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Canberra Today 12°/15° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

John Hargreaves: If you can’t run it, wreck it

ACT Labor Government Whip John Hargreaves writes:

The last three sitting days of the Legislative Assembly for 2010 have seen the Opposition behaving as they have all year – Opposition for opposition sake.

There have been 19 divisions in the Assembly in the last sitting week and the Opposition have lost all of them.

This belligerent approach from the Opposition is for no apparent reason and serves no purpose other than to waste the time of the hardworking assembly staff, and is an attempt at political points scoring.

It seems every time there is a constructive conversation in the Legislative Assembly, the Liberal Opposition offer nothing except carping criticism.

These real issues have included cross border planning, youth support, the environment and health. The Opposition’s stance on these issues further confirms them as a fringe party in ACT politics with nothing of value to add.

The contempt displayed by Jeremy Hanson last week during a debate was appalling. When politely asked by the acting Deputy Speaker to withdraw an unseemly comment, Mr Hanson bluntly and repeatedly refused.

I am astonished to witness such blatant arrogance and disrespect as displayed by Mr Hanson.

This Opposition is simply incapable of offering alternative ideas or solutions. The Opposition just continues to offer tired rhetoric without proposing any new policies. The last one Canberra saw was before the 2008 election.

The Opposition have finished the year as the biggest loser and it is easy to see why they are all asleep at the wheel and why their policy cupboard is completely empty.

If a sporting team had such a record, it would change its coach and captain.

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Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

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