Tax bill passes even though gov’t lacked majority

The Tax (Amendment) Bill 2016 was passed by acclamation last night even though the number of MPs on both sides of the House was equal.

Had a division been called for by the opposition, where each vote would have had to be registered, the bill would have failed as it required a majority. The failure would have been a major embarrassment to the government, which is nursing a slender one-seat majority. The bill pertains