Collective responsibility

Justice Minister Felix Collins, speaking in the Bow-Wow Parliament, had some advice for aspiring young Parliamentarians on Tuesday:

Mr. Speaker, in cluing up debate on Bill 4 I want to extend my appreciation to all those who took part in the debate. My colleague alongside of me here, the Minister of Finance, my colleague from Mount Pearl North and my colleague from Lewisporte and of course I welcome the comments from the Opposition and the NDP.

I want to share comments recently just made by my colleague sitting next to me here about the members of the House getting involved in debates on other people’s bills. I think that is great to see and I appreciate the fact that the hon. Member for Mount Pearl North, for example, who is not a lawyer, neither is the Member for Lewisporte, would take the time to do research and get information on these bills so that they can speak with some authority and some experience in the House. I certainly appreciate that.

We are seeing more of it in this House. I think that is what this House is all about because I do not think any of us can sit back and give responsibility – we are the people in the House for different bills. We are all part of this House; we all have to vote on this legislation so we all should be part of it.

Sound advice, Minister, sound advice.

Meanwhile, waaaay back on December 16, 2008, the House of Assembly passed the massive and legally intricate Abitibi-Consolidated Rights and Assets Act at all three stages of debate, including committee stage, without the benefit of even one recorded division on the matter, and rushed it immediately downtown to Guvamint House for Royal Assent.

An MHA also named Collins, coincidentally enough, occupied the chair for much of the days' proceedings.

At the time, there was only one member by that relatively common surname in the House.