Outrage as MPs knock off early after running out of things to do
The Liberal minority government have been invited to “have a long hard look at themselves” after running out of things for parliament to do and adjourning Tuesday’s sitting hours early.
Tasmania
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The Liberal minority government has been invited to “have a long hard look at themselves” after running out of things for parliament to do and adjourning Tuesday’s sitting hours early.
The House of Assembly was scheduled to sit until 7.30pm on Tuesday night, but Leader of the House Eric Abetz moved for the House to adjourn at 4.45pm.
The government offered no excuse or explanation for taking an early mark.
Running out of things for parliament to do early in the fourth sitting week of the year prompted outrage from non-government members.
Labor’s Shane Broad said the government’s lack of legislation was embarrassing.
“Here we are today, adjourning almost three hours early, and it is obvious to everybody here apart from the government perhaps that their so-called strong plan is in tatters,” he said.
“It is in tatters because they have no agenda.
“It is an absolute disgrace. This whole strong plan is complete nonsense.
“The government is stumbling around in the dark and they cannot even come up with stuff to do in the parliament. It is obscene.
“The next thing you know they will want to maybe skip a week of parliament because there is literally nothing to do. We want our question time. We want our private members’ time.
“The government has no bills to debate. How embarrassing. This has to be a first.”
Independent member David O’Byrne also condemned the lack of work for parliament.
“It is an indictment on the government that we are here in early April of this parliamentary year on a Tuesday, which is the time for the government to not only outline its legislative agenda but debate and push bills through, and here we are slightly before 5 o’clock moving to the Adjournment debate.
“It is disappointing and I think the government need to have a long hard look at themselves in terms of where we are today. As the previous member said, we are here to work.”
Greens deputy leader Vica Bayley said the situation was disappointing.
“It simply is not good enough. We are paid to do our work in this place.
”We are all here. We have come from every corner of the state to do that work. It is just not good enough to be adjourning three hours short of the time that was set.
“The business of the House is in shambles.”
The government prevailed in the vote to adjourn by one vote: 18-16.
Originally published as Outrage as MPs knock off early after running out of things to do
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