Ruling in a minority government must be hard, I think nobody is ready to put aside their principles and let others rule for the sake of the country, those who have the balance of power will take advantage of that, in the julia gillard labor government there two politicians who are doing that from one side is Andrew Wikie MP , from the other is the Greens Member Adam Bandt MP.
To form government the Labor party had to get support from 3 independents because they party couldn’t reach the 75 seats it required for them to rule form Government and be elected government in the eyes of the public of Australia, so they had to get support from the 3 independents, those who supported the government had their Xmas wish list, in other words if they gave the support to the Julia Gillard labor government to form government they also had demand, a list of things the MP wanted the government had to do for them, so Julia Gillard was in the middle of all of this, negotiating and getting in bed with those two PM so she can form government and be the first Female PM in Australia (which she was not yet after the downfall of kevin rudd and she become the party leader she was not yet elected PM) so Julia Gillard had dilemma on her hands accept thsoe demands and form government or lose everything and be Opposition leader for years to come. she accepted and she become a minority government ruling in a minority parliament.
The Pokie reform was Andrew Wikie idea put to the government, wasn’t a recommendation from the independent MP, it was a must wishlist put by Andrew Wikie to the government when the Negotiation to form government was put to Julia Gillard labor government, if they refused to do so the MP would withdrew their support to form a minority government and send Julia Gillard and labor to be opposition government and put Tony Abbott and liberals in power, which Julia Gillard didnt want so she accepted the pokie reform,
The Carbon Tax reform was put by the greens member Adam Bandt to the government, same as the pokie reform was put to Julia Gillard, by Andrew Wikie, the Carbon Tax wasn’t never in Labor plans, as once Kevin Rudd mentioned in a ABC Program qanda he said: Some member of the Government wanted the ETS dead, that member was Julia Gillard she didn’t want the carbon Tax it was obvious, but it was on the agenda and she couldn’t run away from the carbon tax, at the election trial Julia Gillard mention she wouldn’t introduce the carbon tax she didn’t introduce the carbon tax it was Adam Bandt who did and not Julia Gillard.
Julia Gillard labor Government has just turn one year since got elected, they have done not much as their promise more, we will find out in years if the minority government was good for Australia not just for Julia Gillard.
Luiggi berrospi is Law student and Political Science at University of Western Sydney E-mail: 17265342@student.uws.edu.au
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