Business Statement

Next week in the House priority will be given to completion of the first reading of the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill; the third readings of the Customs and Excise Amendment Bill, and the Immigration Amendment Bill (No 3), if they are not completed today; and the first reading of the Land Transport Amendment Bill. The Government then intends to move an urgency motion, and the likely business to be included in that motion is the remaining stages of the Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill, the Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 3), the Meat Board Restructuring Bill, the Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill, and other legislation, including a number of first readings.

Noting the Government’s intention to take urgency, I ask whether he can give the House an assurance that the right of the Opposition to scrutinise the Government by way of question time will not be lost, and that the Government will recognise that its performance generally in the House has been poor—

💬 Mr SPEAKER: The business statement is not a time for that sort of comment—it is to ask about the business. The question has been asked.

Whilst I must admit to a little surprise that the Opposition would want any questions after its performance, we are always—

💬 Mr SPEAKER: That is the end of that. [Interruption] Well, I will have the answer—and just the answer.

I apologise, Mr Speaker. Of course, as always we are open to negotiation.