26 September 2009

Gary Humphries will cross the floor for gay marriage, Kate Lundy will not

| johnboy
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The ABC is promising an intriguing spectacle if the Rudd Government moves, as it has promised to do, to again disallow revived same-sex civil union which the ACT Legislative Assembly seems likely to pass soon.

The Liberal’s Senator Gary Humphries is waiting to see exactly what legislation is on the table but says he’s willing to break with his party for a second time on the issue. More because he doesn’t like seeing the ACT’s laws trashed by the Federales than any stated enthusiasm for gay marriage.

Labor’s Senator Kate Lundy on the other hand talks a big game on these issues but isn’t going to actually vote her conscience:

    ACT Labor Senator Kate Lundy yesterday ruled out crossing the floor over the issue.

    But she says she will try to convince her Labor colleagues to respect the Legislative Assembly’s decision.

Which strikes me as a singularly useless waste of a Senator.

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Spam Box said :

Oh and by the way, I don’t agree with the ALP(Fed) on this one, that’s just how it goes sometimes. I/she joined a party,

Yeah I never got how someone can be totally aligned to one party. I prefer to swing based on who’s offering what I like at the time. Then if I don’t like what they are doing when they’re in, I get rid of them (well I do my part) next time around.

Regardless of personal beliefs (including mine), KRudd and KLundy need to get their heads out of their arses and stop dividing the community along minority groups. If two people, regardless of who or what they are want to be together in a civil union then let them! It’s not marriage!

I’d say I’ll be voting against ALP again next time but really don’t know if the other mob will do anything better… can we have a riotact party next election? I’ll vote for it.

BTW, I’ve developed a physical intolerance to the sound of KLundy’s voice. Whenever she comes onto ABC 666 I have to change the station until she gets off. I feel sorry for Humphries having to sit opposite her at the radio station and listen to her useless babble that never actually answers any questions put to her.

Bring on the flames 😉

Spam Box said :

Oh and by the way, I don’t agree with the ALP(Fed) on this one, that’s just how it goes sometimes. I/she joined a party, many of my submisions have got up and many haven’t, I’m sure that similar things(at a much higher level) have happened to her,deal with it.
That’s how a party works(and becomes electable)

Cross the floor and you break the bond, simple as that

Yes, yes, lovely party lines stuff there.
What you neglect to mention is that, prior to this, Lundy got stuck into Humphries good and proper about NOT committing to cross the floor.
What a nice little ALP policy she has to hide behind when she actually needs to do something.
The term ‘Waste of Space’ comes to mind.

Anyway, weren’t Senators supposed to represent the states? If they don’t, then we should abolish the upper house (now there’s an idea!).

Tell her you won’t vote for her. That’s the one thing that scares a politician!

Deckard said :

If you’re expecting anything else, then you’re living in a dream world.

No deckard, not a dream world, just one that is consistent with almost every other democracy, and the ideals of democracy itself. Off the top of my head I cannot think of another single democracy with such strict requirements for it members.

This was probably the single biggest reason why I did not vote for Labor at the last federal election.

I have a lovely image of both major parties sitting on one side, and Humphries and Lundy (along with the Greens, I suppose) sitting together on the other side. It would make a great show to the rest of the country about allowing the ACT to govern themselves.

Wishful thinking I guess.

My comments are directed towards Labor as they seem to really have a problem with democracy being seen to be practiced in Parliament. Rats, dogs and pre selection etc. Makes a good good representative a slave long before they can show their full potential.

Just a thought people if Senators assume they are elected to represent a political party instead of the State or Territory in which they are elected I have an alternative arrangement in mind. The party that they choose to vote for pays for their wages and all office expenses that they incur and leave constituents/taxpayers to be represented for free because as we obviously have no say in how they vote in a division then logically we should not have to pick up the tab.

I believe that Labor has a policy of immediate expulsion for Members who cross the floor.

The Coalition, whilst reserving the right to expel, does not apply it automatically but only after consideration.

It’s par for the course for a member to vote on party lines – especially when you’re in government. It might not seem right, but that’s the way things are. If you’re expecting anything else, then you’re living in a dream world.

Oh and by the way, I don’t agree with the ALP(Fed) on this one, that’s just how it goes sometimes. I/she joined a party, many of my submisions have got up and many haven’t, I’m sure that similar things(at a much higher level) have happened to her,deal with it.
That’s how a party works(and becomes electable)

Cross the floor and you break the bond, simple as that

Lundy is a member of the ALP, we got her elected. She should vote accordingly

Mike Crowther7:05 pm 26 Sep 09

Bugger! nanzan got in before me…almost word for word.

Senator Lundy, just a reminder that you are a senator for the Australian Capital Territory, not a senator for the Australian Labor Party. You are in the States’ (and Territories’) House, not the Parties’ House.

All power to Senator Humphries on this one! Perhaps the wedding ceremonies could be held in Latin – Gary Humphries would like that!

Now, where are our Members, Bob McMullan and Annette Ellis, again?

Doesn’t someone around here only believe in gay marriage when both chicks are hot?

Great show of conviction in your own argument, Kate.

(speaking of useless, it seems that our members in the House of Reps are as invisible as ever…)

Even allowing that she doesn’t want to piss off the Party, one would have thought that Senator Lundy could have quietly negotiated to be allowed to make a stand on the issue, since when it comes down to it her vote will be irrelevant anyway, with most of the Coalition Senators voting with the Government.

Of course, in a strange twist of electoral math, it’s Senator Humphries who stands to be worried if a few ALP votes leak to the Greens in the Senate here…

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