Monday, August 31, 2009



Climate change: And still delayed...

It's now Monday, and despite the Emissions Trading Review Committee having voted to release its report more than a week ago, it still has not been released to the public. According to the Herald, the government is now negotiating with other parties on the changes it wants to make, and the report seems to be being suppressed in the meantime to avoid making the government - or the Maori Party - look bad.

This is not how Parliament is supposed to operate. Select committees have a vital role in reviewing legislation and in holding government to account. While parties will often negotiate with each other about the contents of select committee reports, burying one after it has been released is unthinkable. Its a perfect example of the dangers of majority government, and why we need to ensure that our governments are hamstrung by dependence on multiple coalition partners, rather than being able to do whatever they want.