Don’t blame the Constitution, minister Kelly

The day when a minister can wave the Constitution as a defence for not doing anything that

WHO owns the Constitution? The answer may be self-evident to some, but successive politicians seem to be confused about the matter. The latest to be faced with this dilemma is the acting minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly.

He told a conference last month that he would like to do a lot more about the housing crisis but is prevented from doing so by the Constitution. “I was repeatedly blocked from making provision for what I believe is the common good by the strength by which property rights are protected under Article 43 of the Constitution,” he said.