Simon Benson and Steve Lewis
The Daily Telegraph
March 03, 2011 12:00AM
Led by the so-called "Godfather" of the NSW Labor right, Senator Don Farrell, the trio gave voice to backbench fears over the Greens' hold on the Gillard Government.
The right-wing delegation of Senator Farrell, and senior senators Steve Hutchins and John Hogg met the PM at 11.30am yesterday after the Greens claimed to have Government backing for a Bill to pave the way for gay marriage and legal euthanasia.
It is believed the PM said she had no knowledge of it and gave a commitment she would not back legal euthanasia.They had also confronted Treasurer Wayne Swan, who also claimed to be in the dark.
Senate Labor leader Chris Evans was later forced to apologise to a caucus of Labor senators at a 3pm meeting over what they claimed was a return to the Rudd-style lack of consultation and failure of government process.
The Greens had ambushed the Government by quietly introducing amendments to its own private member's Bill late on Tuesday night.
The amendment made the Bill far more radical and turned a "machinery" Bill into one that would pave the way for the territories to allow legal euthanasia and gay marriage by limiting the Commonwealth's ability to overturn territory legislation.
Anger was directed at former Labor leader Simon Crean, who briefed the ALP Caucus on the territories Bill on Tuesday. "There is a view around that, at best, Crean didn't explain the Bill and we've been misled," one Labor MP said. "Either that or it was a giant stuff up."
Mr Crean, however, defended his position, saying: "The position that I took to Caucus was the same position as supported by the party in 2006."
Ms Gillard now faces a possible breakout of factional war with right-wing MPs accusing Labor left MPs - who support gay marriage and euthanasia - of conspiring with the Greens to deceive the Government. The issue was later resolved when the PM intervened to ensure Labor would vote with the Coalition in the Senate to delay the Bill by referring it to a committee.
MPs are also angry that the PM's decision to introduce a carbon tax was not taken to the caucus.
Others told The Daily Telegraph they were receiving "virulent" emails complaining of a Labor "sell out" to the Greens, who combined with Ms Gillard to unveil the climate change pact.
And Last week Deputy Prime Minister Bob Brown announced the CO 2 TAX, the Labor Green TAX on EVERYTHING.
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