Retiring Clerk Honoured

When Parliament resumed at 2pm Prime Minister John Key moved a motion paying tribute to the retiring Clerk of the House Mary Harris.

Mr Key outlined Ms Harris’s career which began in the Statistics Department and included a stint as an international cricket player.

She worked in Parliament for 27 years and became Clerk in 2007 and served under three Speakers and retires on Thursday to take a cycling holiday in Italy before returning to New Zealand to build a home and fish in Otaki Forks.

Labour’s Annette King recalled Ms Harris’s patience during the filibuster of the Auckland council reform bill which resulted in 30,000 amendments from the opposition of which almost 1000 were voted on.

All parties praised her professionalism and her defence of the traditions of Parliament while modernising other parts of the institution. The motion was agreed on a voice vote.

A large number of statements of intent and statements of performance expectation were presented

Select committee reports were presented on the:

2015/16 Estimates for Vote Corrections by the Law and Order Committee

2015/16 Estimates for Vote Police by the Law and Order Committee

2015/16 Estimates for Vote Serious Fraud by the Law and Order Committee

The Social Housing Reform (Transaction Mandate) Bill was introduced.

MPs began Question Time.

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