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MPs say they'd rather not be in Parliament

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Fri, 06 May 2011 9:33a.m.

If MPs don't want to spend time in Parliament, there's a simple solution (Pic: NZPA)

If MPs don't want to spend time in Parliament, there's a simple solution (Pic: NZPA)

MPs have poured cold water on a proposal for Parliament to sit for longer hours.

The Urgency Report, a New Zealand Law Foundation-funded submission presented to a parliamentary standing orders committee yesterday, included a survey showing a shortfall in the number of hours Parliament sat in comparison to other Commonwealth countries.

According to a survey, in 2008 Parliament sat for 486 hours, while Britain's House of Commons sat for 1188 and its House of Lords sat for 1010. Australia's House of Representatives sat for 639 hours.

"Even allowing for the fact that 2008 was an election year for New Zealand, the sitting hours for the House were at the lower end of the range," the report said.

"There is, therefore, a real issue that needs to be addressed as to whether the New Zealand House of Representatives ought to sit for longer hours."

Among the suggestions in the report were that Parliament sit on Fridays, that it sit for longer hours on current sitting days, and that there be less recess weeks.

However, the committee did not appear to welcome the suggestions, with Labour MP Rick Barker opposing in particular an idea that parliamentary committees run at the same time as the House was sitting.

Mr Barker said the strategy had been used before, but had caused problems when people needed to be in the House and in committees.

"It sounds attractive but our experience is that it doesn't work."

Mr Barker also said MPs did not want to spend more time in Wellington, and preferred to be spending time in their electorates doing other things.

"I would think it would be hard thing to get MPs to agree to more sitting hours on a Friday and so on," he said.

"In the early days they just didn't go home so the Fridays were no problem, but now they want to go home."

NZPA

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Comments

06 May 2011 02:38p.m.

cyril wrote:

What exactly do they do all day. It was like once Holmes did a "day in the life of Paul Homes" He got up at 4am and went to bed at 9pm but he did jack all day just stood round yacking to people and every now and then when called apon picked up a microphone and talked for a couple of minutes. Im a fisherman and my day starts at 4 or 5am and finishes anywhere from 9 to 11pm and on busy days may do 36 to 40 hours without sleep for which I make a bare living and get accused of raping the enviroment by green groups and stealing the amatuers recreational catch while putting food on your table.

06 May 2011 10:54a.m.

jj wrote:

So What James,In the paper mill in Kawerau fitters work around the clock to get the paper machines up and running again,not once a week but could happen 2-3 times a week,For much less than these over payed over rated kindergarten children get in Parliament,they sit there throwing crap at each other across the floor.You should try getting up at six start work at 8 then knock off at 8 am next day,you would not know what it is to do those hours,Take Surgeons the hours they work,for lot less than a politician,and dont get free cars,free meals,free flights on planes,have to be properly skilled for their job,Not like a MP just has to be able to cheat the system,spend up tax payers money without any guilt shown,Fight like chilren,They are nothing but money robbers,and give nothing in return to those people they are supposed to support,They are nothing but rich boys who have not done a good days work Physically,just sit on their back sides pushing pens.Read you and your buddies would not know what work was,even if you tripped over it.Yes cut the hours that MPS fight in Parliament,Get the Speaker of the house not to be one sided as seen on week days in Parliament on tv.One rule for all and not for just one party,just because he was a Nat member he is so bias towards other members of the house.And that is what Key wants,dirty politics.Because he is a spoiled heavy guarded lover boy,and loves to be seen on TV,does not matter where in the world he is,he just got too face the camera,some thing you dont see in any other parts of the world,as they act more responsible than this idiot we have in NZ,who is creating disharmony too the people of New Zealand.Truth may cause you to bleat nat supporters,but know of a fair few who supported national last elections but never again now Key and Brash have created dirty politics between them.

06 May 2011 10:34a.m.

Christine Johnstone wrote:

I just want to know what MPs really do, the one in my area doesn't even return calls. But if more hours mean they pass more bills without our knowledge, then maybe we should lessen the hours, and their wages and perks account

06 May 2011 09:54a.m.

James J.Read wrote:

Changing the hours parliament sits should not be done without careful thought.Clearly much work is done by M.Ps ouitside of parliament. Recently I spent a day with an M.P. On that occasion his day began at 5.30 A.M. in Auckland and ended in the Waikato at 9.00 P.M. This isn't typical I concede, but equally isn't particularly rare.