The fact that Legislative Council has sat so few times and for such short periods does tell us something about the situation regarding new laws.

Few have been drafted.

So there are no clauses to pore over and no need to scrutinise legislation, one of its core functions.

Some may say it’s not such a bad thing that fewer laws are passed.

However, this is one of the main reasons parliaments exist. Our autonomy and ability to pass our own laws allows us to have our own tax rates and close roads for motorcycle racing.

MLCs say they are all jolly busy. Pretty much everybody in every job says the same.

They have, of course, also sat in Tynwald once a month.

As it is, MLCs have never had a lower profile.

Only two have any real political history in that they have been MHKs.

Once upon a time, most had been. We knew them.

Now they’re drawn from different walks of life, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, although it means that they have no personal experience of democratic accountability.

It also means that the Manx public has little knowledge of who they are or their political leanings.

Remember, MLCs are lawmakers. They can help to pass legislation that could send you to jail.

Now that Tynwald has so many scrutiny committees, the much-vaunted ‘need to scrutinise’ beloved of members in the past has become diluted.

Not long ago, the big debate was how or whether Members of the Legislative Council could face the electorate themselves.

Perhaps now the question is whether they need to exist at all.

Certainly, over the past two and a half years, it seems we have managed pretty well.