"\u003C!DOCTYPE html\u003E\u003Chtml xmlns:xlink=\u0022http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\u0022 xmlns:xsi=\u0022http://www.w3.org/2007/XMLSchema-instance\u0022 xmlns:mml=\u0022http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Chead\u003E\n    \u003CMETA http-equiv=\u0022Content-Type\u0022 content=\u0022text/html; charset=utf-16\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cmeta name=\u0022viewport\u0022 content=\u0022width=device-width, initial-scale=1\u0022\u003E\n  \u003C/head\u003E\n  \u003Cbody style=\u0022font-family:sans-serif; font-size:100%;\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00225e2338eaf13144669e1e3216d2aefe1d\u0022\u003EThursday, 6 August 2009\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229c5e8a12109f445f8e1412499a504c79\u0022\u003EThursday, 6 August 2009\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000002\u0022\u003EMr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022592f74bd963b44a6af07068f05e9f192\u0022\u003EVisitors\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b4500294f6bd4c9783b74c329975dbce\u0022\u003EMalaysia, Federation\u2014Parliamentary Delegation, House of Representatives\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022 data-id=\u002255d503e25fe24951b4b4d8f72dd1338f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002255d503e25fe24951b4b4d8f72dd1338f\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have much pleasure in informing the House that a parliamentary delegation from the House of Representatives of the Federation of Malaysia, led by the Hon Datuk Ronald Kiandee, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, is present in the gallery. I am sure members would wish that the delegation be welcomed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022488f9a59d1234f838311f5b789330529\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ee2b9679ed8d49aba331fa79817845df\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022bb1e8d42836f41b2b9460e7c00d8c38b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bb1e8d42836f41b2b9460e7c00d8c38b\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E At the conclusion of business today, the House will adjourn for 1 week. When we resume on Tuesday, 18 August it is the Government\u2019s intention to complete the estimates debate and make progress on the first readings of bills on the Order Paper. Wednesday, 19 August will be a members\u2019 day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u0022161a6ede22c5452ea08ed4e100bf15eb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022161a6ede22c5452ea08ed4e100bf15eb\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I wonder whether the Leader of the House could let us know when he expects the Immigration Bill to actually be brought to the floor of the House. He has mentioned it in several business statements and has signalled that it was the Government\u2019s intention to progress that legislation, but it does not appear to have made its way here to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022657cc896e35e4af29614f65140fe5ed1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022657cc896e35e4af29614f65140fe5ed1\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E It is, of course, the Government\u2019s intention to progress that bill. I did not mention it in today\u2019s business statement, but the Government, as always, is open to cooperation from the Opposition to advance these matters. If the shadow Leader of the House wishes to approach me to accommodate such a move, then of course there will be discussions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022bc064ab285da4d639f7e99e0bf31a83b\u0022\u003EMotions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022311109c2f5a346beababdab8481a1d01\u0022\u003ETonga\u2014Sinking of Ferry Princess Ashika\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u0022417d9cf3dfea402d87001479d86f2f27\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022417d9cf3dfea402d87001479d86f2f27\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E I seek leave to move a motion without notice relating to the tragedy in Tonga.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f3513c541a99474795318b0ca26429bf\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to that course being followed? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3b8195ce1704415a01f169479fde648\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That this Parliament express its sympathy and concern to the people of Tonga as search and rescue efforts continue following an overnight ferry sinking. The ferry, the Princess Ashika, was sailing for the Ha\u2018apai group of islands in northern Tonga when it sank earlier today. An estimated 82 passengers and crew were on board. The cause of the sinking is not yet known. Rescuers so far have found 56 survivors. Two Orions, a Tongan Navy vessel, and other ships are searching the area for those missing, although the exact number of people on the ferry has not been confirmed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ENew Zealand shares a close and longstanding relationship with Tonga, and a delegation of New Zealanders, led by the Prime Minister, visited Tonga only last month. We are offering our full support to Tonga following this tragic event. Two RNZAF Orions are assisting with the search for survivors, and the New Zealand authorities are in close touch with Tongan officials in case further support can be provided. New Zealand\u2019s Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington is coordinating the search, which is centred about 86 kilometres off Tonga\u2019s capital, Nuku\u2018alofa. New Zealand officials will also help provide any support that may be required to maintain interim services following the loss of the vessel.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EWe are deeply concerned about those still missing, but we are informed that the rescue conditions are good, and our hopes remain high that more survivors will be found. At this difficult time our hearts go out to those in Tonga dealing directly with this tragedy, but also to the members of our own large and respected Tongan community in New Zealand, who will be deeply concerned.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d4506109-be18-4b9d-9a79-1e15e2e2cd41\u0022 data-id=\u0022323f1249006540fca6dde878adaf1e3f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d4506109-be18-4b9d-9a79-1e15e2e2cd41\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022323f1249006540fca6dde878adaf1e3f\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS CARTER (Labour\u2014Te Atat\u016B):\u003C/span\u003E On behalf of the Labour Party I rise to support the Government\u2019s motion, that the hearts, minds, and the helping hands of New Zealanders go out to Tonga at this difficult time. We in the Labour Party are delighted that the Government has sent two Orion search aircraft to the area of northern Tonga, near Nomuka Island where the 26 people who are still missing are being searched for. We are delighted that New Zealand is able to also assist through the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand here in Wellington, which is coordinating the search for those missing people. We are also very pleased that Prime Minister Key spoke to Hon Dr Fred Sevele, the Tongan Prime Minister, in Cairns just a short time ago, expressing the sympathy and support of all New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d4506109-be18-4b9d-9a79-1e15e2e2cd41\u0022\u003EWe have a large and very respected Tongan community in New Zealand, and there will be Tongan Kiwis who have family connections to some of the people who are missing at the moment, lost at sea. They have been lost at sea for over 14 hours now, so this is an extraordinarily concerning time for the families and friends of those who are still missing. I am sure I speak on behalf of all New Zealanders when I say \u2018oku faka folau atu \u2018emau lotu mo \u2018emau \u2018ofa lolotonga \u2018a e taimi faingata\u2018a ko eni.\u201D In the Tongan language that means: \u201COur hearts are with you at this difficult time.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022 data-id=\u0022f60b1b35a36d487db6d6bb633349e9ca\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f60b1b35a36d487db6d6bb633349e9ca\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E I stand on behalf of the Green Party. The Green Party wishes to express its sorrow for those who may have lost their lives. We wish to express our sympathy to their families and to the extended Tongan community in New Zealand, whose members are no doubt feeling strongly about the tragedy. We also wish to express our hope\u2014our hope that those who are still missing are found and rescued quickly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022 data-id=\u0022fad3c78f4b44417893c66c6e9a9d09a6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fad3c78f4b44417893c66c6e9a9d09a6\u0022\u003EHon HEATHER ROY (Deputy Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I stand on behalf of the ACT Party to support the Government\u2019s motion, and, along with other parties, to express our concern about this tragedy that has taken place, and to extend it to those who are involved in the sinking of the Princess Ashika off the coast of Tonga just before 11 o\u2019clock last night. Twenty-six people, I understand, are still unaccounted for, with around 42 people having been rescued from life rafts. The New Zealand Maritime Operations Centre picked up the mayday call late last night, soon after it was released, and the New Zealand Defence Force has sent two Orions, as has been mentioned. The first was deployed from Whenuapai just after 2.30 a.m. this morning, after a request from the Rescue Coordination Centre, and the second Orion departed early this morning to relieve the first Orion\u2019s efforts. New Zealand\u2019s search and rescue obligations cover a huge part of the South Pacific, and Tonga is of course part of the area that we are responsible for. The ACT Party joins other parties in this House in saying our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to the Tongans and to the Tongan community here in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022 data-id=\u00220c3aa6dc4fe240a4a7194985272d4156\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220c3aa6dc4fe240a4a7194985272d4156\u0022\u003EHon TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader\u2014M\u0101ori Party):\u003C/span\u003E \u2018Oku oatu \u2018ku \u2018ofa ki he kakai tonga kotoa pe he faingata\u2018a kuo hoko. I greet the people of Tonga on this sad day. Kei te p\u014Duri te ng\u0101kau i t\u0113nei w\u0101. The M\u0101ori Party stands with all other parties to express our sympathies for the families who are grieving today after the tragedy that took place last night in the waters of the Pacific. Our connections as tangata w\u2019enua with the peoples of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa bind us together in times of happiness and in times of sadness. We think of those families with loved ones still missing and we offer our prayers. We also acknowledge the efforts of the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the maritime radio team, who have worked so valiantly to restore calm in this time of distress. Your courage in times of crisis will be remembered. May God bless you all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f555a23a-d230-4f03-80ba-a44e6ec8bd29\u0022 data-id=\u0022c6cd1c546cc04b1a9c6717bea2320dc3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f555a23a-d230-4f03-80ba-a44e6ec8bd29\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c6cd1c546cc04b1a9c6717bea2320dc3\u0022\u003EHon PETER DUNNE (Leader\u2014United Future):\u003C/span\u003E Yesterday a ferry that had recently been refitted set sail on a routine voyage between two of the islands in Tonga. Today we woke to the news of that ferry\u2019s sinking, with some 82 people on board, and already 26 unaccounted for. The enormity of that potential tragedy comes home to us when we reflect on how mundane the circumstances were\u2014a routine journey with those adverse consequences. Like others my heart goes out to the people of Tonga, and to the Tongan community in New Zealand, as they come to grips with the loss and the awful period of anxiety as they wait for the news of loved ones who may be at risk. My hope is that the good news of the fact that no corpses or wreckage have yet been found bodes well in terms of the survivors who are still unaccounted for. I acknowledge the work of our defence forces and the Rescue Coordination Centre in overseeing this exercise, and I hope it comes to a successful conclusion for the benefit of all concerned.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f555a23a-d230-4f03-80ba-a44e6ec8bd29\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022164c9aacdee5401bae5a180e2d6f7730\u0022\u003EQuestions for Oral Answer\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228ff7bb2fe7834980942b7e16a04b5392\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228e31d7638fbb481ca6af2328b57e89b6\u0022\u003EEconomy\u2014Reports\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fbe3f87c-849c-4eee-84cc-119edeb1a681\u0022\u003E1.\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1c00046fcdf4e4a8e11300cc988b8a6\u0022\u003E AARON GILMORE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he received on the economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u0022a4c703c32d114569bcc4b0227ac3faf9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a4c703c32d114569bcc4b0227ac3faf9\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I have seen today\u2019s household labour force survey, which puts our unemployment rate at 6 percent. This represents a 1 percent rise from 30 March and is the largest quarterly rise since 1988. It is slightly higher than predicted, but not a surprise, given that we are in the midst of the largest global recession since the 1930s. One of the reasons for the higher than expected figure is the larger than usual number of people who joined the workforce in the June quarter. These figures should make it clear there can be no complacency about what will be required to turn this economy round to provide new jobs for all those people who have lost jobs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fbe3f87c-849c-4eee-84cc-119edeb1a681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a2e4b03621c14154a80bec474a66b4ba\u0022\u003EAaron Gilmore\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has the Minister seen on business and consumer confidence?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ab40ff1c84e423fb1437f08240c2afa\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The best thing for people who have lost a job is the hope they can get another one. As it happens, forward-looking indicators such as business and consumer confidence have improved over the last 6 months. The basic picture is that the economy shows signs of stabilising, and we are hoping that it will start to grow again towards the end of this year and into the beginning of next year, after a recession that has lasted about 18 months. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f67b69b9a63f4c5cbfeb577736d52f8f\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister tell the House which other countries have recently recorded the highest quarterly increase in unemployment in 21 years, and can he now confirm that New Zealand\u2019s unemployment rate has skyrocketed to exceed that of Australia\u2019s?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228cad350d10594806b7e0b22524e54f9a\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I cannot actually tell the member which other countries. It is unlikely there will be many, because New Zealand is the only country that was already in a recession, caused by the economic mismanagement of his Government, followed by a global recession. That is why we are doing everything we can to turn the economy round, after a decade of mismanagement, so that people who lost their jobs can get another job.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fbe3f87c-849c-4eee-84cc-119edeb1a681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222bb4618b6c79407e9cc4ebb878ed7efd\u0022\u003EAaron Gilmore\u003C/span\u003E: What steps is the Government taking to support jobs?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f7a08a115a54222adb715ac5fce2bdf\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The most direct impact is that the Government is, over the next 4 years, borrowing $40 billion to pump into the economy in the form of investment in infrastructure, preserving existing entitlements, and maintaining public services through the bottom of a recession. That $40 billion will also finance packages such as the $152 million youth unemployment package, which will provide 17,000 jobs and training opportunities for young people over the next 18 months.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022819fd6055d7e4e61b0f72333b666f8fb\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Minister now concede that his Government, to use his own words, \u201Cwas too complacent;\u201D \u201Cdid not do enough, early enough\u201D; and \u201Cdid not take the real sharp edges off unemployment\u201D; if not, when can New Zealanders expect to see this Government\u2019s economic plan return New Zealand to growth?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226185181364cb46f7b6a53af1e872a306\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: No, I do not accept that. The 2009 Budget, as I have just said, laid out a track whereby the Government is borrowing $40 billion over the next few years to pump into the economy\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a83a441e90b446aa3401d74cf68b9a9\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s 3.5 percent stimulus, down from 5.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002249fd7ebf7cea411bbd2bf1d84f013b42\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, it is one of the more significant stimulus packages in the developed world. Alongside that, the Government has initiated a rolling maul of programmes that are supporting people who were made redundant, and providing jobs for people through the insulation scheme and, more recently, the Job Ops scheme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fbe3f87c-849c-4eee-84cc-119edeb1a681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229e0a4c68af06496eac122130919886e8\u0022\u003EAaron Gilmore\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has he seen on business\u2019s approach to employment during the recession?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4acfd49de93403896bd4103b3a2a8be\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: We have been pleased to see that the quarterly employment survey released this week backs up the anecdotal evidence that many employers are working as hard as they can to keep people on. For instance, a survey released this week suggests that many employers are choosing to reduce employees\u2019 work hours and keep wage rises static, rather than lay off staff, and the Government has supported this flexible approach through its innovative 9-day fortnight scheme. It is worth noting that even at the new level of unemployment announced today, unemployment in New Zealand is lower than in the US, Europe, and the UK.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b77f310b85b84fa48411c6dc874be982\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 1 to Minister, 4 August\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022 data-id=\u0022bece678537014bad903f2dd10a674b9a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bece678537014bad903f2dd10a674b9a\u0022\u003EDAVID GARRETT (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I seek your assistance with regard to a supplementary question I asked on Tuesday of the Minister for Climate Change Issues. His answer was that the figures I sought were to be found in the regulatory impact statement on the original emissions trading scheme legislation. I have looked carefully through that regulatory impact statement, and I am unable to find such figures. I respectfully draw your attention to Speaker\u2019s ruling 167/7, which, as I read it, states that if a Minister is in error he or she should correct that error at the earliest opportunity, which should be at the beginning of question time. I wonder whether I have missed something or whether the Minister would like to comment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a717bef4983e42baac12a6d501c14566\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have made it very clear to members that they should not litigate Ministers\u2019 answers by way of points of order. If the member believes that the Minister was in error in that answer, the member has the chance to ask further questions about it or to take it up directly with the Minister, but he should not do it by way of a point of order. If he believes that the matter is serious enough, if he believes that the Minister has misled the House, he can write to me about it. But he should not try to litigate it by way of a point of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022 data-id=\u002286f34045e76e4a25ae3e8336fc726a05\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002286f34045e76e4a25ae3e8336fc726a05\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I accept your point, but smaller parties like the Green Party, the ACT Party, and the M\u0101ori Party do not have the opportunity that other parties have to ask large numbers of questions. We have, for example, two questions today, and if an answer is wrong, we have only one or two opportunities to fix it. My understanding is that the Minister\u2019s office accepts that the answer on Tuesday was not correct. We are asking for clear guidance so that we can ask a proper supplementary question today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u002275ee4cd9f0e64494aea03366be0b9d65\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002275ee4cd9f0e64494aea03366be0b9d65\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I am familiar with the documents to which the ACT member has referred. A reading of them makes it absolutely clear that the emissions trading scheme has significantly reduced deforestation already.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a739ffa9daf4f45a20a8b15fd2094b0\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member must resume his seat! What does one do about that! The member knows that that was not a point of order, and he is very lucky that I was preoccupied with thinking about the matter. Be that as it may, let me come back to the fundamental issue raised. I accept the point the Hon Rodney Hide makes. It is more difficult for smaller parties, because they have limited numbers of supplementary questions, but the answer is a matter for the member and the Minister. If the Minister is in error, then that is a matter for the Minister to rectify. The member can follow it up with the Minister, but he should not seek to litigate the answer by way of a point of order. If there is a problem with the answer, he can follow it up with the Minister. If in fact the Minister\u2019s answer was in error, I am sure the Minister would seek to correct it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229951c7763383471898e45e2f60d4d559\u0022\u003EGreenhouse Gas Reduction\u20142020 Target\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f179ae06c0374387a5b4f4f0644e8030\u0022\u003EJEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: Will New Zealand\u2019s climate change target take into account the call from Pacific Island leaders for a 45 percent cut by 2020?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u0022935a2246cb654b8781d16f7b46c76737\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022935a2246cb654b8781d16f7b46c76737\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Climate Change Issues):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. The Government recognises that climate change poses a particular threat to our Pacific Island neighbours. It is one of many factors that we will take into account in considering our 2020 commitment. I also note, though, that it is a lot easier for those countries to call for very large reductions when they are not proposing any binding commitments for reductions themselves.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e04764a8d43482498521db773465d96\u0022\u003EJeanette Fitzsimons\u003C/span\u003E: How will the Minister explain to Pacific Island people that we cannot help them to avoid a climate change catastrophe, because we are not willing to save 4.25 million tonnes of emissions in 2020 by replacing two old coal and gas power plants with renewables that are cost-effective, according to the Electricity Commission\u2019s statement of opportunities?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ca0b4fc8e4ad476e8c4ebc3002e23524\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I am advised that for New Zealand to move to 100 percent renewables, those who are promoting minus 40 percent\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dd556f6077da443e9fc72651201b097e\u0022\u003EDr Russel Norman\u003C/span\u003E: Ninety percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222ec9e352a3034bb08513a6af8008af6c\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: No, the members interject, but if they read the pamphlet that has been put out by the Sign On campaign they will see that it very specifically states that it is about a move to 100 percent renewables. My advice is that that move would cost $17.5 billion. It would require the building of the equivalent of seven Clyde Dams in just 10 years. I do not think that is achievable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022390f1ed6efbe4cf096878d98d52c4a00\u0022\u003EJeanette Fitzsimons\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was about two power stations. The Greens have no responsibility whatever for the Sign On campaign; we did not initiate it. I asked the Minister a question about two power stations for which substituting renewables is cost-effective, and he has chosen not to answer that question in any way at all but to talk about a mythical 100 percent target, which is nothing to do with us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f23a4a99181042a78c6daaa4fbdf27b5\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: My dilemma is that the Minister clearly interpreted the member\u2019s question to mean what he included in his answer. The member has several more supplementary questions with which to chase up that matter with the Minister. I will listen very carefully to his answers to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f5a9510dd1404cc38700403d95f094cf\u0022\u003EJeanette Fitzsimons\u003C/span\u003E: How will the Minister explain to Scotland, which has offered a target of a 42 percent reduction, that we cannot join it, because we are not willing to save 3 million tonnes of emissions a year in 2020 by improving the fuel economy of our vehicles to something a bit more like Scotland\u2019s?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef138117c4694ab682222b543f3afda4\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The member needs to take care in mentioning countries like Scotland, because the significance is that the Scottish Parliament itself has responsibility for only 30 percent of Scotland\u2019s emissions. The bulk of Scotland\u2019s emissions are actually reported as part of the overall United Kingdom\u2019s. So when the Scots talk about a 42 percent reduction in emissions from Scotland, that number is not for all of the emissions from Scotland but just a portion of them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a0674e191fc4a13acce315637735eac\u0022\u003ENicky Wagner\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister aware of the 2020 target announced this week by South Korea, and what implications does it have for international negotiations?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002263470be4f31f45999a9c60a0ab319ba8\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: It is a positive development that South Korea has announced a 2020 emissions reduction target, ranging from minus 4 percent to plus 8 percent relative to 2005 levels. The significance is that South Korea is one of the first non - annex 1 countries to indicate a willingness to take on commitments, which is good news. I note, however, that the equivalent to those targets for New Zealand on a business-as-usual basis, the same reduction, would be plus 7 to plus 19 percent relative to 1990 levels for New Zealand. The New Zealand Government is not contemplating a target above the 1990 levels, despite our GDP per capita being comparable to that of South Korea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226aa4b088baf644c69a02067ac4fc5378\u0022\u003EJeanette Fitzsimons\u003C/span\u003E: How will the Minister explain to the UK, which incorporates Scotland and has set a target of 34 percent, that we cannot join it, because the Government has created a policy framework so uncertain for forestry that it has stopped foresters from planting trees?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ed5ca7f57224ff5ab134082560e4fa6\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: A significant difference between New Zealand and the United Kingdom is that it currently has emissions that are 21 percent below its 1990 levels; New Zealand is starting from 24 percent above its 1990 levels. The question I have for the member who asked the question, and who used to be the previous Government\u2019s spokesperson on energy efficiency, is why emissions went up so much when she held that spokespersonship. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c4933f10ebdf415fb9e4939689bc88e0\u0022\u003EDavid Garrett\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Government have an estimate of by how much the emissions trading scheme as legislated will reduce emissions by 2020, or does the Minister not know that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022565bc65b97584cc5990470bc98a2e599\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I do not have that information available to me in the House, because it was not part of the base question. But I would be happy to check whether it was in the regulatory impact statement and to provide the member with an accurate figure. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226099c8e8bb1a4c15971dea618b4aff41\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister think that a timid emissions target of between 5 to 15 percent would demonstrate to Pacific Islanders that New Zealand recognises the serious effects that climate change would have in the Pacific; and does he endorse John Key\u2019s suggestion that if the worst comes to the worst, we will just offer to resettle Pacific peoples?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f0f0dc2bb1f450b84c7a3464d1ff974\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The first thing we need to recognise is that with New Zealand\u2019s emissions being just 0.2 percent of global emissions, in terms of the future of the Pacific what the globe does will be critical. There is already an amount of climate change in the world\u2019s climate systems, so I think the Prime Minister is absolutely right in his remark. In respect of the size of New Zealand\u2019s emissions target, I remind the member opposite that when people say a 10 percent reduction below 1990 levels is easy, we must remember that we are 24 percent behind to begin with, which means it is really a 34 percent reduction in emissions. Compared with the previous decade, in which emissions went up 14 percent, that is a very tough and ambitious target for New Zealand to achieve.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dbcb9ced280649d88d84a04e9897e9d3\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: To which parts of New Zealand does the Government plan to offer resettlement to Pacific peoples who are displaced by the adverse effects of climate change; if no thought has yet been given to this question, is it not high time that thought is given to it, since the present Government\u2019s policies on climate change will not do anything else to help them to deal with those effects?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239e9b59bbadc4ebba9760ab927b38fbf\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The current Government has given no more consideration to the issue of the resettlement of Pacific peoples in New Zealand and the long-term impacts of climate change than the previous Government did. In respect of sea-level rises, we are talking about rates of 3 or 4 mm per year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002261590898a1874339923953ae0b99a9e1\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s your policy to bring them to New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ffc46435082437586fe5c71ec3c5315\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The deputy leader of the Labour Party interjects. I remind her that during her period in Government, emissions in New Zealand grew faster than those of any other country. She is the last person from whom I will take advice in terms of sensible climate change policy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222b2c4ccefb084f1d858b1581c2df1f78\u0022\u003EUrgent Question to Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022 data-id=\u00225a91226b9cca407c917cf875cdf26c6f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225a91226b9cca407c917cf875cdf26c6f\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE (Minister of Local Government)\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave of the House to answer an urgent question put down to me by Phil Twyford MP, because answering his questions is always so much fun. