Wondering what MPs do in the House aside from try to shout clever things in question time? Here’s what they plan to get through this week (April 3 - 5).
Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox
MPs are required to be at Parliament for scheduled sitting days, so called because they sit in those green chairs for the day. An agenda known as the Order Paper is published online each sitting day outlining what business the House plans to get through but there are more items on the list than there is time, so below is an indication of what they’ll attempt to get through.
Swearing MPs
No not the naughty kind of swearing. The resignation of National MPs recently has made way for some new blood and National's Nicola Willis will be sworn in as an MP. All MPs have to swear allegiance to the Sovereign because until they do, they are not fully members of the House of Representatives and can neither vote nor speak.
Checking the spending
What:
- The House will go into committee for the Appropriations (2016/17 Confirmation and Validation) Bill
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The first and second readings of this bill are done without a debate in the House and it doesn’t go to a select committee for consideration. Instead there is a debate in the Committee of the Whole House stage known as the Annual Review Debate which is what they’re up to this week. It’s a ten hour debate split into sections which will be lead by the chairs of select committees which compiled the annual review reports.
The sections for debate are:
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Economic Development and Infrastructure Sector
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Education Sector
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Environment Sector
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External Sector
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Finance and Government Administration Sector
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Health Sector
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Justice Sector
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Māori, Other Populations and Cultural Sector
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Primary Sector
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Social Development and Housing Sector
Why:
This bill is part of the financial cycle of Parliament. The budget sets out the plan for where money will be spent and the annual reviews check up on how the money was spent at the end of the financial year. The bosses of government funded entities have already been quizzed on their performance by select committees and now its a chance for MPs to defend or attack the past year’s spending.
Clean slate for historical homosexual offences
What:
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The third and final reading of Criminal Records (Expungement of Convictions for Historical Homosexual Offences) Bill.
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It will allow people to apply for a conviction for an historical homosexual offence to be cleared from their record.
Why:
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In 1986 law reform decriminalised consensual sex between men over the age of 16 but those who had previously been convicted still had the offence on their records and it could also appear in criminal checks. The bill allows people to apply to have it removed either for themselves or on behalf of someone who has died.
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The bill being at its third reading means it is in its final stage before being sent to the Governor General for Royal Assent (a signature signing it into law).
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When this Bill was introduced to the House in 2017 the Justice Committee was considering a petition asking for an apology and the records to be wiped.The House also formally apologised at the first reading. The report from the Justice Committee can be found here.
Letting tenants off from letting fees
What:
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Continuing the first reading of the Residential Tenancies (Prohibiting Letting Fees) Amendment Bill which will prohibit charging tenants a letting fee.
Why:
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Letting agents who help landlords find tenants charge a fee for their services but that fee is often passed on to the tenant to pay. The Bill aims to make sure that the costs of letting a property are paid for by the landlord because they actually benefit from the service.
Considering cultures when managing the dead
What:
If they have time in the House they’ll start the first reading of the Coroners (Access to Body of Dead Person) Amendment Bill.
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It will require coroners require coroners to consider tikanga Māori and other cultures when deciding it someone should be allowed to stay with the tūpāpaku (body).
Why:
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This is the result of an inquiry by the Māori Affairs Committee which looked at whānau access to and management of tūpāpaku , or deceased persons.
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The committee heard that burial customs can vary between cultures with some requiring same day burial and others needing immediate access to the body which means problems are caused when the body's release is delayed so it has recommended some changes to the coronial system.
Member’s Day
Every alternate Wednesday in the House time is devoted to bills by members who are not ministers like Opposition MPs and backbenchers. They’re called member’s bills and are drawn at random from a biscuit tin. Yes really. Here's what they might get through this week.
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The second reading of the Crimes (Increased Penalty for Providing Explosive to Commit). This bill will increase the maximum punishment from two to five years for people who knowingly make or have an explosive substance for criminal purposes. The Justice Committee could not agree on whether this bill should proceed and reported it to the House without amendment.
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The second reading of the Social Security (Stopping Benefit Payments for Offenders who Repeatedly Fail to Comply with Community Sentences) Amendment Bill. People who have not met a community-based sentence can be issued a warning by the Department of Corrections and could have their benefit payments withheld. In its report to the House the Social Services and Community Committee recommended, by majority, that this bill not proceed.
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The first reading of the Employment (Pay Equity and Equal Pay) Bill which will prohibit an employer from discriminating on the basis of sex, remuneration and other terms and conditions of employment like making claims about discrimination. It will also set out the process for resolving different types of claims and includes a penalty regime for those who don’t comply.
- The first reading of the Health and Safety at Work (Volunteer Associations) Amendment Bill. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act volunteer associations that do not employ people are excluded from the rules applied to a person conducting a business of undertaking or PCBU. This bill would mean that volunteer associations that do employ people for less than 100 hours a week would not be considered a PCBU. Under the Act, PCBUs are responsible for the health and safety of their employees where reasonable practical like making sure the workplace isn’t a health and safety risk.
You can see how much the House gets done each sitting day by going here: Daily progress in the House
