GREENS MOVE FOR PARLIAMENT TO SIT AN EXTRA DAY

The Tasmanian Greens today pursued their call for the House of Assembly to sit an additional day this week to make up for the absence of the three political leaders from Question Time today, as they provided a united front of support for the state’s dairy farmers at Devonport.

Greens Member for Bass and Acting Leader of Greens Parliamentary Business Kim Booth MP said that with barely thirteen remaining sitting days of the Lower House the Bartlett government is under pressure, especially due to the growing public unrest over issues such as the flawed Tasmania Tomorrow changes, and have demanded that the House sits on Friday to ensure the Premier and Education Minister does not evade scrutiny.

“It is clearly important that there is tripartite support for the state’s dairy farmers who are being bled dry by a big and greedy corporation, and nobody begrudges the three Leaders’ attention needing to be focused on that situation, but prioritising the urgent needs of these communities does not need to be at the expense of Leaders’ Parliamentary work,” Mr Booth said.

“Parliament is master of its own destiny, and by sitting an additional day on Friday means we avoid an ‘either or’ situation. Our dairy community is supported, and Parliament’s ministerial scrutiny and legislative work on other important issues also occurs.”

“David Bartlett’s Tasmania Tomorrow changes are in serious disarray, which affects the education of current and future young Tasmanians, and Parliament must be able to scrutinise the Premier and Education Minister directly on this critical matter.”

“The Greens will bring on a vote tomorrow to seek to have the House of Assembly sit on Friday this week to ensure that this work can continue,” Mr Booth said.

Text of Motion Tabled:

That this House notes that:

1. This Chamber has only thirteen further sitting days for the remainder of this year, and

2. Calls on the government to sit an extra day this week, Friday the 9th of October, to ensure that the original scheduled time allocated to Ministerial scrutiny is maintained, especially in light of the upheaval caused by the Premier’s changes to the education system.
Kim Booth MP Greens Member for Bass