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SCP HOUSE: House May Rise Early Today
Parliament is not expected to have a members day today, or questions, as a result of a filibuster by the opposition on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
A spokeswoman for the Leader of the House told Scoop at midday today that the house will continue sitting till 1pm under urgency on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Unless the bill is passed through all its stages by 1pm there would be no members day, she said. Up till the last minute the Government had been keeping open the option of having a question time, but this was no longer possible now.
The Fisheries Bill is presently in its committee stages and is unlikely to finish this, and the third and final reading – technically a two hour debate – before 1pm.
The spokeswoman said the Fisheries Bill would possibly be passed through all its stages by 4pm-5pm at which time the house would rise early and then sit again tomorrow.
Ordinarily the house would be sitting till 10pm tonight debating members bills. Members day, which occurs every second Wednesday by convention, is the only opportunity the opposition has to advance legislation.
Alastair Thompson
Scoop Publisher
Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.
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