Urgency

I move, That urgency be accorded the introduction and passing of the Returning Offenders (Management and Information) Bill, the introduction and passing of the Social Security (Commencement of Benefits) Amendment Bill, and the passing of the Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill. These are three bills the Government considers should be dealt with expeditiously and therefore in urgency.

The Returning Offenders (Management and Information) Bill comes as a response to what is expected to be an increased flow of deportees coming into this country, and it seeks to have those deportees who have got criminal records, even though they have served their time, be treated just as New Zealand - domiciled convicted people would be as they left prison for the various ranges of offences that will be covered under this provision.

The Social Security (Commencement of Benefits) Amendment Bill corrects an error that has existed in legislation for a very long time, going back into the early part of the last decade. It essentially moves an entitlement date from the final day of the stand down to the first day outside the stand down. If it is not corrected, there is a significant fiscal cost for any Government.

The third bill is the Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill. As people will be aware, there is a hearings programme going on in Auckland at the moment relating to its local plans, etc. The response to those has been quite significant. There are large numbers of people who want to be heard, and this bill will facilitate their participation in that process by allowing there to be a different arrangement for ensuring that anyone who wants to be heard can be heard. For those reasons we are proposing this urgency motion.