Polluters, Pollies or Pettifoggery?

Originally published 16 March 2009 - JS Mr Costello has the full attention of the media these days, however, it appears the press hold little interest in the ambitions of climate change sceptic and nuclear proponent, Dr Dennis Jensen MHR, who holds the WA seat of Tangney. Prior to the federal elections, Dr Jensen was active on the campaign trail promoting nuclear energy. However, he subsequently lost preselection for the 2007 election, to a candidate of a rival faction of the WA Liberal Party, but the vote was overturned by the Liberal Party’s state council and Jensen was eventually returned to public office by a narrow margin: www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1723315.htm Last month, on February 19, sceptic and chair of the Australian Environment Foundation, Jennifer Marohasy wrote an article, encouraging readers to sign the AEF’s on-line petition, “opposing the federal government's "Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme". The petition will eventually be presented to Parliament by Dr Dennis Jensen:” http://www.listentous.org.au/media/3-muzzled-australians-ets.html During the same month, on 25 February, Dennis Jensen kneecapped his leader by issuing a press release denying that humans are causing climate change, and pointed to Adolf Hitler as an example of how scientists can be wrong. Dr Jensen is not a climate scientist. His public assertions contradicted Malcolm Turnbull’s promise of a greener climate change policy than the Government's and Jensen's assertions have no doubt added to the Party’s propensity to implode. www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,,25104918-2761,00.html “So….. where is this leading to?” readers may ask. Well it’s all to do with the pestilence of propaganda. Petitions are an excellent method for aggrieved citizens to attract the attention of governments, however, the formats of petitions must adhere to parliamentary rules otherwise the contents are invalid. State and federal Parliaments will only consider petitions which contain the original signatures of petitioners unless the rules are now being bent to accommodate the whims of polluters and politicians? To the best of my knowledge, on-line petitions remain invalid. Why do I know this and seemingly Dr Jensen MP, does not?: “At present the House of Representatives does not accept petitions in electronic form. Petitions must be on paper…… “Each signature on the petition must be made by the person signing in his or her own handwriting…. “Signatures must not be copied, pasted or transferred on to the petition…….:” www.aph.gov.au/house/INFO/infosheets/is11.pdf “What say ye, Dr Jensen?”