Urgent Debates Declined — Human Rights—United Nations Special Rapporteur’s Report

I have received a letter from Tariana Turia and Dr Pita Sharples seeking to debate under Standing Order 380 a report of the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples. The release of the report appears to be a matter of recent occurrence, but I am not convinced that the report from the United Nations body is a matter for which there is ministerial responsibility, even though the subject matter of the report clearly relates to matters of obvious interest to the Government of New Zealand. Nevertheless, whether or not there is a ministerial responsibility, consideration of this report does not require the pre-arranged business of the House to be set aside for it today. It can be considered over a longer time frame than that. I am therefore not prepared to accept the application.