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f60dad0b96b44a3fa7aa96385ca0ea93\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The dilemma I have as Speaker is that a member cannot seek leave to answer a question. Only the member wishing to ask the question can seek leave to ask it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u00223654a5ce071e466c8582bd709de1ae1c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223654a5ce071e466c8582bd709de1ae1c\u0022\u003EPHIL TWYFORD (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to ask a question of the Minister of Local Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c218ef563c5c495ead3bdeff1e03a259\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought by Phil Twyford to ask an urgent question of the Minister of Local Government. Is there any objection? There appears to be no objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224eb691aae0fe4a958493f064f5cfebb7\u0022\u003EUrgent Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022403f0f1db71a4f7eae096d7b646d6c58\u0022\u003ELocal Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Act\u2014Release of Information\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222668cf9d9e424f039d0167fbafda2790\u0022\u003EPHIL TWYFORD (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Local Government: Has he received any reports of the release of sensitive personal information from Metro Water Ltd to Watercare Ltd as part of the transitional arrangements under the Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Act 2009?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022 data-id=\u002244a17f2fdaea496e8d8594720f4a6b3f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002244a17f2fdaea496e8d8594720f4a6b3f\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE (Minister of Local Government):\u003C/span\u003E No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8e8516ef5a442ee8966c6cc846b69f4\u0022\u003EPhil Twyford\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister received advice on whether that is a breach of the Privacy Act; if so, is he concerned\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e5ccbdd590c84e81be72966008b02afa\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The House has indulged Mr Twyford by allowing him to ask an urgent question. He asked his question, and he got the answer \u201CNo.\u201D Having got the answer \u201CNo.\u201D, he now wants to know whether the matter that he was expecting a yes answer to is a breach of the Privacy Act. That is way outside the Standing Orders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bbf57e8efdc84e73a68c05b28f26d16f\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I think this goes to the order in which mail has been opened and read in the Minister of Local Government\u2019s office. Mr Speaker, it is not for you to predetermine that the member cannot ask a question about whether the Minister has read a report, just because he has not read another one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c3ae236c16084d3abe25c441fc49fc61\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I appreciate the member\u2019s contribution to the point of order, but I believe that it is not for me to rule out such a question, because then I would be getting involved in answers already given. I believe that the Minister of Local Government is perfectly capable of answering such a question, and I invite Phil Twyford to ask his supplementary question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a593f6ed31e4a32af30849f0185af4b\u0022\u003EPhil Twyford\u003C/span\u003E: Let me rephrase the question. Is the Minister concerned that this action follows controversy over Watercare demanding that Auckland councils sign blanket confidentiality agreements in relation to the transition, and requesting dossiers of personal information on council water staff, including age, sex, length of service, and whether they are members of the union?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221852988726464800a9ad1c6fd49a20be\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker, for that very urgent question from the \u201CMinister for Auckland Issues\u201D. I have to say that it would be helpful if Mr Phil Twyford listened to the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002212b552768a8b4612b2156e123bc19d8e\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Twyford is not the Minister for Auckland issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022137adf2d50a341c78e604446d741d453\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think it would be helpful if we heard the answer from the Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022577ceb74ef9d40d68c40d3dcb5da0e38\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE\u003C/span\u003E: I said he was the spokesperson for Auckland issues from the Labour Party. It would be helpful if the \u201Cmember for Auckland issues\u201D actually listened to the answer I gave, which was that I have had no such reports, and I am afraid I have no idea what he is talking about\u2014a bit like the rest of Auckland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b00542e3b10427cbf63f8da15e46451\u0022\u003EPhil Twyford\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary question\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223de8b7a214d94a45ae329e9b93e94b74\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: There are no further supplementary questions to an urgent question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229606eb28964e4b4f9f1d150c09b2f0eb\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a5d400488cb6410d94a18d6e2936a0d9\u0022\u003EUnemployment\u2014Current Rate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea13def7800f42738ea055529954d005\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader\u2014Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: What reports, if any, has he received on New Zealand\u2019s current unemployment rate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u0022f5f0d8b2e47a42fcb5b206ddd4499b58\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f5f0d8b2e47a42fcb5b206ddd4499b58\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E I have seen a number of reports. One of those states that unemployment rises during a recession. Another states that the rise in the last quarter was around 1 percent. The last time that it was 1 percent was in 1988, when Phil Goff and Annette King were the Ministers of Employment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222c92807190fa4bd1bb25bd04720af55e\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his statement that the Government\u2019s policies are taking the sharp edges off the recession, when the figures released today from the household labour force survey show that unemployment is now 6 percent, which is higher than Australia\u2019s unemployment rate; that it is the biggest quarterly jump in 21 years, up by 20.6 percent; that it is the highest unemployment rate in 10 years; and that the number of long-term unemployed has more than doubled, and does that not show that rather than taking the sharp edge off the recession, this Government\u2019s inaction is slicing through families through its lack of policies around unemployment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002208da1ff49d7a437a85bfdb184550ff9a\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: No, I do not agree with any of that. I would point out to the questioner that the rate of unemployment now is the same as it was in 2005, when Labour said that the economy was booming.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002267ef4f88df9144499fda054896750c31\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Is his Government\u2019s policy taking the sharp edges off the recession when the number of people accessing the much-trumpeted ReStart package has gone down each week this month at the same time as unemployment is rapidly rising, and does it not show that the Government\u2019s policies are all about puffery and slogans rather than real solutions for real people?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222bac935cee124a07827f7392e1f68eb0\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: There are no puffery and slogans about a $10 billion infrastructure investment programme. There is no puffery about a $323 million insulation programme that is benefiting people all over the country. The member may think that it is puffery and sloganism for 17-year-olds to be able to get jobs under the new Job Ops programme, but we think it is important to them and important to the country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277e28ab8b26e4bdbb7f139ca99cc7efd\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: How does unemployment in the current recession compare with unemployment in previous recessions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a5e5566d3a9d49e0b240aedebb2850ea\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: There are some remarkable similarities, and some differences. Every job lost in this recession is a concern to the Government, but it is not as bad as in previous downturns. For example, the number of people currently receiving the unemployment benefit is under half the number who were on it when Labour left office in 1990. As I pointed out before, the registered unemployment level today is the same as it was in 2005, when that party claimed it had beaten the cycle of boom and bust and everything was going fantastically.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e20896f76ac8484cb03deb66d1ad2d96\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Is his Government\u2019s policy taking the sharp edges off the recession when a mere 33 applications have been made by businesses to sign up to his 9-day fortnight, creating around 400 temporary jobs in 5 months, when at the same time 20,000 Kiwis are being thrown out of work each week?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cee97b7d27bf4061a2805e281fbe8c7f\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The Government has provided a range of employment programmes, ranging from ReStart to the 9-day fortnight and the youth unemployment package. Alongside that, the Government is out in the market borrowing billions of dollars to pump into the economy, and it is protecting many people from the sharp edges of recession.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002290d7bb1c88364b85b6ac78869699296a\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Prime Minister seen reports of alternative policies to deal with unemployment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f5167bb743c545c78fe07e93e84985dc\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I have seen reports of politicians trying to trivialise the problem of unemployment, but, more important, I have seen reports that leading indicators of the economy are beginning to pick up. I have also seen a number of reports of people who are very pleased with the Government\u2019s infrastructure investment because it is providing jobs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f7897deef2b40479f5302e261888424\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Is his Government being successful in taking the sharp edges off the recession when we now have 24,000 more people unemployed than in the last quarter, 40 new households a week seeking food parcels to feed their families, and 1,240 families reaching out to the Salvation Army for clothing, bedding, furniture, and other practical assistance?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022448f75412964498ca148bc2f8f7fa894\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: All of those figures are signs of an economy under stress, and I feel sorry for those people who relied on the economic management of the previous Labour Government, because they have found out that their jobs were built on sand. Those people are paying the price for 10 years of mismanagement, too much borrowing, and reckless Government spending.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223a72eb58aa33419192f96d3e01b85985\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Prime Minister seen reports of alternative policies to deal with unemployment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222e6ff593456742599d797bb2725af8ab\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I keep hearing reports that there are alternative policies, but I have not seen policies that will roll back a global recession.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022133f077a068748d9acccabb3ea705564\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: What advice would the Prime Minister give to the 10,000 Pacific people who are now unemployed, and what is he doing to address Pacific job losses in New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ba37282aa37b42e98f0d73483034d592\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The Government is setting about changing the economic direction so we can strengthen this economy to provide those people with new jobs. Unfortunately, they relied on the previous Labour Government, which told them they had secure jobs. It turns out that in the face of a recession they should not have trusted Labour the way they did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224c4633c3a23546638e99b41641ed2637\u0022\u003EKelvin Davis\u003C/span\u003E: What new initiatives will the Government introduce to address the skyrocketing M\u0101ori unemployment rate, which has increased from 8.1 percent to 12.6 percent in the last year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b9b20f2fc1504a3bb8ff189936c552f4\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I am pleased the member asked that question, because the House was told earlier this week that M\u0101ori and iwi organisations will be supported by the Government to create opportunities under the Community Max scheme and the Job Ops scheme, which are focused particularly on young unemployed M\u0101ori, who are overrepresented among the unemployment statistics. I know that that member is a good local member, and I hope that he will help organisations to access that scheme, which he can do right now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c98ef837c9984766acaa01fffd90fab2\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to release the weekly ReStart figures for July, which show that the numbers of people on ReStart have gone down each week for July.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c43539f2282c471d97e13dd417c40f96\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022562ee95aeb1d4a85a44639cf8c03e7fe\u0022\u003EGreenhouse Gas Reduction\u20142020 Target\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e52a2c32f2f4c2ab4b90930199033e5\u0022\u003ERAHUI KATENE (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Te Tai Tonga)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: What advice has he received from the national hui held by the Climate Change Iwi Leadership Group and the M\u0101ori reference group executive on the Government\u2019s climate change emissions target for 2020?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u00222c9695e11a97484b80ba1c1f70fc5416\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222c9695e11a97484b80ba1c1f70fc5416\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Climate Change Issues):\u003C/span\u003E A hui was held on the 2020 target at Hopuhopu in July, at which I appreciated the M\u0101ori Party\u2019s presence and support. A further hui was held this week in Wellington. The advice I have received from the Climate Change Iwi Leadership Group and the M\u0101ori reference group executive has been very constructive. Whereas environmental groups have promoted very ambitious targets, and business groups very cautious ones, M\u0101ori have a strong environmental and economic interest, and, like the Government, are seeking a balanced outcome. I will be reporting their recommendations to Cabinet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b69ee9ca9200441bae013639e61fa2ad\u0022\u003ERahui Katene\u003C/span\u003E: What has been the feedback from M\u0101ori about the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that to avoid dangerous climate change, developed countries need to meet at least a 25 percent reduction by 2020, and how will he ensure there is continued consultation and representation with M\u0101ori on emissions reductions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de4de57bf05641f4bc958ef8f40466e7\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The feedback I have had from M\u0101ori has been very balanced. They recognise the seriousness of climate change, as well as the difficulty of reducing emissions when such a large proportion of New Zealand\u2019s emissions come from agriculture. I think we also have to recognise that the M\u0101ori economy is very strongly focused around forestry, around fishing, and around agriculture, and that poses some quite unique challenges, not just for M\u0101ori but for New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a58f8b385ab8463ba608984fbf6d2725\u0022\u003EHon Nanaia Mahuta\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister confirm that the M\u0101ori reference group has expressed concern about the Government\u2019s economic modelling, and that it will be commissioning another more comprehensive report, for release before the end of the year; if so, what does this say about the level of confidence that M\u0101ori can have in the Government\u2019s understanding of how climate change measures will affect them?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225667737923a84926b8274bbe4ee80d1e\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I met with the M\u0101ori iwi leaders\u2019 reference group on climate change. They expressed to me strong support for the Government\u2019s approach around that difficult issue. They expressed no concern to me about the quality of the economic analysis that they themselves commissioned from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research. It might be helpful, too, for me to table for members that economic analysis of the effects of climate change on M\u0101ori, and I would be happy to do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f1ec081783c4653b88ec87593c3875a\u0022\u003ERahui Katene\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister seen any reports on the likely impacts of different 2020 emission reduction scenarios on the M\u0101ori economy; if so, what were the main findings?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250d6b3b8223d400a86b95816d4aee67f\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Yes; I have seen the report that was jointly commissioned by the iwi leaders\u2019 reference group and the Government. It does rightly identify in respect of the M\u0101ori economy and the large investment by M\u0101ori in agriculture, in forestry, and in fishing that the economic impacts for them are significant. I also note that the report\u2019s overall conclusion is that the impacts of climate change policy and an emissions trading scheme are very similar for M\u0101ori and for other New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002223e66cb5875e453595e2433021aec421\u0022\u003EHekia Parata\u003C/span\u003E: E te Mana Whakaw\u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou e te Whare. How significant to M\u0101ori are the international rules around carbon embedded in timber products and those in respect of flexible land use, and, given their significance to M\u0101ori, is the Minister considering a senior M\u0101ori representative being part of the delegation to Copenhagen?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220335f154f071438c92e21eb83ea5605e\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The rules around forestry are of huge significance to M\u0101ori, particularly since the Central North Island Iwi Collective settlement, which involved the largest plantation forest in the southern hemisphere. The conversion of pre-1990 forestry under current rates, which are about 800 tonnes per hectare, would mean that across the 439,000 hectares of trees owned by M\u0101ori, this issue amounts to a question of over $9 billion. An agreement that allowed offset planting would hugely reduce that liability. The rules around embedded carbon in timber products are also very significant, in that they would recognise the 25 percent of wood that goes into timber products. That further provides opportunities for M\u0101ori and substantial players in the forestry sector. I am favourably disposed to the request for M\u0101ori senior representation at the climate conference in Copenhagen, but Cabinet has not decided the make-up of the New Zealand delegation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002283d7546e33644921b76bcdeee234c1a0\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am really just seeking your guidance. The Minister offered to table the economic analysis, which certainly members on this side of the House would like to see. Is there a\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f71edc5157148689462f5006fb71829\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: If he quoted from an official document, members can seek leave to have him table it, but I suspect that the Minister will seek leave.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229cb6712ec9f04068840ab8f1f9bc073c\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I formally seek leave to table the report from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research on the effects of 2020 targets on the M\u0101ori economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220c2459ef58154d049b1cb23557736697\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002267531cc5aee8493e80eaa0e820c1d56b\u0022\u003EUrgent Question to Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u002268172deafc064c4baaf533e395f0c8e2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002268172deafc064c4baaf533e395f0c8e2\u0022\u003EPHIL TWYFORD (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I seek leave to table a letter received today from Metro Water employees expressing concern about the release of their personal information to Watercare Services, as part of the transition to the new water monopoly in Auckland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022718cb1c94e6b4ca697e600b4946f0218\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. [Interruption] I will put the question again. Leave is sought to table that document. Please make your objection loudly. Is there any objection? There is no objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a3cd832efbae440082e875ebc08ed93c\u0022\u003ERecession\u2014Minister\u2019s Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229adb576856a041fabe16dfaca9835fe2\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour\u2014New Lynn)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement that \u201CFor most people, the measure of a recession is whether they have a job\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u0022863930fd8a28473b9609fb0fa5bba08b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022863930fd8a28473b9609fb0fa5bba08b\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb4fb860016e4aaf8f8a60dae061be31\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister consider that the 6 percent unemployment recorded in today\u2019s household labour force survey is acceptable; if so, why; if not, why does he not have a credible plan to manage the economy through the recession?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022429336a0cc5e4ec8b0fb2b1b2fdbaa22\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: No, it is not acceptable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c3bfddf9f64400789efca1cec24fe83\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: If that is not acceptable, what does the Minister consider has caused New Zealand\u2019s unemployment rate to leapfrog that of Australia; does he consider that Australia faces it as well, and does he consider it relevant that the Australian stimulus package exceeds 5 percent of GDP and that his Government\u2019s package is only 3.5 percent, now less\u2014 \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022170399c887c14b45ade4bc314b773180\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I apologise for interrupting the honourable member, but I say to both sides of the House that the level of interjection has become totally unacceptable. I could not hear. I invite the member to repeat his question\u2014but please do not make it too long.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225114866b114c416c8c1e6825a07fa93a\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: I will repeat it without addition. What does the Minister consider has caused New Zealand\u2019s unemployment rate to leapfrog that of Australia, and does he consider it relevant that the Australian stimulus package exceeds 5 percent of GDP and that his Government\u2019s is now only 3.5 percent, less than the 4.5 percent put in place by the outgoing Labour Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022782a23d3fb5d48d3bcb751680d0b370e\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The biggest difference is that the Australian economy has basically kept going while New Zealand has had 18 months of recession. It would be severely delusional on his part to believe that the previous Labour Government had put in place a stimulus package before it left. It left a whole lot of unfunded promises and a stack of press releases that it called an economic programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225426f720784346ffbb0a5b9f8bd0db52\u0022\u003EAmy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: What are the main causes of the current rise in unemployment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe1237847a9a4e3d8511afeaf7a1f2da\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: One of the reasons New Zealand is in a different situation from Australia is that the New Zealand recession began in January 2008, as a result of 7 or 8 years of economic mismanagement by the previous Government. Then the global recession hit in October last year, and the combination of the two has unfortunately meant that people were relying on jobs that they thought were sustainable, but they have turned out not to be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022624ccf09b0b948158c7521b5359bedd5\u0022\u003EJacinda Ardern\u003C/span\u003E: Will he guarantee that no young New Zealander will be denied access to the unemployment benefit until he or she is supported into full-time work or training, given that youth unemployment has not been as high as this since 1994 and his youth jobs package will help only 14 percent of unemployed young people?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002254f373660456473ba6cfe919fda8c73b\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The youth unemployment package is pretty extensive; it is going to help well over 10,000 young people to keep in connection with the world of work and skills. We believe that it reflects the right balance of fiscal cost and short-term assistance for young people who need work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225503d4dfbb144e8babd19a6a4318c0a3\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: How will women measure the performance of his Government, given that 15,000 out of the 24,000 people thrown out of work in the June quarter were women\u2014that is, 62.5 percent of those who have lost jobs are women\u2014and that his Government has no plans for job creation in the areas of the economy where women work?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022077bf17c1c5b4a2a99e22b8d52a23f3f\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: They will judge the Government by our efforts to rebuild our economic strength so that they can get their jobs back. That is how they will judge it, and that is why we are pressing on with urgency to undo the damage done by the last Government and get this economy back on its feet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fded32e53c944082bcac942376b3e8c0\u0022\u003EUnemployment\u2014Reports\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002244104080b8794703bab02d067e46a2cd\u0022\u003ETODD McCLAY (National\u2014Rotorua)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What reports has she received on unemployment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022 data-id=\u0022f38bf0aca82e4ae696eb9645ebb3c117\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f38bf0aca82e4ae696eb9645ebb3c117\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment):\u003C/span\u003E Today\u2019s latest figures are a concern but not a huge surprise. That is why we announced the Youth Opportunities package for 16,900 young people just this week. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238db6d61b8114cfc85594d779d8e90ff\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: 14 percent of them!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022985a93dd7ed64b8489a0fbc0ed933cc6\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: We have just heard \u201C14 percent\u201D from the other side, which is actually not the correct figure. Let us be clear that we have 17,000 young people on the unemployment benefit right now. We understand that it is our young people trying to enter the workforce who are finding it hard to get a foot in the door. That is why we are doing something about it. All Labour members can think about is welfare; we are working on jobs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c37ff13c2e34051a95358d880665882\u0022\u003ETodd McClay\u003C/span\u003E: What measures is the Government taking to help young people get connected to the workforce in these difficult economic times?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002226ed12cef88943b1b76fcf52cf3f981e\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Young New Zealanders who cannot get started in employment face the prospect of becoming disassociated from the workforce long term. We have to act now to protect them during the global recession. That is why this Government is spending some $150 million on the Youth Opportunities package, which the Prime Minister announced just on Sunday, creating jobs and opportunities for 16,900 young people during this worst recession.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222c8fdaaa09e74842a7b10effefb613b5\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Are the people who have been made unemployed in the last quarter, as announced in the household labour force survey today, just \u201Cpredictions\u201D of unemployment, as she claimed in the House on Tuesday, or are they real Kiwis without a job who are hurting desperately at this time\u201424,000 of them; about the size of the population of Taup\u014D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cbc6acb4c2fa4b9e8d8ab4fd2be40a82\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: I think we need to be careful when we talk about those 24,000 people who have been made unemployed, and about those 15,000 women who, I have just heard someone yell, have been thrown out of their jobs. Actually of those 24,000 people, 10,000 were in employment and are now in unemployment, so, yes, they did lost their jobs; but 14,000 of them are new to the labour force, so they are quite a different group of people who need our help. We recognise every single one of them as individuals; their households are being affected and they are affected individually, and that is why we are stepping up and doing what we can.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022719e140a421046afb87b2d89cf547b50\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My question was very specific. I asked it in response to an answer the Minister gave earlier in the week. I asked whether those who were made unemployed and named in the household labour force survey today were \u201Cpredictions\u201D, as she said in the House, or were real people who were unemployed. She did not answer that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a7093188e7454c8581ce3407bf34c37e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: My dilemma in trying to assist the member there is that the Minister gave some very good information on the information released today. I am not sure how the member is expecting her to answer that question, because clearly the information released today is actual information.