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Ryan missing from Parliament again: Independents

The state’s two independent MPs, Russell Savage and Craig Ingram, have condemned the state leader of the National Party, Peter Ryan, for missing a crucial vote in Parliament again.

By Craig Ingram - 24th February 2005 - Back to News

"The self-proclaimed defenders of country Victoria, Peter Ryan, and half of his parliamentary team, were missing in action on an important vote in State Parliament on the Serious Sex Offenders Monitoring Bill," the independents said.

"The Nationals have shown historically their attraction to the white cars and the trappings of office it seems not much has changed," Mr Savage said.

"Was ‘missing in action’ Ryan on the cocktail circuit or on another taxpayer-funded plane trip to support his federal flock or just abandoning his duties in Parliament?"

The Bill that the Nationals missed was an urgent item to protect the public from serious, recidivous child sexual deviates who have shown no remorse and still pose a threat to the public when they have completed their set prison term.

Mr Ingram said: "The Nationals have often criticised us independents, but the truth is that the National Party’s rhetoric seldom meets their performance in Parliament."

"The people of country Victoria deserve an answer as to why so many of the Nationals team was missing from this crucial vote, as Ryan was on the legislation to establish VicForests, which is causing so much concern to country electorates."

"If it was good enough for the Premier Steve Bracks and the leader of the opposition Robert Doyle to be in Parliament, it should have been good enough for the leader of a minor party such as the Nationals," the MPs concluded.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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