Regulatory Systems (Social security) Amendment Bill

Madam Speaker, I have a point of order. There is no Minister here. You must ring the bells.

Tim van de Molen: There is a Minister right here.

ARENA WILLIAMS: The Minister who’s responsible for this bill is not here to give the reading, so I’d suggest that it would be worth the House’s time to set this bill aside and move to the next order on the agenda.

Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker, you cannot refer to a member being absent from the Chamber. It’s clearly out of order.

Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker, clearly the other side of the House is not organised. There was no Minister in the House to take the call for the first speech of the first reading of the Regulatory Systems (Social Security) Amendment Bill, and so I support my colleague’s recommendation that we move on to the next piece of business on the Order Paper.

Speaking further to that, Madam Speaker, that is entirely inaccurate to say that there was no Minister in the House.

Hon Carmel Sepuloni: I didn’t say no Minister.

TIM VAN DE MOLEN: The member did clearly say that, and this is a point of order; it should be heard in silence.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): Sorry, we won’t have a conversation across the House. I understand that the Minister responsible—

TIM VAN DE MOLEN: There is clearly a Minister here who is able to take a call.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): There is a Minister; different points of order.

TIM VAN DE MOLEN: Yes, but I’m happy for us to continue with the planned businesses as it was. If the House would appreciate the anticipation that was being built by the Minister, she sought to ease into this important piece of legislation by taking this upcoming call. I’m sure we will be happy to continue with the business as it’s scheduled.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): I’m just going to get some advice from the Clerk. Just a moment. Thank you. Members, as the Minister was not here to take the call, I’m recommending that the bill be discharged, and I call on Government order of the day No. 7.

Point of order. Madam Speaker, it is entirely within the Standing Orders for any Minister to take a call on a bill. There is a Minister in the House who is happy to take the call on the bill, so to say that we need to discharge this bill because a specific Minister is not present, I would suggest, is entirely outside the Standing Orders.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): I would agree with you had the Minister sought the call; however, the Minister did not seek the call.

Arena Williams: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Seeking call number two on the Māori Fisheries Amendment Bill—

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): Just a moment. We call on Government Order of the Day No. 7.