MEDIA RELEASE: No legislation proof Government has no plan for Australia’s future

On the second day of sitting in the first parliamentary week of 2014 the Abbott Government ran out of legislation to debate in the House of Representatives.

After question time on Tuesday it became clear the Government had no further legislation to debate and were forced to move to Addresses in Reply.

Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke said this proves the Government has no real legislative agenda and no plan for Australia’s future.

“Here we are on the first week of Parliament in 2014 and the Government has run out of legislation,” Mr Burke said.

“In a week where Toyota has announced it will cease manufacturing in Australia leaving 2500 people jobless, the Government is sitting around twiddling its thumbs.

“This is clear evidence the Abbott Government has no plan for Australia’s future.”

Mr Burke highlighted that despite the lack of legislative agenda, the Government moved to gag a debate on announced job losses at the Gove refinery in Nhulunbuy, East Arnhem Land.

“This is unbelievable,” Mr Burke said.

“Across Australia thousands of manufacturing workers are learning they will be losing their jobs and the Government wants to pretend it’s not happening.

“Today the Government highlighted closing the gap on jobs for Indigenous Australians, yet when the Opposition moved to debate jobs, the Government shut it down.

“This is a Government in shambles, Australia has two oppositions and no government.”