Urgent Debates Declined — Unemployment—Current Rate

Honourable members, I have received a letter from Jacinda Ardern seeking to debate under Standing Order 386 the failure of the Government to tackle rising unemployment, as evidenced by this morning’s household labour force survey results, which show unemployment surging to 7.3 percent. The urgent debate procedure is a means of debating matters that have occurred and of holding the Government accountable for its actions. The member, in her application, has not identified an action on the part of the Government that constitutes a particular case of recent occurrence. [Interruption] Order! The accumulation of information with regard to an issue is not, of itself, sufficient. 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 a debate being held. A proposal to discuss a continuing problem such as unemployment is not one contemplated by Standing Order 386. The application is therefore declined.