The outcomes of a long week of lawmaking

It was a long and grinding week at Parliament. The government is running out of time to complete the vast agendas of its three coalition partners, so the government put parliament into urgency to stagger through 36 debating stages on 23 different bills - a gargantuan effort.

For MPs, daily debating began at breakfast and ended at midnight, and continued well into Saturday, but also consider the precinct staff, who arrive before and depart after the MPs lest the heating fail or the lights go out. The overtime bill for a week of urgency like this must begin to add up.

Of the 23 bills debated, below are brief descriptions of the ten bills that were finalised and will become law after Royal assent. Also, six brand new bills beginning their legislative journey which are open (or are soon to open) for public feedback.

Ten laws finalised during this week's urgency

The Antisocial Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill aims to deter (or at least punish) what the government describes as antisocial road use. It creates a new "frightening or intimidating convoy" offence, allows the impoundment and even destruction of vehicles for a range of offences, and creates fines for excessive noise including from mounted speakers.

The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill has been highly contentious. It reworks health and safety laws for workers, in a desire to minimise compliance costs for employers. For smaller companies (fewer than 21 employees), the new focus of requirements is on critical risks - things at the death and dismemberment end of the injury scale. While the bill has passed all readings, New Zealand First forced a delay in implementation until November, which may keep it from being an election issue.

The Offshore Renewable Energy Bill describes itself as proposing "a framework for selecting and managing commercial offshore renewable energy developments - from permitting to decommissioning." The bill is not contentious, and has been in development for a long period.

The Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill is contentious. The select committee report on the bill described it as revising "the purpose, functions, and governance and monitoring arrangements of Health New Zealand". Within that scope, it requires from health staff the level of political neutrality currently required of public servants (which could stop medical staff from being able to complain about policy and outcomes). It also reduces Treaty obligations, removes the Health Charter and reduces the number of health strategies, but sets numerical targets into law.

The Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill is an omnibus bill, making changes to 19 different laws that relate to primary industries. Laws that cover things as varied as rural walking access and biosecurity. According to the minister, the bill includes more than 250 substantive changes. The changes are mostly administrative though and the bill is not contentious.

Regulatory Systems (Tribunals) Amendment Bill and the Regulatory Systems (Occupational Regulation) Amendment Bill are associated bills partly debated together that tweak laws related to the regulation of real estate agents, conveyancing lawyers, and tribunals.

The Mental Health Bill replaces the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992, which set out when people could be subjected to compulsory psychiatric assessment and treatment and provided for their rights. The new bill aims that compulsory treatment will be the least restrictive application possible to achieve a therapeutic purpose while being both supportive and responsive. Wording choices can indicate intent, and in this bill a 'patient' becomes a 'person under compulsory care'.

The Plain Language Act Repeal Bill repeals the Plain Language Act which sought to mandate state agencies to use accessible language in their public communications.

The Constitution Amendment Bill sounds monumental, but is not. This bill is about transitions between governments. It makes small fixes to laws that relate to the odd, interregnum period between an election (when a government becomes only a caretaker government) and the creation of a new government.

New bills sent to Select Committee this week

The Building Amendment Bill makes a wide array of changes that aim to make building faster, cheaper and more efficient. This includes things like a 10-day turnaround for council approval of roof solar panels, easier off-site construction of small dwellings, and proportionate liability for defective building work.

The Climate Change (Tort Liability) Amendment Bill is contentious. In what has become a theme recently, it kills a court action, creating a prohibition against the legal action of arguing liability against climate-change related emitters. If passed this bill would also rule out the current Mike Smith court action.

The Community Magistrates Legislation Amendment Bill, expands the powers of community magistrates, with the intention of easing pressure on judges.

The Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill changes aspects of government environmental reporting, including shifting the overarching State of the Environment reports from triennial to every six years.

The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Amendment Bill is likely to be contentious. It seeks to "align health workforce regulation with patient needs, health system policy, and Government priorities." The roadhump is likely to be the third of that trio of motivations.

In the bill's description it acknowledges that "current regulation has been effective in ensuring high standards for practitioners" but that regulators being "independent" and "siloed" might inhibit the health system in the future. Therefore, this bill enables "the Minister of Health to direct [health practitioner] authorities to give effect to a Government policy that relates to their functions.

As an example, directions could relate to relevant policies, administrative processes, or procedures of a responsible authority."

The Regulatory Systems (Social Security) Amendment Bill (No 2) makes a wide range of small administrative changes to various welfare and benefits systems.

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