There's been a lot of fuss and bother in Parliament of late over the quality of Members’ Bills being put forward by backbench Government MPs.

A fortnight ago List MP Nuk Korako was getting it in the neck over his so-called lost luggage Bill which basically allows airport companies to dispose of lost property more easily.

Then last week it was the turn of his colleague Matt Doocey over his Bill which removes the need for companies from having to send written notice of the annual report to shareholders.

Both Bills, thundered the critics (opposition MPs being amongst the loudest) were inconsequential, a waste of Parliament's time, and better handled by being part of statutes amendment legislation. Now there's a certain degree of accuracy in the way the Bills have been described: they are minor, they border on the ridiculous, and it is fair to argue that there are more valuable uses of Parliament's time.

However it's fair to take issue with Labour’s attack on the Bills as being time wasters. That they are isn't in dispute. What is the sheer gall of the Labour Party to mount such an argument after it spent months filibustering Member's Days back in 2011 to block an ACT Party Bill that made student union membership voluntary.

Labour whip Chris Hipkins is of the view that filibuster is a legitimate tool for an opposition to use. Well if that's the case then so too must be the Government's attempts to load the Members' Bill Ballot with inconsequential pieces of legislation. If it's valid for one side to block its opponents and time waste, then it's a bit rich for them to complain when a similar tactic is deployed against them.

Glasshouses, stones etc.

Nevertheless the politicking at play is a bad move. Backbench Government MPs have a pretty dour and dull existence, punctuated by patsy questions in the House, long dreary select committees, toeing the party line - they rarely get the chance to shine.

A clever Government, you would think, would see Members' Bills as an opportunity to test the mettle of the caucus, a chance to push its MPs and see how they perform when they need to gather the numbers to push a Bill through the House. It's a perfect way to see who's got the capacity to be a minister and who has not, a way to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Making them front bland and unnecessary Bills does backbenchers no favour, nor the Government.