Hon Gerry Brownlee
LEADER OF THE HOUSE

 16 May 2009
 Media Statement
 

What was it all about Labour ?

Leader of the House, Gerry Brownlee, says the dwindling numbers on the Labour benches today only makes their time-wasting tactics more absurd.   

“I am left asking what was it all about Labour ?”

 “It has meant a huge cost to the taxpayer, and when it suited them the Labour MP’s started to cut and run,” said Leader of the House, Gerry Brownlee.

“By about 4pm this afternoon the Labour Party was casting only 25 votes of their total of 42 votes allowed,” said Mr Brownlee.

“And the vagaries of the standing orders meant they only had in effect 14 members present.”

“It seems to me more and more Labour members have rebelled on their defacto leader of the house, Trevor Mallard, and agreed with the Maori party co-leader, Tariana Turia, that they had turned this into a frivolous, vexacious process,” he said.

“The absurdity of all this is on one hand Labour MPs claim they support the super-city concept but refuse to make any hard decisions.  And they claim their time-wasting tactic is a fight for a more democracy but are absent in numbers to vote when they get tired,” he said.

Parliament has been sitting under urgency debating the Auckland governance bill, which is expected to be passed by 8.30pm tonight.

ends

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