Labor had agreed to support The Greens’ Moratorium with some
amendments but they needed two more votes. It was hoped that National Party
members would cross the floor after pressure from constituents in areas where
coal and coal seam gas mining is poised to expand rapidly. But none did.
The Shooters & Fishers Party and the Christian Democrat
Party were also lobbied but they said that they would not support the Bill at
this stage as the Legislative Council’s Coal Seam Gas Inquiry was not completed.
The findings for this inquiry are due to be released 3 May
2012 the same day the government set as the deadline for submissions for two
recently released Regional Strategic Land Use Plans showing where exploration
for minerals, coal and coal seam gas can be undertaken. Is this fair or is this
part of a strategy to plan backwards?
On my first day in parliament I was ejected by the ushers in
the Legislative Assembly when they cleared the gallery after an angry outburst
from many of the spectators. My friends and I remained seated along with
another group of women who had not joined in the shouting. But when the speaker
asked for the gallery to be cleared, we all had to leave and the other women
grumbled about travelling all the way from Dubbo, only to be ejected from
parliament, which was similar to watching a school playground overrun with
bullies.
The speaker, Shelley Hancock, did an exceptional job trying
to stop the members from shouting, name calling and interrupting other members,
like a teacher or mother calling her class or children to order.
I was at first shocked and disillusioned. It was only later
that I wanted to shout at these greedy little boys, blaming everybody else but
themselves for this mess. What are they going to tell their grandchildren? At
least we will be able to say we tried.
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