By Louis Collins
After taking time off for cancer treatment, Marama Davidson is back for 2025. Photo: VNP/Louis Collins
Parliament's first member's day of 2025 happens this week.
With the Debate on the Prime Minister's Statement finally out of the way, MPs can now also debate non-government bills. This generally takes place every second sitting Wednesday.
On a member's day, government business takes a backseat and the House debates local bills, private bills and bills proposed by any MP who isn't a minister (members' bills).
All but two of the members' bills this week are brand new. This article outlines this week's bills. You can also listen to an interview with the newly returned sponsor of one of them.
The members' bills (and one local bill) up for debate
The Auckland Council (Auckland Future Fund) Bill is a local bill (from National MP Carlos Cheung's on behalf of Auckland's Council), which seeks to ensure that decisions about the investment of the city's Future Fund are made responsibly and for the benefit of all Aucklanders.
The Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill is in the name of Labour's Camilla Belich, and had reached the (penultimate) committee stage. It amends the Crimes Act 1961 to clarify that an employer withholding employee pay is theft.
The Companies (Address Information) Amendment Bill would allow directors of companies to remove their residential address from public-facing company registers if they have legitimate and serious concerns for their safety.
The Bill was originally in the ballot in the name of former Labour MP Sarah Pallett, and was picked up this Parliament by Deborah Russell. ACT had a similar bill in the members' bill ballot.
Another hand-me-down bill this week is Green MP Hūhana Lyndon's Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill, which resembles a 2015 bill from former Greens MP Catherine Delahunty.
It would amend the Public Works Act 1981 to prevent both Māori freehold and Māori customary land from being acquired either through ministerial orders or by local government for public works.
ACT first-termer Laura McClure's Employment Relations (Termination of Employment by Agreement) Amendment Bill aims to allow employers and employees to negotiate in order to terminate an employment contract. Negotiations would be protected from future proceedings unless specific exceptions were applicable.
Back from treatment in time for a bill on repair
After taking time off for cancer treatment, Marama Davidson is back for 2025.
"Two seconds in the door," said the Green Co-Leader, referencing how fast this Bill has come up after her return, but she was confident of success.
MPs that sponsor member's bills are responsible for garnering the cross-party support needed to ensure their bill survives the legislative process.
Davidson's Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill would require manufacturers to make parts and information available to consumers (to assist in product repair).
Davidson argues this would extend the life of products and reduce waste. She said the proposed legislation had "received some good support from consumers all around the country, from rural communities, from farmers, and I really think we can get it across the line."
You can hear Marama Davidson chat with RNZ's The House about her bill, at the link near the top of the article.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
