Parliament Faces Backlog (Press, 27 May 1986)

Parliament in New Zealand is set to reconvene after the May school holidays on 27 May 1986, facing a significant backlog of legislative work. There are currently 65 pieces of legislation on the Order Paper, with more pending introduction. This year, only nine bills have been passed. The existing backlog includes 15 bills that have returned from general selection committees, a local bill concerning the Waimakariri River Improvement, and three private bills: the long-discussed Homosexual Law Reform Bill, the Solvent Abuse Law Reform Bill, and an Income Tax Amendment Bill aiming to repeal the national superannuation surcharge. Additionally, 46 bills are under review by select committees or awaiting parliamentary feedback. The legislative congestion is expected to worsen due to several factors. First, the Labour Government, despite its confidence, is wary of the one-term fate suffered by its two predecessors and is eager to pass as much legislation as possible. Second, the Government is implementing a major overhaul of New Zealand society that requires passing substantial empowering legislation alongside its new market-oriented, non-Socialist philosophy. Finally, parliamentary hours have been reduced; business now only takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Wednesday evenings dedicated to private members' legislation, which is dominated by the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, and Wednesday afternoons traditionally reserved for general debates. The Government has no immediate solutions to alleviate the situation. The Homosexual Law Reform Bill, for which significant opposition exists, is unlikely to be resolved soon, as three National Party members are actively using parliamentary procedure to delay it. Despite the bill being nonpartisan, the Labour Government suspects that National is intentionally obstructing the legislative process. In response, the Government has suggested that the Opposition’s behaviour appears aimed at distracting attention from other pressing issues. To expedite legislation, the Government may resort to "taking urgency," a procedural measure that allows Parliament to work continuously on governmental legislation by suspending Standing Orders. However, this approach often faces staunch resistance from the Opposition, who tend to fight harder against such legislation than they would under normal procedures. Long-term remedies for the Government would likely involve reconsidering parliamentary sitting hours to better manage the legislative workload.

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