March 15, Whakaari/White Island, Covid-19: How did Parliament react?

Only a few weeks remain of this Parliament before it’s dissolved ahead of the September general election. 

Each parliamentary term is marked by significant events and as this one draws to a close we take a look at three. 

March 15 - 'New Zealand's Darkest Day'

This Parliament which is about to come to the end of its three year term is number 52 and one of the major events that it responded to was the March 15 attacks on two Christchurch Mosques in 2019. 

Fifty one people died and another fifty were injured after a gunman opened fire on those inside.  

The following day Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said changes would be made to gun law within 10 days. 

On 21 March she announced the first lot of changes: a ban on military style semi automatic weapons and all assault rifles.

"These changes will require legislation. That legislation is being drafted and will be introduced under urgency.  A shortened select committee process will apply so I encourage everyone, all those who wish to submit, to start now," she said at the announcement. 

"My expectation is that the law will be in place by the end of the next two week sitting session which is by the 11th of April." 

The Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill was introduced on 1 April 2019 but Parliament met earlier than that on 19 March and dedicated its first sitting day since the attacks to acknowledging the victims. 

The Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard invited multi-faith group of leaders to be present in the chamber for the parliamentary prayer. 

• Praying with strangers in Parliament
• How Parliament reacted to the Christchurch terror attacks

It was a departure from the normal practice of a traditionally Christian prayer being delivered by the Speaker but also from the rule about allowing non-MPs in the chamber.

Following the prayer the party leaders spoke to acknowledge the attack and then Parliament adjourned as a mark of respect for those affected.

Gun law reform

On 1 April the Government introduced a bill to tighten gun control as promised.

The plan was to put the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill through as quickly as possible to ensure the weapons used in the attack couldn’t be accessed in the same way. 

A bill can take months or even years to pass but this one was put through all its stages, including a select committee stage, within 11 days.

• How Parliament is fast tracking gun law reform

• Gun law reform’s speedy select committee followed typical process

• Govt too fast on on gun law reform - gun lobby group

The Arms bill banned military style semi-automatic weapons and parts that can be used to assemble prohibited firearms, with some exemptions like for collectors or the film industry. 

The second piece of promised law changes was introduced in September 2019 and passed earlier this year. 

The Arms Legislation Bill proposed to tighten controls on firearms including setting up a gun register and a warning system to show if a licence holder is a fit and proper person. 

But unlike the first bill, this one did not have the Opposition’s support and was delayed by disagreements between the New Zealand First Party and Labour Party. 

• Govt remains divided on second tranche of gun reform
• NZ First pushes for changes to firearms legislation
• Firearm legislation passes final reading

Ultimately the Government has majority support in the House and the bill was passed in June. 

Whakaari/White Island eruption

In December 2019, 21 people died as a result of the eruption of Whakaari/White Island on 9 December 2019. 

The coordination of the emergency response was largely the job of the Government but the Government can inform the House of significant events through a Ministerial Statement. 

The subject of a Ministerial Statement varies depending on what the Minister deems is worthy but past topics have included culling cattle to stop the spread of mycoplasma bovis, earthquakes, and the 2019 bush fires in Nelson. 

The statement normally consists of a short speech from a Minister detailing what is happening, in this case, the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

"There were two explosions, one after the other, in quick succession. The police have advised that of the 47 people located on or near the island at the time of the eruption, five are deceased and 31 have sustained injuries—many are critical. A further eight are still missing. Three have been discharged from hospital overnight. The scale of this tragedy is devastating," she told the House. 

"As we focus on the tragic events at Whakaari / White Island, I'm reminded of two things. There is no limit to New Zealand's capacity to mobilise, to respond, to care and embrace those impacted by tragedy. We are a nation full of ordinary people who do extraordinary things."

Leaders of Parties with six or more members are allowed to speak for up to five minutes in response although the House can decide to let others speak if it wants. 

The then deputy leader of the National Party, Paula Bennett, spoke on her party’s behalf. 

"I don't propose to know half as much as the Prime Minister has just laid out for us in this House, and, as such, won't be traversing the same facts as what she has put on the table," she said.

"It is for us to show our respect to all of those that have been working at this very traumatic time, to acknowledge what is a personal sacrifice for those professionals who put themselves forward and in the face [of danger], and those volunteers that do it on a daily basis. At times like this, it makes us recognise the extraordinariness of them."

There’s no requirement for any action following a ministerial statement but what is said is recorded on the official Parliamentary records. 

Covid-19

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on people's lives and the same is true for Parliament. 

On the eve of the country moving into a five week lockdown at alert level 4, a limited number of MPs met in the debating chamber at Parliament to quickly pass legislation needed to help the country through the epidemic. 

• Full coverage of Covid-19 on RNZ

 Each sitting day has an agenda which lists what the MPs will work on called the Order Paper. 

Following the lockdown announcement the schedule was put aside in favour of new legislation needed to deal with the effects of Covid-19.

This included the Prime Minister calling MPs back to the House on a non-sitting day to quickly put through legislation which including one dealing with billions of dollars.

"I recognise that this is no ordinary imprest supply bill," said the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson at the second reading of the Imprest Supply (Third for 2019/2020) Bill.

"At $40 billion of operating expenditure and $12 billion of capital, this is a large authority to spend. It should be remembered that this is in fact a technical exercise to ensure that the money is available."

Parliament worked through numerous Covid-19 related bills since reconvening in April on things like commercial property law, taxes, allowing some processes to move online like lottery payments to charities, and a bill setting up the legal framework to support the Government's future efforts to limit the spread of Covid-19. 

• COVID-19 Response (Urgent Management Measures) Legislation Bill
• COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Other Regulatory Urgent Measures) Bill
• Immigration (COVID-19 Response) Amendment bill
• COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill

Parliament also set up a special select committee to scrutinise the Government's response to Covid-19; the Epidemic Response Committee was chaired by the then leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges and had more members from the Opposition than the Government parties. 

Setting up the committee required a motion in the House which was moved by the Leader of the House Chris Hipkins.

"I think we do all need to acknowledge that we are all making decisions at pace, and we're all making decisions with imperfect information," he said. 

"Mistakes will happen. It is undoubted that mistakes will happen, and I think that's one of the reasons why scrutiny, I think, is so important so that where those mistakes happen, they can be picked up and they can be remedied."

• Last minute business at Parliament
• Powerful or Powerless? What can the Epidemic Response Committee do?

National MP Gerry Brownlee said the motion showed the Government recognised it takes its legitimacy from Parliament. 

"So what we are going to see here is, firstly, today, the extraordinary availability of funds voted by the Parliament for the Government to deal with this crisis," he said.

"And now, as the Parliament is likely to agree to adjourn very shortly for a longer period of time, a committee that during that time will be able to scrutinise the activities of the Government in the expenditure of that money, and in particular to ensure that there is a focus, as I think is the will of the whole House, on the wellbeing of New Zealanders who are most adversely affected by this virus and its fallout."

For the next nine weeks the Epidemic Response Committee met over video conference and live streamed its hearings with experts, Ministers, members of the public and officials. 

It was disestablished when Parliament resumed sitting again in Wellington as the Government felt the normal scrutiny process had been restored. 

The effects of Covid-19 are far from over and MPs have until 6 August to work on any final legislative changes before the Parliament dissolves on 12 August ahead of the general election on 19 September.