Urgency Next Week

The Government will move the House into Urgency next week as the end of the Parliamentary year nears.

Leader of the House Gerry Brownlee said Parliament only has eleven more sitting weeks before the House rises for summer and there were many Bills on the Order Paper and more to come. As a result the Government would seek Urgency to progress a number of bills, which the Opposition would be informed about later in the week.

Labour’s Trevor Mallard asked whether a number of bills stalled at the first reading stage would be included and sent to select committee as some had little business to get on with.

In reply Brownlee made reference to the recent resignation of David Shearer as Labour’s Leader and said Labour MPs would have plenty to keep themselves busy in the coming weeks

Petitions were presented. One asking the House ensure recreational fishers have continued access to the snapper fishery and reject the Government's plans to alter the daily bag limit of nine fish, and to note that 2, 790 people have signed an online petition to similar effect.

The other petition asked the House note that 56 people have signed a petition asking that every avenue possible be explored immediately to remedy Tokomaru Village residents' potentially dangerous drinking water supply.

Select committee reports were presented on the:

Lobbying Disclosure Bill by the Government Administration Committee

Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Education for Maori: Implementing Ka Hikitia - Managing for Success by the Education and Science Committee

Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Health sector: Results of the 2011/12 audits by the Health Committee

The New Zealand Mission Trust Board (Otamataha) Empowering Bill was introduced.

MPs then began Question Time.

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