Business Statement

Thank you, Mr Speaker. On Tuesday, 20 February the House will consider the first readings of the State Sector and Crown Entities Reform Bill, the Families Commission Act Repeal Bill, the Commerce (Criminalisation of Cartels) Amendment Bill, and the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Amendment Bill. Wednesday, 21 February will be a members’ day. On Thursday, 22 February the Food Safety Law Reform Bill will receive its third reading.

I wonder if the Leader of the House can indicate to us just how many of the bills he’s just mentioned will suffer the same treatment as the bill in the House last night, the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill (No 2), which saw the Government voting against a closure motion, and therefore its progress.

I do understand that the National Party didn’t bother to show up in the House last night, and there were very few contributions from the National members. I’m somewhat surprised, but given the other distractions they’re dealing with at the moment I guess maybe I shouldn’t be.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. As you know, it’s not appropriate for anybody, let alone the Leader of the House, to refer to others’ commitments that take them away from the House. [Interruption]

💬 SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order. If Government members want to stay in the House, they’ll hear it in silence. Well, it might be a point of order.

Are we two up yet?

💬 SPEAKER: No. We haven’t had question time yet.

The real point here is that the question was a genuine one. Will the Government be moving to prevent progress on bills, as they did last night on a bill that they had earlier in the week required the House to take urgency to pass?

💬 Hon David Parker: Point of order.

Well, there can’t be a point of order until I’ve ruled, all right? The member David Parker might have another one afterwards. We have not hit question time yet. At question time, some rules around answers apply, but I think if the member Gerry Brownlee applies his memory back not too far, there were a number of occasions where he has set precedents in answers of a similar type that were not that helpful.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My understanding is that the Standing Orders prevent mention of the absence of a member, not a party.

My view is that the member is trifling with the Chair, and he will stand and withdraw.

I withdraw.