Offensive Rudd

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will not appear before a Senate inquiry into the scrapped home insulation program.

A Senate committee is trying to establish what went wrong with the $2.45 billion scheme which was axed after it was linked to the deaths of installers, house fires and allegations of rorting.

The committee has asked Mr Rudd, the minister formerly responsible for the scheme Peter Garrett, the new minister responsible Greg Combet, and Employment Participation Minister Mark Arbib to appear. They have all refused.

Mr Rudd's office says Question Time is the appropriate place for ministers to answer questions on the issue.

"That is the place to question ministers, not stunts like the Opposition's party-political inquiry," a spokesman for Mr Rudd said.

Liberal Senator Mary Jo Fisher, who chairs the environment references committee, says the response "gets a laugh out loud from the committee chairwoman".

"The Australian people would find that response ... offensive," Senator Fisher said.

10 comments

Gizmo, there is much that is offensive in the govt ranks.

Watching part of question time to hear senior govt ministers referring to Phoney Tony and the Mad Monk, in reference to Mr Abbott, and also a reference to Joe Hockey as Sloppy Joe, is a disgrace.

Even the speaker , who is normally fairly lax had a shocked look on his face and had to pull them up a number of times today.

They think they are so smart. But the sad part is ..some people do latch on to these offensive terms, and of course that's just what they want.

Rudd himself has had to be pulled up by the Speaker several times.

By the way a slightly similar situation in relation to the Royal Commission on the bushfires....The Premier and the responsible Minister deemed it not important enough for THEM to appear.

It is absolutely disgusting that we can call a Senate Enquiry then have

them not exercise their powers. A Senate Enquiry has power to subpeana

any MP or MHR & has the right to jail any individual, not obeying the subpeana,

for contempt. It is a matter of record that this power has seldem, if ever, been

exercised, because of the fear of retaliation when the boot is on the other foot.

I had a 'brain recall' this afternoon when in the garden, thinking of the frustration that Rudd is creating amongst so many intelligent people.

This comment is not meant to be derogatory in any way.

"'''THE LUNATICS ARE RUNNING THE ASYLUM"""".

Gizmo, you are forgiven, BUT, there is nothing derogative in a statement of

fact. Insulting & honest, but not derogatory !!!!!

Below is a link to the audio of an interview by Alan Jones of Morris Iemma and Michael Costa.

A quote from it by Costa "the stimulus package was economically ridiculous".

But there is much more to the interview.

[url=http://www.2gb.com/index2.php?option=com_newsmanager&task;=view&id;=6356]Link to audio here.[/url]



The book "Betrayal, the underbelly of Aust Labor" is quite expensive..$49.55, but I am going to ask the local library to order it in if possible.



I was going to say the interview and the book are eyeopeners, but only to people who didn't see through him early in the piece.

The audio runs for about twenty minutes.

It's fascinating to hear Rudd trashing the unions...wonder if they're sorry they spent their $20million to get him elected.



Watching part of question time to hear senior govt ministers referring to Phoney Tony and the Mad Monk, in reference to Mr Abbott, and also a reference to Joe Hockey as Sloppy Joe, is a disgrace.



I agree but it has been happening for years and by both parties. I wonder if they ever watch their antics on tv later.

It certainly does not endear Joe Public to any political party.

I no longer watch question time as it saddens and disappoints me to see these elected representatives of the people acting like spoilt and recalcitrant children. The speaker of the house is a joke and has no control whatsoever over these buffoons. It is a national disgrace which i would compare to some "third world" parliaments.

I agree kfchugo. I accidently switched it on recently to hear the insipid speaker say " what must people think when they watch this" or words similar.



He is clearly out of his depth and it seems he has given up

Well kfchugo and isn't that just another broken promise by Rudd? didn't he say he was going to make Parliament more accountable and clean up Question time? He did and didn't he give them Friday's off and that means slower passing of legislation which he also said would speed up.



I have count of the number of broken promise to the public leading up the the election and he got voted in on those promises.

10 comments



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