Urgency

I move, That urgency be accorded the first and second readings of the Appropriation (2021/22 Confirmation and Validation) Bill; the passing through the remaining stages of the Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Bill; the first reading and referral to a select committee of the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 3), the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill, the Immigration (Mass Arrivals) Amendment Bill, the Land Transport Management (Regulation of Public Transport) Amendment Bill, the Resale Right for Visual Artists Bill, and the Child Support (Pass On) Acts Amendment Bill; and the passing through the remaining stages of the Coroners Amendment Bill, the Foreign Affairs (Consular Loans) Amendment Bill, the Civil Aviation Bill, the Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Bill, the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill, the Organic Products and Production Bill, and the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Levy) Amendment Bill.

The first week of 2023 was adjourned because of Cyclone Gabrielle, and this resulted in the loss of 15 hours of Government business. This urgency motion will enable some of that time to be made up. It would only be if the House sat until 10 p.m. on Thursday that we would have the whole 15 hours restored. There are six first readings in the motion, plus the appropriation bill—all bills that the Government intends to enact before the election. Only one of them would be available today if we were not in urgency. Including them in the motion maximises the time available for select committee consideration and will allow submissions to be called for this week. Many of the remaining bills in motion have been on the Order Paper for some time and have been further delayed by the loss of the first sitting week of the year. The need for these bills to complete their passage through the House has become pressing in some cases—for example, the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill has already had its commencement pushed out by six months. The bill must be passed in this sitting block, or a further delay would be required in order to allow a robust appointment process to take place. I thank the House for considering this motion.