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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