31 July 2000

Greens support 'technical' urgency on Housing Bill

The Green Party has agreed to a government request for urgency tomorrow on the Housing Restructuring (Income-Related Rents) Amendment Bill to allow the committee stages to immediately follow the three minutes remaining of the bill's second reading.

The second reading was not completed last Thursday as scheduled because National moved several adjournment motions to block the bill's progress.

"We have agreed to the Government's request for urgency tomorrow because National needs to get the message that it cannot get away with deliberate stalling tactics to subvert the effective workings of Parliament," said Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald.

"Reducing housing costs for low income families is an important goal for the Greens. National is welcome to debate the merits of this legislation but we all have better things to do than put up with their silly procedural games designed to delay legislation which has clear majority support," he said.

The Greens say the urgency is technical in nature as the House will sit for its normal Tuesday hours and urgency will be lifted at 10pm so normal select committee meetings and Members' Day can proceed on Wednesday.

Rod Donald MP 025 507183

© Scoop Media