What was in the Urgency motion this week?
All stages of Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Bill.
* First readings only:
Housing Corporation Amendment Bill: removes requirements for Housing Corp to provide Housing Minister with policy advice, research or monitoring.
Education Amendment Bill (No 4) Bill: allows minister to control extra
fees charged by universities for non-academic services; sets up a Crown international education agency, Education NZ.
Sentencing (Aggravating Factors) Amendment Bill: requires assault of a police officer or prison officer to be taken into account as an aggravating factor at sentencing of an offender.
Juries (Jury Service and Protection of Particulars of Jury List Information) Amendment Bill: protects jurors' addresses to ensure privacy and safety. Also prevents some people on home detention from serving as jurors, and allows people aged over 65, the chronically ill or disabled to be permanently excused from jury duty.
Statutes Amendment Bill (No 2): range of minor or technical changes to several laws from allowing a Minister to authorise removal of contents of historic sites and monuments in Antarctica, increasing the maximum number of Railways Corporation directors from seven to nine, and allowing people who wish to marry overseas to get a certificate stating there is no legal impediment to the marriage.
* Second reading only:
Auditor Regulation and External Reporting Bill: tightens up regulations for auditors signing off on accounts of large companies, such as banks, insurance companies and stock-exchange listed companies. Govenment's response to concerns about the role auditors played in recent high profile company failures. Will not impact on audits of small and medium-sized companies.
* Committee stages only:
Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Bill: raises driving age to 16, zero alcohol limit for young drivers, tougher penalties for serious and repeat driving offenders, allows evidence to be collected from drivers with between 50 and 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml blood in fatal or serious injury crashes to be used in research of alcohol limits.
* Final reading and passing:
Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill: allows, as a last resort, copyright holders to apply for suspension of internet accounts of people who repeatedly download pirated material such as films or songs. Will not come into effect for two years.