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e67814388034ea2a2ff54df4dd51bba\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: The household labour force survey is not a prediction, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243a06ab4fc694e71b18cbf89a11c8aa7\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think the member has made her point and we can move on to further supplementary questions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239849953063b44b98c38ad3d6b65b373\u0022\u003ETodd McClay\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister seen any reports on the value of encouraging unemployed people to do voluntary work in communities?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d741622e56d34ff784306d86fbad322c\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I have seen a report that said \u201CCommunities should be able to create new real jobs by allowing the unemployment benefit to be a wage subsidy. Voluntary work is a worthwhile activity to be undertaken while people are looking for work. The Government could contribute to the expenses of voluntary agencies taking on unemployed people.\u201D That was in 1997 and it was from the Hon Annette King. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d2a2b11a4e04b6c8fd5b7abd4bb5da9\u0022\u003EJacinda Ardern\u003C/span\u003E: What percentage of young unemployed people will benefit from the jobs element of the Government\u2019s package, if it is not 14 percent as she has stated?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff8e6b3b95f14620bcff34347413a8cc\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: I am pleased to have the opportunity to clear this up for the member, because she clearly does not understand what the household labour force survey is. We have seen that the percentage of 15 to 19-year-olds looking for work, under the household labour force survey, has gone up to 22.9 percent. That is a concern, but some of those 15-year-olds are looking for an hour\u2019s work a week at the local supermarket. Some of them are just looking, but they fit in with the household labour force survey, for which one must be looking at least for 1 hour\u2019s work a week. Those young people are very different from those who are going on to the unemployment benefit and are struggling, and it is those young people we are putting our attention to first and whom we are going to help. There are 17,000 young people on the unemployment benefit, but 16,900 jobs are being offered. I think that is pretty impressive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef34bd10b1bb464bb0c905abd5d0c416\u0022\u003EJacinda Ardern\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I quite clearly asked the Minister simply for the percentage of young unemployed people who would benefit from the Government\u2019s job creation package. Because she clearly believes that 14 percent is not the number, then I assume she has a percentage she does believe this package will help.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218829c37d33f48079415a5ec45e9507d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: In fairness to Jacinda Ardern, I believe that the question she asked appeared to be a perfectly fair question. I must say that in responding to it, the Minister did not help the situation\u2014and one saw the reaction to that. I would now ask the Minister, if she has the information, to actually answer the question asked by Jacinda Ardern.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb0188e1254d439db005d2dccd4c40ee\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: I clearly said that 17,000 young people are on the unemployment benefit at the moment. In the last week we have said we are creating 16,900 opportunities for those young people\u2014that is nearly 100 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d552b6b796b34feeb4817ea6f9e10b34\u0022\u003EHealth\u2014Front-line Services\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002211c506365a9f4fb6bc3218c855c35e8d\u0022\u003EHon RUTH DYSON (Labour\u2014Port Hills)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his commitment to move health resources to the front line?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022 data-id=\u00223c85b5c994e044319a90ac01e4ab6acc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223c85b5c994e044319a90ac01e4ab6acc\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, especially so when the outgoing Labour Government slashed $150 million out of health just before the election. It left district health boards on a track towards financial crisis, with around $160 million of deepening deficits. But the good news is that the new Government\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022922ee1dc31fb47ecb864b48eff0046c6\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The question asked was actually a very simple question, Mr Ryall, and I think that you answered it fairly early on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222f920675693b46e386b4e5ca2905af67\u0022\u003ESu\u2019a William Sio\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister agree with front-line staff at the Counties Manukau District Health Board, who warn that health cuts will reduce participation in health programmes by most at-risk groups?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f8daf65ec76f42cdb5af263dea86d29e\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: The Counties Manukau District Health Board has carried out a major review of all its contracts, using a systematic approach that aims to put funds closest to the front line and reduce duplication. I am advised, for example, that in a number of M\u0101ori provision programmes the service contracts have increased by an overall 42 percent this year, and one of the reasons that the board has been able to do that is a Government funding increase of $66 million, or 7 percent, despite the fact that the previous Government cut $113 million from programmes last year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002234f9b042619b40c4a8008ef4b1bea347\u0022\u003ESu\u2019a William Sio\u003C/span\u003E: Did the Minister sign his name to slashing $4.8 million for diabetes checks before or after he posed for photographs with front-line diabetes and renal services staff at Counties Manukau District Health Board?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d9e71d3f9e1d488f912f907fa41f6615\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: That member might not realise this, but his party quietly, before the last election, cut over $3 million from diabetes programmes and $10 million from chronic care. I tell the member that the saving he refers to did not affect any front-line service, at all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022491575cfda00462a85e6ab4bd89ce70e\u0022\u003EHon Pete Hodgson\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The issue is whether the supplementary question was addressed, and I give a little reminder that the question was phrased about timing: whether the Minister had cut funding before or after a certain event. The Minister has to address that issue of timing, or his alternative is to say that the question is wrong in its construction. He has done neither of those things, and I think he should be invited to do so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f7c3fe31ab04108b109aefe2d699286\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member will see that in two recent answers I have stopped the Minister because I believed he was going over the top, and I asked another Minister to answer a question. If the Minister believes that that part of that question was crucial in terms of the public interest, then forgive me; I must be in the wrong place. As far as I was concerned, the Minister answered the question in a reasonable manner. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bef081aac0514dfda4f0d24c1385d724\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister understand that thousands of undiagnosed diabetics will stay unaware of their condition unless they are checked by front-line health workers, or will he rely on the emergency front-line health workers to treat them when their condition overtakes them?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247b87807900842138437eee967ccb211\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: I think that is a very relevant question, and that condition is a matter that the Government is putting resources into. It is a shame that the member did not ask those questions when the colleague who is sitting near her cut $3.3 million from the \u201CGet Checked\u201D Diabetes Aotearoa programme; cut $17.5 million from primary health organisation performance programmes, which encouraged that diabetes work; and cut $10 million from a funding pool for people with disabling medical conditions. It is all very well for members opposite to take about what may or may not happen under National, but they do not want to talk about what the previous Government got up to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223800a273473547b5b80f2ec46afcccd1\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister share the concern of senior doctors that his insistence on moving some hospital services to primary care has serious risks of clinically inappropriate transfers being made?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220bb05f48518b47b0ae423e7be600b999\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: This Government is seeking to implement the Primary Health Care Strategy, which members opposite think is so fantastic. Fundamental to that strategy is that there should be more hospital-based services in the community. Of course, there are always issues of clinical sustainability, and those are what this Government is tackling. For example, we are tackling the problems we have inherited at the Whanganui District Health Board, where we have real problems with maintaining our workforce and maintaining services. But at least this Government is prepared to deal with them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa62f244bd15462cae04c59d7a66d13f\u0022\u003EJo Goodhew\u003C/span\u003E: What significant announcements is the Minister able to make that support front-line services in public hospitals?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221beec769b07144ab8ddceb6a5fbb1b90\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: Junior doctors are important members of the team that delivers front-line services in our hospitals. This afternoon I will be releasing the report of the RMO (Resident Medical Officer) Commission, chaired by a former State Services Commissioner, Don Hunn. The commission\u2019s report paints quite a grim picture of junior doctors\u2019 experience in our public health system and calls for immediate change. Some research, for example, suggests that junior doctors spend 80 percent of their day doing work for which a medical degree is not necessary. The report calls for urgent improvements to the apprenticeship model and calls for a single, national training body to ensure the training and apprenticeship model drives junior doctor experience. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b301bcd224f42db8422db6337cd31a2\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister believe that patients of the MidCentral District Health Board, Whanganui District Health Board, Taranaki District Health Board, South Canterbury District Health Board, Tair\u0101whiti District Health Board, Counties Manukau District Health Board, Otago District Health Board, and Southland District Health Board, as well as those patients who are affected by the Minister\u2019s cuts to mental health services and diabetes and cardiovascular services, are receiving the \u201Cmore convenient health service\u201D he promised?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a7c214a3a6a4870941777db3085695c\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: This Government is tackling incredibly big problems that were inherited from the previous Government. That Government cut $150 million from the health budget, very quietly, before the last election. It cut over $110 million of programmes last year, and members opposite do not want New Zealanders to know that this Government has to deal with Labour\u2019s legacy of mismanagement of the New Zealand public health service. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022836d8c034994459598f41c9ce33ae024\u0022\u003EJo Goodhew\u003C/span\u003E: What action is the Government taking to respond to concerns about the front-line health services that are detailed in the report of the RMO (Resident Medical Officer) Commission, given that endless reports have called for the rationalisation of the funding and planning of health workforce training and for focusing resources on the front line?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224298263b04ba48fc9749045bb4aee2a0\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: It is correct that we have inherited a disjointed and uncoordinated set of resources to deal with the serious and longstanding health workforce crisis. Over the years a raft of reports has been critical of this duplication. The Government is responding to these calls by establishing a Clinical Training Agency board to unify workforce planning in New Zealand. The purpose of the board is to work with the Government to rationalise the myriad of committees, structures, and work groups involved in the funding and planning of health workforce training, to improve front-line services. That training will ultimately be consolidated within the Clinical Training Agency. The Medical Training Board has been disestablished. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b72a189dcd54ddb9ed8a0de40e71988\u0022\u003EJo Goodhew\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has the Minister seen about district health boards and their decisions about how they allocate their funds in relation to services?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002288ae1f0e05844d84b4933d2c5bed697b\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: I have seen a range of reports about the need for district health boards to live within their means. Some of those reports are from Michael Cullen, the previous Minister of Finance, and some are from Annette King, the previous Minister of Health. But probably the most interesting report is one by an Associate Minister who, in July 2004, was defending claims of negligence by the Wellington City Mission relating to the funding for aged care. The then Associate Minister said the way that district health boards allocated funding was not her responsibility. That Associate Minister was Ruth Dyson, yet she stands up every day in this House to ask the Government to take responsibility, when she never would.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d07eb22b77574572b457e4535abf0086\u0022\u003EPolice Staffing\u2014Counties-Manukau\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ccf9c2f9f0c45469e46472e45690058\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG (National\u2014New Plymouth)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Police: Has she received any progress reports on the Government\u2019s promise to provide 300 extra police for Counties-Manukau?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u0022d0c85f076ca34b4abed307530e35dc83\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d0c85f076ca34b4abed307530e35dc83\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Police):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. I am pleased to advise that the number of front-line police in the Counties-Manukau Police District has increased by 66 since 30 November 2008. In addition, 41 of the 80 recruits due to graduate on 20 August will go to Counties-Manukau. The Government provided $182.5 million in Budget 2009 for extra police, and I am pleased with the progress to date.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228fa196d1a9d34d139d666b1e7cc64344\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: Has she received any reports regarding the recruitment of extra police for Counties-Manukau?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223258cc4cb1c448ebba225626355bc660\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. The New Zealand Police advises that recruitment marketing statistics indicate that the level of interest in policing in Counties-Manukau has never been higher. During the latest Counties-Manukau recruitment campaign 1,940 people registered for recruitment seminars. This was 77 percent higher than the number of seminar registrations during the same period in 2008. That is a fantastic result.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b47b48e926834cd4932e1cbf1bcb628a\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: Has she received any information about the people who are expressing an interest in a career with the New Zealand Police?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b31334ad24c4505b1876095a754c54e\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. The New Zealand Police is receiving expressions of interest from a wide range of people. For example, the number of people aged 25 and under who have registered for recruitment seminars in Counties-Manukau in the last 2 months stands at 721, which is up from 426 for the same period last year. The number of M\u0101ori registrations is 179. That number is up from 73. Pasifika registrations are 387, up from 211. Asian registrations have increased from 103 to 162. Another very good result!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002297f58be5515a4008b94d3659c5eea686\u0022\u003EHon Clayton Cosgrove\u003C/span\u003E: Is she aware that other police districts around New Zealand are concerned about having to cope with increasing pressure on staff numbers, thanks to this Government\u2019s directive to send most of the new police officers promised and funded by the Labour Government to Counties-Manukau, leaving only about 75 additional police per year to cover the rest of New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002270544e07fe42463d95b02db39fcba2d4\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: That is why this Government is delivering another 300 police for the rest of New Zealand as well. Well done!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220b8175aaa54841a38b4bb5d9f8f5feb8\u0022\u003EContaminated Sites\u2014National Register\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238a7f1752b444743927cc9c65c11c6d8\u0022\u003ECATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for the Environment: Will he support a publicly accessible national register of contaminated sites; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u00223d94f0736afb4e9684bbcf67f231423d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223d94f0736afb4e9684bbcf67f231423d\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment):\u003C/span\u003E That question is identical to the one from the member on 18 June, and my answer is the same. The Resource Management Act makes it plain that regional councils have responsibility for monitoring contaminated sites. I see no point in this being duplicated at a national level.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c741385cdb943a1a44936454e512648\u0022\u003ECatherine Delahunty\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Ministry for the Environment have a register of contaminated sites; if so, should this register not be made public?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229e9f3b9a5db54731b190d1013754ab9a\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The only records the Ministry for the Environment has on contaminated sites are those for which the ministry has provided funding. That is quite a small list and it is publicly available. It is not available as a published list, but I would be more than happy to provide the member with the names of the sites we are aware of. I would say to the member, in terms of some of the public discourse about this issue, that there is a huge difference between a contaminated site and a potentially contaminated site. Along with my assistance in the release of the information publicly, I urge her to be careful about that differentiation, because there is the potential to do considerable damage to people\u2019s property values by confusing the two.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a37330427534f2a8e727f2d80efa240\u0022\u003EChris Auchinvole\u003C/span\u003E: What lessons has the new Government taken from the ministry\u2019s experience with the M\u0101pua contaminated site?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220db3282fe52642e09a645f620797ab21\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I was pleased last week to attend, with the member for West Coast - Tasman, a meeting he chaired to release the site auditor\u2019s report on M\u0101pua, which was New Zealand\u2019s worst-contaminated site. The report confirmed that the site is now fit for use and announced further funding of $455,000 for ongoing monitoring. But there are some stiff lessons from M\u0101pua in the critical report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, released last year. Firstly, containment should be considered, because in some cases it is a better option than clean-up. Secondly, the Ministry for the Environment should not have got itself into an operational role with clean-ups, as that is not its core area of expertise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d61b39068b27471d834e9ef3fa9ebc93\u0022\u003ECatherine Delahunty\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister agree that having around 14 different regional registers around the country is confusing, and would it not be fairer on the public if there was one national register?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220269aa946b2741c19d5b898abecf48f3\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: It depends on what the interest of the public is. If the interest of the public\u2014which I think is important\u2014is for people in their lone area to know which sites are contaminated, I would put it to the member that it would be far more useful to have that information at a regional council level. The idea of a national register may help the Greens to create a massive scare story about contaminated sites, but I am not sure how that serves the public interest.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f1483c25a91945a5af458201d914a8ab\u0022\u003EPrime Minister\u2014Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227719ea8b9f184f41b4155174b3da0e43\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement \u201CWe may not always agree with what you say, but we will always listen\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u00225ca8f21d74754496bdafb0aeaf5cd60a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225ca8f21d74754496bdafb0aeaf5cd60a\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister)\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002268588a72e00e4993be3a218083d5707e\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Prime Minister agree with Keisha Castle-Hughes that telling her to \u201Cstick to acting\u201D is really odd, given that he had previously encouraged her to make a submission to the Minister for Climate Change Issues on New Zealand\u2019s pollution reduction target?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d1cc7c8c8854971830190d367f93ea3\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The Prime Minister wholeheartedly supports Ms Castle-Hughes\u2019 right to have a view about New Zealand\u2019s climate change policy and her right to publicise that view.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e1bb1ac2ed6a45c3a6a002ca806ac012\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Prime Minister think that actors Lucy Lawless, Robyn Malcolm, and Cliff Curtis, who are also participating in the Sign On campaign, should \u201Cstick to acting\u201D, and has he advised Michael Jones to stick to rugby and keep out of politics, or do different rules apply to potential National Party recruits?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d36cf9c6b85495d9f7f62785cd0043c\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: They are all eminent New Zealand actors, and sticking to acting may well be a recipe for further success for them. However, an advertising campaign is not a replacement for serious analysis of the impact of a 40 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. Any serious analysis would tell us that such a reduction would have a very negative impact on our economy and on people\u2019s livelihoods.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c50799a81d9a4ac6877e78b87397ca4d\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: Should New Zealanders now assume from the Prime Minister\u2019s put-down of Keisha Castle-Hughes, and from Paula Bennett\u2019s release of private information about two sole parents, that it is OK for Ministers to attack people who disagree with them, and is that what he meant when he said he would set high standards for himself and his Ministers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002220ca3dd0866f4ba0a3806b8759050c9f\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I would have thought that that member would know as much as anyone about the bullying, shut-down tactics of his colleagues, given that he announced his promotion to Parliamentary Under-Secretary, only to find it pulled back the next day. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277ec6495-df45-43ac-aaa1-a03b5dd4c128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f85c36e5e0f4315a628ccbe5c04cf9b\u0022\u003EJohn Boscawen\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Prime Minister listen to the people of New Zealand and adopt my member\u2019s bill, which introduces the Chester Borrows amendment, as a Government bill; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fddc4389428b4fb4bfd21595f29f290a\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The Prime Minister is a very good listener to the New Zealand people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224791003d5d314ab894a9d81167151bde\u0022\u003EGreenhouse Gas Emissions\u2014Agricultural Sector Research\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022625b1e63a9ad4e9786f16682a7a51d44\u0022\u003ELOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Agriculture: What steps has the Government recently taken to boost research into agricultural emissions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022 data-id=\u00229db971718cea4039bdb97daa46e2d212\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229db971718cea4039bdb97daa46e2d212\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture):\u003C/span\u003E This week the Government announced a $10 million 3-year partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the dairy and fertiliser industries in order to research the effectiveness of nitrification inhibitors in reducing agricultural emissions. This vital work, 50 percent of which is funded by the Government, is a significant step towards developing practical tools to aid farmers to reduce their emissions. I commend industry for coming on board and for providing its support for the research work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d443889d1ad34d6bb9a1b5e751b3f1d2\u0022\u003ELouise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: Why has the Government decided to support the partnership?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022832f4f23195c49e1b3cc0a4dee424345\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: The Government is committed to finding ways to help farmers reduce their emissions without destocking, and destroying the economy. Nitrification inhibitors offer some potential in this regard, but more detailed work is needed to measure their effectiveness and to ensure farmer buy-in. The work will deliver that information and will help our farmers meet the challenges they face around climate change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a903a47e1de4265ae97b81a64c4a93d\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister stand by his comments that farmers are on board and are prepared to face the challenges presented by climate change; if so, how does he reconcile those comments with continued statements from farming lobby groups such as Federated Farmers that the emissions trading scheme should be scrapped, the agriculture sector should be exempt, and the Government should set no targets for 2020 carbon pollution reduction?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002258a8b119cc6b48a4924e1bb6933424b7\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: I stand by my comments. The majority of farmers I meet are well and truly on board and willing to face the challenges. We need assistance and to work with industry to find solutions for how to do it without adopting the Greens\u2019 policy of simply destocking livestock from New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b7b82c158a6e423b90b8fcc6c843685e\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table a speech made by Don Nicholson at the recent ACT Party conference, making the statements I referred to in my question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8b70f06e6194fd881cc057cbebeb07e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf9ac2f86bb643b08552579f5c35458e\u0022\u003ELouise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: What other work does the Government have going on in this area?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277c5cdfb467c4f5eb00872b3e0b60cd2\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: A huge amount of work is going on, and it is an absolute priority of the National Government. We have recently announced the domestic Centre for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research, and my colleague Tim Groser and I are now working very hard to build support for a global alliance on agricultural greenhouse gas research. On top of that the Primary Growth Partnership, Sustainable Farming Fund, Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium, and Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change Plan of Action are all provided with funding for this vital research.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002295c79dbaeffd42779b631269f752a8f8\u0022\u003EJeanette Fitzsimons\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister accept DairyNZ\u2019s published conclusion from its research that at a milk payout of less than $5.50 a kilo, \u201Cincreasing the stocking rate and feed supply was no advantage for operating profit.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002253ca4542c4ee42a58e514f050b696fe8\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: The basis on which farmers make a decision on increasing production is made individually. I cannot accept a generalised statement like the one the member gave.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224510ee72fe5243b38a05cf098341542a\u0022\u003EJeanette Fitzsimons\u003C/span\u003E: What implications does the Minister see for New Zealand\u2019s greenhouse policy for the finding of AgResearch scientists that cows on low-intensity farms produce more milk per cow than those on high-intensity farms, at much lower cost to the farmer and much lower emissions for New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0d900f6d9c64a0ebeed9e170563e75f\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: I am not familiar with the research to which the member refers, but I have absolute confidence that New Zealanders will produce their product in a greenhouse-efficient manner more than comparable with that of producers anywhere else in the world. That is the important factor we have to realise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265b3e9d814f54a96b7a8c84467f62657\u0022\u003EJeanette Fitzsimons\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table three documents that include the reference for the points the Minister said he was not familiar with. The first is a paper by DairyNZ, \u201CMilksolids Production per Ha \u2260 Profit per Ha\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224626ef9a9c084e8e8b9ee3486a348de5\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281eda73851eb465d80c9ba20a958b970\u0022\u003EJeanette Fitzsimons\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table a publication in Ecological Economics this year by scientists from AgResearch, which shows that milk production per cow is higher at lower stocking rates.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d82e350ef424077b7e27eadd59800e6\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209278070-a54a-41e9-8a27-45166301277e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238de9f7774f843b1ad040179c7bdfdd9\u0022\u003EJeanette Fitzsimons\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table a document called Getting There, which was published on Tuesday by the Green Party and which documents emissions reduction possibilities in a range of areas, including agriculture.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002229cdc6c991974efd87239861418fc757\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f61eeb87b80046f39076ef798f27d745\u0022\u003ERoading\u2014Roads of National Significance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214d9885a1cbb45acb74251e65da186ff\u0022\u003ECARMEL SEPULONI (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Transport: What factors were used to determine which highways would be fast tracked as the Government\u2019s roads of national significance?