Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill

Members, we now come to the debate on new clause 7A to be inserted by Christopher Luxon’s amendment set out on Supplementary Order Paper 8, allowing the establishment of Māori wards or constituencies to be appealed to the Local Government Commission. We will also debate the Hon Dr Nick Smith’s tabled amendment inserting new clause 7A to require the Local Government Commission to provide information to Māori electors. The question is that those two amendments inserting new clause 7A stand part.

Point of order, Mr Chairman. You rightly said that there are Supplementary Order Papers in the name of Chris Luxon that deal with establishing an appeal process, and there’s a further amendment in respect of my name. It seems very unusual that two new clauses would be debated simultaneously on two quite different issues. So can you just provide clarity? I was advised by the Clerk’s Office that the way in which we should formulate amendments for new clauses is that, even though they have the same number, that does not necessarily mean that they are debated together. Could I have some clarity on that so we can ensure that we keep within your rules of debating the relevant amendment?

I’ve made the ruling that they are of similar nature, so they can be debated together. The questions on them will be put separately.

I’ve been a member for a long time, and I’ve never seen—I’ve seen the Chair rule that amendments are in or amendments are out. It is an absolute new ruling that the clerks or the Chair can suddenly say, “Oh, well, these two amendments”—I stress the two amendments are quite different. My colleague Chris Luxon has an amendment that says that we should have an appeal process. It simply parallels the appeal process that’s provided for general wards. My amendment is absolutely nothing to do with appeals. My amendment is about a detail of the administration of the electoral Act, and that is where I would like some clarity. It certainly, in my experience, is a new ruling for two quite different amendments to be grouped together, and that’s where I seek some assistance.

I’ll seek further advice from the Clerk and come back. I want to thank the committee for its patience. Given the intervention by the Hon Dr Nick Smith, I’m going to change my initial ruling and advise the committee that there are other tabled amendments being assessed right now. So I’ll re-read the question on the Table, and we’ll do the changes on the tabled amendment from Christopher Luxon inserting new clause 7A. So the debate now is on inserting new clause 7A inserted by the amendment from Christopher Luxon set out on Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) 8, allowing the establishment of Māori wards or constituencies to be appealed to the Local Government Commission. The question is that Christopher Luxon’s amendment inserting new clause 7A set out on SOP 8 be agreed to.

New clause 7A New sections 19ZGA and 19ZGB inserted