Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Thank you - that's interesting.
Private member's bills are explained here. Basically it's a proposed law introduced by a "private" member of parliament, rather than by the government. Each parliamentary session, 20 MPs are chosen by ballot to be given the opportunity to introduce such a bill. As I say, though, unless they receive government support they generally run out of time for debate, and don't get anywhere. |
Our pork barrels are filled a bit differently. In the USA, you convince a member of Congress or a Senator to stick a piece of detritus into an unrelated bill and then you hope no one from the press or the opposing party reads the entire bill. It's worse if the press finds it, less bad if the oposition finds it, since they have crap in bills as well and may be open to some 'horse trading'. This may be part of the reason our legislation is so murky.
I am convinced that this is the biggest source of voter discontent in the USA, and I believe this is the driving force of the Tea Party movement. People who write them off as angry white racists, or illiterate boobs neither of which they are, miss the point of what they are saying.
(OK, I'm off my soap box!)