Royal Society Bill Passes… Finally

Wednesday, 29 February 2012, 5:35 pm
Article: ParliamentToday.co.nz

The Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill completed its committee stage and third reading stages in less than two hours today.

This compares to the more than 15 hours of debate over many months spent on the committee stage last year as Labour MPs fought to delay the bill to prevent the next item of business – the introduction of voluntary student union membership – from making progress.

In the end their efforts did not work and the Bill in the name of former ACT MP Heather Roy passed into law.

The Bill’s sponsor Labour’s Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson said he believed most MPs would be pleased to finally get the bill into the statute books as it was generally supported.

National MP Colin King accused Labour MPs of ``juvenile behaviour’’ last year and then went on to praise the bill and the Royal Society as Labour MPs cried out that he was filibustering.

The bill, which expands the role of the Royal Society into areas like the humanities, passed its remaining stages on a voice vote.

MPs began the second reading debate of the Southland District Council (Stewart Island/Rakiura Visitor Levy) Empowering Bill.

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ParliamentToday.co.nz is a breaking news source for New Zealand parliamentary business featuring broadcast daily news reports.

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