Urgency: desperate Government fakes it

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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