Claims new Government has too much time on its hands

In what might be an unprecedented move, the Government voted against several closure motions to end debate on its own Electronic Interactions Reform Bill on Wednesday night. Shadow leader of the House Simon Bridges called it a ‘‘farce’’. ‘‘You have the Government – including senior ministers – filibustering its own legislation because it has so little for Parliament to debate and wants to avoid the embarrassment of the House being left with nothing to do.’’