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  • Engage-in-Brief: 22 April 2025

Engage-in-Brief: 22 April 2025

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Holly Bennett
April 22, 2025

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TWO TRICKS TO TRY

If you’re ever watching Parliament or reading a select committee report, you might come across a word or phrase that you don’t recognise. That’s because Parliament uses a lot of obscure terms that are hard to get your head around. Thankfully, Parliament’s website has a very handy glossary! So if you’re wondering about a whip or are baffled by a bar number, Parliament’s glossary should be your first stop.

Once a select committee has finished considering a bill, it will usually recommend a number of amendments (changes) in the report. But this isn’t the only way a bill can be changed before it becomes a law. After a bill’s second reading, any MP can propose a change to the bill by proposing an amendment to be considered during the Committee of the Whole House stage. They can do this in advance, by lodging their amendment with the Clerk’s office, or by tabling six copies of their proposed amendment during the debate at the Committee stage. Take a look at some of the recently published Amendment Papers to see how bills can change, even after a select committee has finished their work.

ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Sometimes called the Powerhouse of Parliament, the Select Committee system is one of the primary ways the public can have their say on the work that Parliament does. Most people know what submitting to a select committee looks like, but what happens when committees meet in private is less well understood.

The Justice Committee’s report on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill gives a fascinating insight into a committee’s decision-making process. The report includes an appendix listing every decision made by the committee during its consideration of the bill. Committees don’t usually do this, so it’s a unique glimpse at the sorts of decisions that get made during the Select Committee process.

Text reads "Resolved, That the following process for selecting submitters be set down for confirmation at the meeting on Thursday, 30 January 2025, to enable members to consult caucus colleagues if they wish to do so: • Each party would nominate up to 100 names of submitters they would like the committee to invite to make oral submissions. • The deadline for submitting lists would be 5.00pm on Monday, 3 February 2025. • The chairperson and Hon Dr Duncan Webb would be authorised to determine a list of submitters to fill the remaining 70 hours of hearing time (list A) and a list of submitters to call on to fill gaps left by submitters not responding, declining the invitation, or cancelling a scheduled slot (list B). • Parties could differentiate between list A and list B nominations, which the chairperson and Hon Dr Duncan Webb would take into account in determining the lists. • The chairperson and Hon Dr Duncan Webb would aim to ensure that the distribution of invitees between parties is equitable, noting the possibility of overlap between parties’ nominations. "

This excerpt shows how the committee decided (or “resolved”) to invite submitters to make oral submissions. It’s a good example of how collaborative many committee processes are, as the committee works to make sure that all sides get to have their say.

Other resolutions covered how the committee treated form submissions, what to do with late submissions or extension requests, and even which swear words they weren’t willing to accept in written submissions!

These are just a few examples, but it’s worth your time to read the entire list — understanding how committees make decisions, and some of the ways that they can interact with committee members, officials, and submitters, can help make your own engagement with them far more effective.

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FROM OUR TAUIRA

I walked away with practical tips for engaging with and influencing different levels of Government and some great ideas on how to use Government Relations as part of client communications and engagement strategies

Participant from an Engage GR Taster® course.

ONE FUNNY THING

This week’s fun moment comes from Hon Matt Doocey, Associate Health Minister, during the Annual Review Debate on the Health Sector.

Just because you’re the Minister of Health, it doesn’t mean you can escape a little good-natured ribbing from your colleagues on your birthday.

(And if you’d like to learn more about the Annual Review debates, don’t miss the next edition of Engage-in-Brief, where we’ll tell you what you need to know about them!)

That’s it for another edition of Engage-in-Brief. Remember, you have a voice and you can use it. If you need training to support your advocacy efforts simply reply to this email. And if you try out one of this week’s tricks, let us know about it!

Mauri ora!

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