Budget Debate To Eat Into Time For Members Bills

The debate on the 2013 Budget Policy Statement will be held following Question Time today instead of the General Debate.

The two hour debate will eat into the time available for Members bills and it will be a tight squeeze to fit in a vote on the second reading of Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill.

Following the Budget Policy Statement debate, which should finish around 5pm if there are no delays in Question Time, there is the third reading of the South Taranaki District Council (Cold Creek Rural Water Supply) Bill.

The bill allows for the South Taranaki District Council to transfer ownership of the Cold Creek Rural Water Supply Scheme to back to the community via creating a co-operative called Cold Creek Community Water Supply Limited. This co-operative will look after the scheme that provides water to around 7,620 hectares of land in the Pihama/Te Kiri area in South Taranaki.

The bill is not universally supported in Parliament and MPs could use up quite a bit of the two hours available for debate on the bill.

Then there is the committee stage of the Habeas Corpus Amendment Bill. This passed its second reading by 112 to 7 with NZ First opposing; it will be very much up to MPs on how long is spent on this bill which updates the law around Habeas Corpus.

Then comes the second reading of the Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill with up to one hour available left to debate the bill, which Mondayises the relevant holidays when they fall on the weekend.

The Bill does not have support of National or ACT, but is set to progress with every other party supporting.

Following this will be the second reading of the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill.

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

© Scoop Media