Business Statement

Next week in the House priority will be given to the completion of the passage of the Holidays Bill and the Families Commission Bill. There will be the first readings of a number of bills, including the Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill; the State Sector Amendment Bill (No 3); the Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill; the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill, and other first readings on the Order Paper.

Knowing that there are a number of bills on the Order Paper that date back to 2001, and in one case even 1996, I ask whether there is any prospect that the Government might take urgency between now and the lifting of the House for the Christmas break, in order to get some of these pressing matters dealt with.

If the bills have been on the Order Paper since 1996, they will probably wait a while longer without urgency.