I WRITE to correct a statement made by your contributor Andrew Fuller on September 29.
Mr. Fuller makes the erroneous claim that “the Labor Party won the most seats and the most votes and thus reasonably attracted the independents’ support”. That is wrong.
The Coalition won 73 seats and Labor won 72, so therefore under Mr Fuller’s reasoning, the independents should have put the Coalition into government.
Of the 150 elected candidates, 146 went to the 2010 election not supporting a carbon tax.
The member for New England, Tony Windsor, has also had a bit each way. When interviewed before the election on the ABC, he said his Private Members Bill calling for a cut in emissions of 80 per cent on 1990 levels by 2050 was not his bill, but what some of his constituents wanted. The bill lapsed, but Mr Windsor had effectively disassociated himself from it. When Labor came calling and the PM announced the carbon tax, there was Mr Windsor all smiles supporting and indeed driving it.
This is the man Mr Fuller claims has stuck to his principles and brought dignity and honour to the Parliament.
JOHN WILLIAMS
THE NATIONALS SENATOR
FOR NSW