Its Bradford's bill after all

this from http://big-news.blogspot.com - Tuesday, April 03, 2007

The Government has decided it is too risky to take on Bradford's anti-smacking bill, so it's the second back down after deciding against urgency. So the bill won't be passed until at least June because Labour can't get what it wants.

So backdown one, urgency, backdown two, making it a Government bill. I`m now awaiting backdown three, the removal of the Labour whip on the bill vote.

The whole thing is just a big yawn. Labour currently needs NZ First more than the Greens. It also needs more percentage points in the polls. The Greens and the smacking bill is just a big liability.

It is still Government bill in all but name. Only the withdrawal of the Labour whip will change that.