Business Statement

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Today, the House will adjourn until Tuesday, 13 September. Legislation to be considered in that week will include the third reading of the Appropriation (2022/23 Estimates) Bill, along with all stages of an imprest supply bill; the committee stage and third reading of the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill; the committee stages of the Accident Compensation (Maternal Birth Injury and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, the Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Bill, and the Plant Variety Rights Bill; and the third readings of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill and the Screen Industry Workers Bill. There will be an extended sitting on the morning of Wednesday, 14 September, and Wednesday will be a members’ day.

I thank the Leader of the House for the update. It won’t surprise him to learn that I’m interested, as I’m sure we all are, as to what the current status of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2022-23, Platform Economy, and Remedial Matters) Bill is, which appeared on the Order Paper on Tuesday, but has been removed from the Order Paper today. Has that bill been discharged by the Minister in charge, who I believe is the Minister of Revenue—although there is some dispute about that—and is it the Government’s intention to reintroduce the bill, because, of course, we do have to set the annual rates for 2022/2023 at some point.

I can assure the member that it is absolutely the Government’s intention to introduce a taxation annual rates bill, and that will be done very shortly.