United Future cries foul over Families Commission legislation

United Future leader Peter Dunne today accused four political parties of pulling a "stunt" on people who made submissions on legislation to set up a Families Commission.

The views of the 58 submitters to the legislation had been ignored and they deserved an apology, Mr Dunne said.

The unchanged Families Commission Bill is back on Parliament's agenda after being discharged by the social services select committee when MPs could not agree to issue a report on the bill.

National, ACT, New Zealand First and the Greens, who oppose the legislation, voted together to stop a report on the bill going ahead.

Mr Dunne said the submitters had been "completely ignored because of an unprecedented stunt by National, ACT, NZ First and the Greens".

However, ACT MP Muriel Newman, who is deputy chairwoman of the committee, said the opposition parties had simply voted against legislation they did not like.

Chairwoman Georgina Beyer said the Government did not have a majority on the committee. The report on the bill was stopped because the vote was tied.

Usually, a committee's report and changes are included in a new version of the bill before it goes back to Parliament. Parties often issue minority reports when they oppose the legislation.

Dr Newman said the move was not unprecedented; it had happened to about three other bills since she had been a MP.

The Families Commission, which will cost about $28 million to set up, is part of United Future's support agreement with the Government.

Mr Dunne today said he had written to the submitters to extend his sympathy for the "insult" delivered by the four political parties.

"Never in my time in Parliament have submitters on any piece of legislation been treated with such disdain....

"It was a total abuse of the democratic process and an arrogant disregard for each and every submitter, many of whom came from all over New Zealand at considerable cost and effort to make oral submissions," he said.

However, Ms Beyer and Dr Newman said the submitters had not been ignored.

MPs had thoroughly considered their submissions, they said.

It was still possible the minister in charge, or other MPs, could make changes to the bill as it progressed through Parliament.

"The only difference is that United won't be able to crow about how it got all these changes through in its bill in a select committee report which is tabled in Parliament," Dr Newman said.

- NZPA