Legislation has ‘stalled’ claims MP

THERE are fears sittings of Tasmania’s Upper House could be postponed after the Government failed to introduce any new Bills into Parliament last week.

Labor’s David O’Byrne slammed the “outrageous stall” to the legislative agenda which he says he hadn’t seen in all his years as an MP.

The Government says Parliament has been busy with legislation — including new anti-bullying laws.

But one Labor Upper House MP says the Legislative Council has spent more time in briefings than reviewing legislation.

THERE are fears sittings of Tasmania’s Upper House could be postponed after the Government failed to introduce any new bills into Parliament last week.

Labor’s David O’Byrne yesterday slammed what he called the Government’s “outrageous stall” to their legislative agenda.

“They ran out of business during the week,” Mr O’Byrne said.

“They didn’t introduce one new bill — they clearly have no vision and no agenda.

“There will be consequences for Tasmanians, not only in terms of legislative agenda for a government that has run out of puff, but we may see sittings of the Upper House delayed or postponed because there is absolutely no business to be dealt with.”

But Liberal MHA Michael Ferguson, Leader of Government Business in the House of Assembly, said Labor had “outsourced all legislative scrutiny to the Greens”.

He said Parliament had passed a number of important pieces of legislation last week, including working towards criminalising acts of serious bullying.