Iran war: Parliament preparing for hybrid sittings if fuel dries up

Thursday, 26 March 2026

Parliament is preparing for a return to a hybrid sitting model - stood up during the Covid-19 pandemic - if fuel supplies dry up.

Speaker Gerry Brownlee has asked the Clerk of the House to brief the Business Committee - a cross-party group of MPs that work collaboratively on how Parliament operates - on “options” if travel around the country becomes more difficult.

These options will be dependent on exactly what the Government puts forward in its fuel plan on Friday, Brownlee told The Post.

It’s not yet clear what the trigger point for any changes would be, but disruption to regional flights would impact many MPs.

Politicians travel to Wellington from all around the country for sitting weeks.

This involves flying into the capital at a time when the country’s national carrier Air New Zealand has already cut its domestic schedule in response to rising fuel prices caused by the war in Iran.

Clerk of the House David Wilson confirmed Parliament’s rules that allowed for a hybrid sitting model under Covid-19 alert levels were still in place.

The staff, know-how, and technical equipment were also ready to go if the Business Committee decided to change the sitting arrangements, he said.

“The standing orders still exist to allow that to happen and we still have the technical capability to do it. What it would take would be a decision of the Business Committee, which is cross-party and operates unanimously to get that going.”

Committee member and Green Party whip Ricardo Menéndez March said he wanted Parliament to have a concrete plan if the worst-case scenario eventuated.

“I’ve raised the need for us to have a plan to ensure that we're prepared, should we get to level two, three and four and regional flights are disrupted.”

Menéndez March said rural MPs would be disproportionately affected by travel disruption.

“Many workplaces will be cutting back on non-essential travel and Parliament should be doing the same.

“Ultimately, if we don't have a plan and regional flights start getting cancelled left, right and centre, this will massively prevent and disrupt MPs’, regional MPs in particular, ability to participate in Parliament and we don’t need to make that sacrifice.

“We've been through something similar before, where we have to set hybrid Parliament due to travel disruptions and change the leave provisions. I think MPs, staffers, and the public should have clarity over how Parliament will be operating.”

National whip Stuart Smith said MPs were maintaining a watching brief.

“This is a fast moving situation. We know we have fuel stocks, we know what they are and we will have time to react.

“Obviously everybody’s in the same boat … we’re just going to deal with what’s in front of us and right now we don’t need to do anything.”

Labour’s whip Kieran McAnulty said it was good Parliament could respond to the situation if it got worse.

“We’re conscious the provisions put in place during Covid-19 allow for remote participation.

“Obviously we hope we don’t get to that point but if we do it’s good to know there are provisions in place.”

McAnulty said in the meantime, Labour’s MPs were being mindful about what travel they did.

“Obviously our members still need to get to Parliament and there are legitimate things in our roles that require travel but there won’t be any additional travel outside core requirements of portfolios and constituency work.”

Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed at Monday's post-Cabinet briefing Parliament would likely have to update the Petroleum Demand Restraint Act to implement the Government’s National Fuel Plan.