Opposition gets fairer share of committees

Opposition parties will chair more select committees in the new Parliament.

Select committees examine and amend laws, go over Government spending and can hold inquiries into any matters that concern them. Governments traditionally have dominated select committees, controlling the chair positions and usually holding a majority.

Now that committee membership is decided proportionally, based on numbers in Parliament, Prime Minister Helen Clark has agreed to divide the chairmanships among parties on a fairer basis as well.

"There will be more chairs going to the opposition parties. The final number is yet to be determined," she said.

There are 14 select committees and one - regulations review - has always traditionally been chaired by an opposition MP.

Helen Clark said it was "likely" that National would get more thanthe regulations committee and that other chairmanships would go to United Future and the Greens.

She did not specify any other parties such as New Zealand First or Act.

She acknowledged that the Government's lack of domination in the committees and Parliament would require careful management.

The Government will be relying on other parties - mainly the Greens and United Future - to pass legislation and to reduce delays in committees.

"That is why it is desirable for the Government to find as much common cause as it can on those matters with both United and the Greens, and both parties are clearly keen to work with us in a variety of ways," Helen Clark said.

In the last Parliament, the Greens chaired the local government and environment select committee, and the Alliance ran the education committee.

The last National Government gave United Future leader Peter Dunne chairmanship of the finance committee.

- NZPA

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