Yes, it was budget week at Parliament. Budget, budget, budget. Did you notice? But that wasn’t the only thing happening this week.
On Wednesday there was a Member’s day with a surprising range of bills - most of them brand new.
Here is a quick rundown on the bills passed and the bills failed.
Labour MP Tangi Utikere in the House Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
Local body conflicts of interest
The one bill that wasn’t new was notable for ending its journey and being confirmed to become law. It’s a bill from Labour’s Tangi Utikere.
It requires all local body politicians to publicly declare their land holdings, the companies they have a (10+%) control in, expensive gifts including travel, other employment and so on. It’s similar to what is already required for MPs.
Because these things always seem to have hefty titles a list of potential conflicts of interest is called a 'register of pecuniary interests’. All the parties voted in favour of this new law except ACT.
Two successful new bills needing public feedback
Two members bills from Labour MPs passed a first reading and are now heading to a select committee for public feedback.
A bill from Tamati Coffey passed a first reading without dissent. It plans to update the law around surrogacy, especially some aspects that particularly affect same sex parents, like being forced to adopt your own child. Also the fact that women who (incredibly generously) act as surrogates are legally unable to claim any costs (like say, for a scan).
A bill from Labour MP Deborah Russell was also sent to Select Committee with wide support. It would allow a much longer time window for employees making a personal grievance complaint for a case of sexual harassment. The reason: it is reasonable that it might take more than 90 days to be emotionally ready to take action after people do horrible things to us.
The relevant select committees will be asking for public submission on those bills very soon.
ACT MP Nicole McKee watching a public submitter in committee Photo: ©VNP / Phil Smith
Two ACT MPs' bills rejected at the first reading
The ACT party has had some good luck recently in getting members bills chosen in the ballot, but it didn’t have the same luck in having Parliament deem them worthy of further consideration.
The first bill to fail was from ACT MP Nicole McKee which would have lowered the threshold for the criminal proceeds recovery law to kick-in to include anyone found in possession of an illegal firearm, but only if it was gang-related. At the moment the threshold is cash-related.
The most contentious bill of the evening was from another ACT MP, James McDowell. It proposed financially penalising universities who fail to allow all-comers to speak on campus regardless of their views.
It follows refusals by institutions to give public venues over to speakers they viewed as white supremacist or otherwise ‘beyond the pale’.
ACT and National argued that ‘de-platforming’ was illiberal, controlling and threatened free speech. Labour and the Greens argued that all rights are balanced against each other and freedom of expression must be balanced against other freedoms like freedom from discrimination.
Neither of these ACT member's bills were successful.
