A member’s bill in the name of Rachel Boyack introduced on Sept 23. The bill requires reporting govt agencies to ensure relevant documents use plain language and appoint plain language officers who are responsible for ensuring the agency’s compliance with the Bill. Completed first reading on Feb 16 and referred to the governance and administration committee with National and Act opposed. Reported back on Aug 12 with National filing a minority report saying the bill was a waste of time and the creation of a new bureaucracy. Second reading on Aug 30 with National and Act opposed, committee stage completed Sept 21. Third reading on Oct 19 with National and Act opposed.  Plain Language Bill

Introduced on May 11. The Bill replaces the Plant Variety Rights Act 1987, reforming the regime and implementing the Crown’s obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi in relation to the plant variety rights regime and obligations under the CPTPP. First reading completed on May 19 with the Greens opposed and sent to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee. Reported back on Nov 19 with a large number of changes. Second reading completed on May 10 with the Greens and Te Paati Māori opposed. Committee stage completed on Nov 9 and third reading on Nov 15 with Labour 64 and National in favour.

Plant Variety Rights Bill

Introduced on December 7, the purpose of the Bill is to enable housing development on 11.69 hectares of land on the Point England Recreation Reserve in Tāmaki in east Auckland. Completed its first reading on December 13 with no opposition and sent to the Local Government and Environment Committee with a shortened report back of April 28. Labour announced it would oppose the Bill, which is part of a treaty settlement, due to the loss of public park space. Reported back on April 13 with Labour filing a minority report opposing the Bill. Completed second reading on May 23. Labour and NZ First opposed and the Greens abstained. Committee stage completed on June 21 with no change in parties positions. Third reading completed on June 27 with Labour and NZ First continuing to oppose and the Greens continuing to abstain. Point England Development Enabling Bill

Allows the Police to charge fees and recover costs for some of it services. Cabinet has agreed this will only apply to vetting services. Given its first reading on November 4 2014 and sent to the Law and Order Committee for consideration by 105 to 16 with the Green and Maori Party opposed. Labour MPs also expressed misgivings saying the changes were originally intended to help meet the costs of policing profit making events such as concerts and sporting matches. They feared the vetting service charges would hit cash-strapped organisations hardest. Submissions closed on Feb 5 2015 with a report due by May 4 2015. Fierce opposition led to the report back deadline being pushed back to June 29 with the Govt indicating it was considering exemptions to the charging regime. Reported back from select committee on June 29 2015 with a number of amendments including tightening of  rules about what could be charged for and how waivers would be issued. Labour, Greens and NZ First all made minority reports strongly opposing the bill. They argued police charges could easily spread and become more expensive. After a year’s delay the Govt took the Bill to second reading on Sept 15 after agreeing with Peter Dunne to exempt charities from the vetting fees. Labour, Greens and NZ First remained opposed due to fears the current plans would be expensive for schools and the charging regime would widen in the future. Committee stage completed on October 12 with a number of amendments to reflect support parties concerns, but maintaining the thrust of the Bill. Third reading completed on November 1 with Labour, Greens and NZ First opposed. Policing (Cost Recovery) Amendment Bill

Introduced on March 20, 2018. The bill repeals and replaces the Privacy Act 1993, as recommended by the Law Commission’s 2011 review of the Act. It overhauls and updates many provisions of the Act. Completed first reading on April 11 and referred to the Justice Committee. All parties in support. The report back  has been extended from Nov 22 to March 13, 2019. Reported back on March 13 with a large number of changes including on organisations and businesses requirement to disclose privacy breaches. The committee rejected submissions calling for a ‘right to be forgotten’. Second reading completed on Aug 7, 2019  with all parties in support. Committee stage completed June 3. Third reading completed on June 24 with all parties in support. Privacy Bill

A member’s bill in the name of National’s David Bennett. Introduced on Sept 22, the Bill clarifies which jurisdiction’s law is applicable in actions of tort and provides guidance to the courts on matters of characterisation. This bill also abolishes certain common law rules dealing with actionability and sets out the general rule that the applicable law will be the law of the jurisdiction in which the events constituting the tort in question occur. Completed its first reading on December 7 and sent to the  Justice and Electoral Committee. Only NZ First opposed the Bill arguing it was not necessary and was not the best solution to the problem it tried to address. Bill transferred to Sarah Dowie and reported back from select committee on June 7 with minor amendments. Completed second reading on June 28 on a voice vote. Committee stage completed by agreement on July 26 with no amendments. Third reading completed with all parties in favour on Nov 29. Private International Law (Choice of Law in Tort) Bill.

Member’s bill in the name of Te Paati Māori’s Debbie Ngarewa-Packer introduced on Aug 4. The bill would put in place a ban on seabed mining consents within the Exclusive Economic Zone and coastal waters including retrospectively withdrawing existing seabed mining consents and exploration rights. Voted down at first reading on May 15 with National, Labour and Act opposed.

Prohibition on Seabed Mining Legislation Amendment Bill

Introduced on June 24 2020. The bill clarifies the definition of serious wrongdoing, enables people to report serious wrongdoing directly to an appropriate authority at any time, strengthens protections for disclosers, clarifies the internal procedure requirements for public sector organisations and the potential forms of adverse conduct disclosers may face. It also explicitly includes public money spent by private sector organisations. First reading on June 30 and sent to the Education and Workforce Committee with the support of all parties. Second reading on Nov 9 with the govt indicating there would be further changes in the committee stage on a number of matters including the definition of serious wrongdoing. Supported by all parties. Committee stage completed on March 8. Third reading complete on May 10 with all parties in favour.

Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Bill

Introduced on Sept 23, the member’s bill of Louisa Wall seeks to give protection to journalist from having to reveal there sources in court by amending the Evidence Act. It also amends the Search and Surveillance Act 2012, to ensure journalists’ sources are protected in relation to production orders and Police searches. First reading on Oct 20 and sent to the Justice Committee. All parties supported but reservations were expressed about aspects including the protection of material gained by illegal activity. The select committee reported back on Sept saying the MP now sponsoring the bill – Ingrid Leary – decided to withdraw the bill as it faced insurmountable drafting issues to make it work. Protection of Journalists’ Sources Bill

Introduced under Urgency on May 30 and passed through all stages with National, Act and NZ First in favour. The bill amends the Public Finance Act to increase from 10% to 14% the percentage the Crown retains (as fines collection costs) from fines recovered for offences prosecuted by or on behalf of local authorities and other organisations.

Public Finance (Fines Collection Costs—Budget Measures) Amendment Bill