Urgency

Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) Link to this

I move, That urgency be accorded the introduction and first reading of the Border (Customs, Excise, and Tariff) Processing Bill, and the Committee stages of the Sentencing (Offender Levy) Amendment Bill, the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill, the Domestic Violence (Enhancing Safety) Bill, and the Gangs and Organised Crime Bill.

The first bill mentioned today, the Border (Customs, Excise, and Tariff) Processing Bill, is designed to facilitate the SmartGate arrangements that New Zealand and Australia are cooperating on at the moment. It does not quite make travel between our two countries a domestic experience, but it makes it a very similar experience to domestic travel. The challenge, I guess, will be for airlines to ensure that bags are available on the carousel as quickly as people are able to progress through the gates.

The other bills, as I have mentioned, are at their Committee stage and are part of the Government’s 100-day programme. They are all designed to facilitate the activity of either detecting criminals or denying the opportunity for people to participate in criminal activity. We think that that is a sound reason to make the progress required during this next 2½ hours. It is reasonable for me to signal that the Government does not intend to resume urgency tomorrow morning. We expect to report progress a few minutes before 10 p.m. this evening.

SUE KEDGLEY (Green) Link to this

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Leader of the House did not give any reasons why urgency should be accorded to these bills, and I think it would be helpful if he—