Nick Minchin resigns to munch on ETS principle

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Thursday, 26 November 2009 13:52

Opinion and Analysis

Getting ready to munch on his commitment to his stand on the ETS and CPRS legislation from the backbench by resigning from his frontbench post as Shadow Broadband Minister, Nick Minchin is clearly opposing the CPRS climate change views of Australian Opposition Liberal Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, and that of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

iTWire has just received official word that Shadow Broadband Minister, Nick Minchin, has resigned his opposition frontbench position over his opposition to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and Climate Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) legislation, which as Barnaby Joyce, National Party politician said is really little more than a “moralising new tax”.

It’s also an opportunity to expand government which left leaning politicians always love doing, and it’s easy to see why some in the conservative Australian Federal Opposition are opposed to the left-wing Federal Government’s CPRS plans.

Here’s Senator Minchin’s statement in full:

“After Question Time today I attended Malcolm Turnbull’s office with Tony Abbott to propose that he re-consider the Coalition’s policy position in relation to the CPRS legislation.

This was in response to a groundswell of opposition from colleagues, the business community and constituents in relation to the position adopted by the Coalition to support the passage of amended legislation over the coming days.

I therefore proposed that Mr Turnbull adopt the position I previously put forward earlier in the week in the Joint Party Room that the legislation be referred to a Senate committee for inquiry, with further consideration of the Bill after the Copenhagen conference.

Mr Turnbull declined this proposition so I advised that I would have no alternative but to resign from the Shadow Cabinet as I was not able to support the CPRS legislation.

My further recommendation was that my resignation from the Shadow Cabinet take effect as soon as the Senate rises for the year next week.

Mr Turnbull has accepted my recommendation.

I have informed a meeting of Liberal Senators of the situation. Liberal Senators have resolved that I remain as Senate Leader until the resumption of the Senate sittings in February, when as a backbencher I would step down to enable Liberal Senators to elect a new leader.”

That ends the statement.

Australia will presumably soon welcome a new Shadow Broadband Minister to the headlines, battling the Government over its National Broadband Network and likely regretting the lost opportunities to have done something about it when previously in power over an 11 year period, while also scheming what will happen the moment they get back in.

We don't want a Liberal or even Nationals member that will take the blue pill of Shadow Broadband Ministership and find that the story ends, they wake up in their bed, and believe whatever they want to believe.

We’re looking for the Liberal or Nationals members that will take the Red Pill, upgrade to the Wonderland of Shadow Ministership and discover just how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

After all, he or she will be helping to shape one of the most important issues of the time – how government and business proceed on the building of the NBN, and whether massive wastage and cost overruns occur or whether Australia can again be the clever country that didn’t pay too much to get properly connected.

What is the Matr… er… the NBN? We’re still truly yet to find out!