Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Barnaby Joyce: vow to scrutinise IR laws

Coalition Senator Barnaby Joyce vowed last night to be an active participant in the Senate inquiry into the Government's contentious industrial relations legislation.

He said he would not give his casting vote until he was satisfied with every element of the Bill.

Senator Joyce was also scathing of some of his Coalition colleagues who did not read legislation before voting.

The Senate committee conducting the inquiry into the legislation has set tomorrow as the closing date for submissions.

The inquiry will hold up to five days of public hearings at Parliament House the following week and report by November 22.

Senator Joyce said he would return to Canberra for the hearings and take an active part in the proceedings.

He said he would not be pressured into declaring his attitude to the Bill until he had heard the evidence. Some of his Coalition colleagues had told him they would vote for the Bill without knowing the details.

They had an "unfathomable belief" that all government legislation was right, he said.

read more

No comments: