Life-saving law change comes years too late; the low-key political veteran everybody loves – Audrey Young - New Zealand News Beep

Tilly Cambie, 3, who died after becoming tangled in a blind cord on January 1, 2023.

Pragmatism about standards

The acceptance of other countries’ standards has become a pragmatic and welcome feature of the approach of the coalition Government, and in particular the Minister for Regulation, David Seymour. It has sped up the approval process of medicines by Medsafe if they have already been approved by two trusted overseas regulators. And this week, Seymour and Brewer announced that New Zealand would recognise the toy standards of the United States and the European Union, so toys that meet their standards will automatically be acceptable in New Zealand. Retesting toys in New Zealand was a waste of time and money, they said. Seymour said aligning with Australia would reduce compliance costs for suppliers, make New Zealand a more attractive market and have a net benefit of $6.8 million over 10 years.

In the dead of night

Sometimes the best speeches in Parliament are given in the dead of night. Labour’s health spokeswoman, Ayesha Verrall, gave one last night near midnight in the third reading of the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill. Among other things, it puts the Government’s health targets into law.

One of those targets relates to waiting times in emergency departments – that 95% of patients be admitted, discharged or transferred within six hours.

Verrall raised the case of the patient at Waikato Hospital ED who died this week after waiting for nine hours. She did it quietly and respectfully, and you could have heard a pin drop in the House. She said the targets have been in place for two years and it had still not saved that patient.

Health Minister Simeon Brown said that, among other things, the bill abolished the New Zealand Health Charter, which did not mention patients once and mentioned unions 11 times. The aim of the amendment bill had been to put the focus squarely back on patients.

Another excellent speech was given on Tuesday night by Labour MP Phil Twyford during the third reading of the bill reforming health and safety laws in New Zealand. He had sat through the select committee process and his speech recited some of the submissions, many by employer groups, about why they believed the reforms would not improve the health and safety regime.

Act’s Brooke van Velden, who sponsored the bill as Workplace and Safety Minister, believes it will allow employers to focus on preventing serious harm in the workplace, instead of compliance for the sake of compliance.

By the way, the 11th-hour objection raised by New Zealand First to the bill is mentioned in a piece I wrote this week on the escalation of intra-party hostility within the coalition. We will see the bizarre outcome of New Zealand First now campaigning against a bill it voted for under a coalition agreement. The commencement date of the act has been extended from November 1 to April 1 next year.

‘Everybody loves Roland’

Speaker's assistant Roland Todd, centre, before his farewell reception at Parliament with, from left, Speaker Gerry Brownlee and former Speakers Sir Lockwood Smith, Sir David Carter and Adrian Rurawhe. Photo/ Adam Pearse Speaker’s assistant Roland Todd, centre, before his farewell reception at Parliament with, from left, Speaker Gerry Brownlee and former Speakers Sir Lockwood Smith, Sir David Carter and Adrian Rurawhe. Photo/ Adam Pearse

It has been quite a retirement send-off at Parliament for popular staffer Roland Todd, who has literally sat at the right hand of eight Speakers as their assistant since 1999.

All MPs gave him a standing ovation at the start of Question Time yesterday. It was followed by a reception in the Grand Hall last night attended by four of the eight Speakers: incumbent Gerry Brownlee, Adrian Rurawhe, Sir David Carter and Sir Lockwood Smith. Sir Trevor Mallard, Margaret Wilson and Sir Doug Kidd were unable to attend, and Jonathan Hunt died in 2024.

The Prime Minister and most party leaders were there, as well as colleagues from the Office of the Clerk and Parliamentary Service, wearing T-shirts with the slogan “Everybody loves Roland”.

Todd has helped Speakers to keep time on who has spoken and for how long during debates, and which parties have asked how many questions. He brought a bell to the reception and – two minutes before the end of his own speech – he rang it.

He has also been the go-to guy to process applications for protests at Parliament.

“We have never ever said ‘no’ to a protest,” Todd told the Herald.

Instead, he set conditions intended to avoid clashes with other scheduled protests and to avoid its speakers disrupting select committee hearings being held in rooms very close to Parliament’s forecourt.

He said his most dramatic moment in the debating chamber was in 2011 when a man tried to jump from the public gallery into the chamber, five metres below. He was restrained by members of the public and security staff.

Todd will continue his role as drummer in the City Wellington Pipe Band, and will work three days a week for friends as a funeral director’s assistant.

He was awarded the King’s Service Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours.

By the way

Arise Dr Clark: Former Prime Minister Helen Clark was in Belfast this week to receive an honorary doctorate of laws from Ulster University for “outstanding contribution to public service”. Moving on: Whanganui National MP Carl Bates was on the receiving end of an impatient Speaker yesterday. Bates was lined up to ask question No 5 – a patsy question to Education Minister Erica Stanford, which was submitted in writing as follows: “What update can she provide on putting walls back into classrooms?” But during the delivery, he worded the question differently: “What update can the minister provide on the modification of the open-plan classroom initiative?” Brownlee was unforgiving: “No, no, we’ll move on if you can’t ask the right question that’s on the sheet. Right, we’ll go to question six.”

Quote unquote

“How does sending $6.3 million of taxpayers’ money to a French tyre company [Michelin] help the cafes and takeaway shops that are going under in record numbers under his Government’s leadership?” – Labour leader Chris Hipkins on Tuesday.

“Unlike some in this House who yesterday questioned the value of the Michelin Guide, we’ve made this investment because we value the skill and expertise of hospitality workers like those recognised in the inaugural New Zealand guide” – Tourism Minister Louise Upston on Wednesday.

Micro quiz

Nicole McKee has been elected Act’s new deputy leader. What are her two portfolios? (Answer at the bottom of this article.)

Brickbat

Deputy Prime Minister and Act leader David Seymour. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Goes to Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour for questioning the credibility of the Auditor-General after he made adverse findings into Seymour’s school lunch programme.

Bouquet

Goes to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for welcoming a “fair” Ombudsman’s report about the mishandling of an Official Information Act request to his office, and fully accepting its recommendations.

This week’s top stories

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Lobbying controversy: ‘Unreasonable’ – Ombudsman rules against PM in climate lobbying blunder

School lunches: Damning report finds half of school lunches missed

Transitional housing: Just one-fifth of families leaving transitional housing going to long-term home

Opinion – coalition dynamics: Coalition insults escalate as Peters labelled ‘confused’ by top National figures – Audrey Young

Health & safety reforms: NZ First secures delay for health and safety reforms until after election

State housing policy: ‘I reflected’ – Hipkins clarifies state housing policy

Rough play: Police Minister suffers two broken ribs in charity rugby match

Treasury review: Ministers losing confidence in Treasury, review slams ‘weak’ economic forecasts

Act campaign launch: ‘Lock Labour out’ – Act’s rallying cry as party kicks off election campaign

Apprenticeships policy: Labour to expand Covid-era subsidy for apprenticeships if elected