Canterbury earthquake law: Home by Christmas?

The controversial Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act can be repealed early, said the Green Party today.

The Act, heavily criticised by the Green Party during the urgent debate in Parliament, accorded sweeping powers to the Government to amend or suspend almost any piece of legislation in New Zealand through Order-in-Council (OIC).

Yesterday in the House, Earthquake Minister Gerry Brownlee said that he expected that all further OICs would be dealt with before the year’s end in a response to a question from Green Party Canterbury spokesperson Kennedy Graham.

Dr Graham welcomed this response: “I urge the Government to move purposefully and speedily to adopt all OICs by the end of November and repeal the Act in December. 

“We remain of the view that the Act was a constitutional anomaly and should not have been introduced into Parliament in its present form. 

“There could be no better Christmas present, not just for the people of Christchurch but for all New Zealanders, not least the constitutional experts who are rightly worried about the precedent this has set.

“If the Government is having any difficulty with repeal, I can help with a draft,” said Dr Graham.