Reporting on world events from a Bairnsdale Conservative perspective.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Award to Beattie for Chutzpah
Queensland Premier Beattie made the extraordinary claim that a referendum on cutting local councils would destroy Queensland on Sunrise. The two interviewing comperes accepted such hyperbolic wisdom without question.
Federal laws flimsy: Beattie from news.com.au QUEENSLAND Premier Peter Beattie said new federal laws aimed at overturning his ban on councils holding plebiscites over forced amalgamations would not survive a High Court challenge.
Prime Minister John Howard yesterday introduced the emergency laws to override legislation giving the Queensland Government power to sack councils who hold polls on the enforced mergers.
Council amalgamations will slash the number of local councils from 156 to 72.
Mr Beattie has threatened to challenge the federal legislation in the High Court.
"Our legal advice is it's (the Federal Government's legislation) very flimsy," he told Channel 7 today.
Mr Beattie said the bill deals with the Australian Electoral Commission's ability to conduct local council plebiscites rather than local councils themselves.
"As I said, it's in the section that talks about the Australian Electoral Commission being able to offer their services for money," he said.
"It wouldn't last a High Court challenge to be honest. The issue is whether we bother to do it or not."
The prime minster's intervention on the council amalgamations was politically motivated, Mr Beattie said.
"This is just about tricky politics, nothing else," he said.
"He (Mr Howard) knows he's in trouble politically, he knows that Queensland is an important state and it's just about tricky politics."
Federal laws flimsy: Beattie
ReplyDeletefrom news.com.au
QUEENSLAND Premier Peter Beattie said new federal laws aimed at overturning his ban on councils holding plebiscites over forced amalgamations would not survive a High Court challenge.
Prime Minister John Howard yesterday introduced the emergency laws to override legislation giving the Queensland Government power to sack councils who hold polls on the enforced mergers.
Council amalgamations will slash the number of local councils from 156 to 72.
Mr Beattie has threatened to challenge the federal legislation in the High Court.
"Our legal advice is it's (the Federal Government's legislation) very flimsy," he told Channel 7 today.
Mr Beattie said the bill deals with the Australian Electoral Commission's ability to conduct local council plebiscites rather than local councils themselves.
"As I said, it's in the section that talks about the Australian Electoral Commission being able to offer their services for money," he said.
"It wouldn't last a High Court challenge to be honest. The issue is whether we bother to do it or not."
The prime minster's intervention on the council amalgamations was politically motivated, Mr Beattie said.
"This is just about tricky politics, nothing else," he said.
"He (Mr Howard) knows he's in trouble politically, he knows that Queensland is an important state and it's just about tricky politics."
Of course the destruction of Queensland wouldn't have anything to do with his mismanagement? Would it?
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