"Does their Trojan horse have the NAYS?" "Tee hee" 14 June, 2004.

Shows the Beehive representing 'Parliamentary sovereignty' under siege. The Beehive is being defended by members of parliament with swords and shields. The besiegers are, on the left, a gang of lawyers, some firing arrows and others firing law books from a trebuchet and, on the right, a Trojan horse called 'Public Finance Bill' being pushed by a group of men in grey. Someone from inside the Trojan horse giggles 'tee hee'. An unknown speaker from the Beehive asks 'Does their Trojan horse have the NAYS' (a pun on nays / neighs). Refers to fears that amendments to the Public Finance Bill is an attack against parliamentary sovereignty and removes control of the public purse from the government to Treasury and the Minister.

The concept of parliamentary sovereignty applies not only to lawmaking but also to control of the public purse. Parliamentary sovereignty over the public purse requires parliamentary control over the Crown's borrowing and expenditure activities. Even as Dr Cullen attempts to preserve parliamentary sovereignty for lawmaking purposes, it seems to be in the process of being removed for financial management purposes. At its heart the Public Finance Act is designed around the ideological view that a government should not provide public services but should instead withdraw, leaving the 'Market' to provide. The Crown entities changes proposed in the bill threaten to destroy New Zealand's public health and education systems while other changes strengthen the interests of the major financial institutions against ordinary New Zealanders. (Notes taken from Parliamentary Sovereignty Over Public finance by Sue Newberry and June Pallot Submitted initially to The Independent, 16 June 2004.)

Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).