Parliamentary Agencies Delegations Legislation Bill

As I outlined in my earlier contributions on the Parliamentary Agencies Delegations Legislation Bill, it is an incredibly simple bill. It provides for the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the head of the Parliamentary Service to delegate responsibilities to each other’s employees where it’s appropriate to do that. The bill was not amended by the Governance and Administration Committee. I thank them for their consideration of the bill.

There are two amendments that are set out on Supplementary Order Paper 407 that I do ask the committee to consider. The Statutes Amendment Act that the House passed a couple of weeks ago amended the Parliamentary Service Act 2000 to change the title of the head of the service from General Manager to Chief Executive. So the Supplementary Order Paper that’s now on the Table updates the terminology in this bill to reflect the change that’s already been made in the Statutes Amendment Bill. Other than that, I don’t have any matters to bring to the committee’s attention, although I’m happy to answer any questions, should there be any from members.

Thank you, Mr Chair. I want to thank the Minister, Chris Hipkins, for his detailed explanation of the reasons for the Supplementary Order Paper (SOP), which the National Party will support as it is—this bill.

I would take the opportunity, though, in providing further confirmation of that support, to express a caveat that I did in the second reading—perhaps the Minister wasn’t in a position to be able to receive that—which was the concern that, despite the reassurances both in the regulatory impact statement and in the Governance and Administration Committee’s report, the wording of the bill does go further than the intention of the bill. It certainly intended that there are administrative, back-office functions that will benefit from cooperation between the Parliamentary Service and the Office of the Clerk which, strictly speaking, isn’t presently available, but, nevertheless, both clauses 4 and 6 go broader than that, actually. They talk about the delegation, effectively, of any functions or powers of a person from one organisation to the other.

I accept the explanation from the Clerk in his submission in the select committee, and also the assurances of the Minister in second reading that that’s not the intention, but I do draw the committee’s attention to the fact that those clauses are quite wide-ranging, and, therefore, could, in the future, actually, be broadened past the intention that is being brought by this bill.

With those caveats, though, it’s not my intention to amend or tighten the clause. I just wanted to point that out and I certainly support the SOP.

The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 407 in the name of the Hon Chris Hipkins be agreed to.

Amendments agreed to.

Parts 1 and 2 and clauses 1 and 2 as amended agreed to.

House resumed.

Bill reported with amendment.

Report adopted.