Legal Beagle by Graeme Edgeler

Sorry about the footnotes :-)

"during various votes on the same-sex marriage legislation, where people watching from home (and, I understand, from overflow rooms in the Parliamentary precinct), spent several minutes watching a basically blank screen while elevator music was playing".

Our very own North Korea moment. I cannot see MPs' wanting to be seen, really seen, voting against equality, but I hope I am wrong.

Who introduced the Financial Veto into Standing Orders, Graeme? Was it Labour giving with one hand while taking with the other? Or is this odious concept a National creation?

Who introduced the Financial Veto into Standing Orders, Graeme? Was it Labour giving with one hand while taking with the other? Or is this odious concept a National creation?

Changes to Standing Orders are done by consensus, and usually by unanimity.

Something in the nature of the financial veto has always existed in New Zealand, and it's actually an improvement over what used to be there. Previously, Parliament couldn't even discuss money matters without the government agreeing. It can now discuss them, at least, it's just that I'd like this to go further.

Changes to Standing Orders are done by consensus, and usually by unanimity.

IOW, it's extremely unlikely that the current regime will acquiesce to the removal of the financial veto given that its existence has allowed them to nuke private members' bills that they find offensive.

Before MMP, the government always had a majority on every matter (except in the case of a rebellion by their own MPs) and the need to veto legislation would never arise.

In practice the removal of the financial veto would merely force minor government parties to explicitly kill off bills, and not let the Finance Minister carry the can. If I was English I'd be pretty happy to lose it.

Go Graeme. Good stuff.