While New Zealand was relaxing on a beach, most MPs were also taking breaks.
The Beehive never stopped humming because government never really sleeps, but Parliament was adjourned. As a result the legislative branch hadn’t had a chance to face off against the executive branch this year - until this week.
Leader of the Opposition Judith Collins next to her Deputy during the first Question Time of the 53rd Parliament Photo: ©VNP / Phil Smith
Without Parliament, without debates and Question Time the opposition were missing an easy forum for, well, opposing.
As a result this week’s Oral Questions to Ministers were busy with topics. It was like watching a summer’s worth of steam all being released at once.
Housing figured large, but there was also employment, Covid-19, conservation, bottom trawling, education results, Covid-19, public sector spending, quantitative easing, Covid-19, light rail, Waikeria Prison, Ihumātao, a police prosecution decision, local body Maori wards, mental health, the RMA replacement, Health system reform and aluminium dross cleanup. And covid.
Sometimes it felt a bit like they were all being asked at once. ACT leader David Seymour danced lightly across an impressive array of topics.
Last Parliament ACT’s quiver carried only a couple of supplementary questions each week, now they have a small box full. The tactics and skills are quite different and their approach may shift over time.
As you might expect though, Covid-19 and its impacts remain the hit topics for everyone.
Both the leader of the Opposition Judith Collins and her colleague Chris Bishop asked Covid-19 and vaccine questions, while other National MPs had economic impact queries.
Shadow Leader of the House, Chris Bishop debating in the House Photo: ©VNP / Phil Smith
Among Chris Bishop’s queries was this journalistic exchange.
Chris Bishop: “Was the Government given the option of an earlier delivery time in exchange for paying more for the Covid-19 vaccine provided by Pfizer?
Minister for Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins: “No.”
During a vaccine question line the following day an oft interjected (and wrong) claim that Australia was vaccinating already lead the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to cry out in exasperation a combined endorsement of both literacy and the print media.
“They're not vaccinating. God, read a newspaper!”
Expect that on a Stuff billboard soon.
While Covid-19 and house prices took up a lot of space there were also new subjects.
Two brand new topics that had arisen across Christmas were the incident at Waikeria Prison and an announced repeal of the Resource Management Act.
Minister of Corrections, Kelvin Davis Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
On Waikeria National opened the questioning but possibly the key informational exchange was once Te Paati Maori’s Debbie Ngarewa-Packer joined in with questions to the Minister of Corrections, Kelvin Davis.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: “Why did the Minister state that it was a prisoner disorder event when it was clearly a protest against Corrections' negligence in addressing the recommendations of the Ombudsman's report?”
Kelvin Davis: “I disagree entirely with the member. There is no justification whatsoever for what those men did. It was totally unacceptable. They endangered the lives of over 180 other prisoners who were in their cells when those fires were lit...
Corrections also addressed the issues that the prisoners raised, such as the water being brown. That was bore water. The water is tested six days a week. It's the same water that corrections officers drink. The issue around the bedding and the clothes—other former prisoners have come out and said that it is simply false. The Māori Party has fallen into the trap of believing the people who played up in the prison and are excusing their behaviour where there is no excuse."
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: “So is the Minister saying the Ombudsman's report is wrong?”
Kelvin Davis: “No, the Ombudsman's report was written in October of 2019. It only came out towards the end of last year. Corrections accepted the findings of the Ombudsman's report and they had taken steps to address those issues.”
Minister for the Environment, David Parker Photo: ©VNP / Phil Smith
The questioning regarding the RMA was between the Leader of the Opposition and Minister for the Environment, David Parker.
Judith Collins: “By what date does he expect a new Natural and Built Environments Act to become law, and does he believe this new Act will make it easier to build houses?”
David Parker: “The Government announced today that an exposure draft of key provisions of the natural and built environments (NBA) Act will be presented to a select committee in May. We expect the bill of the full NBA and the strategic planning Act, incorporating the outcomes of the select committee inquiry, will be put before Parliament by the end of 2021, to be passed by the end of 2022. For the second part of the question: yes, but it is no substitute for the action we're already taking, including building more houses—public and private—than have been built for decades, thousands more apprentices, more infrastructure, and directions to council under the Resource Management Act (RMA) to make room for growth up and out, as well as fast-tracked consenting.”
Judith Collins: “Does he believe the concept of "ensuring new development is within biophysical limits" will make it easier to build houses in New Zealand?”
David Parker: “Yes, because the problem with the current RMA is that it doesn't just put priority on protecting biophysical outcomes; it tries to protect amenity values, which are more often subjective, detached from biophysical values, and are a crutch upon which nimbyism lies.”
