16:00:21 Sunday 6 April 2025

Treaty Bill deadline moved up to tomorrow

Labour's Justice spokesperson Duncan Webb. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith

Labour says the Justice Select Committee is expected to report back on the Treaty Principles Bill on Friday - more than a month ahead of time.

Parliament set down a deadline of the 14 May, and a Cabinet minute shows the committee was set to consider it until 16 May.

But Labour's Justice spokesperson Duncan Webb - who had previously sought an extension to avoid thousands of public submissions being excluded - now says the timeline has been moved up.

"The committee finished more than a month ahead of the 14 May deadline set by Parliament with the report expected to be presented and available tomorrow (Friday)," he said.

Webb said the Committee had "rammed it through with outrageous haste" and the early report would exclude those thousands of submissions.

"With government members rushing to report the bill back early, the process is exposed for what it really is - a sham," he said.

"This shows utter contempt for the many New Zealanders who took the time to submit and whose views are now missing from the record.

"This is an appalling lack of process on a hugely consequential bill."

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has previously said the record number of submissions overwhelmed the committee, and that Labour was playing politics.

He this week doubled down on allowing the submissions to be excluded, despite warnings from legal scholars the move would set a precedent that could erode democratic participation.

-RNZ

2 comments

So, this is............

Posted on 03-04-2025 19:52 | By groutby

........about a bill which is not going to pass it's 2nd reading irrespective of submissions and will fail at the whim of the National party support right?.....so why the problem?...are we more than a little nervous?....yes it will fail this time, but next?.....there is no 'consequence' Mr Webb, it will be quashed....and yet you are more than a little nervous for when it reappears at a later date?..... and it will...


Excellent update...

Posted on 03-04-2025 21:55 | By groutby

..........so now the Act party have intervened and allowed all of the submissions to be included....what now is the next 'issue' I wonder?.....


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