The ABC has a story on the hurt and upset in the Legislative Assembly as it dawns on them that Bill Stefaniak’s doomed no confidence motion is going to suspecd the assembly for seven days under the Commonwealth’s Self Government Act.
The original thinking when the Act was written was that no populace would ever be so stupid as to vote in a majority government (they reckoned not with Brendan Smyth’s “dead fish” electioneering, the collapse of the democrats, and the loopy Osbourne group scaring everyone’s pants off). So the idea was that when no confidence was moved everyone could take a breather and crunch some serious numbers, and offer some serious deals to the independents and minor parties.
As with all impediements to his untrammelled power the Chief Minister now thinks it’s “an absolute nonsense and needs to be removed”
Big Bill is with him on this as it would let him move no confidence day and night without ever having any consequences to his actions.
UPDATED: As Louise pointed out in the comments the Canberra Times has noted that the seven day shutdown is in the standing orders and not the self-government act.
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