David Norris (Independent)

I am very pleased to follow Senator Regan because in recent weeks I have repeatedly raised the issue of introducing the Defamation Bill on Committee Stage rather than on Second Stage. Nearly two thirds of the House have not had the opportunity to speak on it, which is an outrage and an abrogation of democracy. The Leader knows this because he said in the House that to introduce it on Second Stage would be the sensible thing to do. Who leaned on him? There is a mad rush to get this Bill through, which is obscene. I would like the Leader to clarify a point. The notice circulated to all of us states that Committee and Remaining Stages of the Bill are to be taken tomorrow. That smells of a guillotine to me. I hope it is wrong.

I will be opposing the Order of Business on this matter and will be calling a vote because it is disgraceful. It is neutering the Senate and removing its power. I believe a deal was done between the Taoiseach and the O'Reilly empire in order to get elected at the last general election, which is why they all uncharacteristically swung in behind him. This would be exactly the same as the deals concluded between Mr. Blair and Mr. Murdoch, and President Bush and Mr. Murdoch. That kind of thing really stinks. With regard to that Bill, there is no independence. I do not believe the Bill has the support of people on the Government side and they are quite right, which is why I believe it was a private deal. I saw, as I am sure others also did, the Minister for Foreign Affairs on "Questions and Answers" last night. Although he was talking about another matter, he said that of course there must be independent regulation of medical interests, legal interests and the media. If one of the most senior Cabinet figures feels that, why do we not get it? We do not have it. Regulation is not independent but paid for by the newspaper industry.

I support Senator Callely in his motion on Zimbabwe. We would send out a message if we followed the example of the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and boycotted the Lisbon meeting. In addition to this motion, which is valued, we should boycott the Lisbon meeting and send that message.

I hope we will have an opportunity to discuss the effervescence of golf clubs all over this unfortunate little island and the fact that Clontarf Golf Club proposes to dispose of its interest for a huge amount of money — €100,000 for each member — and of course they nearly all voted for it. That is public land on lease to the golf club. It is a hell of a cheek to sell public land for private gain and I salute the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Paddy Bourke, for standing up against it. I do not know to which party he belongs and I do not care. I am informed that he is from the Labour Party and I thought that might have been the case, from the enthusiastic welcome given to him by my good friend, Senator Alex White. That man has a good public conscience. Green areas should not be sold off for intensive housing in the centre of the city because there are few left.