WA legislation rammed through

WA legislation rammed through

By Stephen Robson

PERTH — The Court government rushed its Land (Titles and Traditional Usage) Bill through the Legislative Council in an all-night debate that finished early on the morning of November 25.

The government gave only 30 minutes' notice before bringing on the debate,t finally ended with the "guillotine" at 7 a.m.

The bill had completed its passage through the Legislative Assembly only a few hours earlier. Convention is to wait seven days before bills are introduced to the upper house.

The Court government claimed the reason for the undue haste was the likelihood of federal legislation being carried by the Senate.

The fact is that there was no likelihood of the Keating government's legislation being rushed through the Senate. It is not due to be introduced to that body until December 6. A phone call to Canberra could easily have clarified the point.

The haste brought to the fore the fact that democratic discussion around the legislation will be blocked by the Court government.

It is now expected that the state legislation will complete its third reading by the first week of December.

From GLW issue 125