Parliament's Urgent Voting Rules and Climate Target Debates
In the final week of the year, Parliament was abuzz with activity, tackling 12 bills, 11 of them under urgency. The week began with the Resource Management Act (RMA) announcement, but only a minor bill related to the RMA was debated, sparking controversy due to its urgency and late disclosure to the opposition.
The real drama unfolded later in the week with two highly contentious pieces of legislation. The first was the Electoral Amendment Bill, which proposed significant changes to general election rules, including a 13-day enrolment deadline before election day, eliminating same-day enrolment. This bill also reinstates a broader ban on prisoner voting. The government justified the earlier cut-off to address slow vote-counting times, with Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith citing a week-long delay in obtaining official election results compared to pre-2020.
The bill faced strong opposition from Labour's Ginny Andersen, who criticized it as unethical and dishonest, arguing it would prevent people from voting. She questioned the bill's effectiveness in speeding up the count, as the Electoral Commission confirmed no difference in vote-counting times with or without the changes.
ACT leader David Seymour countered by comparing Labour's 2022 electoral law change regarding donations to the current bill, suggesting a double standard. The bill's committee stage was intense, with the opposition scrutinizing each clause, leading to a late-night voting marathon.
The second major debate was the Climate Change Response (2050 Target and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, which received VIP urgency treatment, bypassing the select committee stage. This bill reduced New Zealand's biogenic methane reduction target from 24-47% to 14-27% by 2050, sparking opposition criticism of its methodology during the committee stage.
These two controversial bills dominated Parliament's time, resulting in an extra 15-hour day of debating on Friday. RNZ's The House, funded by Parliament's Office of the Clerk, provides insights into these legislative debates and issues, offering a daily newsletter for readers.
