November 24, 2022
Late rush to get reform programme passed
Parliament is sitting under urgency this week to clear a backlog of legislation before the end of the year.
MPs are sitting until midnight each day this week, and urgency could be extended to midnight Saturday if necessary.
There are over 20 bills at various stages, including legislation implementing the three waters infrastructure reforms, change to the Māori electoral option and two parts of the rewritten Resource Management Act.
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta says it’s important to get the bills through the House.
“We’re a very busy Government. We’re committed to our programme of legislative change because it will make a difference to people’s lives and right now we’re focusing on the issues that matter – cost of living crisis, people really finding it difficult, a range of legislative changes that will make a difference in a number of ways,” she says.
Leader of the House Chris Hipkins says the longer sessions are needed to make up for last year’s Covid-related disruption, the resignation of the Speaker and a week’s recess because of the death of the Queen in September.