Estimates Debate — Speaker Recalled

Mr Speaker, members wish to raise the matter that there is insufficient time for this debate. Leave has been sought to extend the time of the debate, and your ruling is sought on that matter.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: There is no difficulty. If anyone wants to seek leave now, he or she can.

I seek leave for the debate to be extended by the amount of time which parties have not been able to utilise, as per the allocation done by the senior Government whip. In the case of the Green Party, we have been able to use only 22 minutes of the 36 minutes allocated to us. I would like briefly to make the observation that there appears to be a perverse incentive during this debate whereby if one behaves well, one misses out on time, and if one behaves badly, one gets extra time. I think that wider matter needs to be addressed by you in consultation with the Business Committee, but for now I seek leave for extra time to enable us to get our fair share of this debate.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Before I take the leave, which I will do immediately, I point out that there was no Business Committee agreement on the allocation of time for the estimates debate. Indeed, the allocation of the time for the estimates debate was never discussed at the Business Committee. If the whips work out agreements, it is incumbent on them to settle disputes about them, and not have the time of the House wasted by agreements being litigated on the floor of the House. Both Mr McGee and I were present at the Business Committee. Leave is sought to extend the debate. Is there any objection? There is.

Debate resumed.

In Committee

Vote Māori Affairs (continued)