Sep 21: A New Government
The first signs from Tony Abbot's new Government are not very encouraging, although not unexpected either.
Forty-two ministers, assistant ministers and parliamentary secretaries were sworn into office in the new Australian Government earlier this week. An amazing forty-one of them pathetically clutched their bibles as they did so and ended their Oath with the meaningless appeal to the supernatural being of their choice : "So help me god."
Will these ministers have their bibles on their desks when they are supposed to be carrying out their duties in the National interest?
Just one of them scorned this ridiculous anachronism: Senator Simon Birmingham (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment), I salute you!
Climate Change Commission abolished - no surprise but nevertheless a dreadfull decision. Whilst America progresses on climate change, with Obama taking on the coal industry, Australia takes a giant lurch backwards into scientific ignorance.
Clearly the Government is going to ignore the scientific concensus that climate change needs to be checked, so what better way for them to do that than by eliminating one of the sources of the advice?
No Science Minister in the new Government. Australia has a problem with scientific illiteracy in the community and it seems that Abbott is a product of that. Abbott promised a no surprise Government but this was not telegraphed.
