Urgent Debates Declined — State-owned Assets, Sales—Potential Legal Challenges

I have received a letter from the Hon Clayton Cosgrove seeking to debate under Standing Order 386 Cabinet’s decision today that an Order in Council is to be made to revoke Māori court action. The urgent debate procedure is a means of debating matters that have occurred. For there to be a particular case of recent occurrence, there must be either a new situation of importance or a new development in an existing situation of sufficient importance in itself to warrant setting aside the business of the House. A proposal to discuss a continuing matter such as this is not one contemplated by Standing Order 386 as a particular case of recent occurrence. Furthermore, an application cannot be accepted when to do so would inevitably involve a breach of the rule against referring to a matter pending adjudication in any court. The application is therefore declined.