RESOURCES Minister Paul Harriss' shoulders must be getting sore by now. His government has been hoisting its hefty axe over the Tasmanian Forest Agreement again and again for almost three months. They're close, very close, to achieving their ultimate goal. But the peace deal ain't dead yet. The government's had a handful of attempts at pushing their repeal bill through both houses of parliament, hitting roadblocks at almost every turn. A tense tussle has emerged between delivering on its ''mandate'' and allowing proper parliamentary process to take its course. The legislation sailed through the House of Assembly in June, when the majority government used its lower house numbers to gag debate after 14 hours. Their tactic was branded arrogant, anti-democratic and bullish. Yet the Liberals' policy comfortably cleared its first hurdle and the bill trotted off to the upper house. The first real blow for the government in flexing its mandate muscle didn't arrive until later that month. Legislative Councillors had, by that point, received a number of briefings on the forestry bill and calls for a full-blown inquiry into the forestry legislation were quickly quashed. Debate in the house of review was expected to start (and finish) before parliament's seven-week winter break. But a number of MLCs refused to deal with the bill before seeking more information. The government was left to push back the debate until after months-long recess. Their political opponents argued they'd been left red-faced and embarrassed after earlier ''ramming'' the bill through the lower house. When parliament resumed last week, the repeal bill was expected to be one of the first cabs off the rank. But the string of briefings held over the break had borne fruit. Less than two days before debate was scheduled to start, Legislative Councillors were handed a thick stack of proposed amendments to the Liberals signature policy. The last minute changes sparked more government-initiated delays, giving MLCs more time to digest the information. Then came more changes, more briefings, more delays. Fast forward to this week and the bill was finally put up for debate. A pair of letters from industry heavyweights seemed to have soothed most concerns over the repeal bill's impact on accreditation for the state's timber. Second reading speeches delivered, the legislation passed with general support. A raft of amendments were made, some were scrapped, and the bill breezed through the committee stage. Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council Vanessa Goodwin sprung to her feet, keen to tweak standing orders and crack on immediately with the third reading of the bill. The TFA's fate was sealed, the peace deal was almost undone, but again the handbrake was put on the legislation's passage. MLCs wanted to sleep on it, and the government obliged. The bill passed the next morning, as expected, and was promptly dispatched to the lower house. The government freed up sixty minutes to debate the heavily amended bill, comfortable in the knowledge they had the numbers to pass it into law. But Labor and the Greens were having none of that, using the means at their disposal to push for extra time for debate. The budget presentation was looming, and the government couldn't afford to wait. Debate on the amended bill was again pushed back, and Mr Harriss' axe returned into storage. The Minister will undoubtedly be given another chance to wield his weapon next week, with the government now aware how challenging delivering on its ''mandates'' can be.
RESOURCES Minister Paul Harriss' shoulders must be getting sore by now.
His government has been hoisting its hefty axe over the Tasmanian Forest Agreement again and again for almost three months.
They're close, very close, to achieving their ultimate goal.
But the peace deal ain't dead yet.
The government's had a handful of attempts at pushing their repeal bill through both houses of parliament, hitting roadblocks at almost every turn.
A tense tussle has emerged between delivering on its ''mandate'' and allowing proper parliamentary process to take its course.
The legislation sailed through the House of Assembly in June, when the majority government used its lower house numbers to gag debate after 14 hours.
Their tactic was branded arrogant, anti-democratic and bullish.
Yet the Liberals' policy comfortably cleared its first hurdle and the bill trotted off to the upper house.
The first real blow for the government in flexing its mandate muscle didn't arrive until later that month.
Legislative Councillors had, by that point, received a number of briefings on the forestry bill and calls for a full-blown inquiry into the forestry legislation were quickly quashed.
Debate in the house of review was expected to start (and finish) before parliament's seven-week winter break.
But a number of MLCs refused to deal with the bill before seeking more information.
The government was left to push back the debate until after months-long recess.
Their political opponents argued they'd been left red-faced and embarrassed after earlier ''ramming'' the bill through the lower house.
When parliament resumed last week, the repeal bill was expected to be one of the first cabs off the rank.
But the string of briefings held over the break had borne fruit.
Less than two days before debate was scheduled to start, Legislative Councillors were handed a thick stack of proposed amendments to the Liberals signature policy.
The last minute changes sparked more government-initiated delays, giving MLCs more time to digest the information.
Then came more changes, more briefings, more delays.
Fast forward to this week and the bill was finally put up for debate.
A pair of letters from industry heavyweights seemed to have soothed most concerns over the repeal bill's impact on accreditation for the state's timber.
Second reading speeches delivered, the legislation passed with general support.
A raft of amendments were made, some were scrapped, and the bill breezed through the committee stage.
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council Vanessa Goodwin sprung to her feet, keen to tweak standing orders and crack on immediately with the third reading of the bill.
The TFA's fate was sealed, the peace deal was almost undone, but again the handbrake was put on the legislation's passage.
MLCs wanted to sleep on it, and the government obliged.
The bill passed the next morning, as expected, and was promptly dispatched to the lower house.
The government freed up sixty minutes to debate the heavily amended bill, comfortable in the knowledge they had the numbers to pass it into law.
But Labor and the Greens were having none of that, using the means at their disposal to push for extra time for debate.
The budget presentation was looming, and the government couldn't afford to wait.
Debate on the amended bill was again pushed back, and Mr Harriss' axe returned into storage.
The Minister will undoubtedly be given another chance to wield his weapon next week, with the government now aware how challenging delivering on its ''mandates'' can be.
