Urgency

I move, That urgency be accorded the passing through all stages of the COVID-19 Response (Vaccinations) Legislation Bill and the Taxation (COVID-19 Support Payments and Working for Families Tax Credits) Bill; the first reading and referral to select committee of: the Māori Purposes Bill; and the third readings of the Crown Minerals (Decommissioning and Other Matters) Amendment Bill and the Education and Training Amendment Bill; the second reading of the Maritime Powers Bill; and the committee stages of the Commerce Amendment Bill and Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill.

The Government’s priority in this urgency motion is to pass the COVID-19 Response (Vaccinations) Legislation Bill and the Taxation (COVID-19 Support Payments and Working for Families Tax Credits) Bill. The first bill allows for the traffic light framework to be put in place, including the requirements around vaccination certificates. The second bill increases the level of support available to businesses and to individuals and families as we move into the next phase of our COVID-19 response, hence there is genuine urgency around getting both of those pieces of legislation passed through the House.

It is the Government’s intention that, if both of those pieces of legislation have been completed by 1 p.m. tomorrow, that urgency would end and then we would have question time and general debate and member’s day tomorrow. In the event that those pieces of legislation have not completed their passage at that point, the Government wants to make sure that the House doesn’t find itself in a position where it runs out of business part-way through what would normally be the sitting hours tomorrow. Hence those additional items of business have been added to the motion in order to make sure the House can continue to make the most efficient use of its time. In the event that those first two bills do proceed past 1 p.m. tomorrow, it is our intention that, if they have completed their passage by 10 p.m. tomorrow night, that we would finish the House sitting at the normal time of 10 p.m. tomorrow night. In the event that those two bills have not passed, we would continue on until midnight and come back on Thursday morning under the urgency motion. But, as I’ve indicated before, the other items of business have only been included in the urgency motion to ensure that the House doesn’t run out of business in the event that the urgency is not completed by 1 p.m. tomorrow.