Hi folks Check out Web Diary - Margo Kingston is on the ball in terms of the outcome of this morning's Libs/Nats party room meeting where the Georgiou/Moylan Bills were debated. Here's some pretty decent advice from Carmen Lawrence. I hope you can do your bit - if you haven't already. - Jack A Message from Carmen Lawrence From: Lawrence, Carmen (MP) Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 Subject: Message from Carmen Lawrence - Petro Georgiou's Private Member's Bills Dear All, Petro Georgiou's Private Member's Bills I have received a number of emails and messages on the subject of Petro Georgiou's Private Member's Bills and the changes they propose with respect to the treatment of asylum seekers. Naturally, I support the substantive thrust of the Bills and will argue in favour of the measures they contain - as indeed I have done over the years. After the meeting of Caucus this morning, it has been decided that the Bills should in the main be supported since they largely accord with ALP policy and, most importantly, because they represent a humane approach to dealing with the crucial issues of indefinite detention and temporary protection. (It's another indictment of the current refugee policy that Australian politics should be so wracked with the difficulties involved in changing an inhumane system.) From a procedural point of view, however, it must be remembered that the Georgiou Bills won't be debated at all, let alone voted upon, unless Mr Georgiou puts the Bills on the Notice Paper and the Howard Government agrees to list the Bills for debate. From Opposition, the best we could do is to move a motion to suspend the Standing Orders so that the Bills could be debated. Even then, a number of Coalition Members would have to cross the floor for the motion to succeed. On present numbers, and assuming that all three independents voted with Labor (unlikely in Katter's case), we would still require at least 12 Coalition members to cross the floor. That would be unprecedented. And yet, considering the attitude of John Howard, that is probably what is required for the Bills even to be debated. Massive pressure must therefore be applied to the Government if these Bills are to see the light of day within the House of Representatives (HoR). I include here the link to the list of HoR Members, listed by Federal Electorate, and I encourage you to contact your Member, especially if they belong to the Coalition, and urge them to support the listing of Petro Georgiou's Bills for debate: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/mi-elctr.asp Yours sincerely, Dr Carmen Lawrence MP Federal Member for Fremantle