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022 data-id=\u00226cad5660cd6d457a9e96b54292b7868b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226cad5660cd6d457a9e96b54292b7868b\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY (Associate Minister of Transport) \u003C/span\u003Eon behalf of the Minister of Transport: The initial list of roads of national significance identified seven of our most essential routes that have high traffic volumes, and that require work to reduce congestion, improve safety, and support economic growth. Those roads are very important in their respective regions; they rank close to the top of the regions\u2019 priority lists, and are within or adjacent to our five largest centres in terms of population and growth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224be6392daf0749bca7affb4480a04b3f\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: If the priority for roads of national significance is economic development, then why has Taranaki, with its substantial dairy industry, missed out on upgrades to State Highway 3 between M\u014Dkau and Piopio?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022048410b10f8c4bfaba8e5662ae2f7c4c\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: That member will be pleased to know\u2014showing a little bit of interest in the Taranaki region, because she will no doubt be heading there with the Labour caucus next week\u2014that a working party was set up in 2003, led by the Taranaki Regional Council and the three Taranaki district councils. I am ashamed that each year since 2003 the previous Labour Government spent on average only $2 million to $4 million on State Highway 3.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022426ed2419ee6409aa79300723a48a762\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member was just going to ask a further supplementary question, but I feel that the Minister could do a little better than that in answering that question. It was a reasonable question asking about why a certain State highway was not included and about what the Government plans to do about that highway. I think a little more than we received would be appropriate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd57085663d64166be7d9a900d76dcca\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to the point of order, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b1eea7023f2a4482aa45c626092d9068\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I just asked the Associate Minister to answer the question. Had the Associate Minister not been critical of the Labour Party, I might have been more forgiving of the way he answered. But if he will not answer the question at all, I would advise him not to get stuck into another party. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022274cfbfbb0044033ab4c4b89557935db\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: In my primary answer, I alluded to the reasons that the Government decided to use a particular decision-making process in respect of the roads of national significance. One particular parameter relates to high vehicle volumes, and about 3,000 vehicles travel on that particular route north of Waitara each day. There are also parameters relating to congestion and safety, and to supporting economic growth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224dcf850d0d3a4e82a7daa5328afc0189\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: Why did the Government decide to bring forward Labour\u2019s K\u014Dp\u016B Bridge replacement project by 1 year, given that it is not a road of national significance and the bridge\u2019s carriage of primary products for export is insignificant compared with Taranaki\u2019s State Highway 3?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ae3fb074817f4e7089b1c6b3a0e4a2be\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: It is a significant investment for the Coromandel region. There is huge economic development. Fifty jobs will be created to work on this bridge, with flow-on benefits of 100 jobs. This Government is getting on with building infrastructure and is improving the economic development of this country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a975d697e53407e8c9f93f69988cfe6\u0022\u003EDavid Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: What progress can the Minister report on accelerating State highway projects?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a36b0c98a4cc46cdbc68e807ad61a720\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: In addition to the recent announcements about the Victoria Park tunnel and the exciting K\u014Dp\u016B Bridge replacement, the Minister of Transport is in Tauranga today to announce the start of consultation on tolling as a possible means of bringing forward the Tauranga eastern link road. This new road will boost productivity, improve access to the Port of Tauranga, and greatly enhance safety. The important point is that it will reduce travel time by 24 minutes on a return journey. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022483ab4b95fb344c588015ccfa256eb55\u0022\u003ETobacco Point-of-sale Advertising\u2014Effect on Adolescents\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E13. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff815aa2a57d4056aadb75235da45cb9\u0022\u003EIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour\u2014Palmerston North)\u003C/span\u003E to the Associate Minister of Health: Has she received any evidence that point-of-sale tobacco advertising increases the likelihood that adolescents will start smoking?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022 data-id=\u0022723ac9e8086343eeac4e41c783d9f488\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022723ac9e8086343eeac4e41c783d9f488\u0022\u003EHon TARIANA TURIA (Associate Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c99e36f22a0a48c1b6f8defcbd7541bf\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: Does she agree with the Minister of Health\u2019s statement that there is no international evidence that shows a clear link between banning tobacco displays and reducing smoking rates?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ce3bd1b70154e01b2b8d455731be5e9\u0022\u003EHon TARIANA TURIA\u003C/span\u003E: I am not responsible for the answers that the Minister of Health gives in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228095b94c36cc476da665fd8d8dc91665\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. We have been through this on a previous occasion, whereby the Associate Minister of Health has clear, delegated responsibility for tobacco policy. This question is about the views of somebody else on tobacco policy. It does not matter that it happens to be the Minister of Health. It could be any person commenting on tobacco policy. For some inexplicable reason, the Associate Minister will not answer these questions that are being put down to her about tobacco policy. There is no reason for her not to comment on this matter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d91f71fc89b248409db45ae8a1a788e2\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Further to the member\u2019s point of order, I think there is even more reason for her to comment on this statement than if it was from any other person, with due respect to my colleague. The Associate Minister is responsible for the collective views of the Government on this issue. If those views are not the same, if there is differentiation between the Minister of Health and the Associate Minister of Health, then it is the direct responsibility of the Associate Minister of Health in this particular area to get the person who must represent her views in Cabinet on side. I have had complicated relationships with associates myself in the past, and it is very important for the coherence of government for those things to be resolved. In the end the responsibility rests with the person to whom that delegation has been given. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022801fbf99022648b08ec030a0c3e9bd0a\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I thank honourable members. [Interruption] I am still dealing with this point of order. I accept that the honourable member is responding to an interjection from the Hon Gerry Brownlee while I am dealing with this point of order. It is an interesting point of order. The dilemma I have, slightly, is that an opinion was sought and, therefore, the nature of the answer cannot be precise. But I think the Minister should have endeavoured to give a reply to the question, even though an opinion was being sought. It is valid to seek an opinion, but as to whether the Minister does not have any responsibility, I think there is some merit in the points that have been made that the Associate Minister has delegations in this area and, therefore, does have responsibility in this area. I invite the member to repeat his question, and we will listen to the Minister\u2019s answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227dc6ea63b8ac48f7b80879c248e9d7ce\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Associate Minister agree with the Minister of Health\u2019s statement that there is no international evidence that shows a clear link between banning tobacco displays and reducing smoking rates?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f8af28572a8a424983e911a00962a08d\u0022\u003EHon TARIANA TURIA\u003C/span\u003E: I repeat my answer from before, because I do not take responsibility for others who make comments in this portfolio. I am very clear that, yes, I agree with the previous question, and that is what I am responsible for\u2014not for anybody else.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a2a309a45304cf989a5dd22361e88a7\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. You asked the Minister to address the question. In her answer, she got up and said that she is not planning on doing that because she has no responsibility for it, and she sat down again. We are no clearer about what the Associate Minister with delegated responsibility for tobacco policy thinks about this comment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022beee96c0930344bd9f96007bd00f5354\u0022\u003EHon TARIANA TURIA\u003C/span\u003E: I am very happy to take responsibility for the portfolio that I have and to answer on behalf of that responsibility. I am not prepared to be responsible for the answers that others give.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022501b97cb3f5e49f096f1f354e37b7914\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: If members had listened to the answer that the Associate Minister gave, I think it was pretty clear as to what she was telling the questioner in her answer. It may not have been quite as precise as the member might have wished, but it was very clear to me what the Minister was saying.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f5a8d2f9d04c4bb6beb3440db86c8bb3\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I was also listening to it very carefully. The Associate Minister actually said that she agreed with the question. That is capable of a lot of interpretation\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9c9aadfcf954fe7b5ba2d1b7a7bf7e5\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have heard sufficient on this matter. I do not know what trouble members are having, but it was very clear to me what the Minister was saying and which view she was expressing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002244d7ae085f32438da79424016e3e50d8\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I find myself in a very difficult situation now and I seek your guidance. I attempted to submit a written question to the Minister of Health on this matter and on statements that he has made. The Clerk\u2019s Office responded to me to say that I was not able to do that, and, in fact, the wording I used in this question is precisely the wording that it recommended I use to the Associate Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f57091d3bb3c48bf8b765d540ad8f77a\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: A simple way of dealing with this would be for the member to ask a question of the Minister of Health, rather than doing this\u2014[Interruption] They know\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eb49da1b9f924ac48216fd6618688369\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: There is no excuse, just because those members have breached the Standing Orders, for the Minister to do so. I am listening.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022faf7416dd1db4cb9a9c20582b18698a4\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I am making the point that the member should simply set down a question asking the Minister of Health what he thinks about it, if it is of such great concern to him. I think that the Associate Minister of Health has made her position abundantly clear.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f8b8bc1bec3d4dc5a0f6cde8d1f79f53\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: The Leader of the House has been helpful, because it goes to the exact problem we have. The member concerned put down an oral question to the Associate Minister of Health asking about whether she agreed with the view of another Government Minister. The Minister refused to answer the question, using the same excuse that she has used today. My colleague put down a written question to the Minister of Health, who refused to answer the question and sent it back because he does not have delegated responsibility for tobacco policy. So today we put the question to the Associate Minister again, and we are in the same dilemma. The tobacco question, of course, is important, but the secondary issue here for you is how the Opposition can question the Government when different positions are expressed and Ministers say that they simply refuse to comment on what their ministerial colleagues are saying. We have this specific problem, plus I think there is a wider issue here as well for you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022760d493983e547f3a332da23e5e66e0a\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I would simply refer the shadow Leader of the House to many Speakers\u2019 rulings that were made during the period of 2002-05 that dealt with the extraordinary situation we had then, when we had members of the Alliance parading in the House as being part of some other party but holding ministerial warrants, with not one Minister wanting to answer any question that might offend the other. In this case, it is quite simple: the Associate Minister of Health has responsibility in this area and has made her views very, very clear to the House today. I ask how any further questions on what Government policy might be can be solicited from any other member, given that other members do not have the responsibility that she has.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221559767b13404d379346bcda6e03221a\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking further to the point of order\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ee4f521af454976ab90b35dd91aec00\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I will hear the Hon Darren Hughes only a little bit further, then I will rule on the matter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d27850c424e4f39a77bde734231aa3a\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: First of all, the Alliance party left Parliament in 2002, so I am not quite sure why checking the Hansard from 2002-05 would help in the way that the Leader of the House says it will. Secondly, those were questions about the administration of political parties and they are not allowed, regardless of whether or not a Government is cohesive. But this matter is about Government policy. Further, it is about an area where there is delegated responsibility from one Minister to another. The point we are making is that both Ministers are refusing to answer questions or are creating difficulty about answering questions in this particular respect, and that is where we need your assistance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022990aeec4c17343e489f71d90e7a07538\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I do not need any further assistance on this matter. The primary question asked whether the Associate Minister had received any evidence that point-of-sale tobacco advertising increases the likelihood that adolescents will start smoking. If I recollect correctly, I think that the Minister replied \u201CYes.\u201D to that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002219bea1b67cae4c309cfa0db26670a73c\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c9264ff45b54400a93ba51e2efe7a3b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Minister replied \u201CYes.\u201D OK, that clears that up. Then the member who had asked the primary question, by way of a supplementary question, sought an opinion. We know that members cannot expect a yes or no answer on an opinion, but the Minister made it abundantly clear, I thought, to the House what her view was. Members cannot expect a yes or no answer, but in terms of the substantive issue that was laid down as a primary question, the House knows the answer to it. The Minister has been commendably clear and could not have been more clear. If all questions were as simple, and answers were as clear, then it would be very helpful. The Minister was commendably clear in her answer. One could argue, therefore, that there is not even any need for further supplementary questions, because supplementary questions are meant to elucidate primary questions. The member asking the question then went on to seek an opinion. The Minister was not quite so clear in answering on that opinion, although I think it was very clear what the Minister was actually saying. The member has a further supplementary question to ask, and I will not hear further points of order on the matter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022154a6c42894441449281c299b76fcca2\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I respect what you just said about not hearing further points of order on the matter, but you have explained, and we have been consulting here on, the exact meaning of \u201CI agree with the question\u201D. You said that that is absolutely clear, but we do not understand what that means.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a18a7e636054101b119a4ed1f9598a1\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: If the member does not understand what the Minister is saying, then I cannot help him. It was abundantly clear to me and I do not intend to litigate the matter further. The Minister was obviously confirming what she said before, that in respect of the substantive question, she had evidence of that, and that is what she confirmed. Does the member wish to ask a further supplementary question?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220aa54a2721c242d3ab22e9dbf1172855\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister of Health changed his position on tobacco displays since stating in the House on 4 March that \u201Cthere is no international evidence that shows a clear link between banning tobacco displays and reducing smoking rates.\u201D; if so, what is his current stance?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a44579a909a64ee9b78534200f1e05fe\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I do not know how the Minister can be expected to answer that, because the supplementary question was directed to the Minister of Health and the substantive question was directed to the Associate Minister of Health. The member asked whether the Minister of Health has changed his opinion. I do not believe the member can ask the Associate Minister that. Rather than penalise the member a supplementary question, I am very happy for him to rephrase it. [Interruption] I am trying to deal with a difficult issue. Because this matter is not an easy one to deal with, I do not want to penalise the member a supplementary question and I am very happy for him to rephrase his supplementary question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc873d86661d4b369a6aee9f89c83730\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am sorry to relitigate matters. It is my submission to you that the Associate Minister responsible for this area, in the delegated responsibilities, could answer that supplementary question. If the Minister has changed his view and she is aware of that, she can say yes, or she can say no\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223dec2a3388d04ef1aea2160f75c9d697\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I do not want to take more of the House\u2019s time. If the member had asked \u201CHas the Associate Minister been advised \u2026\u201D then that would be fine, because it would then be a matter of whether she had received such advice. But to ask her point-blank about a matter relating specifically to the Minister of Health is clearly not something she can answer. The member can rephrase his supplementary question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef4b467da57940018b491048e042fd4e\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister currently support a ban on point-of-sale tobacco advertising; if so, has she prepared any Cabinet papers or draft legislation to advance her policy position?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ecad8ff7e3044f5901e29b573d7a43d\u0022\u003EHon TARIANA TURIA\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I agree with the question. I have been opposed to tobacco sales in the shops, and I have been discussing this matter with the Minister and also with the Prime Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d9cf9f8c565344b49d9e648d5f08df5a\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. How are the supplementary questions for this being allocated? Can you assure us that they were held back from the quota that Labour used yesterday?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002211f27ddb1df44c348192676c6957a5a8\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I can assure the honourable Minister that I am following the number of supplementary questions very carefully. At this point I believe that the Labour Party has used 31 out of a possible 33 supplementary questions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa37ffe605584f2c92b4036ce34a102e\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Associate Minister expect a Government bill to be introduced that would bring about the ban on tobacco displays?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224134ea443afd471eb40c9a06475bb79e\u0022\u003EHon TARIANA TURIA\u003C/span\u003E: Certainly, that is an option.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c8944ceb1fcb4494ac7b015f9c43b677\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3 to Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022 data-id=\u0022f636980d42ca403db90d4ac858df795d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f636980d42ca403db90d4ac858df795d\u0022\u003EHon RUTH DYSON (Labour\u2014Port Hills):\u003C/span\u003E In answer to a supplementary question during question No. 3, the Acting Prime Minister advised the House that New Zealand\u2019s unemployment rate in 2005 was as it is today\u20146 percent. I seek leave to table the household labour force survey for 2005. The survey shows that in the first quarter the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, in the second quarter it was 3.7 percent, in the third quarter it was 3.7 percent, and in the fourth quarter it was 3.6 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e50eaf7fa2d46d3b40e7c5f75c91043\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221f7f1d7e66ae4bdc9751d7c3aa32117a\u0022\u003EHon RUTH DYSON\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table the household labour force survey from June 2000, which is the last time\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022433e9944a24e42d49a07ef3839b61cc4\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member should not go on for too long on these matters. She has sought leave to table the household labour force survey from June 2000. Is there any objection to that course of action? There is no objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022 data-id=\u00225b5578d7cb834987a250aa72ec8e92cd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225b5578d7cb834987a250aa72ec8e92cd\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment):\u003C/span\u003E I seek leave to table the household labour force survey for 2008, where for three consecutive quarters the unemployment rate rose under the previous Labour Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a93eeec670df4e549372b5a1f56277ad\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? I heard objection. There is objection to that document being tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224462b648dd59496dab91ccc024f5036b\u0022\u003EQuestions to Members\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e5d5ef788dfc412e9c7a70f6dc1bac1e\u0022\u003ECorrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Bill\u2014Report Back\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226858a06f884b4380b1c4f7371d1fdd90\u0022\u003EHon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour\u2014Waimakariri)\u003C/span\u003E to the Chairperson of the Law and Order Committee: When will the Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Bill be reported back to the House?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022 data-id=\u0022b3c7095382b140ab9cb1ef6a3c6d4a49\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b3c7095382b140ab9cb1ef6a3c6d4a49\u0022\u003ESANDRA GOUDIE (Chairperson of the Law and Order Committee):\u003C/span\u003E The report-back date to the House is 26 September 2009.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226edc15dd430a47409b03e96766493e2b\u0022\u003EHon Clayton Cosgrove\u003C/span\u003E: Will the chairperson invite Ministry of Justice officials to appear before the Law and Order Committee before it reports back, to explain their input into the departmental report on the Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Bill; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b8eedd9ab3f64936a6cc5fc8bb3d01ea\u0022\u003ESANDRA GOUDIE\u003C/span\u003E: That will be a matter for the committee to determine.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002231880c3273b24725a3fa0d4878fcdc59\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table my letter to you, Mr Speaker, outlining my concerns at the behaviour of ACT MP David Garrett at the Law and Order Committee yesterday.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227fc6e51dea834db9a87925585cb7b5c4\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a398d930df7493b89a0bf31db37a291\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dd8d6ce82bdd43b8953d97f853f096a1\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I beg your pardon? Point of order, the Hon Clayton Cosgrove\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1a18648360b45358b740774ac150eae\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re in the middle of a point of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229b91fb3251944801816273d8e673bf76\u0022\u003EHon Clayton Cosgrove\u003C/span\u003E: OK.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229824b2bb568b41999dfb7508bda16f86\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I will hear the Hon Clayton Cosgrove. Does the Hon Clayton Cosgrove want to make a point of order?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229b7df81effc0466d9070a3cb9c3a3e18\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022069a98f07d9948b3b69df12eac8c3d30\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I have said I will hear the Hon Clayton Cosgrove.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022639a425e541b4a6fa6087bfac7d6cb46\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Well, you\u2019re making up new rules.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229290fa6bd47c4808b150a19727895539\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Leader of the House will resume his seat right now. Thank you. I have said I will hear the Hon Clayton Cosgrove.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221fa0fe4e728642c8939767021b9758d8\u0022\u003EHon Clayton Cosgrove\u003C/span\u003E: Just to be helpful, you were very generous in asking whether there was objection to the leave, and you gave an extended period of time for that. There was no objection. You were about to put that, and an objection allegedly came from somewhere. I put it to you that you had already embarked on that course. There was no objection. The letter should be tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200ae5e10a24347d4bdfd875898303f48\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Members might note that in fact I had not ruled one way or the other on the matter. The reason why I was hesitating was that I was a little uncertain about the procedures around the tabling of members\u2019 letters to the Speaker. It is not a common request, and the kinds of dangers that might be entered into, were members to seek leave to table letters to the Speaker, were going through my mind. I guess if it is the member\u2019s own letter, then that is a matter for the member to decide. Forgive me; I was not waiting for someone to object. I was pondering on the potential risks around putting such leave to the House. On reflection, given that it is the member\u2019s own letter and therefore I cannot see any particular\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cfdabe42-521a-4dca-afab-3e781731a130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002266635afe99644181bc1fcf909a0998d7\u0022\u003EDr Paul Hutchison\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. There was a lot of noise down this end of the Chamber, and in fact right throughout the Chamber, yet through it all came a very clear and loud negation from the chairperson of the committee, indicating that she did not want the letter to be tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c00188d9d37d45649432fc8b8e72e413\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: I was not going to comment, but the member\u2019s recollection is clearly not the case for anyone sitting on this side of the Chamber. The House was absolutely silent. I was surprised at just how long you waited. You appeared to be looking around. You have explained what the reason was for that. But I think to try to argue that there was a lot of noise in the House and you could not hear Sandra Goudie interjecting is just not credible. You then started to say that the letter could be tabled. In fact, so much time had elapsed that my colleague was able to deliver the letter to the Chamber officers for it to be tabled. I do not think that is correct at all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229de99d66d72e442d8e5cae90f511266d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: We are getting into some difficulty here. I will hear from the ACT Party, which we have not heard from yet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277ec6495-df45-43ac-aaa1-a03b5dd4c128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dda735ad9bc047b382f27357db14cae6\u0022\u003EJohn Boscawen\u003C/span\u003E: I heard Sandra Goudie say yes on at least two occasions, and possibly on three. Although Mr Hughes may not have heard her, I certainly did, and I can attest to that fact.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f61d37fb9194faf84161728f4b8aedb\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I do not need to hear any further on this. The issues that I need to consider are clear. Let me make it very clear to the House that I was not waiting for anyone. I was trying to reflect, because I think this is the first time that I have been asked to seek leave for a member\u2019s letter to the Speaker to be tabled. That is something I was pondering on. I think the only way I can resolve this\u2014and it is my fault we got into this, by my pondering on the issue\u2014is to ask the member who objected whether she objected promptly on my putting the leave to the House. I have to rely on a member\u2019s word. I obviously did not hear the member immediately, but members at the back of the House say that she did object. I believe that the only way I can handle the matter is to rely on the member\u2019s goodwill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222ff5e9f94082400b988537ccc80e8e8d\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I have an alternative approach. Members over there have made it very clear that the member did object. I think we have to take their word. I think that if we have the precedent of asking for the word of other members, then it will get pretty unhealthy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e396e5eed9b6465eb0c12d0c488369e2\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: On that basis, I invite the member to seek leave again. This time, I ask, if any member does object, that it be dealt with promptly. Letters to the Speaker relating to matters of privilege cannot be referred to in debate, but I do not see any procedural problem in this matter. I will hear from the Hon Gerry Brownlee, having been pretty blunt with him previously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222064c884fa86495e804602de41cfd808\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I think the problem, Mr Speaker, is that you yourself have just said you hesitated because you were surprised that a member wanted to table a letter that had been sent to you. I presume that it is a matter of privilege that has been raised.