Sep 16, 2026 · 5 min · 5 segments
This week's first completed bill was enabling legislation for the India Free Trade Agreement. A bill that split the coalition and made for odd pairings. *\*RNZ’s The House, with insights into…
Louis CollinsHost
This week, Parliament is sitting all day, every day, under urgency, from breakfast until midnight, as the government tries to cram in a few extra bills and complete some unfinished legislation before Parliament is dissolved for the election.
It feels a little bit like a student studying hard on the way into the exam room.
I say a few extra bills, but the aim this week is to take 18 bills through 37 stages of debate.
Because this week's urgency motion begins with the more contentious topics, the pace is slow and not much has been completed thus far.
By the end of the first full day of urgency, the only bill completed was enabling legislation for the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement, an agreement that split the coalition with New Zealand First in opposition to it.
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This week, Parliament is sitting all day, every day, under urgency, from breakfast until midnight, as the government tries to cram in a few extra bills and complete some unfinished legislation before Parliament is dissolved for the election.
It feels a little bit like a student studying hard on the way into the exam room.
I say a few extra bills, but the aim this week is to take 18 bills through 37 stages of debate.
Because this week's urgency motion begins with the more contentious topics, the pace is slow and not much has been completed thus far.
By the end of the first full day of urgency, the only bill completed was enabling legislation for the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement, an agreement that split the coalition with New Zealand First in opposition to it.
