DEBATE on the government's anti-protest legislation is set to rage when the bill returns to Parliament today. The House of Assembly will be given one final opportunity to have its say on the heavily amended Workplace (Protection from Protesters) Bill before it becomes law. The tough new rules are aimed at cracking down on protests and workplace invasions by threatening individuals with hefty fines and serial offenders with jail time. However, controversial minimum fines and mandatory prison sentences have been scrapped. Labor leader Bryan Green said his party would this morning decide whether to support the protest bill. "We're still concerned about aspects of the legislation, for sure," he said. "We've always had massive problems with this legislation and in some ways we've been vindicated." Premier Will Hodgman said today's debate was an important test for his political foes. "The Liberal Party was prepared to listen and engage to modify and improve the law where necessary," he said. "I would hope Labor would accept that and let it pass through." Greens leader Kim Booth also took aim at Labor before the debate. "The Labor Party seem to be just putting a finger up in the breeze and seeing which way the opinion goes rather than having a courageous, principled position," Mr Booth said. "You shouldn't legislate away people's democratic rights that have been fought for for generations of Australians and underpin a robust democracy." The government has promised not to guillotine debate on the bill, but ultimately has the numbers to pass its legislation into law. Upper house MPs are today expected to launch into debate on the decriminalisation of medical cannabis. It follows the release of a Legislative Council committee report urging the government to take immediate action to provide legal protection to those using the medicine or administering it to sick children.
DEBATE on the government's anti-protest legislation is set to rage when the bill returns to Parliament today.
The House of Assembly will be given one final opportunity to have its say on the heavily amended Workplace (Protection from Protesters) Bill before it becomes law.
The tough new rules are aimed at cracking down on protests and workplace invasions by threatening individuals with hefty fines and serial offenders with jail time.
However, controversial minimum fines and mandatory prison sentences have been scrapped.
Labor leader Bryan Green said his party would this morning decide whether to support the protest bill.
"We're still concerned about aspects of the legislation, for sure," he said.
"We've always had massive problems with this legislation and in some ways we've been vindicated."
Premier Will Hodgman said today's debate was an important test for his political foes.
"The Liberal Party was prepared to listen and engage to modify and improve the law where necessary," he said.
"I would hope Labor would accept that and let it pass through."
Greens leader Kim Booth also took aim at Labor before the debate.
"The Labor Party seem to be just putting a finger up in the breeze and seeing which way the opinion goes rather than having a courageous, principled position," Mr Booth said.
"You shouldn't legislate away people's democratic rights that have been fought for for generations of Australians and underpin a robust democracy."
The government has promised not to guillotine debate on the bill, but ultimately has the numbers to pass its legislation into law.
Upper house MPs are today expected to launch into debate on the decriminalisation of medical cannabis.
It follows the release of a Legislative Council committee report urging the government to take immediate action to provide legal protection to those using the medicine or administering it to sick children.
