Business Statement

When the House resumes next Tuesday, it is the Government’s intention to complete the remaining stages of the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill, the Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill, the Sentencing (Offender Levy) Amendment Bill, the Domestic Violence (Enhancing Safety) Amendment Bill, the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill, and the Gangs and Organised Crime Amendment Bill, and to make progress on other bills on the Order Paper.

I thank the Leader of the House for his update. Could he tell the House why, given that he will call urgency tonight to give us a Thursday evening sitting—putting Parliament into urgency for 4 sitting weeks in a row—the accident compensation bill that was announced by the Government this week will not be considered tonight. Copies of the bill were made available to the media yesterday in the Minister’s briefing pack, even though the bill has not been introduced to the House yet, which previously the Government has given as a reason for not making legislation available. The urgency we are having tonight was to be set down for the accident compensation bill, which has been distributed, yet we will not be debating that bill at all tonight, which raises the question as to why urgency itself is necessary at this time.

I know that Labour members do not like working long hours. That is clear. In the last 4 sitting weeks we have added about 2½ hours to each week. That gives us just over 10 extra hours in 4 weeks—or a bit less; about 8 extra hours in 4 weeks—which is a big strain on Labour members. But as for urgency tonight—[Interruption]

💬 Mr SPEAKER: I apologise—or sort of apologise—to the honourable Minister, but I say to members that this is not a matter of debate. We should be able to hear the Minister’s response—

💬 Hon Annette King: He shouldn’t be so political.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: I agree absolutely that he should not be quite as political, either.

If it was not a matter for debate then the Hon Darren Hughes would not have raised the issue that he did. He knows that on Tuesday at the Business Committee I gave notification that we would be advancing Government business during the extra 2½ hours of sitting time this evening. The Hon Trevor Mallard raised the issue of the accident compensation bill, but, as I noted earlier today, he is no longer a Minister, let alone anywhere near declaring what the House business might be.