A Couple of Privates

Written By: - Date published: 11:16 am, June 2nd, 2010 - 7 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, democratic participation - Tags: , , , , ,

It’s normal convention that when a local group feel particularly strongly about an issue the local MP will introduce a Private Member’s Bill to let them be heard in parliament; the MP does not even have to support it themselves.

John Carter was willing to help out a local business man late last year, however dodgy his desire to run his private business on public land against local wishes might have been. But strangely when the people of Rodney are desperately calling out for a local MP to support their bill to be excluded from the SuperShitty, John seems to have gone deaf. As indeed do his fellow Rodney MPs John Key and Lockwood Smith.

So now local Mayor and former Act MP Penny Webster is turning to Labour and Darien Fenton as the only local representative to give them a voice. That’s got to hurt Penny and the rural National base to be so neglected by their own government. And thanks to MMP, neglecting the base matters – electorate seats may not change hands in safe areas like Rodney, but whether all your base turns up makes quite a difference – just ask Labour about South Auckland in 2008.

Whilst on the subject of Labour Private Member’s Bills, Carol Beaumont has a particularly worthy one trying to stop Loan Sharks. With people being charged in some cases over 1000% pa, including by white collar finance companies, there are some heart-breaking stories of debt out there. National are apparently planning to kill this bill, purely because a Labour member proposed it.

However they also cancelled private member’s day last week, so the bill has been delayed, giving YOU a chance to lobby a National MP/PM to at least support it to select committee so those targeted by these white collar thieves can tell of their plight. Go on – show you care.

Bunji

7 comments on “A Couple of Privates ”

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  1. factchecker 1
    2 June 2010 at 12:06 pm

    The Private Member’s Day was not cancelled by the Government. The 14 hour debate on the Budget automatically takes priority over all other business, so the member’s day did not happen.

    • toad 1.1
      2 June 2010 at 1:07 pm

      Wrong. The Government are deliberately dragging out the Appropriation Bill debate, and scheduling an hour of it each Wednesday after question time. Because the Appropriation Bill debate takes precedence over all other business, that effectively cancels those Wednesdays as Members’ Day.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.2
      2 June 2010 at 1:12 pm

      So, what you’re saying is that member’s day was cancelled by the government? Right, gotcha.

  2. Lanthanide 2
    2 June 2010 at 12:26 pm

    Labour: all your base are belong to us.

    Sorry, couldn’t help it.

  3. Fisiani 3
    2 June 2010 at 12:27 pm

    Factchecker. This is The Standard. You surely didn’t expect truth!

  4. John Dalley 4
    2 June 2010 at 2:32 pm

    So that would be as truthful as kiwiblog would it Fisi?

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