Parliamentary Service Commission — Membership

I move, That under section 15(1)(d) of the Parliamentary Service Act 2000, Tangi Utikere be appointed as a member of the Parliamentary Service Commission.

It’s been agreed by the Business Committee that this will be the only speech on this motion. Its purpose is to briefly explain the process behind the appointment. The Parliamentary Service Commission was created by the Parliamentary Service Act 2000 to be the main source of advice to the Speaker on the nature of services to be provided to the House and its members, and on directions relating to the allocation and administration of funding. The membership of the commission is determined by the Act. It consists of the Speaker, the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition or their nominee, and an additional member of each party represented in the House, nominated by motion—but no Minister can be nominated as one of these additional members. By convention, the second representative of the leading Government party is the senior whip, which brings me to the nomination of Tangi Utikere.

Tangi was elected as the member of Parliament for Palmerston North in 2020, but he had a life prior to that. He served a term as the Deputy Mayor of Palmerston North, a job highly sought after across the land, and one that he fulfilled to a very, very high standard. As his colleagues can attest, his experience as a teacher at Freyberg High School certainly comes in handy in the role of Government whip, as I’m sure the Opposition whips would indicate too. He has already proved himself in the role to be effective and efficient—and efficient and efficient!—and he is a person who has shown that not only through his role as a whip but also in his chairpersonship of the Health Committee.

I was informed earlier today of two things about Mr Utikere that I didn’t know. The first of those is that he is a marriage celebrant. So should there be anyone around the place looking for somebody to do that for them, I’m sure Tangi would be very, very obliging in that regard. The second was from an informant who shall remain unnamed, Rachel Boyack, who attended Ross Intermediate School in Palmerston North with Mr Utikere several years ago—we won’t say how many that was—who informs me that her memory of Mr Utikere was that he was “The one who was always called up to thank the visitors who came to the school.” And that, fellow members of Parliament, tells you all you need to know about the kind of person that Tangi Utikere is. He will be a valuable source of wisdom and advice as a member of the Parliamentary Service Commission, and I commend this motion to the House.

Motion agreed to.