In the Sunday edition of the House (listen below): a rundown of some of the oddities from a week in the House; and an interview with Ginny Andersen, chair of the Justice Committee about the inquiry into the 2020 Election, which is now seeking submissions.
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Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox
Passing notes with the Crown
Here’s an uncommon event: Parliament was passing notes this week with the Governor General. After each election the Governor General visits Parliament to make the Speech from the Throne.
Parliament then spends weeks considering how to respond (they call it the Address in Reply Debate). That ‘address’ was finally delivered on Thursday. The Governor General sent a nice thank you back again.
One more question
Among oddities this week was a Question Time with 13 questions. Yes, an extra one; but not by accident.
There are always 12 oral questions to ministers to start the day, but the rules also allow for questions to be asked of other MPs if they are in charge of something the House is dealing with. Someone like a Select Committee chair or member’s bill sponsor.
This time new ACT MP Toni Severin had questions for new Labour MP Terisa Ngobi (Otaki). The topic was Ms Ngobi’s member’s bill pulled from the biscuit tin ballot just a week earlier.
The Bill aims to help parents whose jobs prevent them from attending parent-teacher meetings by allowing for four hours' leave a year to do so. Ms Severin wanted to know how much that might cost businesses.
Assistant Speaker Jacqui Dean Photo: ©VNP / Phil Smith
Those who pray together, officiate together
Parliament has changed who gives the prayers that begin the day. This began this sitting block. The assistant and deputy speakers who assist the Speaker in presiding over the Chamber are now also taking turns reading the prayer that occurs before the start of play each day.
The new arrangement also means that there is a fluent te reo (Deputy Speaker Adrian Rurawhe) and Tongan speaker (Assistant Speaker Jenny Salesa) offering the invocation.
Also this week, two different days began with motions for significant occasions - but two very different occasions.
Dual motions
On Tuesday the House noted the second anniversary of the terror attacks on the Christchurch masjidain. This year it was a member’s motion (rather than a government one) so that the MP to move it could be new Labour MP Ibrahim Omer.
On Thursday the House was experiencing emotions from the other end of the scale when they debated a motion to recognise the America’s Cup win.
Just one more fix
And another unusual thing. On Wednesday the House passed a bill through all stages to ‘fix’ an Act passed in 2016. The amendment bill was required because a court decision found fault in the drafting. That kind of fix is not common, but not unknown. The really interesting note is that this same Act was also fixed (also under urgency) in 2017. It’s harder than it looks to draft airtight law.
Nicer language in-House
And for one more occasion of interest from the week: the Speaker reminded MPs on Thursday that Parliament’s rules on appropriate language only apply in Parliament and don’t cover social media. This was raised because Marama Davidson had (on Twitter) characterised some recent homelessness messaging as having "racist and classist undertones". MPs can’t accuse each other of racism (in Parliament).
The Speaker Trevor Mallard's ruling:
“Standing Orders and Speakers' rulings relate to occurrences in the House. I think all of us - all of us - have made tweets at some - well, no, I won't say "all of us"; it's a general reflection. Many of us will have made tweets on occasions that do not contain parliamentary language or contain suggestions which are allowed outside the House. Other people can say it and we can say it outside, but we can't say it inside. That's the way that our rules work. The fact that someone made a comment which other members find offensive, by way of Twitter - frankly, if that was the case, there would be two or three members who would be constantly before the Privileges Committee.”