Business Statement

Next Thursday is Budget day. The Minister of Finance will deliver the Budget statement followed by party leaders opening the Budget debate. Urgency will then be moved. Earlier in the week the House will consider a motion to approve orders made under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020. Legislation to be considered will include the third reading of the Maritime Powers Bill and the second readings of the Electricity Industry Amendment Bill and the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill. Wednesday will be a members’ day.

Noticing that the current Order Paper is somewhat light on legislation, can we expect that Budget legislation passed under urgency will only go through its first stage and therefore be referred to a select committee? That’s my first question. My second question for the Deputy Leader of the House is about the fact that we have received written question No. 13171, which is not yet public. It’s got five days before it gets published. That’s been returned written entirely in te reo, which is perfectly reasonable—it’s a language of New Zealand. Is it the Government’s intention to provide an interpretation in English alongside the te reo answer?

In respect of the first part of the inquiry from Mr Brownlee, any perceived lack of quantity in terms of Government legislation will more than be made up for in the coming period, and the Government will provide further information next week about the precise nature of Budget night legislation. In respect of information that is provided in te reo, as the member notes, it’s an official language of New Zealand, and it wouldn’t be our expectation that we would need to provide a translation.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wonder if the Deputy Leader of the House has had a chance to glance meaningfully across the room at the Minister for primary industries to see about progress on the Organic Products Bill.

Naturally, after the member raised that issue with me the last time, I did, in fact, have cause to raise this issue with the Minister for primary industry, and he reports to me that good progress has been made in bringing that piece of legislation back to the House. I strongly encourage Mr O’Connor and Mr Shaw to sit together over a trim, organic, llama milk and chia seed flat white to discuss this matter in more detail so that Mr O’Connor can impart more detail to that member.

Point of order. Now, Mr Speaker, could I ask that you have a look at that question 13171, given the answer that the Deputy Leader of the House gave today? It does pose a problem that, if a question is asked in English and then replied to in te reo, there is a whole process that someone who is not proficient in te reo would need to go to to get that answer. That would seem to me a little bit of an impediment to the House seeking the information that it’s able to under the Standing Orders. So I wonder if you could have a look at that issue of whether or not there should be a dual answer provided.

💬 SPEAKER: Well, I’m happy to look at it, but if I was the member, I wouldn’t get my hopes up. There are available a number of interpreters in the building if members feel that it’s necessary to avail themselves of it—in either direction.