Hipkins Chris; Bridges Simon; Brownlee Gerry; English BillAssistant SpeakersHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House): I move That Munokoa Poto Williams be appointed as an Assistant Speaker.Poto Williams has been MP for Christchurch East since 2013 and has nursed her electorate through the post-earthquake experience in a very diligent and caring manner. She's been a member of the Health and Social Services Committees. She has been very high on the list of speakers in Parliament for the then Labour Opposition and has I think demonstrated through her time in the House an ability to work with all parties in a calm and fair manner.Hon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I simply raise two matters effectively for your guidance and potential ruling. The first is really in relation to Standing Order 13(1) which makes quite clear that a member who doesn't take the oath or affirmation is of course—they're not able to sit or vote in the House. It's a question firstly about that and then secondly of course this is really more than simply not being present. We know that in relation to that Standing Order 16(2) makes quite clear that a member's absence has to be on account of extraordinary circumstances beyond his or her control. So I'm simply really seeking your guidance as I say Mr Speaker about whether validly having not been sworn in or affirmed—being unable to vote being unable to sit in this House—one can nevertheless become a presiding officer.Hon Chris Hipkins: Mr Speaker?Mr SPEAKER: No I don't need any assistance. The matter is quite clear—it is dealt with as the member says very specifically in Standing Order 16(2). The member is absent on parliamentary business. She is a member of Parliament and is eligible to be elected.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I suppose the question is—Mr SPEAKER: No I have ruled. The member will take his seat—the member will take his seat.Hon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It's a separate—Mr SPEAKER: A separate point of order on an unrelated matter?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Well it's a separate point of order Mr Speaker. You have dealt I think with the question of being away and I think you've implicitly said on extraordinary business". My point though was a different one and it is a question of whether she is validly able to be a presiding officer given that she has not been sworn in.Mr SPEAKER: I ruled on that when I dismissed the member's point of order and I just want to make absolutely clear to the member that it is a matter that I have looked into I have researched and I am absolutely confident that the member is able to be elected as a presiding officer of this Parliament because she is a member of Parliament notwithstanding the fact that she hasn't been sworn in.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: I'm really hoping the member is not going to—I'm going to be kind and let the member have a point of order.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I'm sure that your patience wouldn't run out this quickly. I'm perhaps not surprised if it has.Mr SPEAKER: Don't count on it.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: The question that is being asked is: is there a difference between the way in which a member of Parliament is treated for remuneration purposes according to the Remuneration Act? You'll recall there was quite a to-do over this in the early 2000s where there were people who came to Parliament and then subsequently left etc. and there was some clarification that although a person had not been sworn into Parliament they could be treated as if elected for payment purposes so they could set up offices and they could make their own arrangements knowing that they would be. But that does not mean that a person who is not sworn into Parliament is a member of Parliament. The question would be: does that mean that someone from outside the sworn members of Parliament could be elected to a presiding officer position?Mr SPEAKER: OK. We could let this run for quite a long time. I am of the generation of members—unfortunately the other person who can remember it well is not here today—where members of Parliament were elected in November generally the third Saturday and the Parliament didn't sit until May. They were still members of Parliament for that time. Poto Williams is a member of Parliament and she is eligible for election. I am going to say now for Mr Bridges: unless he has a new and different argument to bring then I'm advising him not to dispute it further. I think it's fair to say that it was a question that I asked myself when I saw the nomination and I have spent some time researching and considering the matter taking advice and I am absolutely confident of the position.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think it would help to see the ruling so that we can then understand what the significance of swearing in is—a process we all went through yesterday. If this ruling is to stand of course it means that swearing in doesn't mean much because we could carry out our roles anyway. So that's why it would be very useful to see a ruling set out.Mr SPEAKER: Sure. Just to make it absolutely clear Poto Williams would not be able to take the Chair or to speak in the House until she is sworn in. So she can't actually do the job; she can be elected to it.Motion agreed to."