Urgency

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

I move, That urgency be accorded the introduction and first reading of the Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill, the second reading of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Bill, and the first reading of the Remuneration Authority Amendment Bill. These are all bills that need the urgent attention of the House. In the case of the first bill, it has been the subject of a considerable amount of angst, not only for this Parliament and for many in the business sector, but for households throughout New Zealand. It is designed to get a degree of certainty, and Government policy in this area has been well articulated in recent days. As for the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Bill, we have some international obligations that mean we need to, at least by the middle of October, have reached a conclusion. It is a great sadness to this Government that the legislation languished on the Order Paper for so many years under the previous Government. That has got us to the point where we have to take extra time of the House to deal with it in a timely fashion. Everyone knows that the Remuneration Authority Amendment Bill is designed to give greater flexibility to the Remuneration Authority in order that it may, in fact, recommend zero pay rises for people in the sorts of offices about which it makes its determinations.