Urgent Debates Declined — Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2025—Release

Members, I have received a letter from Chlöe Swarbrick seeking to debate, under Standing Order 399, the release of the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update. Normally, urgent debate applications must be received an hour before the House sits. The Speaker has the discretion to consider applications received after that time but before the House sits—Standing Order 399 and Speaker’s ruling 215/1.

The Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update was released at 1 p.m. and the application received shortly afterwards. I have considered it. I allowed an urgent debate on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update in 2024, and previous Speakers have also allowed a debate in exceptional circumstances in 1990 and 2017. Such a debate is not an annual exercise. If it is to become one, the Standing Orders Committee should reflect that in its considerations, and it should become part of Standing Orders.

I note Speakers’ ruling 215/3 that it is for a member to make out a case for an urgent debate, not for the Speaker to discover one. The application does not make a particular case for setting aside the business of the House to debate this year’s Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update. The application is declined.

💬 Hon Shane Jones: Following on from your references to various Standing Orders, Standing Order 391 says that there will be 12 questions. Question time is an incredibly important part of our system here in Parliament where we uphold accountability. Can you enlighten the House as to why we’ve lost one question. We’ve only got 11.

Well, it would be fairly obvious that only 11 questions were lodged with the Clerk’s office.

💬 Hon Shane Jones: The Business Committee no doubt deals with these issues. Who never measured up?

Well, it is at the discretion of anyone who has an allocated question to decide whether they lodge it or not. If people have no interest in scrutinising the Government, then clearly they won’t lodge a question. It’s not for—

💬 Hon Shane Jones: Ferris wheel. Ferris wheel.

Well, that is probably a very interesting observation.