Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox
Sometimes Parliament’s focus is on the bills being debated, other weeks it’s about the politics. This week started with the latter, but there are also interesting bills and a farewell.
Parliament’s schedule: Usually, each sitting day in the House begins at 2pm with new bills, petitions, and reports, then an hour of Questions to Ministers. The remainder of each day is legislative business or other debates.
This Wednesday will be a Members’ Day, when non-government bills are debated. This week includes an extra sitting on Wednesday morning.
Tuesday afternoon – Wednesday morning
Tuesday’s House sits from 2-10pm and through Wednesday morning. It’s main objective is a detailed grind through four straight Committee of the whole House stages on these government bills:
- The Legislation Amendment Bill aims to improve the organisation of and access to secondary legislation (regulations etc). It will become available via the same website that hosts primary laws.
- The Public Finance Amendment Bill amends the Public Finance Act 1989 to “support fiscal transparency, strengthen fiscal responsibility, and improve the practical operation of the Act.” Changes include: more specific disclosure requirements for the statement of specific fiscal risks, a requirement to publish a tax expenditure statement, an increased minimum forecasting period for the economic and fiscal forecasts, an end to budget-related wellbeing objectives, an extended HYEFU exemption period in an election year, and an earlier publication for the PREFU.
- The Public Service Amendment Bill says it will “ensure that the public service efficiently and effectively delivers value for money.” Changes include: ending Long Term Insight Briefings bar one (from the PM’s department), removing the DEI hiring practices that aimed for a workforce that “reflects the community it serves”, making CEs reapply for their roles at contract end, and changing the Public Service purpose statement (including removing “facilitating active citizenship”).
- The Online Casino Gambling Bill aims to regulate online gambling in New Zealand, with an intention to allow 15 initial licences.
Committee Stages for the Public Finance and Public Service bills are already partially complete.
If the House gets through all four bills before lunchtime Wednesday, it may debate second readings of the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill, the Financial Markets Conduct Amendment Bill, and the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill.
Wednesday evening
Wednesday is a Member’s Day when non-government bills are debated. After Question Time most Wednesdays begin with a General debate but this week a debate on the Finance and Expenditure Committee’s report on Treasury’s Long-term Fiscal Position replaces it.
At 5.30pm on Wednesday, retiring Labour MP Peeni Henare will deliver his Valedictory Statement. Unlike most of Parliament’s chamber events, arrival and farewell speeches begin at specific times to help guests plan. They are usually prior to the 6pm dinner break (to allow for a function afterwards).
Member’s Bills of interest this week:
Thursday in the House
After Select Committees in the morning, Parliament’s shorter day plans for readings of three bills.
- Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana Claims Settlement Bill – a first reading for a bill related to a Treaty settlement. This one focuses on ancestors of Ruapani (around the Lake Waikaremoana area northwest of Wairoa).
- Legislation Amendment Bill – the third and final reading of this bill (described on Tuesday above).
- Employment Leave Bill – “replaces the Holidays Act 2003 and seeks to establish a new framework for leave entitlement that is simple and clear, and provides certainty to employees and employers about their entitlements and obligations.”
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