9 October 2001

Greens agree to more sitting hours

The Green Party has agreed to additional sitting hours in parliament this week.

In response to a Government request to extend the sitting hours of the House to make progress with a backlog of legislation, the Greens have agreed for the House to sit 9am - 10pm this Thursday and 9am - 6pm this Friday.

"While the technical term for this increase in work hours is 'urgency', no legislation will be 'rushed through' on these days as has sometimes happened with previous governments," said Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons.

"The Greens will agree to only one stage at a time for each bill so that the proper consideration is not short cut.

"Nor are the items to be progressed necessarily of great urgency, but there is more legislation before the House than it can deal with given the small number of hours it is permitted to sit under existing Standing Orders," she said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media