1. DAIL JONES (NZ First) Link to this
to the Chairperson of the Justice and Electoral Committee
Will she request people to make submissions on the Lawyers and Conveyancers Amendment Bill (No 2); if not, why not?
LYNNE PILLAY (Chairperson of the Justice and Electoral Committee) Link to this
The committee will be hearing evidence at its meeting tomorrow.
Does the chairperson recall that 93 persons gave evidence on the Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill, and has she asked all 93 persons to give evidence to the select committee, and will she give them an opportunity to be heard, rather than agreeing to have the bill reported back to the House on 10 July, thereby giving hardly anyone a chance to be heard on this very important legislation?
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I disagree; that is not confidential to the committee. The member herself has just indicated that submissions will be heard. I am just asking her a question, which you have permitted. I was asking whether those people would be allowed to give submissions and whether all 93 will be allowed to give submissions, or whether we have a situation where the Labour Government wants to drum this bill through the House for the benefit of the trade union movement, which is really behind this bill.
Madam SPEAKERIf, in fact, a decision has been made by the committee on this matter, then the chair is right: it is a matter that is confidential to the committee.
The member has had his supplementary question, but maybe for the interest of the House the chair of the committee can address that question.
As I understand it, the committee business is confidential to the committee. The member will be at the committee tomorrow. If he wishes to, he can read his papers and be quite clear on things.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I believe that the member is trifling with you. You have just indicated that I can ask whether the committee has made a decision. All the chairperson has to say is “Yes” or “No”. Otherwise she is trifling with you, Madam Speaker, and I would ask you to deal with the member accordingly.
No, it is a matter of procedure, as I understand it. But I will consider the question and give the member a ruling tomorrow, because these are difficult issues. The questions that members can raise are quite narrow, and certainly the calling for submissions is a matter for the chair of the committee. Everything else, though, as I understand it, is in fact a matter for the committee that it comes before. So I will take that matter under consideration.