Speaker rules out foreign buyer amendment
Speaker Trevor Mallard has ruled out a Government amendment that attempted to give special favours to a particular
development.
“This is an extraordinary step. I’m told it’s the first time in a decade that a Speaker has ruled out a public bill
because it tried to do special favours for a particular group.
"It is symptomatic of what a ham-fisted piece of legislation the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill is.
"After 220 submissions on the Bill, the Government has carved out numerous exemptions.
“This kind of bad lawmaking belongs in third world countries, not New Zealand.
"The Speaker has said that the Bill will need to be re-printted.
ends