Points of Order — Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee—Report Back

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table an email from the Clerk’s Office today, dated Thursday, 27 August, that states: “The minority view of the Māori Party has been pulled from the report this morning.”

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.

I seek leave to table the draft minutes of the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee meeting of last week, which record that the report was deliberated on, including the minority report of the Māori Party tabled by 5 p.m. that day.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. In light of those two documents, which I had not sighted when I raised my points of order earlier today, I ask you to look at that issue. I will provide the documents to you. They clearly show that the committee did deliberate, and that the report includes a minority report from the Māori Party, and that report should be published in this House.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: I have already undertaken to look at the particular issue raised by the Hon Trevor Mallard and the Hon Pete Hodgson. Obviously, in doing that I will be looking at the wider issue, but what I have said to the House previously is quite correct: it would appear from what we have been told that the committee’s adoption of the report was conditional. Where there is confusion about those conditions, the committee has not finally agreed the report, and needs to resolve the confusion. It is not a matter for this House.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. There has been no suggestion that the committee deliberated conditionally, and, indeed, the minutes show that that is not the case. I ask you to look into the matter.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: I invite the member not to argue with the Speaker.

Question time resumed.