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186533
Sun, 06/05/2011 - 13:53
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http://m.oananews.org//node/186533
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O'Farrell defends NSW debate gag decision
The NSW opposition is in no position to complain about the government's use of archaic laws to gag an upper house debate on public sector wage reforms, the premier says.
The government on Saturday invoked a provision that has not been used since 1906 to guillotine debate on its public sector wage reforms, which began on Wednesday and had dragged on into the weekend.
Premier Barry O'Farrell said he was not going to put up with members of parliament "abusing the process simply to play political games."
"The rules are the rules, and it's a bit rich for the Greens and the Labor party to be complaining about archaic rules when they used archaic filibustering rule to try and avoid a debate on an important bill," Mr O'Farrell told Sky News on Sunday.
The NSW upper house is one of the few chambers in the country that doesn't have speaking time limits, Mr O'Farrell said.
"It was being abused by Greens and Labor supporters," he said.
The O'Farrell government will be one of "tough decisions", the premier added.
"We will be a government that protects the public interest, we will be a government that seeks to deliver those service."
As well as invoking standing order 99 for the first time since 1906, the government put pressure on the upper house to come to a vote on the bill by restricting debate on 200-odd Labor and Greens amendments, and threatening lockouts to prevent them leaving the chamber.
After a committee process lasting all day, in which the only successful amendment was one from the Shooters Party exempting local government workers, a final vote on the bill was adjourned to the next sitting day on June 14.
"This was a four page piece of legislation that had been debated for 29 hours, with speeches up to six hours, so we're not going to put up with members of parliament abusing the process simply to play political games," Mr O'Farrell said.
"The people elected a new government in March to get on and fix this state, we're determined to do so."
Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon on Saturday said the government would be held to account for its industrial changes.
AAP understands unions will be meeting over the next couple of days to decide what further action to take, with a source saying the campaign against the bill is set to escalate.
The government on Saturday invoked a provision that has not been used since 1906 to guillotine debate on its public sector wage reforms, which began on Wednesday and had dragged on into the weekend.
Premier Barry O'Farrell said he was not going to put up with members of parliament "abusing the process simply to play political games."
"The rules are the rules, and it's a bit rich for the Greens and the Labor party to be complaining about archaic rules when they used archaic filibustering rule to try and avoid a debate on an important bill," Mr O'Farrell told Sky News on Sunday.
The NSW upper house is one of the few chambers in the country that doesn't have speaking time limits, Mr O'Farrell said.
"It was being abused by Greens and Labor supporters," he said.
The O'Farrell government will be one of "tough decisions", the premier added.
"We will be a government that protects the public interest, we will be a government that seeks to deliver those service."
As well as invoking standing order 99 for the first time since 1906, the government put pressure on the upper house to come to a vote on the bill by restricting debate on 200-odd Labor and Greens amendments, and threatening lockouts to prevent them leaving the chamber.
After a committee process lasting all day, in which the only successful amendment was one from the Shooters Party exempting local government workers, a final vote on the bill was adjourned to the next sitting day on June 14.
"This was a four page piece of legislation that had been debated for 29 hours, with speeches up to six hours, so we're not going to put up with members of parliament abusing the process simply to play political games," Mr O'Farrell said.
"The people elected a new government in March to get on and fix this state, we're determined to do so."
Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon on Saturday said the government would be held to account for its industrial changes.
AAP understands unions will be meeting over the next couple of days to decide what further action to take, with a source saying the campaign against the bill is set to escalate.
