"\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c125732bedeb4aad8e5371d0fbb13a09\u0022\u003EThursday, 17 June 2010\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224b20a1922303486c8ac40d8b149317ce\u0022\u003EThursday, 17 June 2010\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000002\u0022\u003EMr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002201ee97ce16dd4a818242892945f95164\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002271a7d1bba83b4ebeb067bd5c76b4e953\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u0022e4ccd9d9a05f4a0fb0b27b23dda2895d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e4ccd9d9a05f4a0fb0b27b23dda2895d\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Leader of the House: I can advise the House that when we resume on Tuesday, 22 June the House will consider the Imprest Supply (First for 2009/10) Bill and the Appropriation (2009/10 Supplementary Estimates) Bill. The House will then take urgency for the rest of the week, to consider a range of bills that have been circulated to all parties. It is the Government\u2019s intention to take questions each 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=\u002291caa9b806b24d24bb2e29848dbbb9a7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002291caa9b806b24d24bb2e29848dbbb9a7\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I thank the Attorney-General for his very thorough report. I would ask him to confirm that it is not the Government\u2019s intention to consider the Imprest Supply Bill under urgency, but that we will move to urgency once that 3-hour debate has concluded. I also ask whether the Infrastructure Bill, which is languishing down the Order Paper at No. 20, is likely to be considered under the urgency motion. Is that bill likely to be progressed through the urgency motion?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u00227ab8fe45766141c08014fe19108ad46f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227ab8fe45766141c08014fe19108ad46f\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General):\u003C/span\u003E First of all, I congratulate the member on his new crimplene suit\u2014the sort of suit that Social Credit MPs used to wear in the old days. My understanding is that the Imprest Supply Bill is not the subject of the urgency motion. My understanding, also, is that the honourable member has a list of the bills. I hear what he says about the Infrastructure Bill, but this is a very busy and effective Government. He will know which bills are part of the urgency motion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u0022a22941dda2c441199a64d467cee389df\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a22941dda2c441199a64d467cee389df\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I thank the Attorney-General for that update. I further advise him that this suit is indeed a New Zealand - made suit, from McAndrews Menswear in \u014Ctaki, where we can get city fashions at country prices. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d55165fc66a4472b8954b9b1817b132d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Like the soccer teams, I guess that is one all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022766a2767e59b4cecadffddc9a78aec2d\u0022\u003EQuestions for Oral Answer\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229923ccd4700644db82d4c71cddba7df5\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002238f4dc161f4a4577b425a02b20e0cb76\u0022\u003EEconomy\u2014Reports\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022fbe3f87c-849c-4eee-84cc-119edeb1a681\u0022 data-id=\u0022b3603d17f3444dc1961a492f174fdc41\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fbe3f87c-849c-4eee-84cc-119edeb1a681\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b3603d17f3444dc1961a492f174fdc41\u0022\u003EAARON GILMORE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What 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=\u0022c86a4539481d4d13ade3a599c47aad24\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c86a4539481d4d13ade3a599c47aad24\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E The Westpac: McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence Index released yesterday shows an improvement in consumer confidence. It shows that the Budget tax cuts have generally exceeded expectations, and that a growing number of people believe they will be better off as a result of the changes. It is important, though, that despite growing consumer confidence, New Zealanders are choosing to save and pay down debt, rather than embark on another retail spending binge.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fbe3f87c-849c-4eee-84cc-119edeb1a681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ba5c2cb636954c5baf02238276b8a1cb\u0022\u003EAaron Gilmore\u003C/span\u003E: How does Budget 2010 make New Zealanders better off?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b3d3ecf3afb047c39b62899e0c83018b\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The GST - income tax switch initially sees an average family with two children about $25 a week better off, a typical average-wage worker about $15 a week better off, and a superannuitant couple about $11 a week better off. Even when the emissions trading scheme, a small rise in rents, and other forecast general inflation are taken into account, the benefits of the tax switch increase over time. That is because after-tax incomes are forecast to grow more quickly than price increases in the 4 years to 2014. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fbe3f87c-849c-4eee-84cc-119edeb1a681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f6684463a6894c40995e24cd8bf86175\u0022\u003EAaron Gilmore\u003C/span\u003E: How do the benefits of Budget 2010 tax changes increase over time?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022acf97f1482f748d0b3ea3461db2fa685\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The benefits of the tax switch do increase over time. Taking into account all the forecast factors I have referred to, the benefit for an average two-child family increases to about $28 a week by October 2011, and then rises to about $41 a week by 2014. A typical wage earner is still about $15 a week better off in October 2011, rising to about $23 a week by 1 October 2014. Once the 170,000 new jobs forecast in the Budget are taken into account, total household disposable income from all sources, after tax, will increase by over 25 percent by 2014. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220e22b04750d64bc2a16125ba790672eb\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Why did he break his promise to New Zealanders by borrowing for tax cuts, and was it to increase Government debt to justify his privatisation agenda? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de7de4c4f49a429fb2072932a128f74d\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: No. As the Government pointed out at the time of the Budget, because we could not implement all the tax changes on 1 October 2010 there is about a $400 million cost that arises because of the timing difference, with the remainder of the package implemented on 1 April 2011. Over 4 years, though, the package is broadly fiscally neutral, and does not add to borrowing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022585ce58000544443828c7712f112e99e\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen the repeated statements by many of the main participants in the electricity industry that the electricity industry bill will increase electricity prices in New Zealand rather than reduce them, and is he willing to intervene?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225cd70e8daa774022ad8c4c056afbbc9a\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The Government has been through a pretty thorough process reviewing the operation of the electricity market. There is a range of views about what impact it is going to have. The Government believes that the changes in the bill will lead to greater competition. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fbe3f87c-849c-4eee-84cc-119edeb1a681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6b159efdc714a92b117f01e3012c226\u0022\u003EAaron Gilmore\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen any reports that sum up the intended effects of Budget 2010 tax changes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e6b2be91b6304c1291f9930f5293e968\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I have. In particular, I have seen a report from one individual who, when he was asked how he would use his tax cuts, said: \u201CPay down my mortgage and help my kids out a bit.\u201D I can confirm that that quote came from Labour leader Phil Goff a day after the Budget. I can confirm that that is probably a view that most New Zealanders are taking\u2014that they will use their tax cut to reduce their debt, and they will be pretty careful with their spending.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e3b1a7bcc3ae4fe9b45b9a89b2c5113b\u0022\u003EPacific Economic Development Agency\u2014Minister of Finance\u2019s Meetings with Representatives\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022 data-id=\u0022ce7f3de013da45c1841b74aca6a088da\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ce7f3de013da45c1841b74aca6a088da\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader\u2014Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Was the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs correct when she said the Minister of Finance had met with the Pacific Economic Development Agency \u201Con several occasions\u201D; if so, who did he meet?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u0022cedd10814a3d4a0eb81c65b1c9705319\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cedd10814a3d4a0eb81c65b1c9705319\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I have a slightly longer answer. The answer is yes. I had a series of discussions with Pacific community groups that shared the Government\u2019s deep concern about the effects of the recession on Pacific people, including 14 percent general unemployment, and probably higher among young people. Those meetings included ministers of churches, local government people, business owners, and the Pacific Island Chamber of Commerce. Discussions focused on following up on the Auckland Pacific Economic and Social Transformation Agenda\u2014APESTA\u2014conference held in October 2008 under the previous Government, which was sponsored by Government agencies and opened by the Auckland Regional Council chairman, Mike Lee. In December 2009, I addressed a public Pacific business forum in M\u0101ngere jointly hosted by the Pacific Economic Development Agency and the Pacific Island Chamber of Commerce. In February 2010 I attended a meeting hosted by the Pacific Economic Development Agency. I am advised the agency was represented by J R Pereira and Mose Saitala. People who are active in the Pacific community wear many hats, and I may have met with members of the Pacific Economic Development Agency in other capacities at other meetings. We need to remember that this is all about providing job and training opportunities for Pacific communities, which are facing 14 percent unemployment, and probably higher for young people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229aed3860fc384b45a95aae1578a26681\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Was the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs correct when she stated on Radio New Zealand this morning that the Minister of Finance had been in discussions with Mr J R Pereira, the contact person for the Pacific Economic Development Agency, about the project over a \u201Cfairly extended period of time\u201D, and when did he first discuss this project with Mr Pereira?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002263dace63115a464aa800655640e2a888\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: There was no project until about February this year. Prior to that, I had met with a range of people who were frustrated that there had been endless talk about economic development in the Pacific community but, actually, not much had occurred. Existing providers do their best, but, as that member will know, the resources available in the Pacific community are not extensive. When someone is proactive and takes an initiative, a Government should take that opportunity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223329a188a019485980ee87baa59e879b\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I quoted from the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, who said that the Minister of Finance had been in discussions with Mr J R Pereira for an \u201Cextended period of time\u201D, and I asked when he had first met with him. The Minister did not answer that question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228471f21dbcdc413d8de0a86c462229aa\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I will hear the Hon Bill English.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022caa41584d1d04c3c950ee7efe23aabc7\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: As I have pointed out, people wear a lot of different hats in the Pacific community. I can go back and check when I first met with Mr J R Pereira. I expect that it was when I first met with the Pacific Island Chamber of Commerce. In my capacity as Minister of Finance I meet with chambers of commerce all over the country, and I was requested to meet with that one. That may have been the first occasion, and it would have been in early 2009, although I cannot be sure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff41324969d14e0f979fe196b58cf9e3\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: This was a most unusual situation, and I took that further answer from the Minister as being helpful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229e85c3f1a21b4912b9ebef8640694f8a\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: The Minister having attended a number of meetings with Pacific Island leaders, what measures did Budget 2010 take to improve the prospects of Pacific people?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c8c51b26f5346b6935e5a20b2877a4a\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: In a general sense, the tax switch involved in Budget 2010 will promote investment and employment, and the forecasts include 170,000 new jobs. That will make a big difference to a community that has been the hardest hit by unemployment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9636fe1b7f6438994323eb7df1fa674\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: When he said that it was critical that the Government continued to \u201Cresponsibly manage public finances on behalf of taxpayers. We can\u2019t take our eye off the ball.\u201D, did he apply that standard to the funding proposal he received from the Pacific Economic Development Agency\u2014a proposal that is 6 pages long, with two of the pages containing nothing more than statistics straight from Statistics New Zealand, and that seeks close to $4 million of taxpayers\u2019 money?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dc59d9315dc4438b85330843e4aa2770\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I am not sure just which proposal the member has seen, but that is\u2014[Interruption] No, I am not, actually. That is not a description of the proposal that I received. Like every other proposal that is put to the Government, it will go through a thorough process of a purchase agreement, accountabilities, and good care of taxpayers\u2019 money. I must say that is not unusual. The Budget includes tens of millions of dollars of contingency, where the accountabilities and the contracts are going to be negotiated over the next few months.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225bc972b049434a35bee2dc3bc2ca5534\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: What other agency has had a project approved by him by simply writing a proposal that is 57 words long that has not been through any open and transparent process, does not have one word of detail, was emailed from Honiara, and seeks $1 million a year, as in the proposal to him for the Pacific Skilled Employment scheme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cec66b03fdd741da8ea7f9b86ec7b9b1\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The member is simply wrong. I do not know what document she is referring to. It is certainly not the one that is being worked through now by Treasury and the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs in order to come to a conclusion about appropriate contracts. We do not intend to let petty party politicking get in the way of making vital progress for a community whose young people are in desperate need of action after years of talk from the previous Labour Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a1b3fd0a4e23419b8d0199a0162a8421\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Pretty words. Does he have any more written material from the Pacific Economic Development Agency, other than the 6 pages provided that were addressed to him and that the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs talked about on the radio this morning, to back up a proposal that he is prepared to hand out millions of dollars to; if he does have more material, would he please give it to the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, because she has made it clear that she seen only the particular proposal that I am holding?