Urgency

I move, That urgency be accorded the second reading and remaining stages of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill, the interrupted second reading and remaining stages of the Student Loan Scheme (Repayment Bonus) Amendment Bill, the interrupted Committee stage and third reading of the Taxation (International Taxation, Life Insurance, and Remedial Matters) Bill, the Committee stage of the Immigration Bill, and the second reading of the Electricity (Continuance of Supply) Amendment Bill. These are a series of bills that need the House’s urgent attention.

The Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill has had a long gestation. It was conceived from a long 18-month royal commission and has been through an exhaustive select committee process where there has been significant public discussion, and, I have to say, a degree of agreement about how things should progress in the city of Auckland itself. That means the Government should get on with the business of making legal Auckland’s intention to go forward as one community.

The interrupted second reading of the Student Loan Scheme (Repayment Bonus) Amendment Bill will allow a degree of certainty for the Inland Revenue Department to prepare information necessary for those who enter the scheme next year, and, more important, for those who are part of the current loan scheme, with their various repayments.

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: Get your shoes off, Gerry, so you can count!

I think there is a point of order here in that I am explaining to the Opposition what is in these bills. It generally acts with such huge outrage that the Government moves to simply put a few extra hours into what is otherwise a relatively short working week.

The Taxation (International Taxation, Life Insurance, and Remedial Matters) Bill is of a similar quality. It is needed to create a degree of certainty in that area. Immigration is an area where there have been a number of policy announcements and the Immigration Bill will give effect to those. It was introduced by the Opposition when it was in Government. The Electricity (Continuance of Supply) Amendment Bill is very, very important. People need to know what will be happening in 2013 and the Government wants to give them that surety by way of this particular urgency motion.