24th March 2000
"After going to all the trouble of co-ordinating their response", said David Dalgleish, "isn't it a pity that their joint literary effort completely missed the point?"
Mr Dalgleish was responding to the joint response from ALP candidate Andrew McNamara and ALP President John Tracey in the Hervey Bay Independent of March 3rd.attacking his suggestion of a survey of public opinion on GST in conjunction with the Local Government elections.
"Mr McNamara appears anxious to demonstrate that he has some legal knowledge. What a shame that the best he could muster was a puerile little effort, overstating the obvious", said Mr Dalgleish. "Of course it is obvious that authorisation for a referendum must come from the Parliament, but If Mr Beattie had been a man of vision, and if Mr Beattie were genuine in his opposition to GST, there is no doubt that he could easily have achieved the necessary authorisation from the Parliament".
"He has the numbers to do so, and has never been bashful in using the numbers - even to protect himself and his discredited "fatal five" frontbenchers involved in the shredding of evidence. He has also been quick to use the numbers to protect his Labor mates in the infamous Netbet affair", said Mr Dalgleish.
"Unfortunately, it is quite obvious that Mr Beattie, like his Federal colleague Mr Beazley, is not really opposed to GST. He is not prepared to do anything about it - he will just continue to posture about it".Mr Dalgleish said.
"Mr Tracey, the other half of the less than dynamic duo, has managed an even more feeble contribution", said Mr Dalgleish.
"His considered opinion is that the GST is now law and can't be changed", said Mr Dalgleish. "One would have to wonder whether this is just a pathetic defeatist attitude, or whether Mr Tracey, like his hypocritical cohorts, is not really opposed to the GST".
"The Federal GST legislation is dependant upon enabling legislation at the State level. If Mr Beattie were prepared to seize this opportunity to gauge the depth of public opposition to GST, and if Mr Beattie really cared about Queenslanders, and if Mr Beattie really wanted to stand up for the people of this State, he may just have taken a stronger stance on this socially destructive and morally unjust legislation", Mr Dalgleish said.
"Mr McNamara and Mr Tracey may be able to coordinate their press releases. They may even be able to coordinate the colour of their outfits and their handbags. But they really must come up with a bit more substance if they are ever to be taken seriously", he said.
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