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002241f1dd22dd0448b6969387a04f1e1ffa\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: Of course there is more written material than that member\u2019s misrepresentation of it. As I said before, that is what is being discussed. Not one dollar will be paid out unless all the accountability is met. This initiative has arisen because the Pacific Island community is tired of the endless talk and no action that they got from the previous Labour Government. It is time to do something for young Pacific Island people, and not just sit around talking about them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002222942c45b4494d4cb487e239fdd0ec73\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Was the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs correct when she affirmed on Radio New Zealand this morning that the Pereira family had been involved in brokering appearances or endorsements by members of the Pacific Island community during the election campaign; if so, did he know that before agreeing to $4.8 million for Mr J R Pereira\u2019s project?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b6212f6f5fdd44a19ae6dced95643869\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I resent that implication. [Interruption] If the member really wants to know, the only Pereira I knew before was Tino Pereira, whom I understand was very close to the previous Labour Government. That does not mean he did not have something to contribute to the welfare of Pacific Island people. That member will know that I have my own connections with that community by blood relationship. The motivation of the Government has been to deal with a problem that I know that party understands well, which is young Pacific Islanders who have low skill levels and no attachment to the workface, and who have been the group in New Zealand hardest hit by the recession. When that community produces a proactive initiative with sound business principles, it is an opportunity to take, not a problem to dismiss.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022389a91f4ee65415e8efe93f99b5d8592\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: As Minister of Finance, why has he not insisted on an open, transparent process that allows other Pacific Island providers to have a go at $4.8 million, if he is serious about wanting to improve the lot of Pacific Islanders, because they are outraged at the process that he has allowed to take place?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e2008dacd87349848ce0dded6b476380\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I actually do not think the Pacific Island community is outraged at a Government putting more money in a tight Budget into helping young Pacific Island people get jobs. If the member wants an explanation, I am a bit familiar with the matter, having been through these processes in Government before. There is not a depth of providers of business-related services in the Pacific Island community. There is one other one, the Pacific Business Trust; it was mismanaged by the previous Labour Government for the last decade, so it has had to be restructured several times. This proposition will enable more to be done by helping existing providers, and no dollar will be paid out until, or unless, all the purchase agreements have tight accountabilities and have annual signposts along the way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227605cae2bb4b44b6bec32ab712e72a61\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table the funding proposal to the Minister of Finance of the Government of New Zealand, which is 6 pages long.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221abe7e5c8bf94e59b96e812f24f0b42d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002234e1cedf3a6647158e4694bf01269ed9\u0022\u003EWaste, Plastic\u2014Farm Recycling Scheme\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ae94eea7-ba5f-4303-bf71-49e708bc9888\u0022 data-id=\u0022fef74bc024eb4153b087757501510da1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ae94eea7-ba5f-4303-bf71-49e708bc9888\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fef74bc024eb4153b087757501510da1\u0022\u003EJOHN HAYES (National\u2014Wairarapa)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for the Environment: What steps is the Government taking to reduce the amount of rural plastic waste being burnt, buried, or ending up as countryside litter?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u0022501640f1716842058ac7fd64f14baf39\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022501640f1716842058ac7fd64f14baf39\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment):\u003C/span\u003E The Government is working with farmers and their support industries to recycle and reuse the plastic waste generated from, mainly, silage wrap. The nationwide Plasback scheme was one of the first accredited product stewardship schemes, and yesterday, at the Agricultural Fieldays in Hamilton, I announced the first grant from the Waste Minimisation Fund to support the programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ae94eea7-ba5f-4303-bf71-49e708bc9888\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226cbd4689a38b4fa59a5fc1be582c183f\u0022\u003EJohn Hayes\u003C/span\u003E: What advice does the Minister have on what is currently happening to this plastic waste, and what will be achieved by the new scheme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225779e2c6cc4647598cc7b62efd722e5c\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I have been advised that the bulk of the 7,000 tonnes a year of plastic farm waste is currently burnt, which results in the release of toxic chemicals into the air. A further portion is buried. The ambitious goal of this scheme is to establish a network of on-farm recycling facilities throughout New Zealand, with the aim of recycling 2,400 tonnes by July next year. The Government is working to lead the same sort of culture change that has occurred over the past decade or two with households, which now extensively use kerbside recycling, albeit the logistics of distance make the farm-based recycling of plastics more challenging.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ae94eea7-ba5f-4303-bf71-49e708bc9888\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002267fe1d515d8442c4a4d21e63d0d964e5\u0022\u003EJohn Hayes\u003C/span\u003E: What provision has been made to ensure that there are economically viable uses for the collected rural plastic waste\u2014because I am aware that some recycling schemes have got into difficulty because they have not been able to use the collected waste economically?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c6b2f38d2f0749bf8d5cdb0e12ec6c47\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Of course, it is important, as the member says, not just to collect the waste but also to have a practical use for it. The proposal that the Government is backing involves a recycling facility in Christchurch that is able to use the waste, including the dirty silage waste, and is able to remanufacture it into products that can be used, such as piping and bins. The scheme also provides for the reuse of agricultural chemical containers, which, if left on farms, can result in pollution. This scheme involves the containers being reused, which I think is a good outcome.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c201b7c7c88d4ac1b5b1bb1ef0dc6b5c\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister assure the House that none of the 966 tonnes of e-waste collected at last year\u2019s eDay will end up in New Zealand landfills, and when, if ever, will he approve a product stewardship scheme to allow computer buyers to recycle their old computers at the point of purchase, so as to reduce the 80,000 tonnes of e-waste that ends up in New Zealand landfills each year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248c90157c3484c6580a7decf41868967\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I am quite concerned about what has occurred with regard to e-waste. Currently, a prosecution is before the court where a subcontractor to the 2020 trust was involved in the unlawful export of e-waste. I have asked my ministry to work with the 2020 trust to establish proper systems to ensure that e-waste is properly dealt with. A preferred option would be to have a recycling facility in New Zealand that is able to deal with the different waste streams, and the ministry is exploring whether there are possibilities to use funds from the Waste Minimisation Fund to support that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022428b8fcf9d5d4f2ab37676ef32070540\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I wonder whether the Minister might address the question relating to the product stewardship scheme in this area\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d3c31ad88f548acbf3336e055179b8a\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think that the Minister gave a pretty reasonable answer to a question that actually did not have a lot to do with rural plastic waste.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b91f1860d8db462190769f5a5cb025aa\u0022\u003EPacific Economic Development Agency\u2014Ministry Advice on Proposal\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022 data-id=\u00220dcbaa94aee744d1b460f7cefb4115b3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220dcbaa94aee744d1b460f7cefb4115b3\u0022\u003ESU\u2019A WILLIAM SIO (Labour\u2014M\u0101ngere)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs: Did she receive advice from her ministry in relation to the Pacific Economic Development Agency proposal; if so, when?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220bd5aa67-2f2b-4a13-a2b4-21a392396f11\u0022 data-id=\u002215aad49a175c4d41b28c5c120811e2a9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bd5aa67-2f2b-4a13-a2b4-21a392396f11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002215aad49a175c4d41b28c5c120811e2a9\u0022\u003EHon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (Minister of Pacific Island Affairs):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, on 25 March 2010. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243d2857b4d464ed5a940495e901f9a92\u0022\u003ESu\u2019a William Sio\u003C/span\u003E: Was the description on Morning Report wrong when it said the Pacific Economic Development Agency\u2019s flimsy application had no budget, no delivery mechanism, no management structure, and no outcomes; if so, why?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bd5aa67-2f2b-4a13-a2b4-21a392396f11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aee022e73da34778a7136a6de776b2d6\u0022\u003EHon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a698551cd8b54450809230df0eea2de7\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I just want to make sure that I heard the question correctly. The Minister has no responsibility for what a news agency might say. I may have misunderstood the question. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b43db8a286f94282bcbf1a1f15121247\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The member asked whether the description that was aired was correct. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022595e0e26040c4fa29525085c912a9239\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I accept the point the honourable member makes. I invite the member to therefore repeat his question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271c7332a297a44ccbbff75f80b1f0da4\u0022\u003ESu\u2019a William Sio\u003C/span\u003E: Was the description on Morning Report wrong when it said the Pacific Economic Development Agency\u2019s flimsy application had no budget, no delivery mechanism, no management structure, and no outcomes; if so, why?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bd5aa67-2f2b-4a13-a2b4-21a392396f11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b1e012d727243dfb9656e92e90c6d9b\u0022\u003EHon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022414e206a61184028acd38334d30d4732\u0022\u003ESu\u2019a William Sio\u003C/span\u003E: When she stated on Morning Report today that the Pacific Economic Development Agency appropriation is now multi-year and contestable, will groups have to apply through the Pacific Economic Development Agency or can they apply directly to her ministry in future financial years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bd5aa67-2f2b-4a13-a2b4-21a392396f11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220d91b6a735f540c4b8452b695cc06b13\u0022\u003EHon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1c371a54ba74a7aae89f7e3d62e81f8\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I know you will not rule that we must have yes or no answers, but when a Minister gets an either/or question, he or she cannot just say \u201CNo.\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd67019c7c3e4f64b4eedfd01e8b3143\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am always commending Ministers when they give brief, concise answers. The Minister said \u201CNo.\u201D, and I presume she meant that no, it was not contestable. If it was different, the Minister had better correct that impression.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b4330b2067334771994b5e64795bb310\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think she was directly quoted as saying that it was going to be contestable. The question was whether it was contestable through the Pacific Economic Development Agency or contestable through the ministry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bda8ea30eb824e04aa572a9a489b4a04\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: To avoid confusion I ask Su\u2019a William Sio to repeat his question and we will let the Minister hear it again to make sure she is satisfied she has given the House the answer she has intended.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b9bf484bb0cc4be08dfec93fd93a60cc\u0022\u003ESu\u2019a William Sio\u003C/span\u003E: When she stated on Morning Report today that the Pacific Economic Development Agency appropriation is now multi-year and contestable, will groups have to apply through the Pacific Economic Development Agency or can they apply directly to her ministry in future financial years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bd5aa67-2f2b-4a13-a2b4-21a392396f11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2e13132920143a59d75a66174bbd98a\u0022\u003EHon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU\u003C/span\u003E: No, they do not have to apply through the Pacific Economic Development Agency.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226081b57461b741bdb21c55f592515d7f\u0022\u003ESu\u2019a William Sio\u003C/span\u003E: When will she admit to the New Zealand public and the Pacific community that this deal was forged in October 2008, committed to in 2009, stitched up in March 2010, and announced in May this year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bd5aa67-2f2b-4a13-a2b4-21a392396f11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2eb3f0f360444e8b14dd690f4977d76\u0022\u003EHon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU\u003C/span\u003E: I have no responsibility for anything that was forged at the time that he said. I was not even a Minister of Pacific Island Affairs at that time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227e21aaf223954ddc961ea7aa567a8f32\u0022\u003EChild Abuse\u2014Victim Support Initiatives\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022 data-id=\u00223871fabde8a740c1adf74f550238614c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223871fabde8a740c1adf74f550238614c\u0022\u003EKANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Police: Can she provide a report on any recent initiatives to improve the support provided to victims of child abuse?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u00223bd8a3ef051241599a181c4d79e0be78\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223bd8a3ef051241599a181c4d79e0be78\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Police):\u003C/span\u003E Sadly, for too many children in this country, home is not a loving, supportive, or even safe place. I am very pleased to report on the opening of a new multi-agency centre in Counties-Manukau. The centre has been specifically designed to be victim-focused. It will enable police, Child, Youth and Family, and health professionals to work together in one self-contained facility to provide a coordinated service to victims of abuse. An important feature of the centre is that no suspects or offenders will attend the facility. This will help provide a safe and supportive environment for victims. The centre will also investigate sexual assaults against adults, and assess and coordinate the need for intervention with the families of these victims.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002237ec09468793478ba425eeb03f044898\u0022\u003EKanwaljit Singh Bakshi\u003C/span\u003E: Can she explain the background behind the development of this innovative centre?