Arms (Licence Holders’ Applications for New Licences) Amendment Bill

on behalf of the Minister of Police: I move, That the Arms (Licence Holders’ Applications for New Licences) Amendment Bill be reported to the House by 17 November 2022 and that the committee have the authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting (except during oral questions), during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House, and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House and outside the Wellington area, despite Standing Orders 193, 195, and 196.

The reasons for asking the House to agree to a shortened select committee process are the same as the reasons why the bill is needed at all—this is to address the problem of licence holders having expired licences and being unable to comply with the Arms Act 1983 through no fault of their own. It is, in the Government’s view, essential that the bill is enacted as soon as possible, but it remains desirable for it to undergo select committee scrutiny albeit briefly. To enable the Justice Committee to meet the deadline that we are setting, the motion also includes the usual arranged permissions to meet at times outside of the parameters normally allowed by the Standing Orders. I wish the Justice Committee well in its work and hope that these proposals enable the bill to be advanced expeditiously to the advantage of the public.

The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As those who have spoken at the first reading of the bill have noted in among their substantive comments on the bill, the National Party supports the relatively short period of time that the select committee will be accorded for this work.

I do want to state for the record, however, on our behalf, that we are agreeing for the reason, essentially, that the Minister has said; namely, that it is necessary in order for the bill to be reported back to the House and then passed through its remaining stages in order to be meaningful, given the particular time constraints inherent in the licensing regime.

Of course, if the bill had been introduced at an earlier stage, then the same effect could have been gained with something closer to a standard period of time in front of the select committee. So I make those points, for the record, not in the spirit of churlishness I hope, but nevertheless acknowledging that having less time in front of a select committee is generally not regarded as a good thing. Albeit that in the circumstances, taking the situation as a whole, we do support it being reported back on 17 November—I think I’m right in saying, just over a week from now—for the reasons, as I say, that have been outlined already.