The Day In Parliament (Press, 24 April 1986)

On 24 April 1986, a petition urging the New Zealand Government to address the ongoing struggles faced by rural areas due to its policies was presented to Parliament. The petition, initiated by Peter Robinson and supported by 875 others, was brought forward by Mr R. J. Gerard, a National Party member representing Rangiora. Alongside the presentation of the petition, the annual report on Parliamentary petitions was also shared. During this parliamentary session, ministers fielded 17 questions from members. After this series of inquiries, a two-hour general debate took place. Following the debate, the Minister of Labour and National member for Dunedin North, Mr Rodger, proposed the Dunedin City Council (Rating Relief) Empowering Bill. This bill successfully passed its first reading and was subsequently referred to the Internal Affairs and Local Government Select Committee for further examination. Additionally, Mr Rodger introduced the Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Amendment Bill, which also gained approval for its first reading and was directed to the same select committee. The House then took a dinner break at 5.30 p.m. Once the session resumed at 7.30 p.m., the Speaker, Dr Wall, delivered a ruling related to the controversial Homosexual Law Reform Bill. Following a voice vote, this bill was earmarked for further consideration in the committee stage. During the evening session, Democratic member for East Coast Bays, Mr G. T. Knapp, attempted to introduce the Electoral (Representation Commission) Amendment Bill; however, this motion was ultimately defeated with a vote of 69 to 2 against it. Furthermore, the National member for New Plymouth, Mr A. P. D. Friedlander, introduced the New Zealand Geographic Board (Mount Egmont) Amendment Bill. Similar to the previous bills proposed by Mr Rodger, this one also passed its first reading and was forwarded to the Internal Affairs and Local Government Select Committee. The parliamentary session concluded for the day at 10.59 p.m.

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