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 < Back 66 Acts shelved! Carr Usurps Parliament May 21st 2003 - The Premier is marching NSW back to colonial days when Governors ruled without Parliament, and when they made laws by royal decree. "After establishing responsible government, legislation had to be passed by Parliament," Arthur Chesterfield-Evans said. "But the Carr Government has found a way of rorting the Westminster system. It simply refuses to proclaim legislation the parliament has already passed, so stopping the Acts from becoming law." Before an Act of Parliament has effect, it has to be proclaimed by the Government. Dr Chesterfield-Evans has completed a State-by-State analysis of unproclaimed and tied legislation. "It was a shock to discover that NSW has 66 unproclaimed Acts of Parliament. This is more than double the number of unproclaimed Acts in the next highest State, Queensland, and more than three times the number unproclaimed in Victoria. "The Carr Government is picking and choosing which Acts of Parliament is wants to implement. It strikes at the very foundation of what the Westminster system is about - the supremacy of Parliament over the executive. "This is going back to the days when the Parliament could only make recommendations to the Governor or the Crown." Acts of Parliament which remain to be activated include those to protect children and young people, manage water resources, protect threatened species, and stop smoking in pubs. "I propose to amend the interpretation Act so that an Act will be proclaimed six months after Assent unless a proclamation date is otherwise specified in legislation," Dr Chesterfield-Evans said. |
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updated:
August 14, 2003
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