The House today - Wednesday 19 June 2019

Wednesdays usually have a General Debate or a members’ day but neither of those will be happening until the Budget Debate is complete.

The General Debate is an hour of speeches when MPs  can  bring up topics that wouldn’t fit in otherwise.

Members’ day are normally scheduled for every second Wednesday that the House is sitting and are used to work on bills from MPs who aren’t ministers.

The Budget Debate takes precedence until all 15 hours of it is done with but there are only a few hours left so normal Wednesdays will return soon.

Here’s what they’ll try to work through today.

Question time - 2pm

Some things don’t change and the usual hour of questions and answers in the debating chamber is a staple feature of Parliament’s sitting day.

Up to 12 oral questions are lodged in the morning and checked over to make sure they don’t break any rules.

Questions from the Opposition will try to catch the Government out. Questions from MPs in Government parties will often give an opportunity for some positive light to be shed on a Minister’s work.

Supplementary questions (follow-ups) are at the mercy of the Speaker who can give out and take away as many as they like so annoy them at your peril.

Budget debate carries on - second reading

What:

• Appropriation (2019/20 Estimates) Bill a.k.a the Budget Debate

• The 15-hour debate on the Budget continues with just a few hours remaining. They’ll probably do about an hour and a half today.

• This debate follows on from the Finance Ministers budget announcement on May 30. His statement in the House is a separate event but is then followed by this debate which starts with the Leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister, and leaders of other parties (with six or more MPs). The rest of the time is filled up with the other MPs who debate the good and bad of Budget 2019.

Why:

• Approving a government’s spending is one of the core functions of the Parliament.

• The budget is the underpinning of a government’s plans. As such, there is much to discuss.

Who:

• The Bill is in the name of the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson

All in favour?

• Nope. The Opposition will vote against it because no money means the Government can’t do anything. They actually put forward an amended motion for debate that argues the House has no confidence in the Government. But the Government parties have a majority in the House so it’s unlikely to fail.

Racing reform - committee stage 

What:

• The Racing Reform Bill

• Close followers of Parliament might feel like it’s groundhog day as this bill was also debated yesterday. It’s now up to its committee stage which is when a bill is debated in detail to make sure it has everything it needs to do its job properly. It’s the last chance for changes to be made.

• This Bill proposes the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) be reconstituted as the Racing Industry Transitional Authority (RITA) to drive the transition of the industry starting 1 July.

• It will also require offshore betting operators that are used domestically to pay for betting information and a “point of consumption” charge for bets they take from people in New Zealand.  

Who:

• The Minister for Racing Winston Peters is in charge of this bill

Why:

• In April 2018, the Minister for Racing Winston Peters commissioned an expert, John Messara, to assess the state of the New Zealand racing industry. The Review of the New Zealand Racing Industry (the Messara Report) confirmed that the industry was in a state of decline and that, without intervention, it was at risk of suffering irreparable damage. This bill is in response to that report and a second bill is to follow.

• A media release from the Minister’s office said “The racing industry is integral to the economic and social fabric of New Zealand. At a local level, racing has been an important social and community activity. The industry contributed $1.6 billion to the NZ economy in 2016/17.”

All in favour?

• No. National and Jami-Lee Ross voted noe and Labour, Greens, and New Zealand First voted aye at its first reading. The Government parties have more votes so this bill will likely pass.

Tax rates for next year - committee stage continued

What:

• The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2019–20, GST Offshore Supplier Registration, and Remedial Matters) Bill.

• This bill relates to next year’s rates and rules.  

• It also does other things including helping IRD charge GST for things bought online from overseas.

• The committee stage was started yesterday but this part can take awhile as there’s no set time limit. It allows for MPs to debate the parts of the bill and make sure it will be able to do what it promises to. It’s also the last chance to change anything.

Why:

• Running a country costs money and this bill helps the Government collect some of that money.

Who:

• Minister of Revenue, Stuart Nash is in charge of this one.

All in favour?

• No. This will help give the Government money to function so it’s unlikely to draw support from the Opposition. National, ACT, and Jami-Lee Ross voted no on the bill’s second reading. Labour, New Zealand First and the Greens voted in favour and as they have more numbers the Bill won’t fail.

Recognising veterans -  second reading and third reading

What:

• The Veterans’ Support Amendment Bill

• In 2014 the Veterans’ Support Act was passed. It modernised rehabilitation and support for veterans who qualified.

• Among its changes the bill will broaden criteria for those who qualify by to providing the Minister with the jurisdiction to make declarations in respect of historical (retrospective) deployments (ie, deployments that have already ceased).

• A bill that’s up to its second reading debate has usually been considered by a select committee which writes a report. The report from the Social Services and Community Committee can be read here.

• Normally after a second reading a bill would have a committee stage which is when the details of a bill are considered and changes can be made. This bill has everyone's support so the Business Committee has agreed to skip the committee stage and allow third reading straight after without debate.

Who:

• The Minister for Veterans Ron Mark.

All in favour?

• Yes. All parties agree on this bill.

House adjourns - 10pm

The House sits from 2pm on scheduled sitting days with a dinner break at 6pm until 7:30pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It then resumes sitting until 10pm. Thursdays finish at 6pm.

You can see how much the House gets done each sitting day by going here: Daily progress in the House