Business Statement

Next week in the House, following the completion of the Prime Minister’s statement debate, priority will be given to the Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill, the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill, the Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill, and the first readings of the Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi Claims Settlement Bill, the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill (No 2), and the Veterinarians Bill. Wednesday is a members’ day.

I have two questions for the Leader of the House. I notice that a number of the bills being advanced under some priority next week, and likely to be concluded a short time after that, featured heavily in the Prime Minister’s statement. What does he expect the House to be doing for much of the rest of the year? Secondly, will the action being brought against the Government by Unitec see the legislative track for the Education (Trustee Ineligibility) Amendment Bill, which is known as the “Unitec bill”, altered in any way at all?

Speaking on the latter issue, I have not given any thought to that matter so I cannot respond to the member. On the former, I am pleased to have the indication from the member that there will not be undue delay on the Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill passing through its Committee stage. That is always helpful. There are also on the Order Paper the Architects Bill, the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill, the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill, the Railways Bill, the Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4), the Animal Products (Dairy Products and Other Matters) Bill, the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2), the New Zealand Superannuation Amendment Bill, the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Amendment Bill (No 4), the Appropriation (2003/04 Financial Review) Bill, the Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill, the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill (No 2), the Charities Bill, and the Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill. A number of bills that are in front of select committees are coming back to the House. There is, of course, the Budget to come at some time in the future. I think there will be quite a bit to be done between now and the election, but if the Opposition parties wish to accelerate progress so that they have more free time for campaigning, I am sure I will be happy to cooperate in that respect.