Business Statement

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Today, the House will adjourn until Tuesday, 19 October. In that week, the House will consider further stages of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Legislation Bill, the Financial Sector (Climate-related Disclosures and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, and the COVID-19 Response (Management Measures) Legislation Bill; the first readings of the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill and the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill; and the second reading of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification (Urgent Interim Classification of Publications and Prevention of Online Harm) Amendment Bill.

Wednesday, 20 October will be a members’ day. On Thursday, 21 October, the new Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro, will be sworn in.

I thank the Leader of the House for that update and ask: is he in a better position this week to inform the House when it may expect to see legislation reforming the New Zealand public health system and how long that select committee process will go, and, if he’s not, would he consider sharing, perhaps, exposure drafts with other parties in order that they can prepare for it?

What I can say is that the health legislation will be introduced by the Minister of Health when it’s ready to be introduced. In terms of a consultation around that, whether the party is interested in taking part in those discussions, that’s ultimately a matter for the Opposition to take up with the Minister of Health.