Thursday, September 24, 2009



Climate change: Urgency

The House has just gone into urgency to debate the government's "moderated" ETS. The government's original plan was to reconstitute the ETS Review Committee to consider it. However, that would have meant an unlimited debate, which the opposition was prepared to take advantage of to haul them over the coals on the issue, so the bill will now be sent to the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

Naturally, the bill was withheld until the last minute to prevent scrutiny. So, MPs will be expected to debate a bill they have no seen. While I think urgency is justified in this case in order to get more time for the select committee, the government has been needlessly shitty over this. Parliament should not be forced to debate blind in this fashion, and the government forcing it to brings the entire Parliamentary process into disrepute.

I'll do a proper post on the bill when it becomes available.