Members' Day

Parliament is back, and today is a Members' Day, which should see them finally clear away some of the members' bills which had collected on the Order Paper during the section 59 debate. Peter Dunne Judy Turner's New Zealand Day Bill is likely to be disposed of in short order, as will the Kerikeri National Trust Bill (which has been waiting for its second reading since 1995). After dinner there'll be Tony Ryall's Local Electoral (Repeal of Race-Based Representation) Amendment Bill and Pita Paraone's Treaty of Waitangi (Removal of Conflict of Interest) Amendment Bill. The numbers on these are likely to be much tighter, and they will be an important test of the new shape of the House; with Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party likely to be against them, whether they fail or proceed to select committee will really come down to Taito Phillip Field. It will be interesting to see whether he stays true to the people who elected him, or sides with the racist right out of spite.

Unless there is an attempt to talk out the clock, Parliament should be able to make a start on Rodney Hide's Regulatory Responsibility Bill. This will leave four bills available for first reading. So, there won't be a ballot, but with no bills due back from committee, there will probably be one after the next Member's Day on the 27th.