THOUSANDS of demonstrators will gather in front of Parliament House tomorrow and next week scores of trucks will blockade the building as the Government faces a season of protests over its carbon pricing scheme.
Tomorrow's Election Now No Carbon Tax Rally is expected to be bigger than the March protest which Opposition Leader Tony Abbott addressed in front of signs attacking "Bob Brown's Bitch", Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Organisers want to command a fleet of buses carrying protesters from 13 Sydney suburbs, the New South Wales central coast, the Southern Highlands and Melbourne.
It will be followed next Monday by the arrival of convoys of trucks which could shut down roads leading to Parliament House. It will be the first big-wheel protest since January, 1995, when logger fighting a forest agreement used 350 trucks to circle the Parliament and Prime Minister Paul Keating.
Plans are for 11 convoys setting off from as far away as Port Hedland in WA's Pilbara region, Cairns in Far North Queensland and Bendigo in central Victoria. They will gather at overnight holding areas around Canberra and set off at dawn for Parliament House.Organisers want to command a fleet of buses carrying protesters from 13 Sydney suburbs, the New South Wales central coast, the Southern Highlands and Melbourne.
It will be followed next Monday by the arrival of convoys of trucks which could shut down roads leading to Parliament House. It will be the first big-wheel protest since January, 1995, when logger fighting a forest agreement used 350 trucks to circle the Parliament and Prime Minister Paul Keating.
Mr Abbott said today the week marked an "infamous" political anniversary.
"This is the week in which we will mark the first anniversary of the Prime Minister's infamous promise to the Australian people before the last election: 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead'," he told reporters.
"This is a promise that will haunt the Prime Minister and the Government every day until their ultimate political death.
"This Government fundamentally lacks legitimacy and not because it lacks a majority but because it lacks integrity and nothing more highlights the Government's lack of integrity than this monumental broken promise."
Prime Minister Julia Gillard told a cabinet meeting today the Government would stress Australia's economic stability as it fought in Parliament to get two critical pieces of legislation through.
She said there was "big legislation" to be passed this session of Parliament, including the carbon pricing legislation and the mining profits tax.
"There's no better place in the world to be than Australia as we deal with this global instability," Ms Gillard told ministers.
"Our economy is strong, we came out of the global financial crisis strong as a result of the work we as a Government did with the Australian community, including employers and unions to keep people in work.
"So, I think the whole nation can be proud of this economy we've built together and it's a very resilient economy."
Tomorrow's rally is expected to be better organised and less inflammatory than the March protest, where the viciousness of the placards detracted from the protest message to the Government.
It has been better planned and resources.
Sydney radio station 2GB was to have broadcast all day from Federation Square in front of Parliament House but pulled out a few weeks ago. However, other supporters have been found.
In one example, Menzies House, an influential conservative blog site named after the founder of the Liberal Party Robert Menzies has been promoting the rally and the convoy.
"This is a great opportunity, and we hope you will be able to take part in any way you can," wrote the managing editor of Menzies House, Tim Andrews.
It has been better planned and resources.
Sydney radio station 2GB was to have broadcast all day from Federation Square in front of Parliament House but pulled out a few weeks ago. However, other supporters have been found.
In one example, Menzies House, an influential conservative blog site named after the founder of the Liberal Party Robert Menzies has been promoting the rally and the convoy.
"This is a great opportunity, and we hope you will be able to take part in any way you can," wrote the managing editor of Menzies House, Tim Andrews.
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