Mark Vaile new Minister for Transport.
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Mark Vaile new Minister for Transport.
Vaile and Truss to trade jobs
Sunday Sep 24 11:56 AEST
Nationals leader Mark Vaile has given up his job as trade minister, swapping portfolios with the party's deputy leader and transport minister Warren Truss.
A year out from a federal election, the move will take Mr Vaile, who is also deputy prime minister, out of a hectic portfolio to spend more time running his party, after a disastrous year for the Nationals.
It also means he will be out of the trade portfolio when Commissioner Terence Cole hands down his report in late November on the $290 million in kickbacks which wheat exporter AWB paid to the former Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein.
Mr Vaile was criticised for retaining the portfolio, with its demanding schedule of overseas commitments, when he took over as party leader last year, but refused to admit the critics had been right.
He said the move would allow him to spend more time in the Nationals' rural heartland, and insisted the party had achieved much under his leadership, despite the demands of being trade minister.
"That is evidence that you can do it, not without its challenges, I'll acknowledge that, but it's not an impossibility," he told the Nine Network.
"As we move into this next phase in the life of our government, I want to be able to focus on moving around regional Australia, listening to the concerns of regional Australia."
Mr Vaile denied any link between his move and the coming Cole report on AWB.
Mr Cole is likely to be critical of the failure of Mr Vaile, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and their departments to uncover the illicit payments that helped prop up Saddam's regime.
"The government and myself and my ministerial colleagues have nothing to hide in this circumstance and this has got nothing to do with moving away from the Cole report," Mr Vaile said.
He admitted his appearance before the Cole inquiry earlier this year "certainly wasn't an exciting time", but said he would not describe it as a "low point".
Labor leapt on Mr Vaile's move, saying he would avoid tough questions on AWB.
"It will become more difficult to ask Mark Vaile questions in the parliament about his role in the scandal because questions to him will be ruled out of order," opposition public accountability spokesman Kelvin Thomson said.
The Nationals should be stripped of the trade portfolio, he said.
Mr Vaile said he had discussed the possibility of moving out of trade with Prime Minister John Howard for several months, but did not say when the talks began.
He first flagged giving up trade - which he has held since July 1999 - in May, after he was ambushed by a damaging plan by the Queensland Liberal and National parties to merge.
The merger plan was dropped, but the damage to the coalition was still being felt at the Queensland election earlier this month, which was won by Labor in a fourth consecutive landslide.
The Nationals were also rocked this year when Senator Julian McGauran - the brother of Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran - defected to the Liberal Party.
This week's Australian-chaired meeting of the Cairns Group of agricultural exporters also failed to resuscitate the stalled Doha round of World Trade Organisation talks, predictably issuing a call for the negotiations to resume quickly.
But Mr Vaile said he had helped establish Australia and agriculture at the centre of the Doha round, and it was time to focus on domestic issues "and look to maximising our party's chances and the government's chances of success at the next election".
He would not say whether Mr Howard would initiate a broader reshuffle later in the year.
©AAP 2006
Sunday Sep 24 11:56 AEST
Nationals leader Mark Vaile has given up his job as trade minister, swapping portfolios with the party's deputy leader and transport minister Warren Truss.
A year out from a federal election, the move will take Mr Vaile, who is also deputy prime minister, out of a hectic portfolio to spend more time running his party, after a disastrous year for the Nationals.
It also means he will be out of the trade portfolio when Commissioner Terence Cole hands down his report in late November on the $290 million in kickbacks which wheat exporter AWB paid to the former Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein.
Mr Vaile was criticised for retaining the portfolio, with its demanding schedule of overseas commitments, when he took over as party leader last year, but refused to admit the critics had been right.
He said the move would allow him to spend more time in the Nationals' rural heartland, and insisted the party had achieved much under his leadership, despite the demands of being trade minister.
"That is evidence that you can do it, not without its challenges, I'll acknowledge that, but it's not an impossibility," he told the Nine Network.
"As we move into this next phase in the life of our government, I want to be able to focus on moving around regional Australia, listening to the concerns of regional Australia."
Mr Vaile denied any link between his move and the coming Cole report on AWB.
Mr Cole is likely to be critical of the failure of Mr Vaile, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and their departments to uncover the illicit payments that helped prop up Saddam's regime.
"The government and myself and my ministerial colleagues have nothing to hide in this circumstance and this has got nothing to do with moving away from the Cole report," Mr Vaile said.
He admitted his appearance before the Cole inquiry earlier this year "certainly wasn't an exciting time", but said he would not describe it as a "low point".
Labor leapt on Mr Vaile's move, saying he would avoid tough questions on AWB.
"It will become more difficult to ask Mark Vaile questions in the parliament about his role in the scandal because questions to him will be ruled out of order," opposition public accountability spokesman Kelvin Thomson said.
The Nationals should be stripped of the trade portfolio, he said.
Mr Vaile said he had discussed the possibility of moving out of trade with Prime Minister John Howard for several months, but did not say when the talks began.
He first flagged giving up trade - which he has held since July 1999 - in May, after he was ambushed by a damaging plan by the Queensland Liberal and National parties to merge.
