That old adage about lovers of sausages and the law? It's true.

I've just finished watching Parliament move a step closer to disenfranchising all sentenced prisoners whilst they are serving their terms of imprisonment. It was not an edifying spectacle.

For one thing, the chair of the Law and Order Committee, which recommended by a majority that the Bill progress, didn't even bother turning up to the House for the debate - let alone speak up in defence of her Committee's decision. For another, the Government MPs who voted to support the measure gave a series of one sentence "speeches" to justify their votes. Apparently removing a fundamental human right from thousands of your fellow citizens isn't thought to require anything more by way of explanation than a brief "just don't do the crime" homily.

Just for the record - the voting went like this: National and Act voted in favour of the Bill. Labour, the Greens, the Maori Party, United Future and Jim Anderton all voted against it. Chris Cater was at the gym.

Oh - one other interesting point from the debate. Paul Quinn admitted that there would be a Supplementary Order Paper introduced during the Committee of the Whole to amend the Bill, unfairly blaming the Parliamentary Counsel Office for his and Sandra Goudie's incompetence.

Told you so.