The Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill is one of the most extreme extensions of executive power over the legislature in New Zealand’s history. The Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill has few protections against ministerial favouritism or caprice. It has few protections against misspending or incompetence. There is no protection of property rights. There is only a toothless Severe Weather Events Recovery Review Panel.

The Bill applies to almost all the North Island (except Wellington and Taranaki) – that is, the bulk of New Zealand’s population – for many years. Under section 19 it allows the executive to specify any Act for exemption, modification or extension.

The Bill will allow discretionary authority completely outside of statute and limits the ability of Parliament to do its job of holding the executive to account.

This Supplementary Order Paper is intended to provide a least a back stop to the abuse of executive powers being enabled by this Bill. It is modelled on the COVID-19 Public Health Response legislation (COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020, section 16), in which any order made under the Severe Weather Emergency legislation is automatically revoked after a period of time without explicit Parliamentary approval by resolution.