Urgency 
Urgency 
[Volume:658;Page:7467] 
Urgency 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
: 
 I move  
That urgency be accorded the passing through their remaining stages of the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill the Gangs and Organised Crimes Bill the Whakarewarewa and Roto-a-Tamaheke Vesting Bill and any bills into which any of those bills may be divided; the introduction and first reading of the Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Amendment Bill; the second reading of the Settlement Systems Futures and Emissions Units Bill; the second reading of the Biosecurity Amendment Bill; and the introduction and first reading of Government bills. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: You mentioned the second reading of the Settlement Systems Futures and Emissions Units Bill; what about the Committee of the whole House? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: No. The second reading of the Settlement Systems Futures and Emissions Units Bill and the second reading of the Biosecurity Amendment Bill—those were the two points I made there. 
The Government is taking the opportunity to gain some extra hours to work on its business. It is largely driven by the fact that tomorrow should be a members’ day but those in the House will remember that a few weeks ago we had a members’ day that concluded very very early. That was largely because a number of bills had been postponed. When we look at the Order Paper and at the business to be carried out we see that it is all time-weighted so the postponement of bills means that the House finishes somewhat earlier. At the moment there are no fewer than six postponed bills on the members’ part of the Order Paper. So we are in a bit of dire situation in my opinion. Members have the opportunity to debate their own bills on a particular day but members’ own actions are preventing that course of action from taking place. So the Government is happy to step in and fill the void. 
To formalise that I say that urgency is being moved in order to gain extra sitting hours so as to enable a range of Government business to be dealt with by the House before rising for a short adjournment. 
Hon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip—Labour) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Leader of the House had previously signalled the bills that were going to be part of his motion but I notice he said the first readings of any other Government bills that were introduced. I wonder whether he could give the House an explanation of that before we move to the vote. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
: 
 That is there as a standard precaution. It goes on the end of most urgency motions. I think the member is well aware of what the Government’s intentions are and I would hope that the member understood that when the Government’s intentions have been previously signalled— 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: I am happy with that understanding. 
JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Green) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I wonder whether the Leader of the House could assure the House that the Government has enough business to keep us going through urgency and that it will not do as it did on the previous occasion and raise the House at 8.05 p.m. when we had thought we were here till midnight. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: This is not a debating point. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: It is a question. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: It is a question. Well I will ask the Hon Gerry Brownlee to respond to the member. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
: 
 I think that really does indicate the dilemma that the Government has. The Government has no desire to have people cooped up in Parliament for all hours debating a range of bills that although we certainly want them to be sped through the House ordinarily might not meet the criteria that the Government itself chooses to set down. However last week we picked up an extra 4 hours on the Wednesday morning. Although the House did rise around 8 p.m. which facilitated a number of members of this House attending various important functions that they were obliged to attend might I say that had we had members’ day we would not have had those 4 hours in the morning but we would likely still have lifted at around 5.55 p.m. on that particular Wednesday. All we are saying is that if members themselves wish to organise the Order Paper in a way that means that the House will not take advantage of the time set aside for members’ day then the Government will fill the void. 
A party vote was called for on the question  
That urgency be accorded. 
Ayes 69 
New Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; Maori Party 5; United Future 1. 
Noes 53 
New Zealand Labour 43; Green Party 9; Progressive 1. 
Motion agreed to.