Dan Boyle (Green Party)

-----it would be an appropriate way of doing so. There will be an election in March and the Finance Bill should be completed by the end of February. I hope there will be an opportunity to pass several legislative measures, one of which is before the House today. It might not be the burning issue of the moment, but it is important legislation. I look forward to the support of many Members of the Opposition for the Bill, ignoring many of the spurious arguments that will be raised against it. Vested interests are planning a campaign to ensure it will not see the light of day. Aside from the very serious economic issues facing us and the governance issues with regard to the quality of public life, anybody who believes we are living on a precipice in terms of the future of the planet will treat the legislation seriously.

I hope others will consider the wider issues being discussed in the Lower House and that we will have an opportunity to discuss them here. They are leading to public disquiet and putting people in invidious positions. We should not be in a situation where information is revealed in this way. We should be given appropriate answers, as they are demanded.