Hipkins Chris; Dean JacquiInstruction to the Health CommitteeHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): I move That the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2) be reported to the House by 11 November 2021 and that the committee have the authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting (except during oral questions) during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House and outside the Wellington area despite Standing Orders 193 195 and 196.There are a range of reasons why the Government wishes to progress this bill into law relatively quickly. We do want there to be an opportunity for select committee consideration of the bill; however there are some provisions in this bill that are important to get into law sooner rather than later.Chris Bishop: Which ones?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Most notably the increase in infringements and fines for those who deliberately break the rules. But as Mr Bishop asked I would point out to him that under his plan he would need some of the provisions in this legislation in order to be able to enact some of the things that the National Party announced today—and the National Party are voting against the provisions that would allow them to do the things that they said that they wanted to do today. And one good example of that one example of something that we want to have in place sooner rather than later is the broadening of the purposes for which orders can be made under the Act. At the moment orders can be made to prevent COVID-19 from getting into the community. This bill allows orders to be made for the purposes of managing COVID-19 in the community—which is a given if the National Party had their plan. At least they were open about that. COVID-19 would be spreading in the community if National's plan was put in place and so they would want those extra provisions in place so that they could actually have orders put in place for the management of COVID-19. So these things need to be put in place sooner rather than later.To look at some of the other issues: now the ability to have internal rules around the way managed isolation and quarantine facilities operate is important. There are aspects that are covered by orders at the moment that are more appropriately covered in primary legislation and so this bill formalises and codifies that. That should be in place sooner rather than later in the Government's view. And the other thing of course is that it allows for the regulation of COVID-19 laboratories testing and supplies. And again we've seen an example just today even where people are talking about significantly surging up testing. These are the sorts of provisions that one would need to have in place if one was going to surge up testing to the level that some parties are suggesting. Similarly interestingly those parties are therefore voting against putting those very provisions in place. Ultimately improved delegated decision-making is another area where the sooner that area of the law is clarified so that people are absolutely clear what can be delegated and how delegations operate. I'm relatively clear but I do concede that the wording in the law at the moment could be clearer and that's exactly what this bill tidies up.These are things that should be done sooner rather than later. The pandemic is not over despite some people wishing it to be so. In fact there are still some pretty big challenges to come and some of those challenges will come as things shift up around the border. The changes in this bill allow us to stay nimble as the situation continues to change. I note those who are arguing that the changes that could be coming or that are likely coming should be accelerated are voting against the legislation that would allow us to respond to those changes which seems farcical and nonsensical. But there you go. Politics is an interesting place to be at the moment.So ultimately this motion still allows for select committee consideration. It is a short select committee consideration but that is because there's very good reason for having these legislative changes in place before Christmas.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): The question is that the motion be agreed to. And before I take a call can I just explain to the House that this debate should be confined to the reasons why or why not the report date should stand. Members can refer to provisions in the bill and why members oppose or support the report-back date.