Camilla Belich. Photo: ©VNP / Phil Smith
Members' Days at Parliament happen every other Wednesday the House meets. Those are days when MPs put aside the government's legislative agenda, to instead debate bills from backbenchers. The bills might be from junior governing party MPs or anyone in opposition. Anyone, but a minister.
It might seem like an opportunity for Opposition MPs to get their own ideas passed into law, but achieving it is unusual. Most successful members' bills come from governing party MPs, for the simple reason that the governing parties still have the majority in the House, Members Day or not.
For an opposition MP to get a members bill over the line, or even through a first reading, they need to find a topic that some or all of the government parties will also agree with.
Last Parliament, 15 members' bills passed into law. 10 were from Labour or Green MPs (parties in government), while five were from National MPs. Five was a very good total for opposition MPs.
In that context, this Parliament is setting a new standard. This week two members' bills from opposition MPs passed their third and final readings, and now await the assent of the Governor-General. A third is nudging at their heels (though if it passes, it won't be until October).
As a result, in this current Parliament, more opposition members' bills have passed into law, than government ones. The score is now 6:4. By October it may be 7:4. Quite the scoreline.
The two bills to pass this week were:
- The Evidence (Giving Family Violence Evidence in Family Court Proceedings) Amendment Bill, which extends to the family court recent protections provided in other courts for people giving evidence in court about violence. Tracey McLelland's bill was supported by all parties.
- The Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill from Camilla Belich, which makes it legal to tell other people how much you earn, regardless of what your employment contract may stipulate. That bill was supported by the Green's, Te Pāti Māori, Labour and the National Party, but opposed by ACT and New Zealand First.
That is also Camilla Belich's third successful member's bill - which is extraordinary and very nearly a record. The current record for successful member's bills is four, held by former Labour MP, Louisa Wall.
*RNZ's The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament's Office of the Clerk. Enjoy our articles or podcast at RNZ.
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