Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Natasha Griggs, member for Solomon.







Natasha Griggs.

Updated (slightly) 22 June 2014

The incumbent member for Solomon.i
Natasha Griggs has a background in business and is not in favor of an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) if it would put Northern Territory jobs at risk,ii nor a great big new tax.iii
Natasha Griggs opposed the proposed neuclear waste facility at Muckatay station because the scientist's first choice of a site is in South Australia. She says the Federal Government should use it's constitutional powers to put the waste facility in South Australia.iv
Natasha Griggs has an interest in several properties & says she stands for affordable housing.v
In her maiden speechvi Natasha raised some issues:
  • The lack of affordable housing in the electorate of Solomon.
  • The importance of protecting the environment in the Darwin harbour.
  • Her intention as the member for Solomon to ensure the Northern Territory gets it's fair share of health funding.
  • The issue of indigenous education and the Australian Labor Party promise to “fund remote students at the remote rate regardless of where they attend school”.
  • Giving a hand up (assistance to achieve their best) rather than a hand out to the disabled
As we should expect Natasha Griggs spoke in Parliament many times and on many subjects I have selected a few that indicate her views on moral issues significant to me as a Christian:
  • On 20 October 2010 Mrs Griggs spoke to the: “Inquiry into the Child Protection System in the Northern Territory”. In part she said: “I do not care how much money you tell the Northern Territory society you will pay. I want to know how many children’s lives have been bettered and saved. I also call on Australia’s leaders, especially our Indigenous leaders, to step forward because your children, our children, need you. I ask all members of this place to ensure we keep a vigilant watch on how this matter is addressed.”
  • On 13 February she spoke against the commercialisation & sexualisation of children.vii
  • On 14 March 2012 she spoke in favour of the “Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (R 18+ Computer Games) Bill 2012”. Mrs Griggs said: “So, being a good member and representing my electorate, I am actually going to support this bill.” Many Christians including myself believe this allows computer games with more violent and immoral content.viii
  • I include the issue of the “Carbon tax” because I believe it is God who controls the climate, not mankind. On 11 October 2011 Mrs Griggs reminded the house of Julia Gillard's words: “Let us remember it was this Prime Minister who said, 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead' ”. Some further points she made include:
    “The government's own figures indicate that this tax will immediately put the price of electricity up by 10 per cent, cause a nine per cent increase in gas bills and leave a $4.3 billion hole in the budget.”
    Of the target to reduce “greenhouse gas emissions” by 5% by 2020 she said: “This is not through a mechanism of environmental sustainability but by an internationally linked scheme for the purchase of offshore permits.”
    The carbon tax will be applied to all aviation through the aviation fuel levy. “This means no matter how big or small your aviation business is, the tax will be applied regardless. Airnorth is not the only aviation company that will be affected, as this will be applied equally to other Territory aviation companies including Hardy Aviation, Chartair and Pearl Aviation, right down to the small operators in private aircraft.”ix
  • On 30 May 2012 Mrs Griggs repeated her reminder of Julia Gillard's pledge not to introduce a carbon tax. She went on:
    “Everyone knows that Labor's toxic carbon tax will cascade right through the economy...”.
    “Territorians will be slugged more for electricity because Power and Water, our only electricity provider, was included on the carbon tax hit list. It is considered one of Australia's biggest polluters...”
    “The government's own figures indicate that thousands of Territorian households will be worse off under the carbon tax.”
    “I have spoken in this place many times about petrol and how this carbon tax is a tax on remoteness. Everything in the Northern Territory is freighted in. Do not take my word for it. I have a letter here from Toll, which is putting Territorian customers on notice that freight costs are likely to go up because of the carbon tax.”
    “Only a coalition government will deliver to Australians an Australia free of a carbon tax.”x
    I hope this is not another politician “speaking with a forked tongue”.
  • On September 17 2012 Mrs Griggs said: “I take my role as Alzheimer's Australia champion very seriously and I will continue to advocate and fight for appropriate funding to tackle this terrible disease which affects not just the elderly in our community...”.xi
  • On 18 September 2012 Mrs Griggs spoke on the: “Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Bill 2012, Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (Consequential and Transitional) Bill 2012”, which affects not for profit organizations including churches and charities. “Some of my colleagues have referred to the comment from David Gonski, a life fellow of the Institute of Company Directors, who said: 'It concerns me massively that we might be the first country in the world to make being on a not-for-profit as a director more onerous than being on a for-profit.' Mission Australia & Carers NT were given as examples of not-for-profits concerned about this bill.
    “We do not need this commission, and I concur with my coalition colleagues who have suggested that the money being put into establishing it should be used to support these very important charitable organisations that provide services in our community that are vital to our society. So I cannot support this suite of bills before the House.”xii
    Mrs Griggs voted against it but the Bill passed the second reading stage in the lower house.xiii
  • On 31 October 2012 Mrs Griggs spoke about the financial cost of the arrivals of assylum seekers by boat with scant mention of the stated thousand people who died trying. As if these people suffering and dying didn't matter, what she cared about was what could have been done with the money saved if the boats hadn't come.xiv
  • On 18 June 2013 Mrs Griggs spoke against the Charities Bill 2013 expressing concern about the way in which eligibility for charitable status will be decided. It was particularly interesting that “a charity supporting Israel” was raised and that Dr Emmerson took offence to the suggestion that it could be refused the status.xv Mrs Griggs voted against it but the Bill passed the second reading stage.xvi
Updated (slightly) 22 June 2014
5 August 2013.
As always I encourage readers to seek more information by reading the Bible.
© Ken Glasgow 2013
This page was written using Open Office 3.2.1, open source software from the www.openoffice.org this software is available to download for free.
i4 August 2013, Australian Electoral Commission, http://www.aec.gov.au/election/
iiAlyssa Betts, 30 November 2009, “Griggs cool on warming strategy”, http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/11/30/105031_ntnews.html
iiiNatasha Griggs, 9 May 2010, “What I stand for”, http://www.natashagriggs.com.au/standsFor.php
ivNatasha Griggs, Press release, “Griggs says not to neuclear waste facility”, http://www.countryliberals.org.au/displayMedia.php?id=1702
vNidk Calacouras, 14 May 2010, “Natasha's affordable housing”, http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/05/14/147285_ntnews.html
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