Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer Chris Pearce has condemned the proposed Greens' amendment, circulated to the Senate yesterday, to the Census Information Amendment Bill 2005 as a fanciful piece of politically-correct nonsense that would cost the taxpayer millions of dollars.
Senator Nettle 's amendment is right up there with some of the wackier policies the Greens took to the last election, Mr Pearce said.
This is political-correctness in its looniest form. For example, this amendment calls for sexuality to mean heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality and asexuality that presently exists, existed in the past or may exist in the future' - Senator Nettle is asking the Australian people to indulge in clairvoyance!
The Census forms have already been printed. The ABS estimates the amendment would cost the taxpayer at least $20 million, and the postponement of the entire Census for a year. We know the Greens have never shown any regard for proper expenditure process but this sort of waste cannot be tolerated.
A minimum 180 million extra sheets of paper would need to be printed that's a lot of trees no longer available for hugging! It certainly puts a lie to the claim the Greens care about the environment.
The Greens' proposal is nothing but a fanciful piece of politically-correct nonsense designed to curry favour with its extremist supporter base. The Australian taxpayer should not be forced to foot the bill for such lunacy.
We long ago accepted that the Australian Democrats live with the fairies at the bottom of the garden. The Greens have taken that one step further: they now want us to count them! Mr Pearce said.
CANBERRA
9 February 2006
Contact: Gillian Harvey 03 9887 3890 or 0411 567 060