate or overseas, can’t easily consent to medical treatment on behalf of their child or even sign school forms. Ridiculous!

SA’s Family Relationships Act is outdated and reflects a social situation that no longer exists.

This poor legislation means many same sex couples are heading interstate to give birth.

We must grant same sex couples equal parenting rights and end this shameful discrimination against Australian families.

While homophobes continue to discriminate against homosexuals, arguments that same sex parents are detrimental to a child have proved unfounded time and again.

Extensive research conducted over the last few years, including meta-analyses by Dr Ellin Perrin, Professor of Paediatrics at the Tafts-New England Medical Centre in Boston, have all concluded that children of same-sex parents do as well as children of heterosexual parents in every way.

After all, it is love that makes a family, not gender.

That’s why I’ve put the Family Relationships (Parentage) Amendment Bill 2010 before the South Australian Parliament, so we can play catch up with Australia’s other states and territories and remove existing discriminations from the Act.

I would love your support and views on the subject.

Together let’s give discrimination against same sex parents the boot and give all Australian families a fair go!

Only Labor Could Backflip on a Backflip Over Adult Re-entry!

I’m starting to feel like this Government thinks the people of South Australia are pawns rather than people.

Multiple backflips on adult re-entry merely illustrate this point.

The Rann Government last month announced that $20 million would be cut from adult re-entry schools, cruelly stripping anyone over the age of 21 from a second chance at schooling.

In a shock twist, Education Minister Jay Weatherill backflipped on the decision, before the Treasurer’s department yesterday stated that the figures remained the same and $20 million will be slashed from the education budget.

Now Minister Weatherill says “limited places” will be available for over 21s, without providing the relevant costings.

It seems the Government has definitely lost the plot on this one!

It’s a great shame that factional divisions seem to be influencing the outcome when adult re-entry is about something far more important than political power-plays.

Here, one Labor faction might be deemed the “loser”, but the real losers are those men and women seeking to return to study in the hope of a better education.

Adult re-entry schools are for those who were often failed by the school system. The schools play a vital role in giving these adults a second chance.

Now the Government is failing these individuals by denying them places in courses that would allow them to continue on to university or TAFE.

As crazy as this sounds, I now ask the Government to backflip on its previous backflip by maintaining current funding levels for adult re-entry programs.

These programs should not discriminate on the basis of age.

Education is a human right and South Australians deserve access to education at any age.

Labor’s Budget Fails Social Welfare Test

The Rann Government is full of glaring double standards and contradictions.

The Government claims to care about employment, health and other vital community services, yet all have teetered on the chopping block in this state budget.

While the Government has thankfully reneged on funding cuts to adult re-entry courses and the Parks Community Centre, it is continuing down its destructive path, maintaining cuts to country hospitals and the public service will go ahead.

This is despite condemnation from the Greens, the Opposition, other minor parties and independents.

This morning I spoke on Radio Adelaide  about the extent of these double standards and proposed some alternative cost-saving measures.

To me, we’ve got our priorities wrong when we can’t provide hospital emergency units – like the facility at Ardrossan – with a measly $140,000, but the Government continues to fork out more than $500,000 each year on a Clipsal 500 state dinner and a ‘South Australia suite’ for VIP guests at the Clipsal. (What a wank!)

If the Government was serious about cost-saving measures, it would adopt some of the other measures proposed by the so-called Sustainable Budget Commission through measures like a vehicle logbook for Ministerial chauffeurs, which would save an estimated $1.2 million a year.

And we all know the Premier’s spin doctors continue to cost the state millions each year, with a 30 per cent reduction in staff by 2013 resulting in a saving of close to $4 million.

I’m still frustrated that the Government’s razor gang are planning to slash 3,750 jobs and cut leave loading and long service leave entitlements when they continue down a path of super waste via their $812 million ‘Superway’.

This road won’t resolve any traffic issues and will cost more than a staggering $290 million per kilometre.

Last week I spoke on the Government’s Appropriation Bill, outlining some of these double standards, but I’ll continue to lobby and question the Government over its spending waste and I’ll keep joining you for country hospital and public sector rallies.

The Greens believe it is possible to be financially responsible, while still maintaining funding where it’s needed most.

If the Government is serious about saving funds, it should adopt some of the Greens cost-saving strategies, rather than inflicting unnecessary pain on South Australian families.