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b9e274c3ec294ed98b28cc9cdd5e67d6\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have to be honest with the member. I do not know whether it is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd67460e6dc3498a8346e7b0c3c5b4ce\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: There is a procedure around that, as you know. A member writes to the Speaker and provides a copy of the letter to the person who is the subject of the privileges complaint. If this is allowed to proceed, then we destroy that whole process, because people will simply come into the Chamber and table documents that outline an allegation against one member or another, and therefore as a document tabled in Parliament it becomes completely public before members on the other side have any opportunity whatsoever to respond. I think it would be an appalling situation if the House allows this to happen today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022450d93ab94864b01ad51bd09eb299429\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I do not need to hear any further on this issue. I believe the point raised by the Hon Gerry Brownlee is a very fair one. If members start using letters to the Speaker to try to make political points, and if members publicise those letters prior to the ability of the Speaker to consider them, the whole system will start to break down. I make it very clear to the House that as Speaker I take a very dim view of that. Members seeking the Speaker to give favourable consideration to an issue around a breach of privilege damage their case very seriously when they make the matter public before the Speaker has had the chance to deal with it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EI think the point raised by the Hon Gerry Brownlee is a very valid one, and that is why I hesitated as I put the leave that was being sought. I think this is a serious issue, and I want the House to reflect on it. That is why I am prepared to have the member seek leave again. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EWe have had this consideration under points of order, which I think is a very fair consideration because it is a very important issue that we are dealing with. Matters of privilege are important matters. Communications with the Speaker are very important matters, and they are not matters that should be used to score political points in the media prior to the Speaker\u2019s consideration of them. Having had that consideration, I think all members now have the chance to reflect on the matter and to deliberate on the leave that is being sought. Members have a perfect right to seek leave to table whatever documents they believe they wish to table. I think that is the best way to deal with the matter now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228cc4ada6eda14c729aa8b7242d1412f6\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. With due respect, I think the matter about whether a document, a letter to you regarding privilege, is released is a matter for the person who wrote the letter or even for the person who received it. I agree with you that it is unlikely to get favourable consideration from you, or that it is likely to be a factor that you take into account when considering it. But there have been dozens of occasions over the years where a press statement has been around the gallery with a letter attached to it before the complaint has made it to the member who has been complained about. That tends to indicate that it is more political than something with a serious hope of succeeding at the Privileges Committee, or something that is unlikely to even reach the committee, but I submit to you that that is a matter for the member who wrote the letter and/or the member who was complained about. Either of them has the right to release it, and I am slightly anxious about your suggestion that it would be completely wrong for them to do so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a91b2253400426da14bfb81939b37cd\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I hear what the member has said. I accept absolutely the point that the Hon Trevor Mallard makes, which is that it is perfectly within the existing Standing Orders for a member to do that. I have no argument with that. I believe it undermines the procedures of the House, though, and maybe it is something that the House should consider in future consideration of the Standing Orders. Anything that undermines the procedures of the House is not good. It is a practice that used not to happen years ago, but it has tended to happen more. I think on this occasion the best way, now that there has been a reflective period on the matter and the House is in a position to do so, is for the House to decide whether it will give leave for this letter to be tabled. The member should seek leave again, and I invite Carmel Sepuloni to do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ab4436b2a6094ccdae6d0c3600f82255\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table my letter to you, Mr Speaker, outlining my concerns about the behaviour of ACT MP David Garrett at the select committee yesterday.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b3c667913aa4d8ebfa839159d8c1539\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that letter. Is there any objection? There is objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224cb000711a0c4aa68e8cdc16a5b59038\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3 to Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022 data-id=\u00225f7a203f5eed4e8baf33ad93ca3c8e4b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225f7a203f5eed4e8baf33ad93ca3c8e4b\u0022\u003EHon RUTH DYSON (Labour\u2014Port Hills):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Could I have a clarification that under the Standing Orders, Ministers are still required to correct incorrect information given in an answer at the earliest possible opportunity after that information has been corrected? Is that still the Standing Order?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282ac285a278246f0a2a3637c85de071c\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It is a matter for the Minister and it should be done at the earliest opportunity. There are other remedies if the member believes that a Minister has deliberately misled the House, but once the Minister is aware that an answer that was given was incorrect, he or she should\u2014although it is up to him or her\u2014seek to correct the answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229b3bcde56a9047f1a5d88ac93c7fd115\u0022\u003ERoad User Charges Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022227181eab79b48d0aae5ffff527ed5e7\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022 data-id=\u0022e3d3580f07ec43fbac0615be3ef09ce9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e3d3580f07ec43fbac0615be3ef09ce9\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY (Associate Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Road User Charges Amendment Bill be now read a third time. I thank members and officials for their work on this very important bill. The bill will achieve two things. Firstly, it will enable the exemption of light electric motor vehicles from the requirement to pay road-user charges, and, secondly, it will ensure adequate notice of road-user charge increases.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EOver the years, motor vehicles have given New Zealanders opportunities to travel, and travel more freely now than at any other time in the past, and motor vehicles have brought huge improvements in economic growth and prosperity. However, part of the price of that freedom has been a contribution to global climate change, toxic emissions, and, indeed, noise. These problems are not due to the roads or our motorists; rather, they are due to the motors of our vehicles. Recent advances in vehicle technology will see zero-emission or very low-emission vehicles in our market as early as 2010. These new vehicles will be powered, either wholly or partly, by electricity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EElectric vehicles are beneficial: while providing the choice of flexible and personalised transport, they are more efficient and cheaper to run than conventional vehicles. They will reduce our need to import fossil fuels and, when combined with smart metering technology, will increase road and electricity security against energy disruptions. Electric vehicles release little or no toxic emissions, and they have the potential to substantially reduce transport greenhouse gas emissions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EThis bill seeks to allow exemptions for owners of light electric motor vehicles from paying road-user charges. The 4c per kilometre saving would provide an incentive for those people who have bought light electric motor vehicles. The exemption is intended to operate until 2013, and is limited to light electric motor vehicles. In 2013 the exemption will cease, and owners of light electric motor vehicles will revert to paying the full costs they impose on the roading network\u2014an important principle of our road-funding system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EThe second important issue this bill addresses is the provision of notice for an increase to road-user charges. These charges are a significant cost to commercial transport operators. They are a tax, and no reasonable Government would increase a tax overnight without warning. The bill proposes a very reasonable period of 6 weeks\u2019 notice before these charges are increased; the possibility of Government revenue loss through large-scale, pre-purchasing of road-user charges at cheaper rates is neatly averted. Road-user charge licences for heavy vehicles will expire 1 month after an increase comes into effect. Refunds of road-user charges for unused kilometres will be automatically provided at the time a new licence is purchased. No additional resources from Government or businesses will be required. The 400,000 owners of light diesel motor vehicles will not be subject to the expiry provision. The lower cost of road-user charge licenses for these vehicles substantially reduces the incentive for large-scale pre-purchasing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EAgain, I thank the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee and officials for the very prompt work on this bill. The bill will help to encourage light electric motor vehicles on to our roads, which will lead to cleaner and quieter streets, lower fuel bills, and fewer greenhouse gases. The bill provides a transparent notification system for increases to road-user charges while safeguarding the Government\u2019s revenue. This is a very good bill, and I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u0022c30609a108304428bf75628345c2be50\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c30609a108304428bf75628345c2be50\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Labour will be supporting the third reading of the Road User Charges Amendment Bill\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222c98e2cb9c21424ba38bb80b1f0a81a2\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: How\u2019s your landlady?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281c55e1e27e94dc4aaa83ecc67a50288\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022789e5480a4904967a82def014d92133f\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: How\u2019s your landlady?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220bf4ff67c14e4f9e88295c44a2b4c340\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES\u003C/span\u003E: Out of all the choices of people, I would much rather have her than some other people I know, in terms of kindness and things like that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EWe are in support of this bill\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223b9f050116f046f394f37caae93c743e\u0022\u003EHon Maurice Williamson\u003C/span\u003E: Seen the Harry Potter movies? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a503f3fb8fec4be4a718c2af525596d7\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES\u003C/span\u003E: What was that, Maurice? I would have thought National members would be the last members to raise anything to do with housing this week. I am amazed they want to do that. All it shows is that there is a lot of disloyalty over there at the present time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EThis bill is in the name of the Minister of Transport, the Hon Steven Joyce, and who is the No. 1 beneficiary of Bill English\u2019s problems this week? It is Steven Joyce. So is it not interesting that all those members are climbing over one another to praise Steven Joyce as he marches towards the deputy prime ministership and the finance portfolio in this country? That was a nasty little dig by Paula Bennett to try to get one over Bill English in order to grease up to Steven Joyce as she looks for further promotion within the Government. I am very disappointed that she would do something like that; I think it is a real black mark against her name, in that particular regard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EThe third reading of this bill is welcomed by Labour, although it is very timid legislation. Through the Committee stage we highlighted the concerns we had that the Minister and the Government have not used the chance of this legislation to be far bolder and show a little bit more vision with regard to the development of light electric motor vehicles in New Zealand. The bill, as the previous speaker said, has two parts: the first covers the exemption for light electric motor vehicles from road-user charges, and the second covers the period in which road-user charges may be purchased after the Government has announced an increase in those fees\u2014and I will come to that point second. In dealing with the exemption for light electric motor vehicles, I say that the bill does not go far enough. It is disappointing that it is anticipating only 300 of these vehicles being on the road between now and 2013. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EOne of the issues that the Minister would not address in the Committee stage was why the opportunity was not taken to set a bolder target for those vehicles to be on our roads in order to send a very clear signal from Government that it was showing the leadership required to get a diversity of vehicles fuelled by different means through our motor vehicle fleet. I think that is a missed opportunity, and many questions were put to the Minister that he did not answer. For example, he was asked why a percentage figure of our fleet was not set rather than a number. When we consider how many cars each family has, we realise that 300 cars is a very, very small number indeed; 300 cars would pretty easily cover two or three streets in a small provincial town. But if the Minister had set a percentage figure, even one as low as 1 percent, that would have been a chance for the country to see how serious the Government was for light electric motor vehicles to be developed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003ELight electric motor vehicles are such a great idea and reinforce all the work that the previous Government had done around the sustainability agenda to make sure that the single biggest area for most families in terms of fossil fuel emissions\u2014that is, people\u2019s participation in the transport sector\u2014could be covered. For many families who think about how they can make a real difference to climate change, it will be in the area of transport that they are able to make the biggest difference to their emissions. Electric cars are obviously one way in which that could happen. We have to increase the proportion of these vehicles in our fleet on the roads. Combining both a greater quantity and the fact that New Zealand has such a strong supply of renewable energy would have brought together those great ideas. I hope that will happen with this bill, and that we will have 300 of these cars between now and 4 years\u2019 time, but I fear that the wrong signals are being given, or that the signals are not being given strongly enough, with the passage of this bill here today. We know that cars that rely on oil engines or petrol and need to be filled up at the gas station are harmful sources of fuel because they are non-renewable sources, and emissions from cars are something that we are all concerned about. By flipping over to electric vehicles, we see that both of those things can be changed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EI want to pick up on a point made by National member the Hon Tau Henare yesterday. He referred to a documentary called Who Killed the Electric Car?. In politics it is very easy to have conspiracy theories put to members or to the community about how things can be affected, but I think that documentary clearly showed that not only Governments but corporations as well can send the wrong signals by the decisions they make. One thing that reminds me of that point is the style, shape, and design of the cars that were chosen in order to make them unattractive to consumers. A very deliberate decision was made to try to limit sales of that particular type of vehicle. I believe that the Government has a role to play in this area that can be quite influential, and I encourage it to take up that role in a stronger way. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EWe know that at the moment the availability of these cars in our market is currently very, very low. The purchase price is around double the cost of what a conventional vehicle would be, and that puts them out of the reach of many, many working families, particularly those who are facing harder times as unemployment rises at a seemingly unstoppable rate. Today it is at 6 percent of our labour market. Global manufacturers have not seen New Zealand as a priority to send cars down to, because they have not seen a market that is ready and willing to go. That is the tragedy of the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EThe role of Government is to remove barriers. This bill partly does that, and that is why Labour is voting for it. We offer the Government congratulations on that part, but so often within this area of sustainability and climate change we are not seeing the Government being bold enough, which is what our country needs. New Zealand relies so heavily on a stable climate. Often the people who stand to lose the most from climate change are themselves the most reluctant to make a change, but I think it is the role of Parliament and the Government to look at that. I point the Government\u2019s attention, as I did during the second reading, to Denmark. It has outlined a huge programme to try to kick-start a proper electric motor vehicle fleet, a US$135 million plan to try to get that going, and the New Zealand Government should be trying to focus on that as strongly as it can. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EFinally, I turn to the area of road-user charges that the bill contains in its second part. The previous Government ordered a review of road-user charges because there are a number of legitimate questions in this area around fairness, where costs should fall, and the emerging types of vehicles that have environmental efficiency. We have just been discussing electric vehicles and they are, of course, covered by the bill, but there are also diesel-powered sedans and light diesel vehicles. They are becoming more and more popular on the consumer market. How those are all treated is a subject of some considerable debate and angst within the transport industry. The review was set up last year to try to come up with some potential options or solutions in that respect. I certainly welcomed that review. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EThe review came out of a period when the National Party had been very, very critical of an increase in those road-user charges. There was 18 years between increases in the fees, and when the increases were finally put forward we saw the then National transport spokesperson, Maurice Williamson, back when he was alive politically, lead a charge of National MPs around the country. They said that those were the most terrible, disgraceful increases they had ever seen, and that it was terrible that the Labour Government had raised road-user charges. Yet nowhere in this debate have National members got up and said that they believe road-user charges should be lowered to the level they were last year. I have been intrigued by that, because I thought that last year\u2019s high principle would have been this year\u2019s delivery. I thought that National members were so genuine in their outrage last year that they would have reduced those road-user charges. But\u2014surprise, surprise\u2014they have not done that. I would love to know from the next speaker why, all of a sudden, they believe that the road-user charges are now at an appropriate level, when last year those members joined protests all around the country because the charges were so outrageous. Equally, the cost of diesel has fallen since that time\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd96ef8bb54446348e118ff8c9b8735a\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: No, we just joined the protest because it was anti-Labour!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a614bc92e9d491da87e4d74a487ae8d\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, so the member says that he joined the protest only because it was anti-Labour. I hope that the members of the trucking industry who listened to the Hon Tau Henare when he turned up realise now that maybe he did not really believe what he was saying. That is a very interesting revelation. When he gives speeches, they are more about his political party view, in terms of the Government of the day, than about the substance of what he is saying around that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EWe know that the money collected in road-user charges goes to the National Land Transport Fund. We use that fund to build our roads, and to try to improve our infrastructure in respect of rail and so many other things we need in order to get New Zealand moving. When the Government talks about the seven roads of national significance, they are paid for out of the National Land Transport Fund. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022 data-id=\u002260494a7c05d5445f9fda44b6e6e28c9d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002260494a7c05d5445f9fda44b6e6e28c9d\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE (National):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to take a short call in the third reading of the Road User Charges Amendment Bill. There is a global movement towards the use of cleaner, greener cars, and that includes electric cars. The Government has a role to play in this change. It needs to take a lead, and through this bill the Government is making a start. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThere is no doubt that road-user charges have been a barrier to the uptake of electric cars. An increase in the number of electric cars on our roads will reduce the greenhouse gases produced by the transport sector as well as the harmful emissions affecting air quality. It will also decrease reliance on imported fossil fuels and improve energy security. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThis bill provides for 42 days\u2019 notice of a road-user charge increase. That has been done to minimise the potential harm and revenue loss caused by the pre-purchasing of road-user charges by the heavy motor vehicle industry following notification of a road-user charge increase. The bill provides that heavy vehicle road-user charge licences will expire 1 month after an increase comes into effect. The changes in road-user charge rates that cannot be passed on to consumers in a timely manner impacts on their businesses. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022 data-id=\u002243cae05313f544679d62049992e0c563\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002243cae05313f544679d62049992e0c563\u0022\u003EHon PETE HODGSON (Labour\u2014Dunedin North):\u003C/span\u003E I went over to the United States in 1992 on one of those \u201CCIA\u201D trips. I was there for a month and we were entitled to have a bit to do with putting our own agenda together. I found myself in Pasadena talking to a guy called Paul MacCready. Paul MacCready has since passed away, but before he did he managed a few things. He got a pterodactyl to fly. He took part in the Alice Springs to Darwin solar races each year, and continued to clean those up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003EPaul MacCready was the guy who invented the Gossamer aircraft, the first aircraft that was human-powered and heavier than air, and he invented a thing called the Impact, which was an electric vehicle. I sat down with him for the day just to get a sense of where his head was at, and he taught me a really important lesson. It was that politicians should not pick technologies; politicians should back technologies. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003EIn 1992 the Government of California had said\u2014and as my colleague Darren Hughes said earlier\u2014that there was a case for the Government to set a percentage target, so it did. It said that all vehicles to be sold from the year 2000, or thereabouts, in Los Angeles would be zero-emission vehicles. But Mr MacCready said that the politicians had made a mistake because they had picked a technology instead of backing it. They should have watched what technology was coming forward. It was not zero-emission vehicles back in 1992; it was hybrids. He could see them coming out of Japan, and he could see that that would be the next wave, to be followed maybe by plug-in hybrids, and then maybe by electric vehicles. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003ENow, 17 years later, Mr MacCready has been proved right, and the time for a Government to back this new technology\u2014zero-emission vehicles; electric cars\u2014has come. So Labour members support this legislation, but in the same breath we say that it is insufficient. We are not suggesting great subsidies, or anything of the sort, but we wonder whether taking road-user charges off zero-emission vehicles will make much of a difference when one considers not only the capital cost but the entire lack of infrastructure. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003ENo planning is going on around the advent of electric vehicles into this country. There is no planning law about what type or types of recharging we might have\u2014induction, plug-in, or whatever. There is no standard set for safety around those forms of recharging. We do not have any infrastructure in place for the advent of these vehicles, so the early movers will have to make it up as they go along. If we are to have 350, or something, electric vehicles in this country by a certain period\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0178d330a8c4defa3a39b9a9b8eb9b2\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: 300 in the next 5 years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228514fe9b96144f13a82fdb4706ba0712\u0022\u003EHon PETE HODGSON\u003C/span\u003E: Well, by the law of averages that will mean 10 in my home town of Dunedin, and those 10 electric vehicle users will not have a place to plug in, in the central city unless there is planning for that. They will not be able to be assured of safe, ongoing recharging at home, or anywhere else, unless there is planning for it. And they certainly will not be able to go on a trip\u2014not into Central Otago\u2014because there will not be anything there for them to charge into or easily charge into. So it is an infrastructure issue. The Government needs to do more in the electric vehicle space than it has done. I commend what the Government has done. It is a good step forward, but it is not a sufficient step forward by any means. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003EI wonder whether the Government would ever consider getting together a group of people who have an interest in this matter\u2014potential users, potential services\u2014and asking them when we should start training mechanics to look after these vehicles when they need servicing. We do not have that now, so will we be doing DIY maintenance on electric vehicles? Will people be phoning up some trained electrician who is very interested in electric cars? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003EThe point is we will have to have that trained electrician, or have that knowledge, before people buy the vehicles. That is why I think the Government has not done enough. We need a skills infrastructure, we need a physical infrastructure, and we need a plan. But we do not have any of those; we simply have the removal of road-user charges. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003EI refer now to the other matter in this legislation. I well remember a bunch of truck drivers rolling into the streets of Dunedin, and elsewhere around the country, late last year. They were outraged by the fact that the then Minister of Transport had taken steps so they could not rort an increase in charges, as if such Government action was unusual. Has no one ever been in this House when, under urgency, tax changes have gone through in the dead of night? That is the precise action of a Government when it is looking to put up charges. It does so suddenly so that people have certainty about what they are going to pay\u2014more or, in some cases, less\u2014the following day. That is normal, but when the Minister of Transport did so it was an outrage. So a bunch of truck drivers came into town, blocked up the roads, and basically said: \u201CWe know that we don\u2019t pay enough but we don\u2019t want to pay any more.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003EI acknowledge that road-user charges always bring debate around the margins, that road-user charges are never set perfectly, and that there is always room for debate about this or that aspect of them. I know that; I have been a Minister of Transport myself for a time. It is an ongoing thing, but when the Government decided that road-user charges needed to go up\u2014and that decision was backed by quite careful analysis\u2014and when the truck drivers of the nation started running into town, one did wonder whether a former National Party member for New Plymouth, who currently runs the Road Transport Forum, the trucking forum, was behind some political motivation. Hearing some of the chatter across the House today confirms for me that that was a political act designed to do damage to a Government rather than to protest an issue. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c0eba1d-17a6-44e2-a9b3-2e2535339570\u0022\u003EI think that this Government\u2019s solution of a limited ability to pre-buy is a really good one, and I congratulate the Government on it. But let us not suggest that there is anything new or unreasonable about making a sudden decision to increase a charge or a tax. That is normal in democracies, and it is normal in this democracy. So I do not want to hear any of that from the National Government. With those remarks I welcome this legislation and I hope it makes its untrammelled progress through the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u00223e901642ba5e4a68a26524ccd1aa589c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223e901642ba5e4a68a26524ccd1aa589c\u0022\u003EMICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National):\u003C/span\u003E I will take a quick call on the third reading of the Road User Charges Amendment Bill because, in fact, all of that which can be said about this bill already has been\u2014and quite a bit more besides, I have to say. I will touch on one issue, and it is an issue that the member for Dunedin North has discussed, and I want to give a slightly different perspective on the matter of consultation. As Mr Hodgson rightly recalls, there was considerable disquiet around the announcement of the increase in the road-user charges made last year by the previous Minister of Transport, and there is no doubt that the road transport industry, in the face of increasing diesel charges and other increases in the costs of doing business, was quite annoyed about that. But there is a bit of rewriting of history going on about the trigger that caused the truck protest, which caused gridlock in the Octagon and in the main streets of just about every city in New Zealand. That was around\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0a501f4edea47ed908a3d44d1f959cc\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Pretty good to have trucks in the Octagon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb5f9160e2014dfa9271f0c61ed38ebd\u0022\u003EMICHAEL WOODHOUSE\u003C/span\u003E: It was a very impressive display, I have to say. There were trucks of all shapes and sizes around both sides of the Octagon and Moray Place, and it brought the centre of the city to a standstill. The reason it happened was not that the road-user charges went up; the reason was that the Minister promised in 2007 that she would give the industry a month\u2019s notice. Then she justified not doing that by saying that people would have rushed out and bought lots of road-user charge licences. The point was that she said she would do something and she did not. That is what got people so angry. As long as Labour Opposition members continue to deny that that was the cause of the problem, and continue to rewrite history, then my suggestion is that they will be sitting on that side of the Chamber for a very long time to come. