NORMALLY I would not respond to inane comments but the letter of Peter Draper MP (NDL, July 10) contains a significant statement which would mislead readers.

Mr Draper says that the Firearms Bill was downloaded by him from the parliament’s website “almost a month” before it was debated. What he downloaded was the original Bill introduced by the Shooters Party.

On June 19, 2008 that original Bill was substantially amended, and it was this vastly different Bill, not the one he downloaded, that was debated on June 26.

The earliest the amended Bill was accessible was June 20, a mere six days before he introduced it. However, as MPs were not aware the Bill was to be debated until June 26, it is unrealistic to expect them to trawl the parliament’s website looking for the unknown.

Should we expect a degree of forthrightness from politicians? Sadly, possibly not.

Alex Turvey

POTTS POINT