Business Statement

When the House resumes on 27 March the Government will look to progress a number of the bills on the Order Paper, including the first readings of the Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill and the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill. By agreement of the Business Committee, the House will extend the sitting hours of Wednesday 28 March by sitting on the morning of Thursday 29 March. This is for the third readings of a number of Treaty settlement bills.

I want to thank the Leader of the House for that information. I ask him whether it is the intention of the Government to table any interim delegations, as a result of the resignation of the Hon Nick Smith. There is at least one Associate Minister; it is a question of whether the delegations continue unchanged. I am also working on the assumption that the seating positions of the members for Auckland Central and Tauranga today do not mean anything.

It is always dangerous to work on assumption in a place like this. But can I say that the Prime Minister will table any necessary changes to delegations as promptly as possible.