Mattie McGrath slams rushed handling of hate offences bill
Mattie McGrath criticised the government's handling and scheduling of the incitement to violence, criminal justice, hatred and hate offences bill, saying it was rushed and breached standing orders. He said the Minister for Justice suggested amendments would be allowed, but the amendment deadline had passed before second stage began.
Allegation of procedural breach
McGrath said the bill was being pushed through in haste, that its management was "completely wrong" and that the scheduling did not comply with standing orders or the correct dual procedure.
Confusion over amendments and stages
He told colleagues the Minister for Justice had given the impression Members would be able to put down amendments at report stage, yet the House had already debated second stage last Thursday and the window for amendments had passed.
Concerns about timing and vote schedule
McGrath raised uncertainty about the timetable, referring to questions over when the committee could start and when the second stage vote was to take place, and criticised the apparent rush to advance the legislation.
Position on the bill
While indicating that he believed many Members were broadly in favour of the hate offences bill, McGrath emphasised his objection was to the procedure and the alleged breach of parliamentary process rather than the measure itself.
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I'm very unhappy with the scheduling and the way the government handled incitement to violence, criminal justice, hatred and hate offences bill and the way the management of this bill and your government and the scheduling of this bill, the way it was handled here last week. In fact, the Minister for Justice actually gave us to believe that we would have opportunity to put down amendments at report stage. But in fact, we were debating second stage here last Thursday. The date for amendments had passed before we commenced second stage here. This is shocking and it's it doesn't comply with standing orders, as far as I'm concerned, and it's completely wrong. So whilst you're in decent haste in trying to rush this hate speech legislation through and breach our own procedure set down by this house, standing orders, and as I said, dual procedure doesn't allow for that. There is a correct way of doing it. The Minister said she wasn't rushing it, but she is rushing it. In an order in a hurry. On that. On that. On the hate offences bill, my understanding, I think if we're all, I think generally speaking, we're for that bill, I take it. But if we, it's the second stage vote tomorrow night, isn't it? So the committee can start this week, is it? It can start this weekend, tomorrow. But the vote was put back, was the third vote until tomorrow night. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, sorry. We're not. The date was gone. Thank you. No. That's not a matter for me. I can't deal with that. Sorry. The issue was in relation to amendments. I can't deal with that. Could it be, like, what we'll call the return? Okay. That's a reason. I will never to ask this event. That's definitely going with noвидquoi, but it's not about anything. I'll come to that tonight. So I'll be 같 vários two times. Of course, let's go to an honest topic. I really blame it, because of this one round started to ask it.
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