Urgent Debates Declined — Recent Flooding Events—Nelson-Tasman

I’ve received a letter from the Hon Marama Davidson seeking to debate under Standing Order 399 the recent flooding events in the Nelson-Tasman region. The purpose of an urgent debate is to examine the actions of the Government. The Government response to this event will take some time to develop, based on an assessment of needs. On that basis, I do not think that the events outlined in the member’s letter warrant setting aside the business of the House today. The application is declined.

Point of order, Mr Speaker. I absolutely understand the ruling that you’ve just made. However, it is usual practice in situations where there’s a significant local emergency, such as the one we’ve seen in Nelson-Tasman, that a Minister would make a ministerial statement so the House still has the opportunity to canvass the issues in perhaps a less political way than an urgent debate might require. I wonder whether the Government’s given any indication of whether it intends to follow that course of action, which previous Governments have done in situations the same as this.

That’s not something that has been indicated to me. Can I make it very clear that this doesn’t close off future debates on this matter. It’s simply that the request through the letter doesn’t quite meet the test that I’m required to do to be fair to all members of the House. But that doesn’t preclude a future debate, and I take the point that the member makes.