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022641debbda73d4efaa74ead4e3b481e38\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. The centre is a joint initiative between Counties-Manukau police, Child, Youth and Family, and the Counties Manukau District Health Board. Community groups and local agencies have been working towards the establishment of this centre since 1997 and I would like to commend them for their sustained efforts. More than 12,000 family violence incidents were attended by Counties-Manukau police in the 2008-09 year. This accounts for nearly 40 percent of all calls for service in the district. This new centre represents the commitment of the local community and the Government to cut through the barriers and help repair the broken lives left behind by offenders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fd427be0-7196-4605-b39e-d665553240b0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220fff0cf75b5c4125ae1ad0a76f750b2a\u0022\u003ELynne Pillay\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister release reports or updated figures on victims of sexual abuse crimes who have been denied Accident Compensation Corporation counselling since November 2009, or ask the Minister for ACC, as he seems unable to do this and I am hearing from hundreds of victims of crime who are asking whether reports like this are being suppressed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d8b20a9b72414f419fb76240edc2a394\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Minister can answer in so far as she is responsible for those matters.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022588e13df23ec44bfb8591074fca77c6d\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: I am not responsible for accident compensation. I am sure that if that member would like to address the question to the correct Minister who has responsibility, he will be able to answer it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fd427be0-7196-4605-b39e-d665553240b0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ba4431cc3721483eb73bc8cca41fbcb8\u0022\u003ELynne Pillay\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Minister has been asked by written question, and he responded that he is unable\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f576c848f3354b9aabad81d94d9a54b7\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: We will not enter into that matter. The problem was that the member asked a question of the Minister of Police about matters relating to Accident Compensation Corporation claims, and she has indicated that that is not her responsibility. I do not think it was, and that is where the matter lies. If she indicates that it is not her responsibility, then that is the end of the matter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a348ae0ed6b4e0cb2f12611e8363415\u0022\u003EKanwaljit Singh Bakshi\u003C/span\u003E: What other steps are being taken to provide better protection for victims of family violence?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002231cf5332552f4b17aa6d597a69ce7e6e\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: I am pleased to report that police safety orders will be coming into effect on 1 July. The police will be able to issue orders on the spot to ensure the immediate safety of the victim and any children by removing the alleged violent person from the home for a period of up to 5 days. These orders will be issued in situations where there is insufficient basis to arrest, but where police believe there is a likelihood of family violence occurring. This will provide a period of safety in which victims can consider their future options, including whether to seek a protection order from the courts. These orders will provide another important tool in helping to protect victims, while sending a clear message that family violence will not be tolerated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022959f49cc6fe7431daa42c704d640eaa5\u0022\u003ERahui Katene\u003C/span\u003E: Is she aware that it is not only the Wairarapa in which there were inaccurate files kept also; an audit of files in the Bay of Plenty revealed that there were an additional 111 child abuse files that had not been recorded in the police national intelligence application; and what steps is she taking to ensure the shortcomings in the way child abuse cases are being received, prioritised, and investigated is being managed properly across all districts?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022992cdc5402774994819d6cc99127cccf\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, there was a very unfortunate situation between 1999 and 2006, when a range of child abuse cases were not properly investigated in the Wairarapa. Following that, police have undertaken a review of all of their districts and there were some cases in the Bay of Plenty, to which the member referred, that also had not been properly dealt with. I am very pleased to say that I have recently visited a Child, Youth and Family and police initiative, which is very similar to what I have just talked about in Counties-Manukau. Child, Youth and Family and police are now working very, very well in the Bay of Plenty to deal with these issues, so I am very pleased to say that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002221b5ecc8eb384914998d4664c3775cc1\u0022\u003EAccident Compensation\u2014Consultation on Hearing Loss Regulations\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u0022f435869ac03b4f2ca9e0d7fa8898649c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f435869ac03b4f2ca9e0d7fa8898649c\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for ACC: Is he satisfied with the 4-week hearing loss regulations consultation time frame?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u00225195e86541f74f39ae3bb1409197545f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225195e86541f74f39ae3bb1409197545f\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for ACC):\u003C/span\u003E There was a legal requirement for a 28-day consultation period in the accident compensation legislation, but that was repealed by the previous Government, of which the member was a Minister, in 2008. The then Government argued that 28 days or 4 weeks was too long, and that a lesser period should be allowed. The Government has chosen not to take advantage of this law change. The proposals on how to apportion industrial and age-related hearing loss claim costs were released on 24 May and, given the quite narrow issues involved, I am quite satisfied that 4 weeks is sufficient time for organisations and individuals to have a fair say on them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022435ba3c1f74e44f2b832d1bd565be20f\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister not see that his consultation period, which the media is reporting as being inadequate, could lead to the same sort of shambles and injustices that his changes to counselling for sexual abuse victims have caused?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229b92f758f7424ba1977f5841e0030e4d\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I remind the member opposite that in 2008 his Government repealed the requirement for a 28-day period and argued in this very Parliament that 28 days was excessive. We do not take that view; we are providing for a period of 4 weeks in which people can give proper consideration to, and submissions on, these particular changes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282e84f5f78ed4ebf8312d471527c7857\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Why does the Minister keep insisting that the current rules for workplace hearing loss cannot be afforded by employers, when it is proven that accident compensation levies for New Zealand employers are already lower per $100 of earnings than similar levies in Australia, so their levels should not be used to justify cuts to worker entitlements?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022750e18f2cc214cfc98ebc8acd1cc5ec0\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: During the time of the previous Government hearing loss claim costs grew hugely, such that we have a projected liability around hearing loss claim costs of $1.3 billion. I think it is fair to say to employers that they must meet the full cost of hearing loss that is work induced, but I do not think it is fair to say the costs for age-related hearing loss should fall on employers. I do not think that that is a fair approach; that is why the apportionment approach is recommended in these regulations. The only issue in the regulations is whether the apportionment should be an individual percentage or be in bands.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022475d8ec36556472b87b3d351eb4e837a\u0022\u003EMichael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Given the cost pressures the Minister has described that the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is under over hearing loss claims, does he have any examples of wastage in this area?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022700260ac40904b82b16307c9446c9414\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The cost for hearing claims has increased from about $20 million per year to nearly $80 million per year. An example of the sort of practical waste in this area is over hearing aid batteries. Those used to be sent out automatically, and their cost was simply billed by audiologists to ACC. I have dozens of examples of constituents who have built up batteries galore. This sensible Government has changed the system by providing batteries on request, and that has reduced costs in that one area by more than 45 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281b538b7cd224636ac3531a8a27c4971\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister accept what health professionals are saying, such as this statement from the New Zealand Audiological Society: \u201CThose less able to afford these co-payments, such as older people and those from lower socio-economic groups, would simply not be able to get hearing aids and would simply go without.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022366eea04ad5d4c46b2036d941af53d13\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: No, I do not. In fact, the bulk of people are receiving hearing aid support for non - work induced\u2014age-related\u2014hearing loss. They are able to receive support through Judith Collins and her ministry for veterans\u2019 affairs, which has grants available, and from the Ministry of Health, which provides support. The key issue here is the principle\u2014and I am not surprised by Labour\u2019s approach\u2014that the cost of age-related hearing loss should somehow be dumped on to employers. I do not think that is fair, and that is why we are making the change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dc9b25257b3246b4aba86ffda4f2a4c3\u0022\u003ECatherine Delahunty\u003C/span\u003E: Has he sought advice from the Minister for Disability Issues as to whether his proposed changes breach New Zealand\u2019s commitment under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to promote assistive technologies and make them available at an affordable cost?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb46e2895e8346e3b85c02acc87f4d90\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The key word there is \u201Caffordable\u201D. I do not think that an increase from about $20 million a year to $80 million a year is fair on those who pay the accident compensation levies. I note that members opposite have raised concern about the extent to which the accident compensation levies have increased. It is this Government\u2019s view that ACC has a very important responsibility to meet the costs of those persons who have work-induced hearing loss. For those where it is age-related, then that is properly dealt with by the other agencies, such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Development, and, in the case of veterans, Veterans Affairs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b0030db730dc4b24a0ea1e9ad73c8f5e\u0022\u003ECatherine Delahunty\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My question asked whether he had sought advice on this matter from the Minister for Disability Issues. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9f63ff1875342048b9e8abb6776f33f\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think the member\u2019s question did not just ask that; it went on to other matters. I seem to remember it related to UN conventions, etc. The Minister picked up on the latter part of the question and answered it, I believe. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ea54ce64dc14c62bf30b48c56dde20e\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table a copy of the letter from the Audiological Society to the Prime Minister, which made the comments that I referred to earlier, and called these cuts \u201Cunfair and unscientific\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a25aa15d0b3c4f2188a74ce8fbdb4678\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000112\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022287f5e5826e841fa99034bce99e3b26e\u0022\u003EPrimary Sector\u2014Situation and Outlook for New Zealand Agriculture and Forestry\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022 data-id=\u0022a36ca4c7644046909c2570128c20578e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a36ca4c7644046909c2570128c20578e\u0022\u003ECOLIN KING (National\u2014Kaik\u014Dura)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Agriculture: What reports has he recently received on the state of New Zealand\u2019s primary sector?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022 data-id=\u0022f8022953e953433aad2aec80fd95617d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f8022953e953433aad2aec80fd95617d\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture):\u003C/span\u003E On Monday the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry launched its annual flagship publication, Situation and Outlook for New Zealand Agriculture and Forestry, often known as SONZAF. This report looks at issues facing the primary sector, and both current performance and forecast performance over the coming 5 years. The report shows that our primary producers are at the forefront of New Zealand\u2019s export-led recovery and, despite a number of challenges, can look forward to a mainly positive outlook over the next 5 years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223098a50714ed4e96a0ca5d4d75a236ca\u0022\u003EColin King\u003C/span\u003E: What are the key findings of the report and what significant trends does it pick for the sector in coming years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002228cf05b2b4d54ea69278e619e169a9b5\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: The report identifies a robust economic outlook for our primary sector on the back of an increasingly strong demand from developing economies, most notably China. Higher prices are predicted across the sector from forestry to dairy, with general conditions for our food exporters expected to be far less turbulent than what we have endured over the last 12 months. This is great news not only for our rural producers and our rural communities but, in fact, for all New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a3e4bbb314e493eab75fb558ba2aba8\u0022\u003EDavid Shearer\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen the report issued this week from Statistics New Zealand that shows that innovation in the agricultural sector dropped in 2009 and is now 15 percent below that of other business sectors; if so, does he believe that this drop is a result of the long delays to Primary Growth Partnership funding?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fdaea13dc95047f8a9e062d18d25685d\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: I have not seen that report, but I was very pleased to see the member yesterday at the Mystery Creek Fieldays, which is the premier agricultural event of our calendar. In fact, innovation is the major theme of those Fieldays. It is a wonderful event. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b5cbd773b0d45ed831fcc20e0e685af\u0022\u003EDavid Shearer\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table the Statistics New Zealand business operations survey.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b6af653bd2749e28b8ea2a3249ede74\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000122\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226048a32bade54a1e93d2c0639d3a8a26\u0022\u003EColin King\u003C/span\u003E: How is the Government moving to address the key challenges raised in the Situation and Outlook for New Zealand Agriculture and Forestry 2010 report?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db801884e44442c7be798a056d8d0c4e\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: The two key issues raised in the report this year are environmental performance and water storage. Those are two major areas of focus for the Government, and are certainly a priority of mine as Minister. That is why we have developed things like the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. We are funding a major carbon footprint programme, and we are totally committed to removing the regulatory roadblocks to water storage and getting more reliable irrigation to rural New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277ec6495-df45-43ac-aaa1-a03b5dd4c128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f913fef04a0346068931796c41939fed\u0022\u003EJohn Boscawen\u003C/span\u003E: Does he agree with the Prime Minister\u2019s statement made to primary producers at Fieldays yesterday when referring to the emissions trading scheme: \u201CI don\u2019t think that New Zealand should be doing more than the rest of the world.