The merger plan was dropped, but the damage to the coalition was still being felt at the Queensland election earlier this month, which was won by Labor in a fourth consecutive landslide.
The Nationals were also rocked this year when Senator Julian McGauran - the brother of Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran - defected to the Liberal Party.
This week's Australian-chaired meeting of the Cairns Group of agricultural exporters also failed to resuscitate the stalled Doha round of World Trade Organisation talks, predictably issuing a call for the negotiations to resume quickly.
But Mr Vaile said he had helped establish Australia and agriculture at the centre of the Doha round, and it was time to focus on domestic issues "and look to maximising our party's chances and the government's chances of success at the next election".
He would not say whether Mr Howard would initiate a broader reshuffle later in the year.
©AAP 2006
We can only hope he isn't a dud to aviation like the past few!
Yes Minister was very much alive with Truss.
Yes Minister was very much alive with Truss.
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Lobby hard - Lobby early and lobby often.
Perhaps he needs to be reminded how important GA is to his constituency, and that of his Parties (dwindling) supporters.
Emails, letter and phone calls - keep them coming.
Not sure just how a tool he is however.
Perhaps he needs to be reminded how important GA is to his constituency, and that of his Parties (dwindling) supporters.
Emails, letter and phone calls - keep them coming.
Not sure just how a tool he is however.
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Perhaps he needs to be reminded how important GA is to his constituency, and that of his Parties (dwindling) supporters.
I hope he proves me wrong.
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RFG;
It could be that Truss now has the Cole inquiry to contend with and Vaile the nearly forgotton matter of Lockhart River? Both unenviable tasks one would think.
My opinion only, but given the quality of recent Ministers for things flying, Vaile is probably the better of the lot. One assumes that Marchi may remain to counsel him so a seamless transition occurs. I can hear the deck chairs scraping now however.
It could be that Truss now has the Cole inquiry to contend with and Vaile the nearly forgotton matter of Lockhart River? Both unenviable tasks one would think.
My opinion only, but given the quality of recent Ministers for things flying, Vaile is probably the better of the lot. One assumes that Marchi may remain to counsel him so a seamless transition occurs. I can hear the deck chairs scraping now however.
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Yes and we've been 'had' by Vaile before too! Last time he was in the job less than 2 years before he went to Trade. Weak like the rest of them and only in the portfolio because it gives them (the Nats) the Cabinet seat. I doubt he's even thought about getting aviation again. The first thing he said was getting the Melbourne to Brisbane rail link in (pigs will fly). Here's hoping it's no more than two years until electoral oblivion! I'm sick to death of the Howard big business/economics/security is all that matters Government. Maybe the Nationals'll be the death of the lot of them.
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Another sad day for aviation - Minister for Selling-Out. When will we get someone that isn't related to yellow fruit. Free trade for Oz aviation - that should make at least ONE person happy.
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roturb:
Like many on this forum, we've suffered under countless Transport Ministers.
Peering back through my Gin soaked memory, there is not one DOT Minister that has stood out as having any regard for their portfolio.
Labor or Lib/Nats; the result has always been the same - Aviation, although vital, counts for few votes and therefore gets scant attention.
Again, I hope Vaile proves me wrong.
I'm sick to death of the Howard big business/economics/security is all that matters Government. Maybe the Nationals'll be the death of the lot of them.
Peering back through my Gin soaked memory, there is not one DOT Minister that has stood out as having any regard for their portfolio.
Labor or Lib/Nats; the result has always been the same - Aviation, although vital, counts for few votes and therefore gets scant attention.
Again, I hope Vaile proves me wrong.
I'm in one of those moods
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P.A.F
. Dont know about that .. or regional airports
. That mob leased/sold em all!!
why would they care? 
.
.. now if you were to talk about public infrastructure supporting those airports well, to be quite honest I think the regionals are faring much much worse that the Cap Primaries!!
. not a wise man! 
.
even an amateur knows how to write to agency heads (the appropriate oversight and or regulative and investigative bodies) and CC the elected ones who are then unable to duck and weave asserting plausible deniability after the fact!
.
. then, when nothing happens ....FOI the lot of them!
.
There is nothing quite like an airing to get people hopping .. eh P.A.F
.
.. everyone duck .. incoming right wing dummy spit!
Any questions why capital city airports aren't high on the agenda?
.
.. now if you were to talk about public infrastructure supporting those airports well, to be quite honest I think the regionals are faring much much worse that the Cap Primaries!!
.
. as a wise man once told me.. if you want something done, don't write the Minister, write the Shadow Minister.
.
even an amateur knows how to write to agency heads (the appropriate oversight and or regulative and investigative bodies) and CC the elected ones who are then unable to duck and weave asserting plausible deniability after the fact!
.
. then, when nothing happens ....FOI the lot of them!
.
There is nothing quite like an airing to get people hopping .. eh P.A.F
.
.. everyone duck .. incoming right wing dummy spit!
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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I must be too cynical for my own good. When I heard about the Ministerial switch the first thoughts that sprang to mind were the words 'Deck Chairs' and 'Titanic.'
