Thu, 18 Aug 2011 - 11:29
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Labor, the Greens and independents vote against bringing sunshine and transparency to the Rudd-Gillard government’s Home Insulation Program

Labor, the Greens and the independents today voted against the victims of pink batt fraud knowing the outcome of their complaints under the Rudd-Gillard government’s disastrous Home Insulation Program, Paul Fletcher, Member for Bradfield, said today.

“When Labor, the Greens and the independents made their pact, we were told they were committed increasing the transparency and accountability of government, saying:

“To quote Rob Oakeshott, sunshine is the best disinfectant.”… "Let’s draw back the curtains and let the sunshine in."

“Yet home owners whose homes have been the subject of fraudulent claims under the Rudd-Gillard government’s Home Insulation program – or whose homes have been illegally entered by unscrupulous operators looking to be reimbursed under the program – face a wall of silence from this government when they make a complaint.”

“Victims understandably want to find out who broke into their homes, or made fraudulent claims involving their homes, and to be informed of prosecutions and the result of those prosecutions.”

“Julia Gillard and the Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, have not disclosed the number of claims of fraud made under the Home Insulation Program, or the findings of the forensic audit he says was conducted.”

 “Extraordinarily, Mr Combet has said that fraud victims may never be told the result of the government’s investigations. So much for transparency.”

“That is why I moved the Motion which was voted on in Parliament today, calling for disclosure of this information.” (copy attached)

 “The actions of Labor, the Greens and the independents in voting against this Motion shows cavalier disregard for the individual complainants – and for Australian taxpayers who have been stuck with the bill for this hopelessly mismanaged and extensively rorted program,” Mr Fletcher said.

 

Note to editors: Labor, Adam Bandt (Greens), Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Andrew Wilkie voted against. Bob Katter did not vote.

Media Contact – Georgia-Kate Schubert 02 9465 3950 or 0414 210216


VOTES OFFICER’S MINUTES

No. 59

Thursday, 18 August 2011

FRAUD UNDER THE HOME INSULATION PROGRAM

The order of the day having been read for the resumption of the debate on the motion of Mr Fletcher—That this House:

(1)     notes that:

(a)     many home owners have reported incidents of suspected fraudulent insulation claims under the Government’s Home Insulation Program to the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency;

(b)     the Department has indicated to complainants that they may never be provided with advice about the outcome of investigations in each case; and

(c)     the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and his Department, have failed to provide information concerning the number of claims of fraud that have been made or of instances of fraud which have been detected;

(2)     condemns the Government for failing to:

(a)     provide specific information to home owners about the outcome of investigations into alleged fraud at their homes; and

(b)     report to Parliament, and to Australian taxpayers who have funded the Home Insulation Program, the details on the number of claims of fraud that have been made or of instances of fraud which have been detected; and

(3)     calls on the Minister to:

(a)     direct his Department to provide information to home owners on an ongoing basis concerning the progress of investigations into incidents of suspected fraud reported by those home owners;

(b)     immediately authorise an additional 50,000 random home inspections from within allocated funds; and

(c)     provide regular reports to the Australian public concerning investigations into fraud under the Home Insulation Program, that include the number of:

(i)      claims of alleged fraud that have been received, identified in the Government commissioned forensic audit, and investigated;

(ii)     cases investigated that have been completed, and those that resulted in prosecutions, along with the outcomes of each;

(iii)    prosecutions that are in train; and

(iv)    cases where steps have been taken to seek restitution from fraudulent claimants, and the outcomes of such cases, 9:46:20 AM—

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put.

The House divided (the Speaker, Mr Jenkins, in the Chair)—

AYES, 69

Mr Alexander

Mr Fletcher

Mr Macfarlane

Mr Secker*

Mr K. J. Andrews

Mr Forrest

Ms Marino

Mr Simpkins

Mrs K. L. Andrews

Ms Gambaro

Mrs Markus

Mr Slipper

Mr Baldwin

Mrs Gash

Mr Matheson

Mr A. D. H. Smith

Mr Billson

Mrs Griggs

Mrs Mirabella

Mr Somlyay

Mrs B. K. Bishop

Mr Haase

Mr Morrison

Dr Southcott

Ms J. I. Bishop

Mr Hartsuyker

Mr O'Dowd

Dr Stone

Mr Briggs

Mr A. G. Hawke

Ms O'Dwyer

Mr Tehan

Mr Broadbent

Mr Hockey

Mrs Prentice

Mr Truss

Mr Buchholz

Mr Hunt

Mr Pyne

Mr Tudge

Mr Chester

Mr Irons

Mr Ramsey

Mr Turnbull

Mr Christensen

Dr Jensen

Mr Randall

Mr van Manen

Mr Ciobo

Mr E. T. Jones

Mr Robb

Mr Vasta

Mr Cobb

Mr Keenan

Mr Robert

Dr Washer

Mr Coulton*

Mr C. Kelly

Mr Wyatt Roy

Mr Wyatt

Mr Crook

Mr Laming

Mr Ruddock

Mr Dutton

Ms Ley

Mr Schultz

Mr Entsch

Mr McCormack

Mr Scott

NOES, 71

Mr Adams

Mrs D'Ath

Ms King

Mr Ripoll

Mr Albanese

Mr Dreyfus

Dr Leigh

Ms Rishworth

Mr Bandt

Mrs Elliot

Ms Livermore

Ms Rowland

Ms Bird

Dr Emerson

Mr Lyons

Ms Roxon

Mr Bowen

Mr L. D. T. Ferguson

Mr McClelland

Ms Saffin

Mr Bradbury

Mr M. J. Ferguson

Ms Macklin

Mr Shorten

Ms Brodtmann

Mr Fitzgibbon

Mr Marles

Mr Sidebottom

Ms A. E. Burke

Mr Garrett

Mr Melham

Mr S. F. Smith

Mr A. S. Burke

Mr Georganas

Mr Mitchell

Ms Smyth

Mr Butler

Mr Gibbons

Mr Murphy

Mr Swan

Mr Byrne

Mr Gray

Mr Neumann

Mr Symon

Mr Champion

Ms Grierson

Mr Oakeshott

Mr C. R. Thomson

Mr Cheeseman

Mr Griffin

Mr O'Connor

Mr K. J. Thomson

Mr Clare

Ms Hall*

Ms O'Neill

Ms Vamvakinou

Ms Collins

Mr Hayes

Ms Owens

Mr Wilkie

Mr Combet

Mr Husic*

Ms Parke

Mr Windsor

Mr Crean

Mr S. P. Jones

Mr Perrett

Mr Zappia

Mr Danby

Dr M. J. Kelly

Ms Plibersek

* Tellers

Pairs

Ms Gillard                      Mr Abbott

Mr Rudd                         Mrs Moylan

Mr Snowdon                   Mr Neville

Ms Ellis                           Mr Frydenberg

And so it was negatived. [Div No. 140], 9:47:43 AM to 9:56:31 AM, Ayes 69, Noes 71