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EBut I acknowledge, as Mr Hodgson and others on the other side have, that this is good legislation. I do not believe it is timid; I think it is a very sensible response to a situation. It balances the needs of the Crown to avoid the sort of arbitrage that could go on, with the need of road users to have plenty of time to plan for any future increases. I congratulate the Minister\u2014one more flight of sycophancy before I sit down! I certainly commend the bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022 data-id=\u0022a20a605d31a24095aef23ff5ede88172\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a20a605d31a24095aef23ff5ede88172\u0022\u003ESUE MORONEY (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E It is my pleasure to speak to the third reading of the Road User Charges Amendment Bill. This is sensible legislation, timid though it is. It is sensible because the initial work on it was done by the previous Labour Government. It seems that the only sensible pieces of legislation that the Government is bringing before the House happen to be legislation that had already been worked on by Labour, and this bill is yet another example of that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EThis legislation causes us to reflect on exactly where our whole transport policy is going in this country. Although this bill is about reducing road-user charges for owners of electric cars, I think we should stop and reflect on what that actually means. Is this a big, bold move or is it timid? We know that the estimates are that there will be something in the order of 300 of these electric motor vehicles in New Zealand in the next 5 years. So in 5 years\u2019 time there will be about 300 of these cars. My colleague the Hon Pete Hodgson talked about what that would mean in his neck of the woods\u2014it means 10 electric cars would be owned in Dunedin.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EI am from the Waikato, and roughly 10 percent of what happens in this country happens in that region. That would mean a grand total of 30 motor vehicles in the entire Waikato region\u2014I am talking about 10 percent of our country\u2014in the next 5 years. I think I can quite correctly guess, without the backing of officials to tell me this information, the 30 families in the Waikato who will have the financial resources to buy the very latest model on the market. It will not be the people we heard about today who are losing their jobs. So many people are losing their jobs in the recession because the Government does not have a plan for job creation. It will not be those people. The 300 people on the very highest incomes\u2014probably business owners and landowners\u2014will be the fortunate people in the Waikato who will benefit from not having to pay road-user charges, because they happen to be the ones who will be able to afford the very latest thing on the market. I do not think we should fool ourselves\u2014that will be the impact of this legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EWhat is the Government doing in this area of transport? I want to broaden this discussion out and look at the whole transport area. We have heard the Minister of Transport, the Hon Steven Joyce, refer to himself as the Minister for land transport. I think it tells us quite a lot that he refers to himself as the Minister for land transport, when in fact transport involves sea, rail, and a whole lot of other areas of transport that do not happen to involve land transport. So I think we have some questions to ask the Minister over what he sees as being in his portfolio.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EYesterday, while debating this same bill, I asked the Minister\u2014and he did respond\u2014whether he supported the proposal for a passenger train service between Hamilton and Auckland. I was astounded\u2014absolutely stunned\u2014by his response. He stood in this very debating chamber and said he did not think he could give it his support because he could not understand how a passenger train service between Hamilton and Auckland might ease congestion on the roads. What sort of response is that from a Minister of Transport? He cannot understand that putting 70 to 100 people on a train in the morning, when they would normally commute by car between Hamilton and Auckland, would ease congestion on the road. I invite the Minister to drive from Hamilton to Auckland on any day of the week so he might understand that by the time he gets to the southern Auckland motorway, the 70 to 100 cars that would not be on the road if we had a rail passenger process in place would be adding to the congestion on the southern Auckland motorway. I am not sure how the Minister thinks people from Auckland drive in a car and get to Auckland. Perhaps he thinks they do not use the southern motorway somehow, but that is exactly the problem.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EThe Minister obviously has not been well advised. He certainly has not got on top of his portfolio, and he certainly seems to think that roading is the only way we can actually manage transport in this country. I have to say that the Minister is completely out of touch with New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EOn the very good Labour MPs\u2019 blog Red Alert I have blogged about the proposal to have a commuter train run from Hamilton to Auckland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239d842c4595f4ed1999fa6a1b30aec35\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Who responded? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002211ec4cba76ee4a02b33faa7e2abed87f\u0022\u003ESUE MORONEY\u003C/span\u003E: It has the highest number of comments and responses of any of the blogs on that website. It has smashed the record. That tells us that New Zealanders understand exactly what is going on with this Government. New Zealand responded to the blog, which did have a very provocative title. The title was \u201CWhy do the Nats Hate Rail so Much?\u201D, and, boy, have those responses poured forth. People have come forward and given their stories. They have told us what they think about National members going around putting down a proposal for a rail service in Hamilton. National MPs are running around in Hamilton saying they do not want another rail passenger service in Hamilton. Why would they do that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EThat is the very question I have asked on that blog site. I asked: \u201CWho\u2019s prepared to hazard a guess on the real reason the Nats oppose rail transport?\u201D. I do not think I could read out some of the responses in the House, but here is a smattering of them. This comment is from a person using the name of Flower. She says: \u201CAs a Waikato girl by birth, Aucklander by nature, and living in Hamilton by choice\u201D\u2014go Hamilton\u2014\u201CI am thoroughly delighted by the idea of a regular train gig chugging the willing and the weary between the hustle and pace of Auckland and the tranquillity and bliss of Kirikiriroa. For Hamilton needs this and if David Bennett can not see the rail cars for truck tyres then more fool him. This isn\u2019t just about getting those Hamilton[ians] to Auckland but getting Aucklanders to Hamilton! This city is growing, it\u2019s awakening, it\u2019s progressive and dare I say it [is] quite happening.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EThat is the sort of vision that ordinary New Zealanders are coming forward with\u2014which this Government completely lacks. There is no leadership and no vision in this area. In the Government\u2019s view, the only thing that will transport things or people around this country will be private cars, clogging up our roads. If we continue down that track we will continue to have the same old problem over and over again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EIt is not just ordinary New Zealanders who are concerned about this. I want to quote a couple of councillors in the Waikato. The councils are currently considering their submissions to this National Government\u2019s fast tracking of the juggernaut proposal. This is the proposal to get larger trucks on our roads. Our roads are not designed and built to carry these trucks, by the way, but the Government will fast track this proposal through. I think it is absolutely clear from reading the comments of Waip\u0101 and Waikato district councillors that they have been bullied by the Government on this issue. Here is a quote from councillor Peter Lee, who happens to be the deputy major of Waipa District Council. He says: \u201CGet the freight off the road and on to rail. The Government seems determined to get more freight on the road despite owning a rail network.\u201D I could not have said it better myself. Another councillor, Michael Cox, suggested that the rail argument should not be mentioned in a council submission, because it would be seized upon by the Government \u201Cas a reason to damn it.\u201D That is the word going around the local bodies in the Waikato region. The Government does not want rail, and if someone dares to speaketh its name, his or her submission will be damned. That is the message local bodies are picking up from the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EI will continue and talk about what the Waikato District Council had to say about the rule. The council felt so bullied by the Government on this issue that even though it said that it knew that its roads could not cope with the juggernaut trucks, and it knew about how much it would cost ratepayers and taxpayers in the future to have all the freight going by road in the much larger trucks\u2014even though it knew all of that\u2014one of the local people said in a council meeting: \u201CIf we submit in opposition, it will be swept aside.\u201D That particular council decided to go ahead and not put in its submission in opposition to the rule, even though it quite clearly opposes the rule, because it has been bullied by the Government to not talk about rail. People do not dare speaketh its name, because the National Government will not take any notice of anyone who is advocating the very clear benefits of rail transport.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022 data-id=\u00222d9ba688ecd548a68086f243d0ac3ab5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222d9ba688ecd548a68086f243d0ac3ab5\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE (National):\u003C/span\u003E If there is any doubt in people\u2019s minds about why Labour lost the last election, Sue Moroney\u2019s speech will answer it. We heard from that previous speaker that she does not know anything at all about the Road User Charges Amendment Bill. She never once talked about what is in the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212f01718-dc1f-4307-b0b3-451098ab73df\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a87e1840e2bf4f248a5eeb10cdc35248\u0022\u003EDr Ashraf Choudhary\u003C/span\u003E: Well, you tell us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022df0b58532c3b459b839f54014d1097ec\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: I will tell the member who has just arrived from his afternoon sleep.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022451cb241ef6948f684859ac165279fb1\u0022\u003EDavid Garrett\u003C/span\u003E: Who\u2019s that fella? What\u2019s his name?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298b596c5c676467b9b843bbe9ac83415\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: I do not know; he has not been here very long. The bill is about electric cars, electric motor vehicles, being exempt from the road-user charges until 2013. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212f01718-dc1f-4307-b0b3-451098ab73df\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228163447b0d5d441c8a23c0e6a171a5e7\u0022\u003EDr Ashraf Choudhary\u003C/span\u003E: What about the hybrids?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022278343b5c7ec47e88a1f18806de6bb9c\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: What about hybrids? That member is a hybrid; we are not here to discuss his whakapapa. I want to concentrate on the previous speaker, Sue Moroney. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e19e4b9259b84266ace1b3b2162d0890\u0022\u003EHon Maurice Williamson\u003C/span\u003E: You don\u2019t. Surely you don\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221c047ccd618e41eba7b389c11a501a17\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I do not want to but I have to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EThe initial work on the bill was done by Labour. OK, we will get that sorted out. Labour was here in Government for 9 years but it got nowhere. In 9 years Labour did all that work, but in 8 months the National Government has been able to take the bill not only from its first reading but to the select committee and back into the House for its second reading, Committee stage, and now third reading. It has taken only 8 months. Just imagine what we can do if we are here for 9 years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224be85100bd2243fd90b717e158f74150\u0022\u003EHon Maurice Williamson\u003C/span\u003E: 9 long years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e7ee99630434227ae410671407bf21e\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Nine long years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003ESue Moroney talked about roads but said we have to concentrate on rail. She said that the Minister had not done anything about roads and that the National Government has not done anything about roads. We now have seven roads of significance, roads that will lead to the economic development of various areas. Sue Moroney also talked about her massive blog that she has been blogging about. She told us that she has had a huge response.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ab749b08a504453a77a1616e927336a\u0022\u003EHon Maurice Williamson\u003C/span\u003E: Three people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7a5641ff02f4383bb6523814ed20dc2\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Some of my colleagues on this side of the House have been a bit disingenuous and said that only three people had commented on her blog. But I have to tell members that it is 10\u2014only 10. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f2357168927b482388027386ae0b3155\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: 71.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e4be416aa6794f9c9029d575120a0b18\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Ten. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203f915af808f4227bb47bb244515d685\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: 71.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aceee31492b54c87a1f3d81fe2a036c3\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Ten. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e7c0457129534d65a0600e6757173d68\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Tell the truth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5fb9e7d94e44e43b7ea3aebff87ae50\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Ten. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c9486edef66341a1bb943e7dfbb6ed83\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Tell the truth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214fe06cc1d7a46c39df50168074998bb\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Ten. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022df458ad29073435c90754d2c28c30f1b\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I just looked at it; it was 71. Tell the truth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229cfe3a651f90490fabd4d4b78e276ee4\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Ten people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228cd909f927d0423aa5db2c9fe09538ec\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: We do not have to have a commentary from each side. The point has been made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022801ed259a94e45b1bb53e992184691e2\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Ten people blogged seven times, and they changed their names. One of them was called Flower. Oh, I am having fun. Seven people commented 10 times, they changed their names, and one of them is called Flower. What do we expect from a person with the name of Flower?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EThis bill is all about the future. It is all about making a statement about electricity and about the new technology we can look forward to. But members opposite want us to go backwards and put freight on trains that do not even exist. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022080ed208101643ac835e835604b6e321\u0022\u003EHon Maurice Williamson\u003C/span\u003E: Back to the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002261258ed27d854c48aa1c52745d16ed29\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Those members should tell that to the people of the north and the far north; we do not have any rails, let alone trains. So what that member is talking about is a load of old hogwash. It is about going back to the future for the Labour Party. But National is concerned with the future and with enhancing new technology.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022 data-id=\u0022751adc1259d246e4acca5a7d32470edf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022751adc1259d246e4acca5a7d32470edf\u0022\u003ESUE KEDGLEY (Green):\u003C/span\u003E The Green Party is pleased to join in the consensus in the House in supporting the Road User Charges Amendment Bill, which will waive road-user charges for electric cars for 4 years. Why would anyone not support electric cars? After all, they will make our fleet more efficient, they do not have emissions, they will reduce our dependence on oil, and they will be a tiny step towards New Zealand becoming energy independent, and so forth. Of course we support electric cars, but we do have, as others have mentioned, some real questions about the underlying strategy behind the rather modest bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EOthers have asked why the bill has been rushed through Parliament and wondered what the great rush is. I would like to speculate. There are two reasons for it. The first one, and the previous speaker hinted at it, is that National members can go around, as David Bennett has done, claiming that National is now somehow taking leadership in clean, green transport. He can rush around saying \u201CLook what we\u2019re doing; we are giving incentives for using the electric car.\u201D It is a great spin.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThe second reason is that it justifies, in National members\u2019 minds, business as usual when it comes to transport, which means building more and more roads for more and more cars. It does not matter, because in this wonderful vision that David Bennett spoke about, electric cars will be all over New Zealand. So everything will be fine! The presence of the cars will justify what National has just done. National has slashed $420 million out of the fund for alternative public transport, and it is pouring all that money into building new roads. This bill is like a fig leaf; somehow the Government can justify this incredibly short-sighted policy because we will have electric cars. It also enables David Bennett and the previous speaker, Tau Henare, to go on and on about it. Tau Henare said: \u201CLook at it. We are embracing the future. We are embracing new technology.\u201D That is great stuff!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThere is one slight flaw: it is estimated that there will be only 30 electric cars by 2010, that within about 3 years, there will be about 300 electric cars, and, maybe, by 2020 there will be 30,000 electric cars on the road. That hardly is a panacea. The problem is that electric cars are expensive. They cost two to three times as much as an ordinary car. How will New Zealanders fork out $40,000 to $80,000 for an electric car? Yes, electric cars are great; we strongly support them. But let us not use them to provide a justification, a panacea, for increasing our focus on roads, and for running down public transport like rail, as previous speakers have mentioned.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThe bill also deals with the ability to alter the rates of road-user charges, particularly referring to trucks. Trucks do enormous damage on our roads. A 40-tonne truck can easily cause as much damage to a typical road as 60,000 one-tonne cars. As a result of this, overweight trucks chronically underpay their fair share of road-user fees for the repair of roads and bridges. By damaging roads, large trucks further degrade highway safety. My estimate related to damage done by a 40-tonne truck. Imagine how much damage will be done by 53-tonne trucks, which National is about to unleash on our roads. These juggernauts are 72 feet long, which is 6\u00BD feet longer. We can be quite certain they will destroy our roads. If 40-tonne trucks can cause as much damage as 60,000 cars, God knows what damage will be done by 53-tonne trucks! I can be absolutely certain that trucks will not pay their fair share of road-user charges, which are used to repair the damage they will do on our roads.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EOne thing that road-user charges do not take into account is the cost of all the accidents that these juggernaut trucks cause on our roads. Trucks make up only 4 percent of our vehicle fleet, yet cause 18 percent of the road toll. Despite knowing this, we will allow trucks that are much bigger and considerably longer on our roads. We know that that will inevitably cause more accidents on our roads. How do we know that? Am I just scaremongering? No, because the truth is that the longer the truck\u20146\u00BD feet longer at 72 feet long\u2014the longer it will take for people to pass it. It will be more difficult for these juggernaut trucks to go round the corners of our windy, hilly roads in New Zealand without passing over the centre line, as they do on many, many State highways in New Zealand. Huge 53-tonne trucks will take longer to brake. If one has the misfortune to be involved in an accident with a 53-tonne truck, one will come off even worse than if one was involved in an accident with a 40-tonne truck.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003ENew Zealanders are completely opposed to the juggernaut trucks. The previous speaker from Labour, Sue Moroney, blamed National for them, but it must be said that Labour initiated the pilot study that is now being used as an excuse to allow these juggernaut trucks on our roads and to give them the green light. The stupidity of this proposal lies in the fact that our roads are far too narrow, far too windy, and far too hilly. They are just completely ill-suited for huge juggernaut trucks; that is why so many New Zealanders are alarmed. They are only just waking up to the fact that this is about to happen, and they are horrified. They know that these trucks will not only cause destruction to roads and bridges but also will contribute to more accidents. People are worried. Unfortunately, this will be one of those things that people wake up to only when it is a fait accompli. They will ask why on earth our Government allowed these huge juggernaut trucks on New Zealand roads that are completely ill-suited to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EI am glad to see that the Minister of Transport, Steven Joyce, is here in the Chamber. He is the one who will make the decision as to whether these juggernaut trucks will be permitted on our roads. I suspect that he has already made the decision, and that the so-called consultation process was like most consultation processes\u2014just a farce. The Green Party put in a submission. We wasted our time. We pointed out the sorts of things that I have pointed out in my speech. But we felt that making the submission was probably to no avail, and that the Minister, working hand in glove with the trucking industry, had probably already committed to this legislation. He had probably committed to it before the election, and it is just being rolled out now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EHaving said that, there is one positive thing in this bill, which is why we are supporting it: it will give some incentive for electric cars. That is a good thing, but let us not pretend that having 30 electric cars on our roads next year and 300 more in a few years\u2019 time will somehow justify pouring more and more money into roads. This will undermine rail. The other thing that I did not mention about those big juggernaut trucks is that heavy freight should be moved by rail. The Government owns the rail network. I ask why it is giving incentives so that these huge trucks will be carrying our heavy freight instead of the rail network. Why is the Government undermining the viability of the rail network in New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u00228de7775df3d1460392596966970b0938\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228de7775df3d1460392596966970b0938\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Deputy Speaker. I rise again to speak in favour of the Road User Charges Amendment Bill. The bill proposes to amend the Road User Charges Act 1977 to achieve two main outcomes. The first is to enable the exemption of light electric motor vehicles from the requirement to pay road-user charges, and the second is to provide 42 days\u2019 notice of increases to road-user charges. The road-user charge licences for heavy motor vehicles will expire 1 month after an increase comes into force. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI intend to talk about both of those matters in a little more detail, and perhaps recap some of the issues I raised in my previous contributions on the bill. But before I do that, I note, in relation to comments made earlier, that my colleague Sue Moroney was talking about the level of interest in the rail network between Hamilton and Auckland. Some comments were made by Tau Henare about that matter. I will just confirm that 71 people so far have responded to Sue Moroney\u2019s blog on that issue. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EFirst of all, I will explain the changes in the bill in perhaps a little more detail. In relation to light electric motor vehicles, certainly nobody could deny that it is a good idea to exempt those vehicles from road-user charges. We believe that the exemption reinforces the work Labour did in promoting electric vehicles. Electric vehicles will be the beginning of a new era of energy independence and low-emission transport. Increasing the proportion of electric vehicles in the fleet will decrease reliance on imported fossil fuels and improve energy security. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EAs a country we are very lucky that we have a competitive advantage in renewable electricity generation, which has the potential to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the transport sector. I intend to come back to that matter later. Light electric motor vehicles are also cheaper to operate per kilometre than conventional motor vehicles. However, as others have commented, there are some problems with them. First of all, availability is currently low. Secondly, their purchase price is at least double that of a conventional vehicle. Thirdly, manufacturers do not rate New Zealand as a priority market. Therefore, take-up rates are understandably low. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe Government\u2019s responsibility in relation to this matter is clearly to remove barriers to the take-up of electric motor vehicles. Removal of the road-user charges is a positive step, but we all have to recognise that it is a minor one in the big picture. The Government needs to be much more adventurous in this area. It needs to look at some of the examples from overseas. For example, Denmark is currently installing a network of recharging stations hooked up to wind turbines. That would be a useful thing to look at. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EWe also had a discussion around how long the scheme would be extended for, in terms of the exemption from road-user charges, because clearly at the moment the exemption provides financial assistance to the owners of those cars. But given their price, for the reasons I outlined earlier the technology will be available only to those with significant financial resources. Poor people will miss out, and we certainly do not want to be in the situation where the poor are subsidising the rich. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe review on road-user charges was actually instigated by Labour and the previous Minister of Transport, Annette King, because there had not been a review in about 18 years. As I have noted previously, during that period the ratio of trucks to cars changed enormously, as did the weights being carried by those trucks. The upshot was an inequality between trucking firms and private motorists over who was paying for road maintenance. Operators of heavy trucks, which were causing substantial damage, were not paying their fair share. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EWe have all noted during the course of the debate on this bill that Labour faced a revolt by truck drivers when we put up road-user charges with no notice. But there was a reason no notice was given. On the previous occasion when notice was given, $17 million worth of pre-purchasing took place. That $17 million was $17 million of revenue lost to the Crown. So, as a sensible Government would do, we set up a process to work with the sector to put in place a regime that was fair to the Crown but also fair to the trucking industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EUltimately, the bill and the provisions around increasing road-user charges are the result. Effectively, it is a balanced outcome, whereby there will be 42 days\u2019 notice of an increase. Truck drivers will be able to use road-user charges bought in advance for up to 1 month after any increase. Any pre-purchased road-user charges left over at that point will be able to be refunded. It is a good solution. As I said, we support the bill. We also support the very sensible Supplementary Order Paper 33, which clarified one of the points in the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI will also comment on the process of passing the bill, because one of the things we have found somewhat perplexing is why there has been a need to rush it through. The report-back period was just under a month, with a 2-week adjournment included in that 1 month. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022295cea7196e14440a74ccd4bb870ec98\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Were you on holiday?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224dd0029d535d42f3b0147a933bb7e8db\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT\u003C/span\u003E: No, we were not on holiday; I do not know about Mr Joyce. The Opposition has been given no explanation or justification from that Minister as to why the bill has had to be dealt with so quickly. The submissions on the bill were received, and we did not get the opportunity to hear them orally. That is a huge mistake. One of the real strengths of our Parliament is our select committee process. It works very well. We have enormous numbers of people making submissions, taking the time to share their ideas and thoughts, and giving us feedback on the bills before the House. They add value to the legislation we pass. I do not know why on earth we could not hear from the submitters. