"The Hon. TONY KELLY (Minister for Police, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs) [12.36 a.m.]: I move:

That the House at its rising this day do adjourn until Tuesday 1 September 2009 at 2.30 p.m.

The Hon. DON HARWIN [12.36 a.m.]: Mr President, I move:

That the question be amended by deleting the words—

The PRESIDENT: Order! In accordance with precedent, as there is no Minister or Parliamentary Secretary in the House, I will now leave the chair until the ringing of the long bell.

[The President left the chair at 12.37 a.m. on Thursday 25 June 2009.]"

(source: NSW Legislative Council hansard)

Never mind second-hand utes and self-caricaturing treasury officials. The real scandal in Australian politics erupted at 12.37am this morning in the state Parliament House in Sydney.

The upper house of the New South Wales parliament is not sitting today. It is not scheduled to do so again until September 1. It was supposed to sit today, but no member of the Labor government ministry will turn up. Effectively, an arm of our elected state government has gone on strike from the moment that Tony Kelly walked out of the chamber while Don Harwin was speaking at 12.36 this morning.

It all seems to do with a sweetheart deal with the Shooters Party that fell apart, with the result that the Labor Party cannot get the numbers up for its proposed legislation to privatise NSW Lotteries.

According to Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon on Twitter this morning:

@leerhiannon NSW Upper House yesterday. Greens win on four key issues. No support 4 lottery sell off. Govt dummy spit. Cancel today's sitting till Sept.

Reports from smh.com.au, news.com.au and the ABC.

Meanwhile, I refer back to my blog entry of January 29. How, constiutionally, can we eject this malicious and incompetent state government which has no regard for its electoral mandate and absolutely no interest in heeding the wishes of its voters? I'm looking for ideas.