just two of the four pieces of legislation tabled for debate.

Although the Upper House had not met in two weeks, with the chamber's air conditioning system broken, many senators seemed keen to leave the building before lunch.

Before getting down to the Orders of the Day a number of Acts and a stack of private bills were presented for the information and consideration of the Senate, including the Traffic Offences Procedure Act change of designation order, the Miscellaneous Taxes Act amendment order, and annual reports from the National Drug Commission and Government accounts.

Two of the four Orders of the Day were not debated. Government Senate leader Milton Scott asked that an order for the Senate to take note of the audited accounts of Government for the three years up to March 31, 1997 was carried over, as was a motion seeking Senate approval for the establishment of a Joint Select Committee on a register of members' interests.

Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes , who was absent throughout the proceedings, was to have moved the debate.

But two other pieces of legislation sailed through the Senate with support from everyone.

Government Sen. Patrice Parris guided the Trustee Amendment Act, which widens the powers of trustees to make investments, through its second reading before getting the Act approved.

The old law placed several restrictions on how trust cash could be invested if they were not specified in the trust document.

The new law also means that trustees will no longer be held liable for delegating responsibility -- as long as they can prove that they had no reason to suspect that their choice was not suitable.