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EWe are not seeing the proper scrutiny of legislation that one would expect to see from our Parliament. The Government is constantly undermining the process, reporting back bills faster than they need to be reported back, and pushing through under urgency legislation on many important issues. The process question is one that is very troubling. Why the haste? As a new member, I have absolute confidence in the select committee process and in the people of New Zealand having their opportunity to give us their feedback. The Government should seriously think about its behaviour in that regard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI will follow up some points made by Sue Kedgley about trucks, because the significant part of the bill is in relation to road-user charges that apply to trucks. As Ms Kedgley has quite rightly pointed out, the Government is currently planning to allow larger trucks on the roads. We believe that there will be many serious consequences of that decision. It has the potential to make our roads less safe, and it will undoubtedly be bad for the environment. We agree with the Greens that rail and coastal shipping are better methods of moving heavy goods. Submissions have been heard on the matter, and I guess we have to wait to see the outcome as to whether the concerns that are being raised will be taken account of. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe heavy trucks potentially will not be paying their fair share of the cost. There are also safety and environmental issues. The possibility of road-user charges being replaced with a flat diesel tax that could exacerbate the already uneven playing field between roads, rail, and coastal is one that has been flagged up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EOne thing I have not yet had a chance to talk about in the debate on the bill is coastal shipping, and I thought members would be quite interested in that. As well as talking about the problems with heavy trucks, let us look at one of the alternatives. We have had some discussion around rail, but let us look at coastal shipping. The previous Labour Government was developing coastal shipping because, within a relatively short time frame, our roads will be unable to cope with projected increases in total freight volume. An integration of roads with an upgraded rail and coastal shipping network is the only possible solution as we look to the future. One of the problems with the current Government is that it does not look forward and plan. Planning seems to be a problem for the Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EWe developed a programme called Sea Change, and $36 million was earmarked to help develop coastal shipping over the next 4 years. That programme has been cancelled by the National Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cba8aaaa4907409195d0f47d528f0ad4\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Shame!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220daf71603597417bb44aa9f76aa9cb11\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT\u003C/span\u003E: It is an absolute shame. The target was for at least 30 percent of inter-regional freight to be carried by sea by 2040, up from the current 15 percent share. It is worth noting that in Japan, which has a very similar geography to New Zealand, domestic sea freight has more than twice the market share of sea freight here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u00225cbc031315b7404c9fae51d715f0a9b4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225cbc031315b7404c9fae51d715f0a9b4\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East):\u003C/span\u003E I take just a short call on the Road User Charges Amendment Bill. We have debated it at length over a number of days, and we have gone through all the big issues that could be debated. It is revolutionary legislation in the sense that we are supporting electric vehicles and showing leadership on environmental and transport issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf8627e598404181a59e97e560336308\u0022\u003EChris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Revolutionary in that they\u2019re supporting the environment for a change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002260081a91863f4310b93edd17af66b841\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Some members of other parties have not been able to stomach that, but they do not realise the importance of showing that leadership on those issues. The National Government is quite happy to do that, and our Minister of Transport is quite happy to provide that direction. This bill will be for the benefit of New Zealanders going forward. It is well overdue, it is in our best interests, and we commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBill read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002226074f0562254948a22a3eb84dfb49de\u0022\u003EEstimates Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002277a219a724aa463da215b62c0f90eb40\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000473\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 5 August.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002256e5f8373a474039974287a918716e09\u0022\u003EVote Health (continued)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022 data-id=\u0022edfb9614861f49cc83297d96c9845c8f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022edfb9614861f49cc83297d96c9845c8f\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE (National):\u003C/span\u003E In October 2008 National announced its policy to fund 12 months\u2019 Herceptin treatment. That decision was not made lightly. We knew we would be accused of interfering politically in what should not be a political decision, but we simply could not stand back. We were concerned that Pharmac\u2019s decision to fund 9 weeks\u2019 treatment was flawed, as cancer specialists in New Zealand overwhelmingly backed 12 months\u2019 treatment. Following the election, the new National Government moved quickly to put into action its election promise. We knew there would be women who would have recently completed a publicly funded course of 9 weeks or recently discontinued a private 12-month course of Herceptin treatment, and would be in limbo waiting for the National policy to be implemented. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThe New Zealand Breast Cancer Special Interest Group, a group of independent experts, considered a recent international review of the 12-month and 9-week data. That group considers that the update further confirms the validity of the 12 months while casting serious doubts on the 9-week treatment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThose experts also questioned the viability of the international Study of Letrozole Extension trial comparing 9 weeks\u2019 treatment versus 12 months\u2019 treatment. To date only 23 New Zealand women from two centres have elected to participate in the Study of Letrozole Extension trial, with only a few hundred internationally. Two thousand women need to be recruited into the trial to get any meaningful data, and I predict that is most unlikely to happen. The New Zealand Breast Cancer Special Interest Group is quite right to question the viability of that trial and the money we have sunk into it to date. I understand that from 2008 to the end of May 2009, 135 women took a 12-month course. These women, of course, had the international standard of care. I am proud of my Government\u2019s decision to fund 12 months of Herceptin treatment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EOne of the consequences of the Herceptin debate was that the spotlight went on the pharmaceutical budget, which over the last several years had not kept up with inflation and the mechanism of how high-cost medicines were evaluated and funded. In May 2009 the National Government announced a total of $185 million in new funding for subsidised medicines over the next 4 years. Shortly afterwards, the Government also announced a three-person panel to review access to highly specialised medicines, to review funding mechanisms, and to work with stakeholders to recommend ways to improve access\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022 data-id=\u002260fd002349d44767a59430bb147bd78a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002260fd002349d44767a59430bb147bd78a\u0022\u003EIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour\u2014Palmerston North):\u003C/span\u003E Late last night, as we were getting deep into the debate in the darkness of Wednesday night, there was a scene that was almost like one from a horror film. Over where Mr Garrett is sitting a hole in the ground opened up. It was not there to swallow Mr Garrett, much as I am sure he wishes it would at the moment. From that hole in the ground, from out of the crypt, came the Hon Sir Roger Douglas. He came out with his old mantra from the 1980s: \u201CPrivatise, privatise, privatise.\u201D He levelled the accusation at what he called \u201Csocialised\u201D health\u2014Fox News\u2019 favourite phrase: \u201Csocialised\u201D health. If one can get oneself on TV and get one\u2019s issue out there on Close Up, on Campbell Live, or on a similar programme, one can get funding from the health system. That, he said, was the problem with \u201Csocialised\u201D health. Unnervingly, I find myself slightly agreeing with Sir Roger\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022654a4d3b3abe40338cf2b881da1d93ab\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: It won\u2019t last.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205ee397a5c8e4cd29a5c8cce5001f8d9\u0022\u003EIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: It will not last. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThe problem is not \u201Csocialised\u201D health; the problem is the way this Government spends its health money. With this Government, it is about getting on TV, it is about populist decisions, and it is about putting money into things that have no evidence base whatsoever and do not have the support of the medical fraternity, but do have the support of votes. It is all about buying votes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EWhere have we seen some examples of this? Dr Blue has just said how proud she was of the decision to undermine Pharmac\u2014an independent body set up to ensure that politicians could not use the health dollar in this way\u2014and fund a 12-month course of Herceptin. The Government quite callously and shamelessly used the emotions of women suffering from breast cancer, and of the families of women suffering from breast cancer. It used the health dollar to buy votes and to undermine an organisation like Pharmac. I am sure the health Minister, Tony Ryall, would have liked to bully Pharmac in the same way he bullied the MidCentral District Health Board, but he could not. He is not allowed to, by legislation, and long may that last. Instead of coming along with a \u201Cbully knows best\u201D approach, he managed to undermine Pharmac by directly funding something that was really a Pharmac decision. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EWe have seen it time and time again. Take PlunketLine. Stopping the funding for PlunketLine was not a decision that the Labour Government took lightly; it went through a very robust, open, and competitive tendering process\u2014something that the members on the opposite side of the Chamber usually say is the best way to go about a funding process. It was robust, it was open, and it was transparent, and this Government came in shamelessly using the brand of PlunketLine and shamelessly buying votes with the health dollar. This is not a sign that the Government is about finding efficient and productive ways to make the most of the health dollar; this simply says that the Government is looking for ways to buy as many votes as it possibly can. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EAnother area where we have seen this is in the shift away from primary health and public health and into the hospitals. Why? Because the Government wants to find some short-term numbers. The Government has no interest whatsoever in improving health quality and health outcomes for New Zealanders over 20 years, or being able to look back in 20 years\u2019 time and see how many people it has managed to keep out of hospital. No, it wants to get them into hospital, and then in 3 years\u2019 time it can point to the number of elective surgeries it has done. It does not matter what the case weighting was! It does not have to be brain surgery. It could be ingrown toenails for all the Government cares. The Government just wants to get the numbers. The Government wants to show off those numbers and make itself look as good as possible in 2011. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThis issue has been raised by Rahui Katene. She is in the Chamber this afternoon, and I am very pleased she is here. She gave a long list of concerns that the M\u0101ori Party has about the way the health dollar is being spent. She said she was concerned about the loss of Fruit in Schools, she was concerned about prevention in terms of public health, and she was concerned that health funding would not be protected during the recession. She said that this was the most important time to protect health funding. I say to Ms Katene that Labour members could not agree with her more; we could not agree more with what Ms Katene said. We strongly desire that the M\u0101ori Party members find it in themselves to vote against the Vote Health estimates when the question is put shortly. Ms Katene made some very valid points, and I cannot understand how the M\u0101ori Party can possibly support this Budget, given all the points that she made. She made an excellent speech, and I was very pleased to be in the Chamber to hear it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThat is looking back. We need to look forward, as well. I have in my hands a very important document\u2014it is a pity that I am out of time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EVote agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002200ad064ea4ad493abebdc85b77c064d8\u0022\u003EVote State Services\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022332fc722f9374e7d8024a95a8deca95b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022332fc722f9374e7d8024a95a8deca95b\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour\u2014Wellington Central):\u003C/span\u003E Vote State Services is ground zero for the broken election promises of the National Government. Let us begin with the promise to cap, but not cut, public services. That is the promise John Key made when he spoke to the Public Service Association congress in October last year. In relation to this policy, he was asked \u201CSo does that mean National will be cutting services?\u201D. \u201CNot at all.\u201D, said Mr Key. But that is not the record of this Government. When I stood in this Chamber and asked Gerry Brownlee what core public services were, and what would not be cut, do members know what he said? He said \u201CIt\u2019s the bit that won\u2019t be cut.\u201D National members do not actually know. They do not have a definition. They went into the election with a policy that was fluff. It was designed to try to reassure the people who in 2005 knew that the real National Government agenda was to cut public services, and that is the agenda we have seen put in place by this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EWe have seen cuts right throughout the Public Service. We have seen cuts in the Ministry of Social Development. It was a remarkable decision to cut jobs and services in the ministry that looks after the most vulnerable people, the ministry that in a recession we would expect to be there, providing those services. But we have seen hundreds of jobs go from the Ministry of Social Development, including jobs within Child, Youth and Family, and including the jobs of people who work with people advising on child abuse. John Key stood in this Chamber and said that this Opposition side of Parliament did not care about child abuse. That was an outrageous statement! When Labour was in Government we continued to support the Ministry of Social Development to ensure that child abuse was reported and looked into, but that Government over there has decided to cut back staff in that area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThe Government has also cut back on other important front-line services. That is promise No. 2 broken. Front-line services were going to be the priority of State services within this Government, but we have consistently seen front-line services cut. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry\u2019s biosecurity division looks after our border, but now 60 jobs have gone. One 55-year-old man from the division, with 25 years\u2019 experience, asked us what he can do now and what will happen in the future. The reality is that when cargo volumes return, that man\u2019s experience will be required. Will we be able to get him back, or will he come back as a consultant or a contractor, as happened in the 1990s, and will we see ourselves paying more for those services? That is a front-line service that has been cut by this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003ESchool library service advisers who spent their time in rural schools, ensuring that children had access to good-quality information provided through the National Library budget, have gone. That is another front-line service that has gone under this Government. We also have the example from the Department of Conservation of the East Coast Hawke\u2019s Bay Conservation Board, which has gone. Staff from the Department of Conservation have been cut at the front line. Front-line staff have been cut right across the board from the Ministry of Fisheries and the Tertiary Education Commission. People in the regions and in the communities representing the Government, have had their jobs cut. I am quite sure that when the promise was made that resources would go to the front line, and that there would be a capping of the core Government administration, people expected that Government services and the Government presence in the regions would be continued, but they have been cut. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002230673ccc5ef94943b48556588ad5d270\u0022\u003ESue Kedgley\u003C/span\u003E: Remember what Stephen Franks promised?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228295bcbb43414db4bea1ef94e7b0b079\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: That is right. My colleague Sue Kedgley reminds me that on the campaign trail the National Party\u2019s Wellington Central candidate said that no jobs would go from the Public Service under National. Well, we have seen up to 2,000 jobs go from the Public Service\u20142,000 New Zealanders are out of work as a result of the decisions of this National Government. We have heard all about the recession, we have heard all about the effects of the recession, but these are decisions made by the National Government to put hard-working New Zealanders out of work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThe third broken promise was when John Key stood up at the Public Service Association congress and said that we would not have a radical reorganisation of the public sector. He said that it was easy to underestimate the amount of energy and inspiration soaked up by institutional change, as well as the loss of personal and institutional knowledge. What a sensible thing to say! Why, then, do we hear from Bill English, time and time again, that we are in for a period of radical change in the Public Service? We hear that there will be big changes and that there will be job losses. This is a broken promise. The State services, the public services that New Zealanders rely upon in their daily lives, are being undermined on a day-by-day basis. This recession is being used as an excuse by National to undermine public services, and to make the cut-backs it has always wanted to make to the Public Service. That is an outrage, because New Zealanders rely on those services.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u002216edd525c5e04ba69ca9bfc340ee05ce\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002216edd525c5e04ba69ca9bfc340ee05ce\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS (Labour\u2014Rimutaka):\u003C/span\u003E As my colleague Grant Robertson has just pointed out, it is becoming clearer as every day goes past that the National Party\u2019s pre-election manifesto was not worth the paper it was written on. One of the cornerstones of its State sector manifesto was that it was going to protect the political neutrality of the Public Service. That is something that all New Zealanders should care about, because the New Zealand Public Service is built on the idea that Governments can come and Governments can go, but the Public Service will serve the Government of the day without fear or favour. It is incumbent on all of us, on both sides of the Chamber, to respect that distinction and to protect the political neutrality of the Public Service. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EIt is not just a Government responsibility to protect the political neutrality of the Public Service; all members of Parliament have a responsibility to protect the political neutrality of the Public Service, and to recognise that public servants have the same rights as individual citizens. For example, a public servant is not disqualified from appearing before a select committee. A public servant is not disqualified from having an opinion on legislation. I think it is absolutely disgraceful for public servants who appear before a select committee\u2014for example, the Department of Corrections staff who appeared before the Law and Order Committee just recently\u2014to be bullied and threatened by a member of this Parliament. I think that fundamentally undermines the nature of the New Zealand Public Service, and it is disgraceful behaviour from this National-ACT Government. I am appalled that no Government Minister has expressed a concern that when members of the Public Service appeared before a select committee, a member of Parliament supporting this Government threatened their jobs. I think that is absolutely disgraceful. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI understand that the member who did it, Mr Garrett, does not limit his threats just to members of the Public Service. In fact, I understand that he has taken to threatening other members of Parliament at select committees when he disagrees with them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224b5f07cac41d437aa63f55ea3930df56\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: The member is transgressing the rules of the debate, which I read out quite clearly when the debate commenced. I ask the member to return to the estimates.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d8874fdc91b426fa0dbc43fd658b5bc\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Chairperson. I am talking about the importance of the political neutrality of the Public Service, and I think that is covered under Vote State Services. In fact, members will find references to it in the estimates report of the Government Administration Committee, which is what we are discussing at the present time. I think that it is incumbent on all members of the House to protect the political neutrality of the Public Service, regardless of which political party they are members of. All members of the Public Service are entitled to appear before a select committee, for example, and have a view as private citizens, without fearing that they will be threatened\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002262a815174bbb468a9e23d6391b73fcbb\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: The member must not talk about members threatening other members. All members are honourable members.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227172b49b308742a2b9d9d904ed83b263\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Chairperson. I was actually talking about members threatening members of the public, which I believe you will find is in order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e4f33974df8492b8fa60b8989c8b3c8\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be44de3a7362416ab4daa090b71ac277\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Chairperson. We should protect the political neutrality of the Public Service; I think all members of the House think that is very important.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe State Services Commissioner actually has an important role in protecting the political neutrality of the Public Service. For example, the State Services Commissioner may like to take an interest in the release by Government Ministers of private information held by Government departments. I think the State Services Commissioner should take an interest in that. When Paula Bennett releases the personal information of beneficiaries in order to bully them and silence her critics, it has implications for the entire Public Service, because it suggests that any personal information held by any Government department can be accessed by Ministers in order to bully and intimidate members of the public. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EMembers of this Government seem very relaxed about bullying and intimidation when they are the ones doing it. When they are the ones doing the bullying and intimidation it is all OK. It is very much \u201CSimon Says\u201D from this Government. Simon says: \u201CDo as I say, not as I do.\u201D Although members of this Government say they are opposed to violence and intimidation, if they are the ones doing the bullying and the intimidation, then they think it is perfectly acceptable and it is all right. It is a bit like their saying that they believe restraint in the Public Service is important, except when it comes to them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022 data-id=\u0022e0188758d6114e94954d62077cb756b5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e0188758d6114e94954d62077cb756b5\u0022\u003EHon MAURICE WILLIAMSON (Minister for Building and Construction):\u003C/span\u003E There can be no other portfolio where the differences between National and Labour are more stark. Labour was about increasing the Public Service; National is about increasing services to the public. That is the major difference. I ask Labour members whether they have noticed something going on called the global recession.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002251eac251dee446a79e7953323a75da51\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: This has got nothing to do with that!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022042c9e9caa054e9ab5b3a49ca288e640\u0022\u003EHon MAURICE WILLIAMSON\u003C/span\u003E: In this country there is not an individual, there is not a family, and there is not a business that has not had to change its circumstances or its modus operandi, to cut back on its operation, and to make changes. But somehow Labour thinks the Public Service should be completely protected from that, and it does not matter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EFor example, in my own portfolio of customs trade is down\u2014sadly. Trade is down for both exports and imports. The number of people who are travelling\u2014both leaving and coming to our country\u2014is down. What does Labour want us to do: keep the same number of people who were required for the old levels, or somehow make appropriate adjustments to cope, and, yes, when the growth comes back, yes, when those volumes come back, bring people back on to the payroll? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EI want to share with members my personal favourites when it comes to numbers. Listen to what happened to the Public Service under the Labour Government. In 9 long years\u20149 long, bitter years\u2014the Public Service grew by 50 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d6f12ba645b4316955fb26b68bc231e\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re joking!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002266d01af03ccc49c9909ba74137eba354\u0022\u003EHon MAURICE WILLIAMSON\u003C/span\u003E: No, no. Members think I jest, but it is true. Let me give the facts. In 1999, at the end of the National Government\u2019s time, there were 30,702 people employed in the State Service bureaucracy\u201430,000. Can members remember that? It is a nice round number\u201430,000. By June 2008, not long before the last election, the number was 45,900. In fact, the figure I like to give an audience\u2014it is another one of my personal favourites\u2014is that in the last 5 years of the Labour Government, Public Service floor space in Wellington alone increased by 13.7 hectares. That is a fact\u201413.7 hectares. [Interruption] Yes, I have the numbers. Without question it increased by 13.7 hectares.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EI say to the Labour Opposition that these are tough times for everybody, but, if anything, the Public Service is getting quite special and considered treatment. We are trying to redeploy people who are made redundant. We are trying to find them new jobs right across the Public Service so that we can accommodate their needs and requirements, and we are being quite successful. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EBut I repeat: it was Labour that was committed to increasing the Public Service, and it is National that is committed to increasing services to the public. That is the difference. By the way, people would imagine, after hearing the whinging, whining machine from the other side, that Vote State Services must have been cut. I wondered whether that was the case. Hang on, last year it was $216 million and this year it is $256 million. That is an 18 percent increase in Vote State Services. That is the Dreamtime we get from Labour members. They think money grows on trees out the back of Parliament\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222527b2844aa74f9e806252938d3aad0c\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Where are the pixies?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac7ef990150d4dcf8afbd683a3bf1450\u0022\u003EHon MAURICE WILLIAMSON\u003C/span\u003E: Out where we will be sleeping from now on, I understand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EI tell members that I think National has done a sterling job of protecting most of the Public Service, especially the front end, from the sharp edges of the global downturn\u2014and the edges have been very sharp for the private sector. We have been able to redeploy people, move them around, shift priorities, and keep the cap of 38,800 that the Prime Minister promised.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EVote agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022165cfdbdac014056ad66013b33e68fd6\u0022\u003EVote ACC\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u0022d2a62818cec64cfeb173e0e544c8b163\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d2a62818cec64cfeb173e0e544c8b163\u0022\u003EMICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National):\u003C/span\u003E I want to talk about cause and effect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd2bbffb42354ccdb3a50f587813ea53\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Why don\u2019t you praise the Minister first and get it out of the way?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022435ae0eb0e7f412797242cfcb4b5d00c\u0022\u003EMICHAEL WOODHOUSE\u003C/span\u003E: I tell the member that that will come. He should not worry; there is plenty of time in a 5-minute call to praise the Minister for ACC, Nick Smith. Cause is about two related events where one event makes the other occur. First comes the cause, and the event that follows is the effect. Nowhere is that phenomenon more apparent, more obvious, or more damaging to the Crown accounts and these estimates than Vote ACC. We have had not one, not even a few, but several policy and legislative changes that have had the effect of putting considerable financial strife on the accident compensation system, the premium payers, and the Crown. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EI have mentioned some of those changes several times in this Chamber, but I think it is necessary to restate just a few of them to illustrate the cause and effect of them on Vote ACC. They include a substantial broadening of the treatment of injury provisions in 2004, the flawed decision\u2014about the same year, I think\u2014to expand the endorsed provider pilot to nearly every single physiotherapist in the country with no caps on spending, and the significant broadening of the boundaries of the scheme with flimsy cost and premium impact estimates, when the most recent changes by the previous Government had been made in the face of lower financial returns. Just last year there were 13 changes alone, which cost about $75 million. There was the tacit endorsement by the previous Government of the corporation paying entitlements completely outside the boundaries of the legislation, even in the face of court judgments that ruled out such activity. But the big kicker was the reduction of rehabilitation outcomes. Claims are up, the duration of claims is up, and scheme exit rates are down. I have no doubt that the corporation was influenced by previous Labour Ministers who were not nearly as interested in that goal as they were in softening and socialising activities, even though a fast and lasting return to work or independence is a cornerstone of accident compensation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EThe effect of all of that is we now have the legacy of total liabilities having increased by over $11 billion in the last 4 years, and the unfunded portion of those liabilities has gone up from about $3.5 billion to over $8 billion. Heaven knows what they will look like when the 2009 annual report is published. I tell members that $10 billion is the equivalent of an extra $5,000 per household. If the previous Labour Government had spent as much time on righting the ship, when it was so clearly heading off-course, as it did on trying to cover up the mess, then perhaps things would not have become nearly as bad as they have. