Memo tells of plans for Budget bills flood

By Vernon Small

political reporter

A leaked Government memo reveals that National is planning to ram through key policies under urgency on Budget night to clear the decks well before the November election.

Senior ministers are understood to be keen to get important and contentious laws passed quickly while National's minority partners are locked into the Budget confidence motion, just in case the election is held earlier.

But ministers also accept that National may run more as a "caretaker" government until the election once the Budget and attendant confidence vote are out of the way.
That ploy would give National's allies time to "brand"
themselves before the election without creating problems and divisions within the minority Government.

The memo obtained by the New Zealand Herald appears to have been initialled by Treasurer Bill Birch. It refers to a meeting between him and the Prime Minister which followed an earlier discussion between him, Deputy Prime Minister Wyatt Creech and the Leader of the House, Roger Sowry.

The memo shows Mrs Shipley indicating that Budget-night urgency and the confidence motion should include all bills directly related to the Budget "or which complete key elements of the Government's strategy and programme."

The memo says urgency on Budget night should include the eight bills directly related to the Budget, including amendments to Accident Insurance Act plus legislation "enabling price control of line function services" if a policy decision is made to go ahead with that.

The latter likely refers to law changes to impose price controls on electricity line companies, already flagged by the minister responsible for energy, Max Bradford.

The memo notes that the only item discussed at the meeting of the three ministers that would not be passed under urgency will be amendments to the Students Loan Scheme Act and the Education Act.

They do not meet the criteria because they are not part of the Budget and do not complete key elements of the Government's strategy and programme.

Mr Sowry, who is responsible for the legislative programme, yesterday confirmed that the memo had been written last week, "but things have moved several times since then."

He expected there would be Budget-night legislation, but final decisions had yet to be made and National's minority partners consulted. "It is a highly movable feast."

Asked about the leak, he said he was always worried when pieces of paper "found their way" out of ministers' offices.

"But this was a note from a meeting which has now been superseded. I'm not going to lie awake at night."

As part of the Government's plans to maximise media coverage, Mr Birch will release the Budget's slogan tomorrow - a full week before the document is presented.