Posted on 08/07/2005 5:48:35 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
PRIME Minister John Howard becomes king of the Parliament House castle today, heading the first government to control both houses of parliament for 24 years.
As politicians return to Canberra after a six-week break, they face the historic prospect of a parliament where the government of the day controls the Senate as well as the House of Representatives.
It is the first time since Malcolm Fraser was prime minister in 1981 that the government has had the numbers in the Senate and will give Mr Howard and his team the opportunity to push through controversial laws on Telstra and industrial relations.
But its newfound power is not necessarily all good news for the government.
While it has the numbers, it faces dissent over its legislative agenda from some coalition backbenchers, such as new Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce.
Senator Joyce and the other new faces in the Senate – who were elected at last year's October 9 election – will be sworn in tomorrow.
An optimistic Australian Greens, which will double its representation from two to four senators, will nominate for the Senate presidency, hoping its nominee may replace Liberal incumbent Paul Calvert.
God bless the Australians. Common sense prevails Down Under.
Is this an editorial or a news account? I was not aware Australia had a king.
No, but we do have far too many "queens"!!!!
Congratulations to the people of Australia. We are honored to have such an ally.
Australia does not currently have a King. His Majesty King George VI died in February 1952. HM Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on his death.
The article is referrring to the fact the Coalition controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate and will have more manuvering room than any government since the early 1980s.
This is such wonderful news! Advance, Australia fair!
I'm tipping one for the Land of Oz at the moment. And another for Germaine Greer. She has to be soooo happy...
What does it take for a Yank to move down under and can I bring my gun collection?
Yanks are very welcome. You might have a bit of trouble with your guns, though...
I mean that in the nicest possible way, of course...
The only way she'd be stewing is if she fell in her own cauldron!
Can the gun laws be reversed with all conservatives, or is it baked in the cake now? I have a tape the NRA put out about the Aussies and Brits giving up their guns, made me weep.
Probably hard baked, but there is a strong lobby over here fighting for shooters' rights.
I love your country, but I have a hard time going where my .45 can't. I'll stay in Texas till I have to speak Spanish, but ya always gotta have a plan "B".
Congrats on the new guvvermint -- hope they manage to do you all some good. Any chance they'll repeal those Draconian "I-hate-[your]-guns" laws? As if everyone with a piece would immediately decamp to the bush to blow up Joey, and then bring their blood lust home to shoot up a courthouse or a schoolyard. But you might get that impression from American media, who are manic on the subject.
BTW, we are having a major changing of the guard here in the face of American media.....a year ago, all three major network anchors looked like they were welded in place, like so many rocks of Gibraltar, and now all three of them are gone: one retired, one disgraced and "retired", and now one dead -- Peter Jennings of our ABC, who died of lung cancer last night. A late conversion, he was a Canadian and a fellow-subject of HM the Queen until not quite two years ago. He took out papers after 9/11 and "joined up" for the War on Terror.
The pope gone, Ronald Reagan gone, all three familiar faces on the Tube gone, seems like the world is speeding up, friends.
But how're things in Oz? Looking up, are they? -- well, you guys are always "looking up"!
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