Posted by lex, on December 4, 2008
Oz is attempting a novel approach to ensuring quality legislation:
Politicians in an Australian state could be breathalysed before voting after reports of bad behaviour by MPs.
In the latest incident, New South Wales MP Andrew Fraser resigned from his frontbench role after shoving a female MP after attending a Christmas party.
In September, state police minister Matt Brown resigned after allegedly dancing in his underpants at a drunken party in his parliamentary office.
Several MPs have now backed a proposal to supply breath test kits.
“Honestly, if you are going to have breathalysers for people driving cranes you should have breathalysers for people writing laws,” New South Wales Greens MP John Kaye told the Sydney-based Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Only think of the reduction in silly bills coming out of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts over the years, had this sensible plan been in effect.
