[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Minor Reforms to Parliament Accountability Welcome_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

PARLIAMENTARY PACKAGE WELCOMED

But Real Problems are Government Arrogance and Size of Parliament 

Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader

Sunday, 16 November 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed Premier David Bartlett's proposal
for minor reforms to the workings of the Parliament including more
sitting days, but said that the true test of his commitment to democracy
is whether he can overcome the arrogance that has been Labor's hallmark
over a decade of power.

Greens Opposition Leader Nick McKim MP said that with the government
regularly failing to answer questions and rejecting proposals put
forward in Parliament by Greens and Liberal MPs, Mr Bartlett will have
to do more than tinker with the way that Parliament works to convince
Tasmanians that he is serious about good governance.

"We welcome the opportunity to put forward more of our positive and
proactive proposals, but the real test will be whether the Bartlett
government can put aside enough of its conceit to assess them on their
merits," Mr McKim said.

"The real problem with the way Parliament works is the arrogance of a
government that has been in power for over a decade, and no amount of
window dressing is going to sort that out."

"We regularly see proposals voted down in Parliament simply because they
were not put forward by the government, and this is the mindset that Mr
Bartlett will have to change in order to deliver true reform of the way
Parliament works."

"Tasmanians have become used to Ministers failing to answer questions,
and to the government voting down positive suggestions from
non-government MPs, and unfortunately the proposal for more sitting days
will do little of itself to address this underlying culture of
arrogance."

Mr McKim reaffirmed the Greens' belief that the fundamental problem with
the House of Assembly is that it is too small, and said that unless its
size is increased no reform program can deliver adequate accountability
and Parliamentary outcomes to the Tasmanian people.




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