Howard-Beattie face-off - latest developments ...
Excerpt from the Courier Mail:
Howard to scrap Beattie fines
16 August 2007
In a dramatic escalation of the war between John Howard and Peter Beattie, the Federal Government is to introduce a bill into parliament overriding any fines imposed on councils in Queensland who hold a vote about council amalgamations.
The move follows threats by Mr Beattie that councils would be fined if they held a referendum to decide if there is support for council mergers.
In announcing the legislation, the Prime Minister said today the threats of sanctions were "undemocratic".
"It's a very simple bill and a very simple message to Mr Beattie: let the people speak, let them have a view," he told reporters in Canberra.
"What we are railing against is the denial of the Beattie Government of the people of Queensland to express a view."
See - PM Howard to override Beattie's fines on Councillors.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 11:51 AM
2 Comments:
Excerpt from ABC News:
Beattie 'drunk with power': PM*
16 August 2007
Prime Minister John Howard says he is determined to give people in regional Queensland a chance to express their opinions on forced council amalgamations, and has accused Premier Peter Beattie of being "drunk with power".
The Warroo Shire Council in the state's south-west has become the first to defy the Queensland Government on the issue by conducting a poll of its ratepayers.
Warroo Mayor Donna Stewart says the survey found unanimous opposition to a merger with the Roma Council.
Mr Howard, who has previously pledged to pay the expenses of councils who want to hold similar polls, says Mr Beattie should consider the possibility he may be wrong about some of the mergers.
"What we are presuming to do is to help the people in the local councils to [poll] the opinions of their ratepayers, and to present those opinions to the Queensland government," he said.
"I don't accept that the amalgamations have gone through state parliament in Queensland, I don't accept that local action couldn't persuade the Queensland Government to reverse some of its positions."
Mr Howard says Mr Beattie's approach is high-handed and goes well beyond what other state governments have done.
"That is really going right beyond what is reasonable, and it does illustrate somebody who is drunk with power," he said.
"He has a big majority and he thinks he is going to be there for 100 years if he wanted to.
"I do think that the people of Queensland will see this as very high-handed."
1:32 PM, August 16, 2007
Well done John - I hope you win all the Queensland seats - including that of Rudd the Dud
10:44 PM, August 16, 2007
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