Cane Toads, Notices of Motion and the Law of Unintended Consequences Steven Reynolds, Deputy Clerk, NSW Legislative Council1
Cane Toads, Notices of Motion and the Law of Unintended Consequences Steven Reynolds, Deputy Clerk, NSW Legislative Council1 The New South Wales Legislative Council is the oldest Parliament in Australia, and a legislature which has operated very effectively as a House of Review through use of its various parliamentary processes, including the power to order documents from Executive Government, established in a series of successful court challenges during the 1990s. Legislation is given careful scrutiny and frequently amended. It has a highly active committee system which deals with many politically sensitive inquiries and contributes significantly to public policy developments in the state. With many experienced and highly capable members and a dedicated and professional parliamentary staff, it is a highly functioning and effective chamber. However, as this paper demonstrates, this is no guarantee against the Law of Unintended Consequences when it comes to introducing reforms to procedures: well meaning and constructive change can still have some at times absurd results. The Cane Toad Invasion In Australia we have many types of frogs and toads. Most are considered innocuous, benign, and an essential part of the ecosystem. Not so the Cane Toad.2 This very ugly creature is native to Central and South America. It is notable for three things: it has poisonous glands, toxic to most animals; it has a voracious appetite; and it is gifted with a spectacular ability to breed, laying thousands of eggs at a time. It is a feral animal in Australia, which has moved from its original introduced habitat in the northern cane fields of Australia to cover large swathes of the continent.
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