…but with a whimper. The House has risen early at about 4.40pm and the MP's are off home after a gruelling week under urgency.

To top off the week the Apple and Pear and Kiwifruit amendment bills both passed their second readings and were referred back to the special select committee set up to examine Dairy Board legislation in extra quick time.

The bills both passed their Second Reading hurdle without opposition in a rare display of bi-partisan spirit reminiscent of Waitangi Settlement legislation.

The special committee which now has a very large workload and a very tight time-frame is made of nine members Gavan Herlihy (National), Owen Jennings (ACT), Hon Denis Marshall (National), Alec Neill (National), Damien O'Connor (Labour), Hon Jim Sutton (Labour), R Doug Woolerton (NZ First), John Wright (Alliance) and Annabel Young (National).

By special motion of the committee can meet at any time while the House is sitting (except during questions for oral answer), during an evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House, and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House.

The deadline for submissions is August 13 but submissioners are urged to have their submissions in by Augist 6. The committee has been asked to report all three bills on or by 30 August 1999.

(See.. Special Select Committee on Kiwifruit and Apple for more information on the committee.)

© Scoop Media

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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