King Annette: Bail Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
King Annette: Bail Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:651;Page:533] 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
: 
 This debate will be a real test will it not for somebody who likes to speak on issues in a very broad manner. Clause 2 has the commencement date and for those who do not know what this clause says let me tell them what is in it. This clause states: “This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.” Well of course the obvious— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: You read it too fast; I couldn’t understand it. Do it again. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: For the sake of those who did not hear what I said and were asleep it states: “This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.” The obvious and first question to the Minister in the chair the Hon Simon Power is when this bill will receive the Royal assent. It is quite obvious that the Government has been having some problems with dates and organisation with getting things organised and getting things down on paper as we have seen in the House. In fact I happened to see the organisational paper outlining what was going on in the House—Gerry Brownlee’s running sheet—and it was written on the back of an envelope. So I am worried that the Minister has not yet decided on which date he will get the Royal assent for this bill. Will he get the Royal assent for this bill on Monday? Will he have the Governor-General come up to Parliament on Monday to sign off this bill? 
You see I believe that it has to be Monday because this legislation is so urgent that we have to be here on Friday at a quarter to 5 to debate it. We have to debate this legislation under urgency so that it can be given the Royal assent on Monday because it will make an earth-shattering difference to the people of New Zealand. It has to be Monday; the Government will have wasted hours and hours of the public’s time Parliament’s time and taxpayers’ time if the bill does not get the Royal assent on Monday at least. Maybe Tuesday we could accept; maybe we could accept another day so that the Minister could write it out—so that he could get his officials to put the signature down for him and so on—but it would have to be no later than that. 
The other thing I want to know from the Minister is whether we will receive the evidence for the need for this bill before it is given the Royal assent. Will we receive and will we have tabled in this Parliament the evidence that the Minister used as the basis for this bill before we get the Royal assent on it which could happen on Monday? 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Maybe. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Or maybe on Tuesday or maybe Wednesday or perhaps next Friday. But will we get the evidence? That is quite important because before the Governor-General’s signature goes on this bill I suspect that the Minister will have to write to the Governor-General to tell him what this bill does. That is what we used to do—we used to say what legislation does. When the Governor-General faces the Minister and is about to put his signature on it in order to give it the Royal assent he will ask the Minister to show him the evidence for this bill. He will have noted that the Minister said in the explanatory note that the evidence for this bill comes from the Law Society the Police Association the Police Prosecution Service and a number of High Court judges. The Governor-General will ask before he signs this bill to see the evidence. I ask the Minister whether we will see that evidence. Will Parliament the Governor-General or anybody else see the evidence that was the basis for this legislation before it receives the Royal assent? Is that unreasonable? I ask Mr Garrett whether it is unreasonable. I ask whether he would like to see the evidence that was the basis for this bill as stated in the explanatory note. That should be done before the Royal assent is given to this legislation—on Monday or maybe Tuesday because it is an urgent matter given that the House has been required to debate it under urgency. 
I say to the Minister who is getting out of the chair that I really thought we might well have that evidence before he finished his tour of duty— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. We have had a change of Minister in the chair but the Minister in charge of the bill is still in the Chamber. If the Minister in charge of the bill is in the Chamber he or she is required to sit in the chair. The Minister can be relieved only if he is to be absent. I see that he is still here. I think he should take this matter a little bit more seriously than having the member for Whangarei of all people sitting in the chair. We have the Attorney-General here who at least is knowledgable on these matters. The idea that Mr Heatley would be knowledgable is just preposterous. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Thank you Mr Hughes. The point is well made. Order has now been resumed. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Thank you Mr Chairman. I do feel however my colleague—