Thursday, November 12, 2015



Drawn

A ballot for four member's bills was held today and the following bills were drawn:

  • Commerce (Supermarket Adjudicator and Code of Conduct) Amendment Bill (Mojo Mathers)
  • Overseas Investment (Protection of New Zealand Homebuyers) Amendment Bill (Phil Twyford)
  • Oaths and Declarations (Endorsing the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi) Amendment Bill (Marama Fox)
  • Social Security (Stopping Benefit Payments for Offenders who Repeatedly Fail to Comply with Community Sentences) Amendment Bill (Mark Mitchell)
Today was the biggest ballot ever, at 78 bills. But despite packing the ballot with inconsequential tweaks, National managed to get only one bill drawn (and that one an actual serious bill to promote crime). Meanwhile, we'll finally get a chance to remedy the cultural imperialism whereby New Zealanders are forced to swear allegiance to a foreign monarch rather than anything really kiwi. But sadly, while it will be debated, NZ First won't vote for it, and I can't imagine National doing so either. So that business will have to wait for a future Labour government to be resolved.