Business Statement

When the House resumes on Tuesday, 30 June it is the Government’s intention to complete all remaining stages of the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Forestry Sector) Amendment Bill and to make progress on the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area Bill, the Road User Charges Amendment Bill, the Disputes Tribunals Amendment Bill, and other bills on the Order Paper. Following agreement by the Business Committee, Dr Cam Calder will make his maiden statement on Thursday, 2 July 2009 at approximately 5.45 p.m. or when the time is convenient to the House.

I thank the Leader of the House for his ambitious update for next week, and I ask him about Government notice of motion No. 2, which follows on from the recommendation of the Privileges Committee and sets out a definition of a New Zealand court. I ask when the House might be able to deal with that notice of motion and complete that process.

I thank the shadow Leader of the House for raising that issue. The matter will be discussed by the Business Committee on Tuesday. The notice of motion itself concerns fairly important protections that are afforded to members of Parliament when they speak in the House, and it relates to the freedom of speech that the House enjoys. Therefore, it should have the full cooperation of the House when it is dealt with, and it is our intention to negotiate some time to do that.

I appreciate that the Opposition expresses that this is an ambitious programme, but this is an ambitious Government.