Parliament is set for a bout of Urgency this week with the new Government seeking to implement its ‘100 Day Plan’, while
there is a chance the first Members Bill ballot of the year may be triggered.
An Urgency motion will be taken on Thursday after Question Time. This will follow Treasury releasing its Half Yearly
Economic and Fiscal Update and the Government’s Budget Policy statement earlier in the morning.
This will include costings for the new Government’s programme and more details of the proposed policies. The Urgency
motion will include the legislative aspects of this programme.
Amongst the policies are a boost for Working for Families, introduce a ‘Best Start’ payment for children in the first
three years of life, a Winter Energy Payment for superannuitants and those receiving a main benefit, restoring the
Independent Earner Tax Credit and committing to boosting the Accommodation Supplement. Alongside this will be the repeal
of the previous Government’s tax cuts which had been legislated for to take effect next year.
The Budget Policy Statement will further flesh out Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s fiscal and economic strategy as
well as the Budget 2018 process.
Robertson said: “The Government was formed early enough during the Treasury’s forecasting and HYEFU cycle – just – that
we were able include officials’ work on our 100 Day Plan costs into the Half Year Update.
“So the likes of our Families Package, Fees-Free Post-Secondary Education and Training, Paid Parental Leave, the $2
billion capital injection for KiwiBuild, and our plan to restart contributions to the New Zealand Super Fund, are all
included in the ‘base’ projections we’re starting from.
“These policies have been costed using Treasury’s normal process ahead of Budget announcements. Because of where the
election fell, and the ambition of our 100 Day Plan, we were able to incorporate them into the accounts and the Budget
process in December, rather than waiting for May to roll around.”
Today the Government intends to complete the first reading of the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit
Shifting) Bill. This was introduced last week and coverage is here.
The Government also wants to complete the third readings of the:
• Electronic Interactions Reform Bill
• Maritime Crimes Amendment Bill
• Maritime Transport Amendment Bill.
Wednesday will be a members’ day with MPs to debate the committee stage of the Rates Rebate (Retirement Village
Residents) Amendment Bill and the second reading of the Employment Relations (Allowing Higher Earners to Contract Out of
Personal Grievance Provisions) Amendment Bill.
If MPs complete the first reading debates of the Newborn Enrolment with General Practice Bill and Employment Relations
(Restoring Kiwis' Right to a Break at Work) Amendment Bill, then the first Members Bill ballot of this Parliament will
be triggered.