Major Parties Stitch Up Centenary Sittings

[Oquist, Ben (Sen B. Brown)]

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Tuesday, 6 March 2001



Major Parties Stitch Up Centenary Sittings

The Centenary parliamentary sittings in Melbourne have been stitched up by
the major parties, Greens Senator Bob Brown said today.

"Every Senator and House of Representatives member is going to Melbourne in
May for two days but only the major parties will be allowed to speak,"
Senator Brown said.

"On the first day of the sitting only the Prime Minister and the Leader of
the Opposition and the President and the Speaker will speak.  On the second
day only the President, Senate Leader of the Opposition, the Government
Senate Leader and the Democrats Leader get a guernsey. 

"No normal parliamentary business will be discussed. No question time, no
legislation, no motions, nor adjournment speeches.

"I will move in the Senate today to give independents and smaller parties
the right to speak in Melbourne, however briefly, to represent the wider
Australian community.

"The centenary sittings should be about a celebration of the plurality of
views in our society.  They should show-case the diversity in our democracy.

"It would have been better to invite members of the public to address
parliamentarians directly in the chamber instead of limiting speaking to the
old parties.

"It's an awfully long way for 7500 invited people to go just to hear a
speech from John, Kim and Meg," Senator Brown said.



Further information: Ben Oquist 02 62773170 or 0419704095


Ben Oquist
Greens Senator Bob Brown
02 62773170 ph
02 62773185 fx
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