The Federal Opposition and Greens say the Prime Minister must change policies, and one key crossbench senator is warning Tony Abbott to drop his confrontational style, if he wants to have more success in 2015. The Government heads into the new year with political capital at a low, and about $30 billion of 2014 budget measures still to pass the Senate. Mr Abbott has again urged the Senate to act in the national interest and pass the remaining budget bills, but that call has received a frosty reception. South Australian Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said while the Government got key measures through the Senate, Mr Abbott appeared to not understand why other bills were being blocked. Of course we need to act in the national interest, but I think the Prime Ministers interpretation of the national interest appears to be a very narrow and partisan one, Senator Xenophon told the ABCs AM program. It seems to me that this Government in the last 16 months has done to its political capital what Nero did to ancient Rome. I just think its a bit curious that the Prime Ministers approach appears to be identical to his approach as Opposition - thats one of confrontation, its one of being incredibly negative, he said. Greens leader Christine Milne also said her party would not be changing its tune in the new year. The mistake the Government is making is they are suggesting their ideas are the only possible way forward and well be making the point over the next 12 months that is completely not the case, Mr Bowen said. He also argued that the Senate had been acting in the national interest, and he said 2015 would be the year for Labor to outline its own policies.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 21:20:11 +0000