An Illawarra MP's Dorothy Dixer, a week-old copy of the
Illawarra Mercury, Wollongong City Council's woes and a fired-up government minister combined to stir up question time in Federal Parliament yesterday.
A week after two Coalition MPs questioned Wollongong City Council's right to receive $2.15 million in funding from the Federal Government on the basis that it was without councillors, Local Government Minister Anthony Albanese used Parliament to hit back.
It started when Cunningham Labor MP Sharon Bird lobbed a Dorothy Dixer - a question which enables the speaker to make his or her point easily - asking Mr Albanese how the recent Australian Council of Local Government meeting had been received.
Mr Albanese said it had been widely welcomed.
"Sandra McCarthy, the Kiama Mayor, told the Illawarra Mercury quote: 'For the first time I feel we are a genuine part of the overall demographic of government in Australia and it's long overdue'," he said.
But it wasn't long before he set his sights on Opposition MP Scott Morrison and Deputy Leader Julie Bishop - who had questioned whether Wollongong deserved the funding. Brandishing last Thursday's Mercury, he hit out:
"(Mr Morrison) argued that the ratepayers of Wollongong should be punished for the actions of some rogue councillors from Wollongong," he said. "And of course the good burghers of Wollongong didn't react kindly to that."
To laughter, Mr Albanese then proceeded to read from an article in last Thursday's Mercury, with the headline Shadow Minister for Silly Statements.
"But it wasn't just the full page splash," he said.
"There was more. There was more. The Illawarra Mercury had a bit to say about it in their editorial on behalf of the people of the Illawarra."
Speaker Harry Jenkins was forced to call for order as both sides yelled across the chamber.
Mr Albanese then pointed out the Howard government had presented Wollongong council with an award for good performance in 2007 as part of the National Local Government Awards.
"So it pays, it pays to have a bit of memory," Mr Albanese said. "But (Mr Morrison) didn't remember it and nor did the deputy leader when they opposed the good people of Wollongong receiving any funding for local capital works."
Last weekend, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell described comments by his federal colleagues as regrettable.
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