Carmel
Crusader
Please realise that some email responses coming back from some of the Senators, are just full of political PR tripe!
Don’t assume for one minute that this is what they believe, or what they’ll stand by - It’s just the current party line and what they’ve been told to spout off, for political reasons. That can and hopefully will change.
Quote by Hayden Falconer from the Office of Senator Chris Evans:
- “The inquiry by the Senate into the Church of Scientology as proposed by Senator Xenophon is not be supported by the Rudd Government. However, given the seriousness of the allegations raised by Senator Xenophon, the Rudd Government believes that they should more properly be dealt with by the appropriate authorities.”
This is Rudd’s political stand at the moment, and one that is in contradiction to the one he had a few weeks ago, prior to being under the spotlight due to upset in Parliament over an unrelated issue.
- “Taxation issues are more properly dealt with by the Australian Commissioner of Taxation”
This is bull. The Australian Commissioner of Taxation has no power or authority to do anything but follow what is set by government.
- “ and criminal activities should be thoroughly investigated by the relevant police authorities”.
Yes, of course they should, and will be, but it is one of the government’s responsibilities to do whatever it can to prevent crimes from being committed in the first place. Reliance on or shifting responsibility to criminal investigations and charges, after the fact, is just a cop out! It won’t stop preventable crimes and/or abuses in the future, and ALL the Senators know this.
- “In the history of the Senate there is no precedent for a Senate committee to conduct a targeted inquiry into a particular body, particularly of a religious body. The Church of Scientology was confirmed by the High Court in 1983 to be a religion.”
So? It’s about time one WAS set.
- “The role of the Senate is to inquire into issues of public policy and public administration. From time to time the Senate has questioned the roles of various organisations through such inquiries into child migrants, children in care and the stolen generation. The Rudd Government believes this was an appropriate public policy issue because it investigated the administration of organisations providing care, often on behalf of government.”
Yes, it’s only one of the roles though. This is shirking responsibility of the other roles.
- “The Rudd Government’s view is that a Senate inquiry into the Church of Scientology is not justified on the basis of our view of the Parliament’s function. It is inappropriate to conduct an inquiry into a private and, in this case, religious organisation.”
This is just more bull – See the following from http://www.aph.gov.au/SENATE/pubs/briefs/brief10.htm
“The Senate is able to review government policy and activities generally, as well as the affairs of the nation, through its legislative and general purpose standing committees (see Senate Brief No. 4). These committees are able to inquire into how government policy already implemented is affecting the community, whether a proposed government policy will be beneficial to the community, or whether problems exist in the community which the government ought to be addressing. They also inquire into bills referred to them, on any other matter which the Senate believes ought to be examined.
Committees advertise the terms of reference of their inquiries and invite written submissions. Later, they hold public hearings to take evidence in person. Public hearings are often held outside Canberra , enabling interested individuals and communities across the nation to inform committees about their points of view. Government ministers, departmental officials, and experts in the field may also appear. In this way, the opinions of a wide range of people are heard, and a great deal of useful information is gathered. Inquiries conclude with the presentation of a report to the Senate. The report will usually contain recommendations directed at any relevant bodies ¾ most often at the federal government. Since 1978, successive governments have undertaken to inform the Senate of their response to committee reports within three months of tabling.”
So, for those of you have received these emails, please write back and let them know that you don’t buy it, and why.
For those of you who think that the above garbage from Haydon Falconer has any credence, think again. It does not. The Senate (including the Rudd Govt) voted in favour of an Inquiry into the feasibility of putting AFL (a footy game), into Tasmania, for goodness sake.
Xenophon’s office is putting on the political pressure, for the Rudd Govt and the Opposition to do the right thing here. Your letters, your protests, your petitions, speaking out, media, other Senators on board doing their own thing, reports to the police via Xenophon’s Office, exposure in other countries, etc, etc, are all contributing to what Xen can use to do this.
We are not flogging a dead horse here....not by any means! Don't let any pollies or anyone else fool you into believing that we are.
