Urgent Debates Declined — Kiwibank—Proposed Sale

I have received a letter from James Shaw seeking to debate, under Standing Order 389, the announcement today of a proposal to sell 45 percent of Kiwibank to ACC and the Superannuation Fund. This is a particular case of recent occurrence involving ministerial responsibility. The announcement is a proposal to sell part of Kiwibank, and I note that the chair of New Zealand Post has said it is “not a done deal yet”. Furthermore, the proposal would result in Kiwibank remaining in Government ownership. Finally, there is an opportunity to debate the performance and current operations of New Zealand Post during the upcoming annual review debate. For these reasons, I am not persuaded that the issue is urgent or important enough to warrant setting aside the business of the House today. The application is, therefore, declined.