There has been a good deal of clarification of the sections of this Bill. That has been contributed to by the model debate which has taken place on the Bill. There are provisions in it to which we seriously object but, on balance, we do not oppose the principle of the Bill and we feel that the experiment is entitled to an early opportunity to prove itself in practice. Therefore we are prepared to give the Government all Stages now.
I think it only right to mention that, in the last analysis, discourtesy and refusal to furnish reasonable information by the Government Front Bench can be controlled by the Opposition only by repeated recourse to the Lobbies and a strict adherence to the Standing Orders of the House. That is a device to which I, Deputy Corish and other responsible members of the House will not lightly have recourse. However, if the obligation is thrown on us it is our duty to have recourse to it and have recourse to it we shall when it becomes necessary. It is our duty and obligation to do so.
We want Parliament to work well and efficiently but that involves the Government in the tedium of supplying to the Opposition all the information to which they are entitled, and which it is our duty to seek. When we are in their position we shall discharge that duty as we have done on previous occasions. I hope that when we become the Government we shall generously provide the Opposition with what they need and when that day comes I would expect the Opposition to ask us to do that. We shall insist on our rights and use every device available to us under the Standing Orders of the House to make sure that we get them.
