{"id":95306,"date":"2025-10-22T23:43:28","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T23:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/95306\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T23:43:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T23:43:28","slug":"green-party-co-leader-marama-davidson-apologises-after-her-right-to-repair-bill-dismissed-as-she-was-late-to-show-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/95306\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson apologises after her Right to Repair bill dismissed as she was late to show up"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Rutherford was speaking, Parliament TV\u2019s camera shifted to a wide shot of the House, showing Davidson not in her seat. It returned to Rutherford briefly, before then showing the House again, but this time with Davidson there. <\/p>\n

\"GreensGreens co-leader Marama Davidson has been pushing this legislation for months. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n

National\u2019s Maureen Pugh, an assistant Speaker, was in charge at the time and took some advice. <\/p>\n

She eventually told the House: \u201cThe member wasn\u2019t present to move the motion and I had just started ruling on that, that it then dropped off and then we move to the next item.\u201d Pugh then moved the House on to other business. <\/p>\n

In a statement to the Herald, the Greens co-leader said she \u201cmade a mistake\u201d that meant her bill would not go through the second reading stage \u201cand will not progress further through Parliament\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile in Parliament this afternoon, I underestimated the speed at which a piece of legislation would progress through the House. This meant that when the second reading for the Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill was brought to the House, I was 20 seconds too late to ensure it was picked up. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe made immediate efforts to try and fix the mistake, to seek leave to reinstate the bill back into the House, but this was not granted. This means that the bill would need to be pulled from the biscuit tin again to be progressed. So it is unlikely to progress until the Greens are in government. <\/p>\n

\u201cI want to apologise to the people, communities and groups whose hard work was put into this bill. While we could not confirm if this bill had enough votes to pass through the second reading, we really needed it to be debated regardless. I will not give up on this kaupapa.\u201d <\/p>\n

Rutherford described it on social media as \u201cbizarre scenes in Parliament\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cMarama Davidson fails to show up to speak on her bill, meaning the bill is discharged. Labour can\u2019t get basic details right in their policies, their mates in the Greens can\u2019t show up on time and Te Pati M\u0101ori can\u2019t show up at all. Unfit to govern!\u201d <\/p>\n

Bizarre scenes in Parliament. Marama Davidson fails to show up to speak on her bill, meaning the bill is discharged. Labour can\u2019t get basic details right in their policies, their mates in the Greens can\u2019t show up on time and Te Pati M\u0101ori can\u2019t show up at all. Unfit to govern!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tom Rutherford (@TomRutherfordMP) October 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Davidson\u2019s legislation would have strengthened consumers\u2019 rights to have goods repaired<\/a>. This would have included allowing consumers to request goods be repaired, rather than replaced, reducing waste. It was first introduced in April last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While it passed its first reading with the support of Labour, the Greens, Te P\u0101ti Maori and New Zealand First, a majority of parties at the select committee stage said it shouldn\u2019t progress any further. <\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first time recently where legislation has been discharged <\/a>due to a member not raising to speak on it. In July last year, no minister rose to speak on the Government\u2019s Regulatory Systems (Social Security) Amendment Bill. <\/p>\n

The bill was in the name of Social Development Minister<\/a> Louise Upston, who was not in the chamber at the time. She told the Herald the call for the bill \u201ccame earlier than expected\u201d and she was in a Cabinet committee at the time. <\/p>\n

Pugh was also the chair when that happened and said \u201cas the minister was not here [in the chamber] to take the call\u201d that the bill should be discharged. <\/p>\n

Jamie Ensor is a senior political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist this year for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.<\/p>\n