If our politicians can't even read the right speeches, how can we trust them to guard our fundamental human rights?
That's a serious question, BTW. The Bill of Rights Act is explicitly predicated on the idea that our MPs know what they're doing. It allows Parliament to violate our fundamental rights, after they've been warned about doing so, because it assumes they're competent enough to judge the issue and make the decision.
Jonathan Coleman's little performance the other night, in which he read out the speech for a bill which passed over a year ago, ought to blow that idea right out of the water. These muppets read whatever is given to them, and don't even notice if its wrong. So much for the idea they're fit to judge on human rights. They're not judging at all.
If Parliament won't consider our legislation properly, its time we gave the job to someone who will. Its time we got an enforceable Bill of Rights Act, which allows the courts to overturn legislation inconsistent with fundamental rights. That way, at least, we'll know that someone is paying attention.
