A short speech (never given) about what happened in the NSW Parliament yesterday

For the first time since 1906 the Liberal/National Party with the
support of the Christian Democrats and the Shooters and Fishers has shut
down debate on the Industrial Relations Bill that strips the rights of
public sector workers in NSW.

To shut down this bill they this week the Government have resorted to:

- cancelling parliamentary business for opposition and cross bench members during the week

- filibustering on a 56 word bill to do with libraries

This
morning, while many workers are either working or enjoying their well
earned weekends with their families the Government moved to gag debate
on the Industrial Relations Bill. This is unprecedented.  The right wing
coalition in the NSW Upper House have forcibly introduced new debating
rules - rules that we suspect could be unconstitutional that further gag
the debate.

This is not just an attack on workers in NSW.
These actions fundamentally challenge the role of the Legislative
Council. They break conventions of practice that have been developed for
over 100 years of parliamentary practice. These conventions place rules
as the tool that ensures fairness and balance and the right to be heard
at the centre of good governance.

These rules exist to
ensure that all democratically elected members of parliament can fulfill
their duty to examine and debate the legislation. These rules mean that
all Members should have the right to be heard. The actions this morning
discard these principles.

The question you have to ask is why? There is no urgency for this bill.

The
simple answer is this: the government wants to ram through legislation
before workers have the opportunity to let people know what this
legislation will mean for their take home pay and their working
conditions.

In the process they have sent a strong signal
of what a far right upper house can do if it chooses to treat other
pieces of legislation in this way.

Today is a shameful day for democracy in NSW

NB - I would have said this in parliament today but i was forbidden from doing so