\u201D; if so, does that mean agriculture will not have to incur any costs of the emissions trading scheme, including diesel, until farmers in other parts of the world are also included in an emission trading scheme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d3034658e53c44f0b2241e72abd19c88\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: I always agree with the Prime Minister. Yesterday I had the opportunity of spending at least 3 hours with him as he wandered around the Mystery Creek Fieldays. He had much opportunity to talk to the farmers of New Zealand. Not one farmer raised the issue of the emissions trading scheme with the Prime Minister during the time I spent with him.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277ec6495-df45-43ac-aaa1-a03b5dd4c128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a3a4946d1b940abaccbfda412befedb\u0022\u003EJohn Boscawen\u003C/span\u003E: Does he agree with the Prime Minister, who told protesting farmers at Fieldays yesterday that the emissions trading scheme would cost them 3c per kilogram of milksolids; if so, is that 3c cost from 1 July this year or from 1 January 2015?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002255b9612a79114ef598a204b7b0fda83b\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: I certainly agreed with the Prime Minister when he mentioned the 10 protesters that the ACT Party had assembled, and when he pointed out to those 10 protesting ACT supporters that they had been fed a gross amount of misinformation by the ACT Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229134b54943e74d0f99644e48a73c284d\u0022\u003ESocial Development and Employment, Minister\u2014Statements\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u0022fda0e2e00b244181b25996b85de48ca4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fda0e2e00b244181b25996b85de48ca4\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour\u2014Hauraki-Waikato)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by all her statements?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022 data-id=\u00227e4c2bdda4b942619c1e6e39c635eb7d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227e4c2bdda4b942619c1e6e39c635eb7d\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment):\u003C/span\u003E Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223be5e8dcbb504c0993e1dce4b824c081\u0022\u003EHon Nanaia Mahuta\u003C/span\u003E: Given her statement that \u201CCommunity Max has been a great success\u201D, why has she not extended that programme instead of cutting it, when by doing so, she will leave people out of work and no better off because her Government has not created any jobs?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022661d2e39ccd841c3aeb7c6445135fc9c\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: I certainly do stand by Community Max. It has been a fantastic programme. In fact\u2014[Interruption]\u2014Sorry, does the member Carmel Sepuloni not agree that it has been a fantastic programme? That is all right. So it is not a fantastic programme, so Labour members do not like Community Max, so Labour members do like Community Max\u2014they cannot quite make up their minds on it. They want us to extend it, but they think that it is not any good. It gets a bit\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef7880c5e24e4bf2b2274757462d9506\u0022\u003EHon Nanaia Mahuta\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to ask the question again, because she is clearly not answering it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c9b18044e85a4b4d8b0329648d1a00d5\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b368b3e32a34a99b3fd52fefe3d2daa\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I do not need assistance on this matter. If the member had not added the last statement in her question it might have been treated a little differently. We have heard enough answer to that question. Does the member have a supplementary question?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e475cd424e64cf698673da83a535399\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: What target has she set for reducing youth unemployment, particularly for the 37 percent of 15 to 19-year-old M\u0101ori boys who are not currently in education or in employment; if no target has been set, how can she possibly stand by her statement: \u201CWe want every single one of them to be engaged in education, training, or employment.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2b6d26dcf194713bde9b3f034893983\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: I think the member just answered her own question: it is that we would like every single one of them to be engaged in education, training, or employment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ecb7c736d8f3449398ecbe4d13788c90\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Before we go any further, I ask the Minister to answer the question again. Because of the interjections going across in front of me I just could not hear that answer. I ask the Minister to start that answer again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e772063b31042ba8777d04e0dfc8368\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Certainly, Mr Speaker. What I was saying was that I thought that the member answered the question herself when she said \u201CI would like to see every one of them engaged in education, employment, or training.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226a799714e0cc4d99bb44f908a7a0c52e\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My question asked whether she had set a target with regard to reducing youth unemployment. She did not give me an answer with regard to that. I would like an answer please, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225770ecfbeb754dae89c55bd342b6c415\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Before we get into an exchange of points of order, I say that if the member had asked just that question we would have got an answer to it. But there was a whole lot more stuff in the member\u2019s question that the Minister picked up on. The remedy lies in the member\u2019s hands. If she had asked just that question I would have done my best to help her get an answer to it. But I cannot insist on the Minister answering a particular part when there is a whole lot more in a question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222ff7e1a2949648ef830da0c014a32142\u0022\u003EHekia Parata\u003C/span\u003E: Does she also stand by her statement to a select committee yesterday that \u201CWe have invested an extra $285 million in responding to the recession.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e2ac48b9f64b4378aa05c67c37401032\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I do. A large proportion of that money went to young people. Of that $285 million, $91 million was spent on young people. That delivered 1,200 job opportunities, more than 3,000 Community Max places, and 2,500 places on the Limited Service Volunteer programme. A figure of $17.4 million went to the Job Support Scheme, helping to save jobs. A figure of $17.5 million was given to ReStart. There was extra employment assistance of $12.6 million. There were summer jobs for students. Of course we set aside $104 million to help non-governmental organisations ride out the recession.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227692d33e8ec4488f97636b4435613ff9\u0022\u003EHon Nanaia Mahuta\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Minister continue to go down the track\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252d7eecf87144925a33ba8d986995624\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I apologise to the honourable member. I just ask Government backbenchers on this occasion to be reasonable with interjection levels; I cannot hear the question. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002279699330733c4499bb7df07415447dea\u0022\u003EHon Nanaia Mahuta\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Minister continue to go down the track of short-term training schemes like Job Ops, when young people want to work but there are no jobs, or is she developing these sound-good schemes to make her statistics look good?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c54d64cb9ca442a6ad025d44b4ecb96f\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: To give the House an update on where we are at with job opportunities, I tell members that we have 5,656 young people on Job Ops at the moment. Of the number who have completed their Job Ops at this time, we have seen that 94 percent of them have not gone on a benefit\u201494 percent of those who finished Job Ops have not gone on a benefit. I think that is fantastic. Yes, we will back it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a8eec2da5f54fc7a268e18ae4c133c6\u0022\u003EJacinda Ardern\u003C/span\u003E: If the Minister\u2019s target is that 100 percent of young people are in training, education, or employment, will she concede that she is failing, on her own measure, given that 60,000 young people are not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223a29b22f0da44d2e8155a0ea3b08e0a6\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Obviously I am not the Minister of Education. I am also not the Minister for Tertiary Education, who actually plays a part in that. I am a Minister who is part of a team that is directly focused on our young people, and that is making a real difference in their lives, leading to real jobs and real opportunities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002227f9ea2ee65d4ce990d0750f11c902f4\u0022\u003EHon Nanaia Mahuta\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table an article showing young people who were on Community Max, but who are now out of work and not able to get a benefit. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e80436549e2f4c2a93c3ea46a5aafe4e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I inquire from the member the source of that document. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248b76472ec614f6993bb343dec1dadc6\u0022\u003EHon Nanaia Mahuta\u003C/span\u003E: The New Zealand Herald.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f988cdedf774a49b139f909eea6b4af\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: We will not be doing that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d691cde8d9594c2ea543c54a147fb7f0\u0022\u003EWork and Income Vouchers\u2014Fraudulent Use by Traders\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022 data-id=\u0022517949867b9c4e238bf74ec9d418ca35\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022517949867b9c4e238bf74ec9d418ca35\u0022\u003EJO GOODHEW (National\u2014Rangitata)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What reports has she received about traders acting fraudulently when presented with Work and Income vouchers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022 data-id=\u0022db6b244255034fedab7bd51d6e242ed3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022db6b244255034fedab7bd51d6e242ed3\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment):\u003C/span\u003E An undercover investigation has confirmed that some second-hand dealers are abusing Work and Income vouchers. Nine second-hand traders were visited in the May sting, and five of those traders illegally offered cash or other goods in exchange for the vouchers. Those traders have received warnings, and have been referred to the police. Following our investigations, one trader has shut down his shop. This trader relied heavily on the profits from this unethical activity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ba2df789b974b8baad8c58f2a98029e\u0022\u003EJo Goodhew\u003C/span\u003E: What is the Government doing to crack down on dodgy second-hand traders? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a618fbd829754f99874e0fbe86d1e2e4\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: We are sending all traders a strong message. We will continue to carry out undercover checks. We will take action against those operating unethically. We will blacklist them and we will inform the police. This unethical behaviour does not only rip off the taxpayer; it also leaves beneficiaries significantly disadvantaged. These vouchers are loans, made as a benefit advance, and at the end of the day they have to be paid back. When an unethical dealer sets an item at a higher price, that cost is ultimately paid by the beneficiary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00221e973a8c59a447febcb44193e6121167\u0022\u003ELabour, Minister\u2014Effect of Policies on New Zealand Workers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022 data-id=\u0022be88427bd38c430480c0d71c9810af2e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022be88427bd38c430480c0d71c9810af2e\u0022\u003EDARIEN FENTON (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Labour: Are her policies aspirational for New Zealand workers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u00226f3aa06587d24650ab9e4b97d1e2a761\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226f3aa06587d24650ab9e4b97d1e2a761\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Absolutely. We are a Government that rewards hard work, effort, and success, rather than the previous Government\u2019s relentless focus on mediocrity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222acc46d7cfde4471b96d904ed72d0b76\u0022\u003EDarien Fenton\u003C/span\u003E: If the Minister is aspirational for New Zealand workers, why did her Government not support the development of an International Labour Organization convention to protect the rights of domestic workers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac14f2f65cd643278ee7feb699c23a14\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: The Opposition has been somewhat mischievous. The New Zealand Government supported a recommendation rather than a convention, and that was the right procedural step to take. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227541363446b64ae69ebfb81d24177ee9\u0022\u003EDarien Fenton\u003C/span\u003E: When the Minister said, as her excuse for not supporting the convention, \u201Cthe question is whether there is any point in another convention that would only be ignored \u2026\u201D, was she referring to that convention, which countries that sign up to it must actually implement, or to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which the Prime Minister has described as aspirational rather than binding?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002212632559ef9c4172bbe17b79c328c186\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: In relation to the International Labour Organization convention for domestic workers, I am advised that there are already conventions that cover domestic workers, but they are ignored by the countries that exploit those workers\u2019 labour. Developing another convention that would be ignored serves little purpose. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221590aaf91c624ea7b4d22f4a0e0e28ce\u0022\u003EDarien Fenton\u003C/span\u003E: Why did she draft legislation that would enable employers to require workers to work for nothing during their unpaid meal breaks, and that would allow a muffin to replace a meal break or a rest break; is that one of her aspirational policies for New Zealand workers? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e15f1a8d41e46b4b61d78dcdea2c18c\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: The meal breaks legislation as drafted by the previous Government had provision for unpaid meal breaks. We followed that. The bill that is currently before the select committee makes it less prescriptive and more flexible. But I would expect proper scrutiny of it by the select committee to ensure that workers are not exploited. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228521c51402b041778d36a7e05552089c\u0022\u003EAir Quality, National Environmental Standard\u2014Effect of Changes and Delays\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022 data-id=\u00226c07459ca1574a1f9379b935cc6117d6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226c07459ca1574a1f9379b935cc6117d6\u0022\u003EDAVID CLENDON (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for the Environment: How many additional people, if any, would die prematurely or be hospitalised if the National Environmental Standard for Air Quality is changed and delayed according to his preferred options?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u0022e3749718e33b44ad94c8ca077cd9ae23\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e3749718e33b44ad94c8ca077cd9ae23\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment):\u003C/span\u003E There would be additional premature deaths or hospitalisations from the proposed changes only if it were the case that the standard could actually be met by 2013, but I am advised that it will not be met in 10 airsheds covering 1.6 million New Zealanders. Although the technical advisory group recommended a delay to 2020, my preferred option is 2018, so as to keep maximum pressure on councils to improve air quality at the fastest practical rate, to minimise harm, and to protect the public health. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ba1158e09af4e8283b566bc088804c0\u0022\u003EDavid Clendon\u003C/span\u003E: Can he confirm that if he enforced the standard in 2013 as planned, he could save 482 lives, as noted in the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research report that he has previously cited? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c478aec954c4a8c812e5e9e153eaac8\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: No. The member is incorrect for this reason: the only enforcement measure under the standard is to stop any industrial consents. Industrial consents make up only a very small portion of New Zealand\u2019s air pollution problem. The bulk of New Zealand\u2019s air pollution problem is caused by cars in Auckland. In the vast bulk of our centres where air quality is poor, the problem is home fires. That is why this Government has substantially ramped up the amount that we are spending to help convert home fires to cleaner heat technologies, and has made the decision to improve the standards for motor vehicles so that we can reduce pollution from those sources. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022783eb67c185a447ba6f7bde73252fade\u0022\u003EDavid Clendon\u003C/span\u003E: Is he concerned that children under 5 years old living in areas with high particulate pollution are more than twice as likely to be hospitalised with a respiratory condition; how many children would need to be at risk for him to uphold the standards in 2013?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c5f3f7a48af54bdb81e2134e393279b0\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: It is not a matter of upholding the standards; it is a matter of the advice that the standards are not going to be met. What we are\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d8769b8bd1014097a67ad77d09f83b1c\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re rewarding polluters.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c96f81d70fc04362be9dccdd94b34381\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The member who interjects was in Government for 9 years, during which time little progress was made in improving air quality. I am very proud of the fact that in last year\u2019s Budget we committed tens of millions of dollars to help the practical impact of improving air quality by converting home heaters and by putting regulations in place to make our cars cleaner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b9918014802546ad90006a25c8b2377a\u0022\u003ENicky Wagner\u003C/span\u003E: What perverse incentives are there under the existing air quality standards that make them unworkable? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022927e1eccd1b6404c9faa06c219cf29d1\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The key penalty in the existing standard is that no new industrial consent or renewal of an existing one can be issued if an area is non-complying by 2013. That penalty has very serious implications for 233 businesses that employ more than 17,000 people, because even if those enterprises radically reduced their emissions, they simply would not be allowed to operate. The unfairness is that industry makes up less than 10 percent of New Zealand\u2019s air pollution but is the only one to be punished if it does not meet the standard. It is like having a speed problem on a highway and banning the bicycles. That unfair regulation was symptomatic of the previous Government\u2019s anti-business culture.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ffd9076028fa4c7faa24d1ecb839ee64\u0022\u003EDavid Clendon\u003C/span\u003E: What is the Minister\u2019s response to economic analysis from Southern California that finds that even the strictest mandatory air quality regulations do not result in a loss of jobs, but actually increase labour demand, contrary to scaremongering industry claims in that place?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a21f4502df5a48069e21f92dabe224da\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: If we had some sensible regulations like they may have in California, that would make sense. But the regulation we have at the moment puts a penalty only on industry, when all the research shows that the primary cause of our air pollution problem, particularly in the South Island, is from home heating systems\u2014open fires and old log fires. That is why this Government is putting some serious money into helping change those heaters so that the air will be clearer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223dc837772a93433a9131bf0f80162ace\u0022\u003ENicky Wagner\u003C/span\u003E: What practical steps has this Government taken that will improve air quality?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226330aa3bab734a4ca1317008b0c2fe10\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The Government has spent more in 18 months on improving air quality than the previous Government spent in 9 years. The $340 million package that was announced in last year\u2019s Budget provides practical grants so that people in those air catchments can convert their dirty heating systems\u2014open fires and the like\u2014to cleaner systems. That is exactly the sort of thing we need to do if we are to clean up New Zealand\u2019s air and improve those standards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222ab07deb3fb94281be8d3e5c60450a50\u0022\u003EDavid Clendon\u003C/span\u003E: What evidence does the Minister have for analysis that supports the claim by self-interested industry players here that regulations would result in the loss of hundreds of jobs?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002229b83ec792774dada9b71e200fbadbc5\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I refer the member to the technical advisory group that prepared the report, which includes both health specialists and air quality specialists, and their recommendations of changes. They concluded that the current regulations are unfair, and any person looking at them would say it is nonsense that the group that produces the least amount of pollution is the only one to be punished in the event that there is non-compliance. I also note that the Government has taken a firmer line in terms of meeting the standards than was recommended by the technical advisory group, for the very reason that we want to make as rapid progress as possible on cleaning up New Zealand\u2019s air.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f8603bebd4c04177ad91288cd38c2c41\u0022\u003EDavid Clendon\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister stand by his claim, as reported in the Sunday Star-Times of 13 December 2009, that the Government intended to strengthen air quality standards, and Solid Energy was mistaken if it believed the review would water down standards?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb2eb3bad4584552a29b3f52269aaedf\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I stand by that claim. We are setting up some practical rules that will actually work. The Ministry for the Environment advised the previous Government against the particular standard that it adopted, and I think history has proven that the ministry\u2019s advice was robust: the standards that were adopted by the previous Government were not practical. That is why we are responding to the good advice from the technical advisory group. The member is welcome to make a public submission, as are all New Zealanders, to ensure that we get this important environment standard right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002227db9d1d6cf34c7cb6c3c125efb3aa72\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2 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=\u0022d59f63831c284df7b40bb9707549c20b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d59f63831c284df7b40bb9707549c20b\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I seek leave to table a document from an occasion I referred to. It is the conference proceedings of the Auckland Pacific Economic and Social Transformation Agenda.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002224959b1b679e4f5e8ca13f87d345eb97\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000191\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cc870d9009734d19b554c60ec83bf9b9\u0022\u003EDrinking-water Standards\u2014Minister\u2019s Responsibility\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022 data-id=\u0022d0722d57cce142308a4bd352c7facf47\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d0722d57cce142308a4bd352c7facf47\u0022\u003EBRENDON BURNS (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: What responsibility, if any, does he accept for the continuing exposure of one in six New Zealanders to unsafe drinking-water?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022 data-id=\u00226179a10bae1d41a088bb5ca37c558298\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226179a10bae1d41a088bb5ca37c558298\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Associate Minister of Health)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister of Health: Under the Health Act, the Local Government Act, and the Building Act, the relevant territorial authority has overall responsibility to ensure that every dwelling house or building has a safe and adequate drinking-water supply. The Minister\u2019s officials in the Ministry of Health administer the Health Act, and the Minister makes sure they take their responsibilities seriously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d589fca5e95d48d5abe1aaece0ea7914\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister confirm that more than 9 months ago he froze the $80 million balance of the $130 million Drinking-water Assistance Programme, which was introduced by the previous Labour Government to assist small communities to make their drinking water safe, and why is he in no hurry to help New Zealanders have safer drinking-water?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002220366489a1ba4a36956924fd1cdb3349\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of the question, that fund was frozen because some work needed to be done to make sure that the money went to the communities that needed it, rather than it going to communities on a \u201Cfirst-in, first-served\u201D basis. We are determined that the money will go where it will have the greatest effect. That is why that happened.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002258972263812042b988c90adaf8dd734e\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister aware of public warnings in recent weeks from the medical officer of health in Canterbury that a South Island - wide system is needed to alert mothers to the risk of blue baby syndrome because of rising nitrate levels in groundwater, and will this warning prompt him to change from his current Pontius Pilate approach to taking responsibility for safe drinking-water?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a225cf6621841ea9fba5777d07f2872\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: What I can tell that member is that a report recently released by the Office of the Auditor-General on the quality of drinking water across the country looked at eight territorial authorities. The report looked at Canterbury, and it said that the water supply there was actually safe, and that the people of Canterbury are well-served in terms of their drinking water.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222cfc75d511e1427d86e36f9a07116450\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister actually aware that the Auditor-General\u2019s report, in terms of Canterbury, assessed Christchurch only, and that it found that even in Christchurch some of the city\u2019s drinking water is graded D, which is not acceptable?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223a9577862e654f6c9ce5f9bbc24ce1c1\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: What I can tell that member is that the Canterbury water supply is actually safe. The report from the Office of the Auditor-General focused on forecasting ability to provide for the needs of communities into the future. I believe that Canterbury scored pretty well on all counts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aea59ed284014d8f87eb4448b95c8dd7\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: If the Minister has confidence that all local authorities are meeting his ministry\u2019s requirements to deliver safe drinking-water, would he drink a glass of water from the bottle I have here, which is from an unsafe supply in the Kaik\u014Dura electorate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b8eea9f0d3884913b118417aef21eebe\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: If you would like to have a glass, I would be quite happy to follow you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002276f63467340d4b57bafdaf1448b50afa\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I believe that the Minister did not actually answer my question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229dcc82f6830842baad06d556b60cc059\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: In fairness, the only mistake the Minister made was to say that if the Speaker was prepared to have a drink of the water, he would have one too. I hope he did not actually mean that! I think he meant that if the member was prepared to drink some of the water, then he would too, so he indicated that he would be prepared to drink the water.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227883c85e-a5bb-4a12-9962-80df55af0ecd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271106122e4c84ba5a78d21054a48aecb\u0022\u003EHone Harawira\u003C/span\u003E: T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Speaker. What advice is provided to district health boards about the effects of fluoride in drinking water, including the effects on the thyroid, the brain, the joints, and fertility, and how did this information influence the Northland District Health Board in considering fluoridation of the water supply in Kaikohe and Kait\u0101ia?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222e5de24418b2454c9a83228f8d39b288\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Local authorities in New Zealand determine whether to have fluoride in their water, so that is a decision for the local authority up there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229dc00e1a1619459eb1c5510c3f19b9f0\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary question to the Minister\u2014[Interruption]\u2014when I have his attention.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022128dd6a9690e48ea9ec474f8fb4a2d08\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I apologise to the honourable member for interrupting. I ask members at the front on both sides to show a little courtesy to the member asking a supplementary question. It is the last one of the day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022763289746aef448faabe3c01c103abd2\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: How can\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c33d312ddbce4486987db754e6303334\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Have some of those members down the back had a swig out of that bottle? I ask them to show a little courtesy, please\u2014I mean it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cea886f2dae49b498211020d2d17e60\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: How can the Minister continue to assert that the safety of drinking water is the responsibility of local government, when he has instigated a 3-year moratorium on meeting the World Health Organization\u2019s minimum guidelines for drinking-water quality?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002241a2077d81764c9a9212086e93a3f280\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Because it is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f6130a15b084608ab2479b57887c084\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I again ask the Minister to answer the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b97675ae6a64520bdfde7c58bcec369\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member asked how the Minister could assert something, and the Minister answered by saying \u201CBecause it is safe.\u201D The quality of the answer might not have been to the member\u2019s satisfaction, but it was an answer to that question, and the public can judge the adequacy of it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f22d45672b974b8991b8a36c8c5e0df5\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Do I take it from your comments that the Minister has said that drinking water is safe across New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228edd25815fb74db9bdb424b51e0606cb\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I am not here to interpret the Minister\u2019s answers but I heard the Minister say \u201CBecause it is safe\u201D. [Interruption] Does the Minister want to correct his answer?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e45729802084efb9ddfe821a3486206\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. My actual answer was \u201CBecause it is.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022502b1e915b1e445499b428c8a2634cef\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Due to the confusion that has arisen I invite the member to repeat his question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d7f129b72104d35a091a7f37f788235\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: How can the Minister continue to assert that drinking-water safety is the responsibility of local government, when he has instigated a 3-year moratorium on meeting the World Health Organization\u2019s minimum guidelines for drinking-water quality?