FAMILY ASSISTANCE GAG 12 MAY 04

[Clark, Allen (M. Organ, MP)]

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FAMILY ASSISTANCE GAG PERVERTS THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCESS

The government's action in gagging debate on the Family Assistance Bill
in the House of Representatives this afternoon is a slap in the face for
parliamentary process, Cunningham MP Michael Organ said this afternoon.

"The Howard government has a sorry record of ramming legislation through
the parliament to meet its own political objectives", Mr. Organ said.

"The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs snuck the Family Assistance
Bill into the House without notice last night following the Budget
statement, and the government is attempting to ram it through all stages
in one day."

"There is no justification for this unseemly haste." 

"The government could have introduced this legislation at any time; it's
not as if they didn't know about the financial problems that their
current system has caused to the thousands of families in this country
who have found themselves confronting a debt mountain because they
couldn't accurately predict their income."

"Legislation needs proper and detailed consideration, and the government
is deliberately perverting the parliamentary process by preventing that
from happening", Mr. Organ said.

More from:
Michael Organ MP 02 6277 4366, 0439 442 550
Allen Clark (Media Adviser) 0439 464 439
www.michaelorgan.org.au



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