Don’t assume for one minute that this is what they believe, or what they’ll stand by - It’s just the current party line and what they’ve been told to spout off, for political reasons. That can and hopefully will change.
Quote by Hayden Falconer from the Office of Senator Chris Evans:
- “The inquiry by the Senate into the Church of Scientology as proposed by Senator Xenophon is not be supported by the Rudd Government. However, given the seriousness of the allegations raised by Senator Xenophon, the Rudd Government believes that they should more properly be dealt with by the appropriate authorities.”
This is Rudd’s political stand at the moment, and one that is in contradiction to the one he had a few weeks ago, prior to being under the spotlight due to upset in Parliament over an unrelated issue.
- “Taxation issues are more properly dealt with by the Australian Commissioner of Taxation”
This is bull. The Australian Commissioner of Taxation has no power or authority to do anything but follow what is set by government.
- “ and criminal activities should be thoroughly investigated by the relevant police authorities”.
Yes, of course they should, and will be, but it is one of the government’s responsibilities to do whatever it can to prevent crimes from being committed in the first place. Reliance on or shifting responsibility to criminal investigations and charges, after the fact, is just a cop out! It won’t stop preventable crimes and/or abuses in the future, and ALL the Senators know this.
- “In the history of the Senate there is no precedent for a Senate committee to conduct a targeted inquiry into a particular body, particularly of a religious body. The Church of Scientology was confirmed by the High Court in 1983 to be a religion.”
So? It’s about time one WAS set.
- “The role of the Senate is to inquire into issues of public policy and public administration. From time to time the Senate has questioned the roles of various organisations through such inquiries into child migrants, children in care and the stolen generation. The Rudd Government believes this was an appropriate public policy issue because it investigated the administration of organisations providing care, often on behalf of government.”
Yes, it’s only one of the roles though. This is shirking responsibility of the other roles.
- “The Rudd Government’s view is that a Senate inquiry into the Church of Scientology is not justified on the basis of our view of the Parliament’s function. It is inappropriate to conduct an inquiry into a private and, in this case, religious organisation.”
This is just more bull – See the following from http://www.aph.gov.au/SENATE/pubs/briefs/brief10.htm
“The Senate is able to review government policy and activities generally, as well as the affairs of the nation, through its legislative and general purpose standing committees (see Senate Brief No. 4). These committees are able to inquire into how government policy already implemented is affecting the community, whether a proposed government policy will be beneficial to the community, or whether problems exist in the community which the government ought to be addressing. They also inquire into bills referred to them, on any other matter which the Senate believes ought to be examined.
Committees advertise the terms of reference of their inquiries and invite written submissions. Later, they hold public hearings to take evidence in person. Public hearings are often held outside Canberra , enabling interested individuals and communities across the nation to inform committees about their points of view. Government ministers, departmental officials, and experts in the field may also appear. In this way, the opinions of a wide range of people are heard, and a great deal of useful information is gathered. Inquiries conclude with the presentation of a report to the Senate. The report will usually contain recommendations directed at any relevant bodies ¾ most often at the federal government. Since 1978, successive governments have undertaken to inform the Senate of their response to committee reports within three months of tabling.”
So, for those of you have received these emails, please write back and let them know that you don’t buy it, and why.
For those of you who think that the above garbage from Haydon Falconer has any credence, think again. It does not. The Senate (including the Rudd Govt) voted in favour of an Inquiry into the feasibility of putting AFL (a footy game), into Tasmania, for goodness sake.
Xenophon’s office is putting on the political pressure, for the Rudd Govt and the Opposition to do the right thing here. Your letters, your protests, your petitions, speaking out, media, other Senators on board doing their own thing, reports to the police via Xenophon’s Office, exposure in other countries, etc, etc, are all contributing to what Xen can use to do this.
We are not flogging a dead horse here....not by any means! Don't let any pollies or anyone else fool you into believing that we are.
Those statements sound so similar to the crap coming out of Washington that I fear there may be no difference. Pols always watching their backside, or more specifically, following orders from leadership. When that leadership is rotten, you cannot trust anything in print.