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022135de04b8d7e4eaa836d0cb23eecb1f0\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Because it is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022665c0b3c70d04893b2755cf14cade010\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I heard the answer, and it was indeed a fair answer\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00227bb8eb248b5a4e95907a391f134aeab4\u0022\u003EOffices Of Parliament\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022609b96882a3145cf9b5062905bf1d49e\u0022\u003EAppointment of Auditors\u2014Office of the Ombudsmen and Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u002208359f8574fa46d09edbb32250c4a854\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002208359f8574fa46d09edbb32250c4a854\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That pursuant to section 31A of the Ombudsmen Act 1975, the House appoint the Controller and Auditor-General as the auditor to audit the Ombudsmen, with effect from the financial year commencing 1 July 2010.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EI also move, That pursuant to section 26(1) of the Environment Act 1986, the House appoint the Controller and Auditor-General as the auditor to audit the accounts of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, with effect from the financial year commencing 1 July 2010. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe motion seeks to appoint the Controller and Auditor-General as the auditor of the Ombudsmen and of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. For the past 3 years the auditors of these two entities have been private sector firms. The Officers of Parliament Committee has recommended that the Auditor-General be again appointed as the auditor of each entity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b969d1ac0bea4cdc8c7991cf5f0d6058\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I do not want to interrupt the Minister speaking, but we have a lot of noise in the Chamber and the gallery. I ask for a little more quiet, please.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d5bbce10a8e5490aae0b4831be03e047\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: Section 14(1) of the Public Audit Act 2001 makes the Auditor-General the auditor of every public entity including the Officers of Parliament. However, the House is able to appoint another auditor of the Officers of Parliament if it so wishes. It did so in 2007 on the recommendation of the Officers of Parliament Committee. This year the committee further considered the issue and decided that the Auditor-General should be the auditor of the Ombudsmen and Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment as she is for all other public entities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe recommendation is certainly not a reflection on the performance of the two firms that have carried out the role over the past 3 financial years. One of the roles of the Auditor-General is to provide independent assurance that public sector organisations are operating and accounting for their performance in accordance with Parliament\u2019s wishes. The Auditor-General is answerable to Parliament for that function. In the committee\u2019s view, it is appropriate that the Auditor-General exercise that audit and assurance function in relation to the Officers of Parliament. I am pleased to support the committee\u2019s recommendations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u00222d0cf7ce41fd4d2ab463260b7bed1bab\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222d0cf7ce41fd4d2ab463260b7bed1bab\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E The Labour Opposition is in support of Government motions No. 4 and No. 5. The Attorney-General has recited to the House the process that has been followed in order for the motions in the name of the Leader of the House to be placed before us. They are mechanical measures that are required. Officers of Parliament serve and represent all of us as members of Parliament and it is important that they are audited in a correct way. There is a process for doing that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EThe Officers of Parliament Committee has recommended to us that the Controller and Auditor-General be the agency that audits these officers. I find myself, on this particular occasion, in agreement with the totality of the views expressed by the Hon Chris Finlayson. I think before I undermine that I should stop, because it is such a wonderful moment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EMotions agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00220151e37f99d14f239840792db1b0ad14\u0022\u003EAppointments\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223c9faf24cac4449999ff1d04d78e5ac6\u0022\u003EDeputy Controller and Auditor-General\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u0022e3fc4e15848a4b009ab541c369a67081\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e3fc4e15848a4b009ab541c369a67081\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That pursuant to section 11(2) of the Public Audit Act 2001, this House recommend His Excellency the Governor-General re-appoint Ms Phillippa Catherine Smith of Wellington as the Deputy Controller and Auditor-General for a period of five years with effect from 8 August 2010. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe House is being asked to recommend the reappointment of Phillippa Smith following a report from the Officers of Parliament Committee. Officers of Parliament are unusual in that they are appointed by the Governor-General on a recommendation of the House. The Deputy Controller and Auditor-General is appointed under the Public Audit Act 2001 in the same way that the Controller and Auditor-General is appointed, and is also an Officer of Parliament. The deputy has the same responsibilities under the Act as the Auditor-General, but they are carried out, obviously, subject to the Auditor-General\u2019s control. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe roles of the Auditor-General and Deputy Auditor-General are not easy ones. Parliament seeks independent assurance that public sector organisations are operating in accordance with Parliament\u2019s intentions and are accounting properly for their performance. There is also a need for independent assurance of local government. As Officers of Parliament, the Auditor-General and her deputy provide this independent assurance both to Parliament and to the public. The Deputy Controller and Auditor-General is responsible for the operational side of the office. She coordinates the work of parliamentary local government performance audit, and research and development teams. She also acts for the Auditor-General in her absence. It is a demanding role and one that Ms Smith has performed very well. She was first appointed as Deputy Controller and Auditor-General in August 2005. Prior to that, she had been the chief legal adviser at the State Services Commission.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EAs is customary with appointments of Officers of Parliament, all political parties in this House were consulted over the reappointment, and they unanimously agreed to it. The appointment is for 5 years. Unlike the Auditor-General, the Deputy Auditor-General may be reappointed for further terms of office. I am pleased to move Phillippa Smith\u2019s reappointment as Deputy Controller and Auditor-General. I am sure that she will continue to play a key role in an office that is essential to the effective functioning of our system of government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u0022796c1be5fb594d138e6f26a49a7c7a91\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022796c1be5fb594d138e6f26a49a7c7a91\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E The Labour Opposition wishes to associate itself with the remarks of the Acting Leader of the House in respect of the motion to reappoint Phillippa Smith of Wellington as the Deputy Controller and Auditor-General for a further 5-year period, starting later this year. This office is a particularly important one for the scrutiny of spending by Parliament, through the Government, and the office has an important relationship with the House of Representatives and with the Officers of Parliament Committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EThat Phillippa Smith has worked diligently and with integrity is evident by the fact that she has been recommended for reappointment to this position by the Officers of Parliament Committee, which operates on a basis of cooperation and consensus in order to ensure that all parties and, therefore, the public, whom the parties represent, can have confidence in the independence of the people who hold this office. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EAs I have already said, we associate ourselves with the remarks made by Mr Finlayson, and we wish Phillippa Smith all the very best for the stewardship of her important office in the next 5 years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a89afdf21b174494928cc97f99263b44\u0022\u003EAnimal Welfare Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00226a1fa52a2d774a7496e99169400ac591\u0022\u003EProcedure\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u0022738b88e64a714d5ba759f6ea6a248c7e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022738b88e64a714d5ba759f6ea6a248c7e\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Before you declare the House to be in Committee, Mr Chairperson, we have had a discussion about the ability for this bill, which is a multi-clause bill, to have all its clauses be taken as one question in its Committee stage, with one vote to be put at the end of the debate, rather than it being considered clause by clause, so that members can rove over the entirety of the bill\u2019s clauses. So I seek leave for the Committee stage on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill to be taken as one question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229bfd7fec5eb24e538be0a69d40fef6b6\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there any objection? There is no objection. That will be the case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00228dcc06b9e0014d97859dfa84eea1d605\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a3fe358f5da643eab7f50478e500d52a\u0022\u003EClauses 1 to 10\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002212f01718-dc1f-4307-b0b3-451098ab73df\u0022 data-id=\u00221263a7731270416da2a19aa4b60a3ee8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212f01718-dc1f-4307-b0b3-451098ab73df\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221263a7731270416da2a19aa4b60a3ee8\u0022\u003EDr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I am delighted to speak on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. This bill, as we know, was originally proposed by Simon Bridges as a member\u2019s bill, and I pay tribute to him. He started this, but now it has become a Government bill, and the Minister of Agriculture, David Carter, is now in charge of the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212f01718-dc1f-4307-b0b3-451098ab73df\u0022\u003EI was pleased today at the Primary Production Committee to hear the Minister talk about the way that he has taken initiatives to put some more money into animal welfare. I am delighted that he is taking a real interest, particularly now that he has realised, I believe, that our overseas markets are becoming very conscious of environmental and animal welfare issues. I am glad that the Minister is taking a real interest in promoting animal welfare. Hopefully, the Government will be putting some more money into animal welfare in the years to come. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212f01718-dc1f-4307-b0b3-451098ab73df\u0022\u003EClearly, this bill arose from those horrible stories that we have seen on TV about footage of kittens being fed to pit bull terriers. A number of dogs have also been shot and killed. We all saw media coverage of those horror stories, and this bill arose as a response to those sorts of incidents of animal cruelty.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212f01718-dc1f-4307-b0b3-451098ab73df\u0022\u003EFrom the outset, I say that animal cruelty is not acceptable at all to us on this side of the Chamber, or, clearly, to New Zealanders. Animal cruelty is simply unacceptable anywhere. The issue of animal cruelty has been around for quite some time, and we know that the police, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the SPCA have been involved in the past in trying to prevent animal cruelty cases, but the resources issue has been there. Over time, the SPCA has handled a large number of cases, rather than the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry or the police. Clearly there has been a problem with the resourcing of the SCPA. For example, we know that in 2008 there were 14,000 complaints received by the SPCA, and only 110 resulted in charges being laid. Of those 110, only 58 people were convicted. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212f01718-dc1f-4307-b0b3-451098ab73df\u0022\u003EThe issue has been bubbling up, and we know that some cases never get reported. But I think the public perception within New Zealand and overseas is that animal abuse is now unacceptable. But, at the same time, prosecution is expensive. It can cost a lot of money. In some cases, it has cost $10,000. Anything we can do to help to promote animal welfare is better, but we need to have resources. I am glad that the Minister has now allocated over $8 million in this Budget, because a lot of those issues are increasing in the public\u2019s perception. I am glad that extra money has been put out there to address those issues. As I said earlier, I am very concerned about some issues on the farm, particularly because we are an agricultural nation. We are dependent on exports, particularly animal exports from dairy farms, such as meat. People in our growing overseas markets, particularly in Asia, are becoming very concerned about some of the news that gets out there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022659f6556-09a1-4ead-bc52-05cbdb4eaab8\u0022 data-id=\u0022c5e99d994be14e0fbb31fb9064e4dd98\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022659f6556-09a1-4ead-bc52-05cbdb4eaab8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c5e99d994be14e0fbb31fb9064e4dd98\u0022\u003ECRAIG FOSS (National\u2014Tukituki):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak to the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. Firstly, I acknowledge officials and fellow Primary Production Committee members, who have helped get us to this stage. I also acknowledge Simon Bridges, the MP for Tauranga, who originated this bill with his original discussion of this matter as a member\u2019s bill. I think we should celebrate the way that the legislation evolved from that idea to being picked up by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon David Carter. It became a Government bill and was sent to the select committee, which brought another element and view to Mr Bridges\u2019 original intentions, making it fit New Zealand\u2019s primary scene a little bit better with the help of many submitters who came to the committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022659f6556-09a1-4ead-bc52-05cbdb4eaab8\u0022\u003EMembers will note from the commentary that not much has changed from the bill that arrived at the committee. I will talk about submitters in a minute, but on the whole, most submitters were in favour of the bill, and many submitters thought the bill should have gone even further than the bill before us. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022659f6556-09a1-4ead-bc52-05cbdb4eaab8\u0022\u003EOne of the major changes, as we see in the commentary, is that we clarified the notion of ownership. Under the circumstances, we replaced \u201Chaving custody of animals\u201D with \u201Cowning or exercising authority in respect of animals\u201D. Many examples were made, such as when on the farm someone is looking after some animals, or a sharemilker has legal ownership, etc. All those issues were raised by submitters and considered by the committee and officials, and we came to the recommendation of change that we have in the bill before us. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022659f6556-09a1-4ead-bc52-05cbdb4eaab8\u0022\u003EAlso, we have increased penalties for contravention of a disqualification order. I will talk about the forfeiture of animals, in particular. The bill had a lot of support from the legal fraternity, and I acknowledge that many of them have offered their services pro bono to help set some of the precedents in cases that may come under this new bill. Forfeiture raised some interesting issues, in that how and when something was forfeited brought about questions of charges of guilt being assumed instead of innocence, or guilty before proven. If an animal was in danger, it could be taken away from someone; from an animal cruelty point of view, that is absolutely fine. Questions and discussions were had as to whether the animal should be taken away because it is in danger; perhaps other animals could be. In the time before that case comes before the courts, we need to ask what is happening to that animal. But from a due process point of view, does the animal\u2019s being taken away imply some kind of guilt or otherwise? