SPECIAL REPORT: COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTS' RESPONSES TO COVID-19
NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT: SETTING UP THE EPIDEMIC RESPONSE COMMITTEE TO SCRUTINISE THE EXECUTIVE’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 As the global COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, different Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures have been coming up with solutions to ensure that democracy continues. The Parliament of New Zealand swiftly established the Epidemic Response Committee on 25 March 2020 to consider and report to the House on matters relating to the New Zealand Government’s management of the COVID-19 epidemic. The Epidemic Response Committee is a Select Committee of the 52nd New Zealand Parliament and it is chaired by Hon. Simon Bridges, MP, the Leader of the Opposition with Michael Woodhouse, MP, the Opposition Health spokesperson designated as Deputy Chair. The Committee has eleven Members and other members are made up from the various parties represented in the New Zealand Parliament. The Committee meets via online platform Zoom. Original concept • Enable the New Zealand Parliament and Parliamentarians to stay in the picture regarding the New Zealand Government’s actions and responses to the pandemic and to reinforce the accountability of the Executive to the Legislature. • To provide an avenue for continued questions and Ministerial statements on the current pandemic when the House was not able to sit. • To provide a way to address the practical difficulties of having virtual sittings of the whole House, as it is easier and quicker for Select Committees to move to meeting remotely and more frequently. Background Many Committees at the New Zealand Parliament were already using an online platform (Zoom) widely for hearing evidence from witnesses and submitters, where they would have previously travelled to attend in person. This was mainly using the webinar function of Zoom that enabled staff to control who was in a waiting room and who was promoted to a panellist to speak to Committees. The hearings were already being live streamed to the New Zealand Parliament’s social media and many MPs and parliamentary staff were already familiar with Zoom as a platform. Establishment process was unanimous The establishment of the Epidemic Response Committee was largely unanimous. It was proposed by the Clerk of the House, and
so had an apolitical genesis. The New Zealand Government widely acknowledged that it needed to be scrutinised and following crossparty agreement and negotiations at the Business Committee in Parliament, the Epidemic Response Committee was established. The result of this approach meant that there is constructive response and buy-in from both Members and from the wider public. Membership Following discussion, it was decided that the Epidemic Response Committee would be chaired by the Leader of the Opposition and that the membership of the Committee would also have an Opposition majority, in recognition of the heightened Executive powers of the New Zealand Government during the current crisis. All political parties have taken a constructive approach to the Committee and, with all parties represented and with an Opposition majority, it has been the Chairperson that has made key decisions about who the Select Committee will invite, who it will hear from and when, exercising powers given to all Committee Chairs in the New Zealand Parliament’s Standing Orders to invite witnesses on behalf of the Committee. Broad remit All of the subject specific Select Committees in the New Zealand Parliament have terms of reference codified in the Standing Orders. However, the Epidemic Response Committee does not, nor are there any in the motion establishing the Committee. The broad remit of the Committee is not limited to just the health or economic response, and so the Epidemic Response Committee could consider anything relevant to the epidemic (for example, the Committee has been considering how to re-establish sports activities and events). It has established an inquiry into the Government response to COVID-19 as the vehicle to conduct its business. Power to call for persons, papers and records Only the New Zealand Parliament’s Privileges Committee has the power to call for persons, papers and records by right, however, this has also been accorded to the Epidemic Response Committee. This is unusual - any other Select Committee that wanted to summon a person to attend or produce documents has to go through the Speaker - and it signals the House’s intention for the
Luke Harris
is the Hansard Editor at the Parliament of New Zealand. He is also a regular contributor to The Parliamentarian’s Third Reading reports.
112 | The Parliamentarian | 2020: Issue Two | 100 years of publishing 1920-2020
