Greens senator Jordon Steele-John labels the Federal Government ‘arsonists’
A Greens senator has labelled the federal government “arsonists” over the bushfire emergency, triggering instant condemnation from Labor which called the remark “highly offensive”.
NSW
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- Emergency declared for 11 fires as 'homes impacted'
- Commuters urged to leave work early as conditions worsen
A Greens senator has labelled the federal government “arsonists”, triggering instant condemnation from Labor which called the remark “highly offensive”.
Greens senator for Western Australia Jordon Steele-John told the Upper House this afternoon it was “inappropriate beyond words” for the federal government to be pushing its “big stick” energy bill amid a “national crisis”.
The government was “propping up coal” through the legislation, Senator Steele-John said.
“You are no better than a bunch of arsonists, borderline arsonists,” he said.
Labor senator for Queensland Murray Watt immediately raised a point of order, saying “we are used to Senator Steele-John’s lectures but it is highly offensive to refer to members of this chamber, regardless of their political party, as arsonists.
“It is an indication of the lengths the greens will go to make their political point and I ask him to withdraw.”
Senator Steele-John did not withdraw the remark and it was not ruled out of order.
He had earlier said the Opposition was “feeble” for wanting to put off discussion of climate change until after the fire emergency had passed.
He said the time for the discussion was “now, now, now”.
It comes after Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce this morning said two people who died in the bushfires “most likely” voted Green.
“And that the crazy thing there, and I acknowledge that the two people who died were most likely people who voted for the Green party, so I am not going to start attacking them. That’s the last thing I want to do,” Mr Joyce said on Sky News this morning.