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022659f6556-09a1-4ead-bc52-05cbdb4eaab8\u0022\u003EWe had quite a few submitters, and on the whole they were very supportive of the bill. Many of them wanted it to go a fair bit further. I acknowledge the Auckland SPCA; there was good strength in the message and suggestions it gave to the committee. Other SPCAs tended to have same message. They wanted a single ill-treatment offence, and we agreed with that. They wanted an animal abuse registry to be set up. That is quite interesting and something for further consideration as this legislation plays out once it is enacted. We have all heard horror stories whereby those who have been convicted or suspected of animal cruelty have a whole lot more going on in their lives, unfortunately potentially impacting on families, children, and their communities. Some of the examples showed that a key indicator of wider abuse was their cruelty to animals, which was quite a revelation to many of the committee members. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022659f6556-09a1-4ead-bc52-05cbdb4eaab8\u0022\u003EDairy New Zealand and Federated Farmers also made submissions, as we would expect, and they brought in interesting and fair perspectives from the rural sector on-farm. Often animal welfare issues are seen from an urban environment meeting the reality of a rural environment. Sometimes issues happen out there on the farm\u2014down the back, in a drought situation\u2014with the best of intent, where no cruelty has been intended. But we need to make sure that every effort has been made to avoid cruelty to animals. Sometimes circumstances beyond the custodian person\u2019s control, or the owner\u2019s control, can result in some kind of cruelty. Exceptions were made there; Federated Farmers made those points particularly well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022 data-id=\u0022c67f2de76df14748b40ee6df59907ac4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c67f2de76df14748b40ee6df59907ac4\u0022\u003ESUE KEDGLEY (Green):\u003C/span\u003E First of all I want to say that I was delighted to hear the speaker for the Labour Party, Mr Choudhary, saying that Labour now opposes all forms of animal cruelty. So I am looking forward very greatly to hearing that the Labour Party opposes sow crates and battery hen cages. It will be a big step forward in our Parliament. Members of Parliament go on and on about animal cruelty, but many turn a blind eye to the gravest, most serious animal cruelty of all, which, of course, is keeping sows and hens in cages for most of their lives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EIt is interesting that Mr Choudhary said that this bill originated from the public horror at some terrible cases involving pets that came to the public\u2019s notice recently. It is true that there have been some terrible cases of cruelty to pets\u2014horrific cases. However, I would argue that there has been a far greater outpouring of public disquiet over the expose on Sunday about the conditions that sows and pigs are forced to live in in New Zealand than there has been over those individual cases of cruelty to pets. Yet this bill exempts all forms of institutional cruelty to animals, such as sow crates and battery hen cages. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThe 90 million-odd hens that live their lives in cages will not be touched by this bill. We will all go on about animal cruelty and fining people for it, but we will do nothing about the people who keep sows in cages where they cannot turn round and, in fact, suffer far worse things that we saw in the Sunday programme, which exposed the atrocious, inhumane conditions in which they live. All that will remain completely untouched by this wonderful new animal welfare legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EI think it is extraordinary that some commentators have said that politicians hate only some forms of animal cruelty, such as cruelty to pets\u2014individual acts of cruelty\u2014but are quite happy to accept institutional acts of cruelty to literally millions of animals in our midst. But it is great to hear that the Labour Party has changed its stance and will now be opposing sow crates and battery hen cages, amongst other things. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EIt was interesting that a submitter from the Pork Industry Board had the effrontery to turn up to the select committee. In its submission the board said it was shocked by the recent incidences of animal cruelty in New Zealand and that it abhors any incidence of cruelty towards animals. On and on went the submitter, with a completely straight face, talking about the board members\u2019 horror at cruelty to animals. They were apparently oblivious to the fact that most New Zealanders are equally horrified by the cruelty of those pig farmers\u2014and let us be sure that it is only 50 percent of pig farmers who keep sows in crates, in cages, all of their lives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EFederated Farmers also turned up and pointed out with horror that under this bill it was possible that some farmers might be prosecuted for farming activities, and it could potentially expose owners of production animals and farmers to prosecution under this bill. What an outrage! Imagine if this bill exposed farmers to prosecution! Federated Farmers said that the entire new clause about reckless ill-treatment should be thrown out because the worry was that a farmer could be prosecuted for it. That was quite extraordinary. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EBasically, Federated Farmers were saying that we should have two laws\u2014a double standard. We should have one law that applies to individual animals\u2014that is, to pets\u2014and we should have another law that applies to farm animals, or what Federated Farmers called production animals. We should, they say, allow any amount of cruelty to production animals if it makes them more efficient producers of meat, but we should be abhorred and outraged if someone treats his or her pet cruelly. This is the double standard that was actively operating in the submission of Federated Farmers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022 data-id=\u002202975321255e468eb9ffc0239fccf1d7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002202975321255e468eb9ffc0239fccf1d7\u0022\u003ECOLIN KING (National\u2014Kaik\u014Dura):\u003C/span\u003E We are in the Committee stage of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. It is a very appropriate bill to have before the Committee. What stands out quite clearly is that we had a Government for 9 years that did absolutely nothing, so it is a bit rich to hear the oratory from the Opposition that we do not have anything in the way of substance around animal cruelty. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003EIt was appropriate too that we had the Minister of Agriculture and of Forestry in front of us at the Primary Production Committee this morning. He made the point very clearly that three pillars underpin the importance and value of the New Zealand farming industry. They are the quality of our food safety, the way that we look after our environment, and, most important, animal welfare. It is on that basis that we see that Budget 2010 has added another $8.2 million to ensure that New Zealand has robust animal welfare legislation, and that we keep on looking to improve the situation where there are any gaps. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003EIt is worthwhile reflecting on the fact that this bill had its beginnings with the outstanding member for Tauranga, Simon Bridges, who brought the bill forward as a member\u2019s bill. It was then taken over as a Government bill to ensure something was urgently done. We have had a whole decade of lip-service, with no substance delivered from the very poorly informed and poorly connected previous Labour Government. When we look across to the benches on the other side of the Chamber we can understand why we had that, because there was a total failure by Labour to have representation from the primary production sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003EWhen we look at the bill, we see that it handles matters in a very constructive way. When we took submissions and heard and questioned submitters, we could see clear evidence that because of the way that the legislation is drawn up, there is a big gap between what is achievable and what is desirable. First of all, section 28 of the Act talks about the wilful ill-treatment of animals, and that proved to be an incredibly high threshold to satisfy. More often than not the problem was that it was difficult to prove that there had been wilful intent. So the way that the law will be constructed in the future is that another category will be introduced in new section 28A, \u201CReckless ill-treatment of animals\u201D. That will be a lot easier to prove, because if a person goes out and performs and behaves in a given way, it will be possible far more often to prove that that person was behaving recklessly. Proving wilful intent is quite an abstract definition, and it is one that can be argued against more often than not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003EJust to start and frame the value of this legislation, I say it is very important to put that step in place, because the very substance of this bill is intended to give the law some teeth and to make it enforceable. Very often we hear the judges being criticised in the public domain, but more often than not the reason why they are being criticised is that lawyers look at how they might get the best outcome. Given that a conviction for the wilful ill-treatment of animals probably has a 10 percent chance of being achieved and a 90 percent chance of failure, they then fall right back to the basic charge of ill-treatment of animals. This bill introduces the new category of reckless ill-treatment of animals, which is measured by the very same criteria as for wilful ill-treatment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022 data-id=\u00224f6e81591b8c4471a9e74c23ae75479b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224f6e81591b8c4471a9e74c23ae75479b\u0022\u003EDARIEN FENTON (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E This is my first contribution to the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, and I know that is has been the subject of many passionate contributions from members who have animals that are important in their lives. I start by acknowledging Simon Bridges for bringing this bill to the House as a member\u2019s bill, and, for once, I congratulate the Government on picking it up. I am sorry that the previous speaker, Mr King, felt that he had to politicise this matter in his speech. It is a rare occasion when members are in agreement and we all think that something needs to be done, and I was very sorry to hear that. [Interruption] It was disappointing, that is right. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EI also acknowledge the SPCA and the wonderful work that it does; what an amazing organisation it is. Labour supports this bill, but we have some reservations about it. The main reservation is the issue of having harsher penalties but not having the resources to enforce them, although I know there has been some increase in the Budget around animal welfare and we welcome that. I am really pleased that the SPCA has $8.2 million more from the Budget this year, because, as I said, the organisation does wonderful work. But unfortunately we do not believe that that is enough to really enforce this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EIt is very, very difficult for animal cruelty prosecutions to be successful. I believe that about 10 successful prosecutions\u2014[Interruption] Only 0.4 percent of prosecutions result in a conviction. In 2008, 14,011 complaints of animal abuse were received by the SPCA. Only 110 of those resulted in charges being laid, and just 58 resulted in convictions. The longest penalty we have ever seen for animal cruelty was 12 months\u2019 imprisonment, which was later reduced to 10 months. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EThe other thing that concerns me about this legislation is the responsibility put on the SPCA. It is a wonderful organisation, but every year it still has to rely on public appeals for cash in order to prosecute those who are clearly guilty of animal cruelty. I understand that in July last year the SPCA in Gisborne had to make a public appeal for cash in order to prosecute a case. Six dogs had been starved to the point where they had to eat their own faeces, and sunlight could be seen through their hind legs. [Interruption] I say to the Minister of Police that it is difficult to listen to this, but there are some horrific examples. We are well aware of more recent cases that have been highlighted in the media, and they brought the member Simon Bridges to the point of putting forward a member\u2019s bill. [Interruption] And it was stolen from him by his Government. There have been awful stories. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EIf I may, I also want to pay one other little tribute\u2014to my cat. Everybody has talked about their pets, so I thought I had better talk about my cat\u2014[Interruption] My hat? No, my cat, Plum. She is a genuine Service and Food Workers Union cat. She was found living under the floor of the Service and Food Workers Union building, but she got the name Plum because she used to hang out in the plum tree that was nearby. She clearly had not been particularly well treated because she thought the plum tree was her place of safety. It took her some time to calm down, when we decided to take her home. But the one thing I regret\u2014and I love my cat; I do not think it can be classified as cruelty\u2014is that we took her to the vet to have her spayed, only to find that she had already been spayed. I have regretted that ever since, and she pays us back. She makes us pay every day. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EI also acknowledge the member Sue Kedgley and her comments about farm animals. Those issues are difficult for us to deal with. In my former job as a union official I also looked after people who worked for Tegel Foods, and one sees some pretty disgusting, horrible, and horrendous things in those factories. I do not think it is described as cruelty, but we know that those chickens live in battery farms. I have been to those egg farms, and they are pretty disgusting. I hope that we can have an ongoing dialogue about these things, once this bill is passed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EAs I said, it is good that we have some agreement on this bill. We note the statement in the report back from the select committee: \u201CSome of us do not believe that increasing the length of sentences will, by itself, result in a decrease in cases of cruelty to animals,\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022 data-id=\u002216c412a94a2d443ca6f76c98eb5ddefb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002216c412a94a2d443ca6f76c98eb5ddefb\u0022\u003ESANDRA GOUDIE (National\u2014Coromandel):\u003C/span\u003E I am delighted to speak to the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. Firstly, I acknowledge the member of Parliament for Tauranga, Simon Bridges. He is to be commended for bringing this Animal Welfare Amendment Bill to us all. It was then adopted by the excellent Minister of Agriculture, the Hon David Carter. This bill has been applauded throughout New Zealand, so we are delighted at the amount of response it has received. Do members recall that members opposite originally said there was no point in increasing the penalties for animal cruelty? We have to wonder at that, especially when in the next breath the animal rights supporters applaud the Government\u2019s move to increase punishment for animal cruelty. They say that stricter penalties should also be imposed on the owners of dogs that attack. The SPCA national chief executive, Robyn Kippenberger, said the move was long overdue. That has been said many times by members on this side of the Chamber. The person we have to thank for bringing the issue to the Government\u2019s attention is Simon Bridges, the wonderful member of Parliament for Tauranga, who is doing such a sterling job. We are delighted that this bill has progressed so far in the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022\u003EI want to talk a little bit about the bill. We could all talk about our vet experiences with our pets\u2014this is, after all, a wide-ranging debate\u2014and many people in this Parliament would have had some sort of experience with their pet at the vet\u2019s. I am sure it is a bone of contention as to whether taking a cat from its place of residence and forcing it into another home is an act of cruelty, but let us not derogate from the serious intention of the bill, which is to send a very clear message to those New Zealanders who treat animals wilfully and badly. It tells them that much more serious penalties will be imposed on them if they do so, because New Zealanders do not condone such treatment of animals. The definition \u201Cwilful ill-treatment of animals\u201D covers the most serious welfare offences. Under the Act, as it stands, it must be proved that a person intended to cause harm and the animal must be permanently disabled, die, or be destroyed to prevent further suffering. So those are serious offences. