Photo: 123RF
A brouhaha about unparliamentary language, an eviction from the House, and apologies, or a lack of them, stole the spotlight from the legislative agenda this week at Parliament.
At the beginning of the week, the government had planned to get through as many as 12 legislative stages. By the time the MPs were allowed to go home on Thursday evening, the House had completed just seven of those scheduled debates.
After a fiery Question Time and an even fierier Urgent Debate on Palestinian statehood, the legislative agenda began on Tuesday with two new bills.
The first, a relatively uncontentious regulatory systems bill for internal affairs, making minor technical changes; and the second, a bill trying to curb ‘antisocial’ conduct while operating a vehicle.
The Greens opposed the Transport Bill, but without their usual Labour ally. Labour had agreed to support the bill, at least to select committee, with the caveat that the committee would be Transport and Infrastructure, rather than Justice.
With the first two readings out of the way in just under an hour, the government was making good time on its business.
Enter the committee stage of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, when progress got a whole lot slower. The opposition interrogated the minister in charge, Chris Bishop, over what they described as controversial last-minute amendments, one of which would allow farmers to pollute waterways without consent.
The House spent all of Tuesday night and most of Wednesday evening debating that bill, before moving on to the committee stage of the Local Government (Water Services) Bill, which they eventually finished on Thursday morning, thanks to an extended sitting.
Thursday afternoon saw the completion of three stages:
The third reading of that same Resource Management Bill, which will likely be law by this time next week,
The second reading of the Public Works (Critical Infrastructure) Amendment Bill,
After its first reading, the Constitution Amendment Bill was sent to the Justice Committee for consideration – they will soon be taking submissions from the public.
To learn more about the bills that are going through Parliament this sitting block, have a look at our article from earlier in the week.
RNZ’s The House, with insights into Parliament, its legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the Clerk.
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