Member's Day

Today is a Member's Day. But while everyone is looking forward to the second reading vote on marriage equality, its just not going to happen.

why? Because yesterday the Finance and Expenditure Committee released its report [PDF] on the Budget Policy Statement 2013 and Treasury's December 2012 HYEFU. This takes priority over all other business on the Order paper, so Parliament will spend most of this afternoon debating it (rather han merely one hour on the General Debate). And following that there's a third reading debate (up to two hours) on a local bill, and the committee stage of Chris Auchinvole's Habeas Corpus Amendment Bill (no set time limit), and an hour on David Clark's Mondayisation bill before we even start on marriage equality. If we're lucky, the House will get started on the debate - but I don't expect them to finish it or vote. Instead, we're looking at a vote on the 27th, and hopefully the committee stage on April 17.