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EI have no doubt that we will hear from Mr Parker, Labour\u2019s spokesperson on ACC, who will say that it was unavoidable and an unforeseeable consequence of the economic downturn. Well, that is absolute rubbish. The numbers were tanking well before the financial downturn, and he knows it. Even the MartinJenkins report on the debacle confirmed that the deteriorating trends were in evidence since 2005. The report stated that the impact on the appropriations was a bit masked by their high investment returns, but all that people had to do was to read the balance sheet to know that things were going bad. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EI think that banging on ad nauseam, as that spokesman will do, about how inexpensive the scheme is compared with, for example, Australian schemes is completely spurious. He knows that the comparisons are simply not able to be made. The cover conditions are all different. Work-related motor vehicle accidents go into the work account in New Zealand, but they do not in Australia. In any event, Australia has a fully funding scheme that is viable, and we do not. We are paying for years of that situation, and we probably will pay for years more. Those members opposite need to take a long look at themselves over accident compensation, because unless they do some reflection and show a little bit of mea culpa they will be sitting on that side of the Chamber for a very, very long time to come. Until they come to that realisation, then that is exactly where they should stay. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EThe Minister talked to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee in the estimates hearing. He said that amending legislation would be coming in soon and that there would be a stocktake. We have not seen the terms of reference yet, but perhaps the Minister will be able to explain them. I saw the pain on Carol Beaumont\u2019s face when the Minister told her that the stocktake would not include a reflection of competition and choice in the work account. She looked so disappointed. She was badly needing to bag the Minister for having some kind of privatisation agenda\u2014about which I am sure we will hear from Mr Parker\u2014but that is simply not true in the next few years. Do members know why? Because we will have to spend all of that time sorting out the mess we have inherited. I am very glad that the Minister is taking this seriously, because the members opposite do not seem to be doing so. Yet the liabilities continue to mount; unless we turn the ship around, it will be bad news.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u002229c48679ca184fa2ba81e28f9d499174\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002229c48679ca184fa2ba81e28f9d499174\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for ACC):\u003C/span\u003E In speaking to the estimates for Vote ACC, I will draw attention to the very ugly fiscal position that was to this Government by the previous administration. As the previous speaker, Michael Woodhouse, noted, over the last 4 years the liabilities of the accident compensation system have grown by more than $10 billion. That is more than $5,000 for every single New Zealand household.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EAt the moment, the corporation is preparing the figures for the annual report. The bad news is that when I had to advise the House in February that the liabilities had got to $21.9 billion, I thought that they could not get worse. But I have to say that the preliminary figures I have for the end of June show that they have deteriorated further, by billions. When we campaigned, one of the things we said was that we had quite deep concerns about the way in which the accident compensation scheme was managed, and we said that we wished to have a stocktake. Today I have announced the details of that stocktake, which is provided for in the estimates, and which was promised by the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThe steering group will consist of the former chair of the Accident Compensation Corporation, a person who has done considerable work for both Governments in respect of the Electricity Commission, and a person who, in my view, has a deep level of knowledge of New Zealand\u2019s accident compensation system, the Hon David Caygill. We will also include on the steering group, firstly, an academic in public policy, for whom I have huge respect. He is Professor Neil Quigley of Victoria University. I note that both of those gentlemen, by being respectively on the Electricity Commission and at Victoria University, are effectively already doing work for the Government, for which they are drawing a salary from the Public Service. But they have said that they will do the new work without additional charge, and I acknowledge that in this Committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThe third person on the steering group is Gordon Smith. Gordon Smith is from Havelock North, and he has extensive experience in the insurance industry. He has been chief executive of the Farmers\u2019 Mutual Group for the past 7 years. He, alongside officials from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, from Treasury, and from the Department of Labour, as well as the new chair of the corporation, John Judge, will oversee this very important piece of work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EIt is about a thorough examination of each of the accident compensation scheme accounts, covering the motor vehicle account, the earners account, the employers\u2019 account, the non-earners account, the treatment injury account, and the residual claims account. It will look at alternative options, both for service provision and for funding. It is the view of the new Government that experience-rating is the sort of initiative that we need to take in respect of the accident compensation scheme. We also want to look at the monitoring of the accident compensation scheme, and also the oversight and governance of the $10 billion investment fund of the Accident Compensation Corporation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI have said, quite publicly, that the scale of the problems that we have within the accident compensation scheme, the sorts of levy hikes that we are potentially looking at if we do not make significant change, are such that we do need to have this stocktake group do its work, but it will not include work on investigating whether the work account is opened up to competition, simply because the scale of the issues that we are facing is so huge. Quite frankly, the work account is in better shape; the problem is with the earners account and the motor vehicle account.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI also want to make it plain that key stakeholders like the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and Business New Zealand will have the opportunity for input into that important stocktake process. The stocktake group\u2019s work programme is to be completed by June of next year. My expectation is that we will require a bill reforming the accident compensation scheme in the latter part of this year, as well as one flowing on from this important work next year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u00225d853a67ed6d4e1bab0d01d0d7f5298b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225d853a67ed6d4e1bab0d01d0d7f5298b\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E One thing that I can agree with National members on, in terms of what they at least say about the accident compensation scheme, is that it is a fundamentally important part of the New Zealand system. It is something that we are proud of. It has no-fault liability for accident claims on a 24-hour basis, so people do not have to prove fault, do not waste their money on legal bills, and do not waste money on insurance company margins. Those things are very good. Therefore, a more proactive approach, funded out of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) revenues, can be taken to injury prevention than is typical of private insurers and the insurance-based private accident insurance market. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EBut I take issue with some of the things that were said by the last two speakers, the Hon Dr Nick Smith and Michael Woodhouse. There is still, and there has been throughout the year, exaggeration and rhetoric on the part of the National Government as to the underlying problems with the accident compensation scheme. I will give members a few examples. We heard Mr Woodhouse say that the unfunded portion of the accident compensation scheme liability has increased. It is true that in nominal terms it has\u2014that is, the proportion of the future cost of current claims and historic claims that has yet to be funded. That proportion has increased in nominal terms but decreased in proportionate terms. In 1999 it was largely unfunded. By 2008, when the new Government took over, the proportion of the scheme that was pre-funded had increased. In 1999 ACC had $2.5 billion of investments to resort to for pre-funding the existent claims at that time. Now it has $12 billion of investments, even after the sharp decline in world markets. Last year it took in $3.6 billion of levy income\u2014that is excluding its revenue from investments\u2014and it paid out $2.7 billion. So it went forward to the tune of $1 billion in its reserves. The unfunded proportion of the work account decreased from 64 percent to 45 percent. In other words, in 1999 it was 36 percent pre-funded; now it is 55 percent pre-funded.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWe heard a very quick phrase from Michael Woodhouse, who said we should not make, and it would be difficult to make, comparisons with Australia\u2019s system, because motor vehicle accident claims were treated in different pools. I agree that we have to equalise for that effect, so that we are comparing apples with apples, rather than different pools. I tell Mr Woodhouse that his Government needs to produce figures that show the proper comparisons\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022df4cfc0024534c43b8871d588c090f50\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s why we\u2019re doing the stocktake.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f33f147932db452281c9ca8dcadd62d2\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014before it can justify changes to the scope of the scheme. The Minister in the chair, the Hon Nick Smith, said: \u201CThat\u2019s why we\u2019re doing the stocktake.\u201D Well, why, before the stocktake, has the Government jumped to the conclusion that it can justify significant changes to the scope of the scheme? The Government has not yet made the case for change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EJust today we heard on Radio New Zealand National an orthopaedic surgeon from Christchurch say that in the last 6 months operational changes had resulted in an increase in the rate of people being declined orthopaedic operations that were necessary as a consequence of accidents. The decline rate has gone up by 60 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fee804102b474a71878db17a37b01a78\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s no change in policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3de3aa17d6847aaae449ed0da32bdc2\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Minister says there is no change in policy, but that is in direct disagreement with the orthopaedic surgeon, who said that there has been a change in operational process concentrated in the last 6 months.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThere is always a need to look at cost centres that are getting out of control, and I have been on the record as saying that I agree there have been necessary changes in respect of physiotherapy. But they should not be used as an excuse for wholesale changes to the scope of the scheme. The need for a reasonable part-charge should not be an excuse for an unnecessarily large part-charge. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI will say something about the Australian system. The cost of accident compensation per $100 of earnings in Australia is a lot higher than New Zealand\u2019s. Yes, they earn more, and therefore their total amount should be more, but the rate per $100 of earnings in Australia is higher in New Zealand as well, and this Government has not justified that change. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI will also mention privatisation. We hear from the Government that privatisation is now not top of its agenda this term because it finds it has \u201Cother problems that are more pressing\u201D. However, we have not heard, either in respect of accident compensation or elsewhere, any resiling from the proposition that the Government favours privatisation and will return to that agenda after the next election. In fact, the Government is almost starting to promise that that is what it will do. So it is incumbent upon me to point out how silly that would be in respect of accident compensation. The last time a National Government did that, it caused increases in cost.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022398ace557ff64da292c7f6fd5b1677a6\u0022\u003EHon Maurice Williamson\u003C/span\u003E: No, it didn\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bb4409903934517949e82552f5e99e8\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: It did. It caused\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229112b7a24a454a509545d27b0a2ae9b8\u0022\u003EHon Maurice Williamson\u003C/span\u003E: It did not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff32fb9052ea403f9aade0d00a745f9a\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: It did not cause increases in accident compensation levies, but it caused costs to be shifted from the accident compensation scheme to individuals. The costs overall to society did not go down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EIf the member talks to people, even people from the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern), he will hear that they do not see any case for privatisation. They know that last time privatisation was a dog\u2019s breakfast, and it caused a host of problems. Let us consider the case, under privatisation, of someone who has an accident, goes to the doctor, and is referred to a physiotherapist. Before that person knows whether he or she can have treatment, approval has to be obtained from a private insurer. There are a host of different private insurers, and he or she does not know which one to go to. There is uncertainty for the individual, who often does not know who the employer\u2019s insurer is in respect of a work accident, and cannot easily negotiate his or her way through the system. Under privatisation, service providers were not paid on time. Some of them were never paid for work they did. Privatisation really did not work. The administrative costs of a State-owned monopoly are already demonstrably low by international standards, and I say to the Government that there is no case to go to privatisation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe euphemism about the introduction of competition to the work account should be seen for the euphemism that it is. The accident compensation scheme is currently publicly owned and publicly administered. There are lots of private providers who provide services under the accident compensation scheme, but there is a fundamental difference between that and the so-called introduction of competition into the work account. That effectively means moving from the State-owned, efficient monopoly\u2014which provides insurance cover and contracts private service providers to give physiotherapy, operations, and other treatments that people are entitled to under the accident compensation scheme\u2014to contracting all of the scheme out to the private sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI note one other point where the Minister for ACC has been caught out exaggerating. When the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee was examining the ACC estimates the Minister baldly said that the big employers who are effectively allowed to self-insure\u2014the so-called accredited employers\u2014have a better rehabilitation rate than those who are not. That is wrong, and I hope that the Minister now acknowledges that the Accident Compensation Corporation\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022759eb5da1d50417db87264b456f1fd07\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: No, no.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229b6629dfa4a44bea9f25587381421ed1\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have done questions and answers on it. We got on to this matter because we saw the chief executive officer of the Accident Compensation Corporation looking shocked when the Minister gave the answer. Then the chief executive officer was overheard outside to say: \u201CWe haven\u2019t got any evidence to support that.\u201D So we put written questions to the Minister that asked whether there was any support for that assertion made by him\u2014and there was not, because it is not true. Rehabilitation rates are going down by about 1 percent per annum. It is a problem, and it is a problem around the world. Unfortunately, I think the Government will approach that problem by kicking people off cover, rather than appropriately dealing with the reality that as people get older they take longer to get better and they are more easily injured. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EVote agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e39f8af454174d53bde970be93c5b5e4\u0022\u003EVote Climate Change\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022 data-id=\u00225791e1488a3e48e09c1ee043a8dc8ee7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225791e1488a3e48e09c1ee043a8dc8ee7\u0022\u003ENICKY WAGNER (National):\u003C/span\u003E The National Government has increased its funding for environmental priorities in Budget 2009. Funding for Vote Climate Change is over $502 million. The Government\u2019s priorities in Vote Climate Change are, firstly, the redesign and implementation of the New Zealand emissions trading scheme, and, secondly, to present our climate change case in international negotiations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EClimate change is one of the most important issues of our time and one of the most complex and challenging. New Zealand has a unique position. We are a developed annex 1 country with a developing world emissions profile. Our two major industries, agriculture and tourism, rely on our management of our natural resources in a clean, green, sustainable way. As customers become more environmentally discerning, we need to ensure that our agricultural processes can provide food that is considered safe, and to honour our \u201C100% Pure New Zealand\u201D tourist brand we need to show that we understand sustainability and care for our environment. How successfully we deal with climate change will reflect on these important industries. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThe Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee is finalising its work and will report back in a matter of weeks. After that, decisions will be made about amending New Zealand\u2019s emissions trading scheme. The Government intends that amendments will be broadly in line with our 2008 policy. We want to create a pragmatic, durable scheme that will ultimately create more business certainty. The Government will take into account the impacts of the global recession when considering amendments. We are also working with Australia to ensure that New Zealand\u2019s emissions trading scheme is harmonised as far as possible with Australia\u2019s carbon reduction scheme. However, the longer New Zealand delays implementing policies, the more difficult it will be to meet the more stringent targets that are likely under future global agreements. Earlier action will allow a smoother transition and will better prepare the New Zealand economy to compete in a carbon-constrained world. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThe international negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are headed towards a crucial meeting in Copenhagen this December. It is hoped that the main points of the future treaty will be agreed there. The Government\u2019s intention is to announce New Zealand\u2019s 2020 target prior to the beginning of the next negotiating meeting in Bonn on 10 August. All other developed countries have announced their 2020 targets. Australia has announced targets equivalent to reducing its emissions to below 1990 levels by 4 percent unilaterally or by 14 or 24 percent depending on the strength of global agreement. The European Union has announced a unilateral target of 20 percent below 1990 levels, and 30 percent in the context of an ambitious international agreement. The US administration\u2019s target is to return to 1990 levels by 2020, but more ambitious targets are still under consideration by the United States Congress. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EIn setting a target for New Zealand, the Government is considering scientific, economic, foreign affairs, environmental, and other factors, including the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and recent statements by the G8 and the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate in support of limiting global warming to 2 degrees centigrade. We are also taking into account public input from a series of meetings attended by over 1,600 people, an online panel discussion, a national hui, meetings with business people, and over 150 written submissions. Recurring themes from the public input include the need to focus on the environmental and economic consequences of action or inaction, New Zealand\u2019s clean, green image, and the effects on international competitiveness. As well as making a fair contribution to global emission reduction, New Zealand is also actively involved in getting right the shape and form of a future climate change agreement. It is a difficult challenge, but New Zealand is up for it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022 data-id=\u0022bbedcff16ab24b8a973de36fc9208ede\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bbedcff16ab24b8a973de36fc9208ede\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I was disappointed by that contribution from Nicky Wagner, because she sits on the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee and has made a thoughtful contribution on that committee. I was hoping we would hear from her today some further reflection on the work of the committee, the design of the scheme, and the question of targets. Instead, we heard her read out a speech written by a research unit. That really is disappointing in this debate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EIn this brief contribution I will say that people are growing tired of the delay we have experienced in getting finality in this vital area of policy. We need to take it seriously. In my view there has been too much misleading talk about the balance between economic and environmental considerations. I think we are coming to a head when we come to the question of what carbon pollution reduction targets have to be set. It is embarrassing that we are one of the last developed countries to do this, and it is just another indication of the risk we face in falling behind the rest of the world. Looking at the countries we like to compare ourselves with, we see that President Obama has announced his Green New Deal, with a major emphasis on how the US will transition to clean energy; in the United Kingdom, Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has announced major reforms of the electricity sector in order to encourage investment in renewable energy resources; and our nearest neighbour, Australia, has developed the $4.5 billion Clean Energy Initiative to provide investment in the development of low-pollution technologies. The rest of the world is doing something. It was interesting to hear the previous speaker talk about the need to avoid a longer delay. We do not need to be in delay mode; we need to get on with it. We need to make sure that the actions we take will be beneficial. There is just too much at stake not to do so. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003ELet us talk about the targets Nicky Wagner mentioned. The figures that have come out, as far as Government studies are concerned\u2014the analysis from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research and Infometrics\u2014are misleading. We need to have a good look at them. The studies cite a carbon price of $200 a tonne, which is completely out of touch with international consensus. The price of carbon internationally in the medium range is much more likely to be about half that amount, at $100 a tonne. The suggestion that there will be a price of $3,000 per household per year is grossly inflated. If we look at the assumptions in the report, we see that it is much more likely that if we adopt a target of zero then there will be about $1,000 cost, if there is a 15 percent reduction then the cost per New Zealander will be more like $1,350, and for a 40 percent reduction there will be around $1,900 cost, which is 36 percent lower than the figure in the analysis that has been released. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThe modelling also assumes a lack of international competition in the carbon market. This is a major omission. It assumes no forestry planting, which would result from the gradual increase in carbon prices. The US$25-a-tonne modelling by the Greenhouse Policy Coalition shows that forestry plantings would provide for 9 million tonnes after 10 years. This would make a huge different to meeting our target. Why not be bold? Why not look at the sorts of targets that are being advocated overseas, in jurisdictions we like to compare ourselves with? I ask why we are instead mucking around with numbers that will not make a difference in the long run, and that certainly will not get us to a satisfactory level of reduction by 2050, which everybody agrees we need to do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EIt is interesting to think about the hiatus that we are in. Nick Main, the chairman of the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, told the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee that indecision in this area is costing huge amounts of forgone investment. He said: \u201Cinvestment blight was affecting hundreds of millions worth of \u2026 investments in forestry, clean energy and biotech, and also holding up decisions on reinvestment and new investment in emission intensive industries\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThe time to be bold is now. It is the time to show leadership. That is what New Zealanders want from the Government. We really need to see that leadership, and we need to see it from the Minister for Climate Change Issues in respect of targets. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00220b14f8695502403fb9eddd3dd698269d\u0022\u003EAmended Answers to Oral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00221fe20a852ef745c1bfcb14989006665b\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3 to Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u00229680a513bc7a4b28b70bbba2cc2f5f13\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229680a513bc7a4b28b70bbba2cc2f5f13\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E I want to correct a detail in my answer to oral question No. 3 today. I stated that the unemployment rate was last at 6 percent in 2005. In fact\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d46785b86f947f9a15a73400bff95cd\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: The member needs to seek leave.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275d3d806f6074b45b4c0722dc3414661\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave, Mr Chairperson.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b9255053bfd94462a04b32ba84e58ee7\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Is this a personal explanation or a correction? Either way, is the member seeking to make a personal statement or to make\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1965543382c4ebc9a0369b91d9ee46a\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to make a personal explanation to correct a detail in an answer to a question\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c66d183d6bed440b8d51e326bd9b43e4\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Just a moment. Leave is sought for that purpose. Is anyone opposed to that course of action? It appears not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229aa95189593e423a96e6bbbbb2328141\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to oral question No. 3 today, I stated that the unemployment rate was last at 6 percent in 2005. The correct figure is that the unemployment benefit is the same now as it was in 2005, not the unemployment rate as measured by the household labour force survey.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ff779f0eb4944f488a183ae99b489781\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2 to Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u00228945c224335148059b3caf9977938399\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228945c224335148059b3caf9977938399\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Climate Change Issues):\u003C/span\u003E I seek the leave of the House to correct an answer that I gave in the House in respect of a question from Mr David Garrett. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4bd8af0224a444d80f94b4f94fdc5b2\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought for a personal explanation in relation to a question. Is anyone opposed to that course of action? There appears not. Leave is granted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fada6fa4e6a04806a3dcb90fb31125f6\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: In response to a question in respect of how much the existing emissions trading scheme legislation would reduce emissions, I advised the House that the information was in the regulatory impact statement that had been provided. In fact, it was in the economic analysis that was with the regulatory impact statement provided to the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee. I seek the leave of the House to table the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research report that has the information that the member sought. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022873758d2f6884d7eb2dfaeb2a920ca6d\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is anyone opposed? Leave is granted. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00224fe2f979d32449368a85505b9ba28b21\u0022\u003EEstimates Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00225d9e8a56545d4380ad936ebbe8d122cb\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000588\u0022\u003EDebate resumed.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222a78edcad31743b9b492d1d08151629a\u0022\u003EVote Climate Change (continued)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022 data-id=\u0022d85c3c04d6624456a34ef8e4a4deacba\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d85c3c04d6624456a34ef8e4a4deacba\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak on the climate change estimates. I will make a few points in this short contribution. The first is that, when it comes to climate change, we have a moral obligation to take action. We have a moral obligation not only to ourselves and to future generations of New Zealanders, but also to people who live in the Pacific. Just in the last few days, the Alliance of Small Island States\u2014some of our key neighbours\u2014called on developed countries like New Zealand to commit to an emissions reduction target of at least 40 percent by 2020. They have called on New Zealand to make a strong reduction target because their very homes may go under. We have a moral obligation to act on climate change. It has been one of the Green Party\u2019s great frustrations that, over the years, there has been very little action in terms of actually reducing our gross emissions. It is probably true that our net emissions will come pretty close to zero by 2012, but our gross emissions will be way over. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EProgress reported.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EReport adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 5.56 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id200908065ef417131a6445f1ab6cab4bc91f6c5e000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"