The Government
has put Parliament into urgency at a huge cost to the
taxpayer in a desperate bid to avoid public scrutiny of
their Budget proposals, says National's Deputy Leader, Gerry
Brownlee.
"If you accept Peter Dunne's calculation, it
costs around $7000 per minute to run Parliament, so the 13
hours of debate which is expected as the Government rams
through its Future Directions Bill, will cost about $5.46
million dollars.
"Labour is faking urgency so that this
legislation is kept well clear of the select committee where
its proposals would be torn to shreds.
"But there's
nothing urgent here. The Budget will take effect in dribs
and drabs between now and 2007; they don't even need any
money until the end of the year.
"This fake urgency
makes a mockery of Parliament," says Mr Brownlee.
"For
$7000 per minute New Zealanders would be right to expect
something pretty spectacular, but all we're getting is a
desperate bunch of bribes from a desperate Government".
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