Parliament’s Speaker Gerry Brownlee has overruled both the Clerk and Assistant Speaker Barbara Kuriger regarding the classification of the Fast-Track legislation amendments, deciding the bill does not confer a private benefit.
The debate arose during the urgency stage of the legislation, where RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop introduced extensive last-minute changes. Kuriger, backed by Clerk’s advice, had ruled the inclusion of specific projects amounted to private legislation, which requires a separate, more rigorous process.
Brownlee, however, sided with the government, stating the benefit to named individuals was procedural, not substantive, and thus permissible. The ruling has drawn criticism from opposition parties and legal experts for undermining scrutiny and the select committee process.
Victoria University law lecturer Eddie Clark told state media the rushed nature of the legislative process, pointing to the amendments’ late introduction and limited oversight. He raised other concerns around “urgency-driven lawmaking” and the precedent set by overriding procedural safeguards. While Brownlee justified his decision by noting the projects still required further application processes, critics argued this undermined public and parliamentary accountability.
Where were all these critics when the previous Marxist government were rushing through covid legislation under urgency, apparently for our own good?? Oh that’s right, they were the ones for it.
This behaviour needs to come to an end and be legally curtailed. Of course given the nation is largely run by crooks that won’t happen.