Julia Gillard used the cost of rebuilding in Queensland as pretext to dump some of the more ridiculous Labor policies especially relating to emissions reduction.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/greens-votes-on-flood-levy-cost-labor-364m/story-fn59niix-1226007855010

To get the greens' support she has had to put back nearly $400m back on the table. In July the greens will have the deciding vote on all legislation, and one can only expect the demands to get sillier.

With friends like the greens who needs enemies?

In the name of honest debate,I leave you to your self Shadow Minister, not retreat, just no need to rebut you.

"I leave you to your self Shadow Minister"

No you don't.

Within minutes of me posting, you retort with an inane burble with no substance on the issue whatsoever.

I know that you are so fiercely protective of your beloved ALP that you feel the need to put up at least a token response. However, the issue is that the greens support is not conditional, and nearly 25% of the flood tax is now going to silly projects that should by any rights be scrapped.

If you think that this has not been noticed by the wider public you are seriously mistaken.

Fair suck of the sav, Shadow Minister.

>>Within minutes of me posting, you retort with an inane burble with no substance on the issue whatsoever.<<

What issue?

You take up space to deliver your standard anti-Gillard puff piece - nothing new to say, no vestige of interest or controversy - and then mouth off at Belly for calling you on it?

You didn't even pose a question that we could debate. Just made a few cheap points that even the daily papers make more cogently and constructively.

At least the media makes some attempt to understand the politics that are in play at the moment. It isn't pretty, to be sure. But mud-slinging for the sake of slinging mud is simply mindless, and pointless.

Pericles,

Short of spelling it out in small words, the first issue is that if even for small bills which the greens inherently support, they are going to ask for such a huge price so as to make the original flood tax almost worthless, what are they going to demand after July when they have an veto over all bills.

The second issue, is that if the greens are supposedly partners, they certainly act mostly in their own interest, and are quite happy to leave Labor to twist in the wind.

The Flood tax although raising $1.8bn effectively only puts $1.4bn on the table for reconstruction.

Well it is a minority government Shadow Minister. Do you really think the Coalition would govern any differently as a minority? Concessions have to be made in that situation, that is the beauty of democracy - any opportunities for greater consultation should be applauded not diminished.

I seem to remember John Howard making some rather large concessions and financial promises to the Australian Democrats and Harradine to bring in the GST.

Memories are short.