Sittings of the House — Urgency

I move, That urgency be accorded the committee stage of the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill, and the remaining stages of the Emergency Management Bill (No 2), the Social Security (Jobseeker Support and Accommodation Supplement) Amendment Bill, and the Serious Fraud Office Amendment Bill.

Today we accord urgency for one main reason: to progress the committee of the whole House stages of the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. These are among the most ambitious changes this Government will make this term and we expect a fulsome and mature debate on the legislation before the House. Urgency is therefore being used predominantly to allow these bills to have their committee stages completed in one sitting, as opposed to being broken up over many days or weeks.

We have also included three other bills in the urgency motion—bills which have been to select committee and reported back to the House. These bills are Government priorities to pass before Parliament dissolves, and with only four sitting weeks left in the Parliamentary year, they are being included in the urgency motion to make the most of the time that we have available. The Social Security (Jobseeker Support and Accommodation Supplement) Amendment Bill, in particular, has a commencement date of 2 November 2026, so it does need to be finished before the end of this term.

A party vote was called for on the question, That the motion be agreed to.

Ayes 67

New Zealand National 48; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.

Noes 55

New Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te Pāti Māori 4; Ferris; Kapa-Kingi.

Motion agreed to.

SPEAKER: I declare the House in committee for consideration of the Planning Bill, the Natural Environment Bill, and the Emergency Management Bill (No 2).