Australia’s new conservative Liberal-National government has been sworn into office and the Prime Minister Tony Abbott will move ahead with plans to launch into key legislation to scrap Australia’s carbon price laws and crack down on asylum seeker arrivals.
After today’s visit to the Governor General’s Canberra residence, where Mr Abbott and his coalition cabinet officially took on their new roles, he headed to Parliament House to get to work.
“Today is not just a ceremonial day, it’s an action day.
The Australian people expect us to get straight down to business and that’s exactly what this government will do,” Mr Abbott said in a statement reported by AAP Newsagency.
AAP reports that top of the to-do list was instructing the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to set in motion moves to repeal the carbon price legislation.
The new treasurer Joe Hockey has been tasked with directing the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to suspend its operations.
Moves will also be made on Mr Abbott’s “stand or fall issue”: Operation Sovereign Borders.
“It’s so important that we send a message to the people smugglers that, from today, their business model is coming to an end,” Mr Abbott said.
He has named Deputy Chief of Army Angus Campbell as head of the operation, which includes turning back asylum-seeker boats when it’s safe to do so.
Major General Campbell, a former SAS commander, will take charge of the operation and be promoted to the three-star rank of Lieutenant-General, with special operations commander Major General Gus Gilmore as his deputy.
Tday is Mr Abbott’s “day one”, when he has long promised to make a difference on the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat without a visa.
The Immigration Department will stop granting permanent protection visas and instead reintroduce temporary protection visas for those who arrive by boat, while permanent residency will be denied to those who have already arrived.
The start of government business might come as a welcome relief for Mr Abbott, who has faced widespread criticism, including from within his own party, for naming just one woman in his cabinet of 19.
“We will deliver results for the Australian people from day one and live up to our pledge to have a safe, secure Australia and a strong, prosperous economy,” Mr Abbott said in his statement.
