Business Statement

Following the House rising today it will go into a 2-week adjournment. When the House resumes on Tuesday, 29 April it is the Government’s intention to make progress on the Minimum Wage Amendment Bill, the Fair Trading Amendment Bill (No 3), The Consumer Protection (Definition of Goods and Services) Bill, and, on Thursday, 1 May the third reading of the Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill. Wednesday, 30 April will be a members’ day.

This is a little out of the ordinary, but I wonder whether the Leader of the House might comment on the next members’ day and the discussion about the Prostitution Reform Bill. Does he have any thoughts about how the House might handle that legislation ?

Yes. The Committee has taken leave to take the bill in two questions: the title, and the remainder of the bill. It is really in the hands of the House or the Committee as to how it proceeds on that matter, but clearly debate has been going on for some time on the title of the bill. I think there was a feeling in the Business Committee—amongst a number of members, anyway—that it might be useful to move on reasonably soon to the consideration of the details of the bill and the amendments that have been moved, as people seem to be making up their minds fairly clearly on which way they will vote.