Tony Ryall
National Justice Spokesperson

Anne Tolley
National Women's Affairs Spokesperson

National's Tony Ryall and Anne Tolley say the Government's late deadline extension for select committee consideration of matrimonial property legislation shows they are panicking at the damning criticism from the legal profession.

"The issues raised by the Bill are more complex and the public reaction is bigger than the Government expected. The criticism from the legal profession only confirms what National said at the beginning.

"There were 700 written submissions on the Bill and the chair forced the committee to hear oral submissions over just three days so we could meet the Government's original deadline. Now the Government has finally realised how complex the changes are and has given the select committee another two months, so the report back isn't until the 1st of November.

"The public was rushed through the submission process and now the Government has decided that we should have another two months up our sleeve. Now is the time to hear more submissions on the Bill.

"The Government has given in because of the opposition's campaign around the country and in the House. This is a humiliating backdown for the Government that didn't even want to send the Bill to a select committee in the first place. It is the ERB all over again," Mr Ryall and Mrs Tolley said.

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