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022\u003EThis bill expands the threshold for wilful ill-treatment of animals to include cases where an animal is seriously injured or seriously impaired. That will enable more cases of extreme cruelty to be prosecuted under that provision, and penalties will be more serious in accordance with the seriousness of the crime. The SPCA is absolutely applauding this because some of the sentences in cases that have gone to court\u2014for instance, the prison sentence over the case of the kittens\u2014have been declared by the SPCA to be too short. It said the sentence was far too short for the 30-year-old man who was heartless in respect of the serious injuries that led to the death of those kittens. This bill will deal to that and make sure that he is sentenced accordingly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022\u003EI applaud the Minister for the $8.2 million over 4 years put aside in the Budget to boost animal welfare activities. That is a great move forward. I note that that fact was also recognised by Opposition members, so I hope they continue to recognise its importance and the good work that this Government is doing to address many of the issues that are of concern to New Zealanders\u2014not least animal welfare issues. We are making sure that these very serious offences against animals are dealt with in a much more appropriate way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022 data-id=\u0022b32c1c15ed23438a8c9de22989647435\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b32c1c15ed23438a8c9de22989647435\u0022\u003EBRENDON BURNS (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E I am very pleased to rise in support of the Committee stage of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, and to commend Simon Bridges, the MP for Tauranga, for having the initiative to bring this bill forward. I note that it emerged on New Year\u2019s Day this year. It was very strategic timing of the MP to bring it forward at that point. I acknowledge that it has been a past deficiency of members right across the Chamber in that this issue has not come forward, but I note that there have been members opposite critical of that fact who have been here in their second and third terms, and who might themselves have picked up this issue as a member\u2019s bill some considerable time earlier. Labour, of course, supports this bill. We want to see appropriate penalties for the repugnant practices that sometimes are perpetrated on both domestic and farm animals, and this bill goes a long way towards that end.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EI acknowledge that in the Primary Production Committee today the Minister said that New Zealand\u2019s clean, green image was very important to New Zealand. It is really the base of our capacity to earn our living as an export nation, and I want to remind him too that animal welfare issues are also one of the measures by which New Zealand will be judged in the international market place. The judgment will always be harsher for us than for other nations, because we are a small nation that does not have some of the clout of bigger nations. The unfair nature of international trade is such that our record has to be better than most, if not all, in respect of things like our environment, and in respect of things like the practices of animal welfare.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EI wanted to ask the Minister in the chair, the Hon David Carter, therefore, to outline for us the increases in the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in relation to the farm inspectorate. I think it is acknowledged that some of the issues in respect of animal welfare do indeed incur on farms. I think that a staff of five active inspectors, from a total staff of about seven or eight in the special investigation unit in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, is not sufficient when we are talking about protecting an export base that is reliant upon agriculture and worth many, many billions of dollars. So I would like the Minister to take a call to indicate to us what exactly the increase is in that budget for the ministry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EAlthough the focus of the bill will have been formulated in response to issues of domestic cruelty, in fact underlying the legislation is the broader issue of animal welfare on farms. Most of our farmers are exemplary in the way that they treat their stock. They have every reason to be so, apart from being genuinely humane New Zealanders, because the better the welfare of the animal, the better the return is for the farmer. It is one of those win-win outcomes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EBut we are all conscious, I think, of the situation that emerged on the Crafar farms through last year and into this year. There were definite issues of farm neglect that the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture identified. I note that as this bill was being adopted by the Minister as a Government bill, there was also a dairy cattle code of welfare being announced and unveiled, after concerns were expressed by quite an eminent agricultural scientist who took photographs of very skinny cows at a Morrinsville saleyards. That prompted two animal welfare investigations, and it led to that code. It took 3 years for that code to come through\u2014I think the Minister might confirm that. As industry leaders like John Luxton, the chair of Dairy NZ, have noted, the new code will strengthen the industry\u2019s international reputation. That is hugely important, because, as I said, we will be judged by our animal welfare issues as much as we are by our environmental record. But that is beyond the scope of this bill today. Dr Dalton said, in one of the stories reporting the Minister\u2019s announcement of this new code, that the new code for animal welfare and dairy cattle should be nailed to every farm gate and be on every milk tanker, so that there could be no question to farmers that they have to take account of all the issues of stockmanship and husbandry of animals they are responsible for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EI am very pleased to see that this bill is coming through. It will be a tool in the tool kit for the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture in terms of its capacity to deal with animal welfare issues on farms, when they happen from time to time. Probably in most instances those are issues of recklessness, which is a new measure in this bill. Probably very few farmers would ill-treat their animals with any kind of wanton regard, but there are situations where farmers are stressed or unable to cope, and stock are left in back paddocks; obviously, they can suffer a great deal. So I am very keen to hear from the Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022 data-id=\u00227456dc0c653548328663f426b48222e2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227456dc0c653548328663f426b48222e2\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture):\u003C/span\u003E The member Brendon Burns has asked a very genuine question on the resourcing that we now propose for the animal inspectorates, so I will take the opportunity of answering that question. It is one that the Committee certainly needs to be informed of. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EI take this opportunity to thank Mr Burns for acknowledging the progress that the National Government has made on animal welfare over the last 18 months. I feel quite comfortable that we can claim that as a Government we have probably made more progress on this vital issue to New Zealand\u2019s reputation than has been made for at least a decade. We have demonstrated that genuine commitment with the largest welfare expenditure increase we have seen in any Budget over the last 10 years\u2014$8.2 million. It was difficult to find in a situation where the fiscal constraints on all Ministers, as we bid in the Budget process, were tight, but we managed to do it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EMr Burns asked what this budget increase will mean with regard to the number of inspectors we have around the country handling all our production livestock. At this stage we have five, and this increase will allow us to double that number to 10 in the next year. We are providing to then increase that number by a further two in the following year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EI was lucky enough to spend some time at the Fieldays yesterday. I went on to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry stand at one stage and I was able to talk to one of the animal inspectors. The point he was excited about was that the substantial increase in resourcing to the inspectorate would give these guys the opportunity to be substantially more proactive within our rural communities, and they will actually be able to go to farmers before they are in trouble to help them through perhaps an adverse weather event. I personally think that for too long the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has had to focus, because of the constraint of resources imposed on it by the previous Labour Government, on being effectively the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EI am pleased that the inspectorate sees the opportunity with this substantial increase in resources for the animal welfare inspectorate to actually get out there and be more proactive in our communities. It is fair to acknowledge that some of our farmers, as they have struggled to improve their productivity and their profitability, have taken some of the farming systems far closer to the limit. As we acknowledged at the Primary Production Committee this morning, we are going to see more extreme weather events associated with climate change, which means that farmers have to build into their farming systems a little more cushion for events like that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThose are the numbers for Mr Burns. The animal inspectorate will rise from five people currently to 10 for the first year. It is our intention to add a further two in the year after that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u00221015a7ac5d224517a35677711bdc9c79\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221015a7ac5d224517a35677711bdc9c79\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E It is a pleasure to rise and speak on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. I spoke in its first reading and acknowledged Simon Bridges\u2019 work. I do so again and I also acknowledge the Government for picking up this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI genuinely recognise the fact that resources have been put into this area. Despite what the MP for Coromandel said, earlier comments from this side of the Chamber were around the fact that although people were pleased to see the changes put forward, they were worried that without additional resourcing, this was going to be only window dressing. The Government has come to the party and put in some additional resourcing over the next 4 years for animal welfare and law enforcement, so I acknowledge that and say that it is certainly an improvement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI acknowledge the people who submitted to the Primary Production Committee on this bill. There were quite a small number of submissions, actually\u201417\u2014but I assume, and I think with some good grounds, that that is because there was general support in the community for what is contained in the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. I acknowledge those people who took the time to submit, and I recognise, as we do from time to time, that our select committee process in New Zealand is a very good process. It is an opportunity to improve legislation. In fact, the select committee made a number of recommendations on the bill that improve it further. Three main areas of improvement are disqualifying people from ownership as well as custody of animals, increasing penalties for the contravention of the disqualification order, and enforcing the forfeiture of animals. Those are some of the improvements. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI think that when I spoke on the first reading I talked about the important role that animals play in our lives. People have categorised those roles as domestic animals or farm animals. I acknowledge the contribution of Sue Kedgley and her ongoing work in this area. I think it is critically important that, as a country that makes so much of its foreign earnings from animals and primary production, we are always vigilant, and assess whether the farming techniques and other animal handling techniques in this country are satisfactory. We should, as my colleague Damien O\u2019Connor said in his contribution, aim to be the best in the world. In fact, that is expected from New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI was fortunate enough, prior to coming to Parliament, to be a member of the Food and Beverage Sector Taskforce the previous Government set up. We looked at the important role that food and beverages played for the New Zealand economy, and at the requirements that customers globally were putting on countries like New Zealand. These customers were both supermarket chains\u2014which are very, very powerful corporate bodies indeed\u2014and individual customers in the countries we exported to. We were given the example of the requirements of Japanese customers. They wanted to know that our lambs grew up happily in nice paddocks in New Zealand, and that they could be traced from birth until they were served on plates in Japan, and through everything that happened in between. That may sound a strange thing for them to want, but that was the requirement they had. All along that chain, people wanted to know that the animal welfare elements were treated properly. Indeed, there were also other requirements on us as a country. So there are economic reasons, as well as the fact that it is the right thing to do, for us to be concerned about the treatment of our farm animals as well as our domestic animals. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI gave many examples of the role that domestic animals play in our lives not just as pets but, in fact, in a whole range of circumstances\u2014for example, in health and in therapeutic situations. I heard recently that there are now programmes in prisons about prisoners dealing with animals. Many humans have a particularly strong emotional response to animals. Of course, the people who abuse and mistreat animals are committing a crime of violence, just like abusing and ill-treating another person. They are often parts of the same spectrum, so children who abuse animals often go on to abuse other humans.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022 data-id=\u0022778b31883e744f13911cbfa099c31c2a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022778b31883e744f13911cbfa099c31c2a\u0022\u003ESUE KEDGLEY (Green):\u003C/span\u003E I will start, because I omitted to do so the first time, by congratulating Simon Bridges on originating the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. In particular I congratulate the Minister of Agriculture because not only did he pick up this bill but he has added in the single most important clause, which is the new clause concerning the reckless ill-treatment of animals. Furthermore, he has indeed increased the budget for the resourcing of inspectors. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThe bill began its life really just to extend sentences for animal cruelty, but the reality is that that will not result in reduced numbers of prosecutions for breaches of animal welfare. The legislation already permits 3-year jail sentences, yet we have rarely had anybody jailed. In fact, I think that only 10 people have ever been jailed in New Zealand history for breaches of animal welfare, and nobody has ever yet been jailed for a 3-year sentence. Most, like the farmer Mark Spitz, who slowly starved to death a number of his cattle, received some hours of community service, so let us not delude ourselves into thinking that by adding more years to sentences, we will reduce the number of prosecutions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238750e79eb3849eca1ca6a847a2259ca\u0022\u003EDavid Garrett\u003C/span\u003E: Why did you vote for it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a756e47de34c408a80ce4f612bf71f83\u0022\u003ESUE KEDGLEY\u003C/span\u003E: We voted for it because there was a new clause, a new category of reckless ill-treatment of animals. We hope that that new clause, that new category, will make it easier for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the SPCA to prosecute for animal cruelty. We hope it will give them more leverage because, frankly, until now it has been very, very difficult to undertake prosecutions\u2014because of the law, and because there have been so few people around to take any prosecutions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EBetween the years of 2007 and 2009, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry undertook only 44 successful prosecutions, and, as someone has mentioned, there were only five inspectors. Yet we have a hundred million - odd animals here in New Zealand. Only 3 percent of the cases that the Ministry investigated resulted in a conviction, and only 0.3 percent of the cases of the SPCA. Actually, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry had effectively abdicated its responsibility to monitor animal cruelty to the SPCA. We know that 60 percent of the people who work for that society\u2014the inspectors\u2014are volunteers; many of them work on a part-time basis. It is the only enforcement agency in New Zealand that has to fundraise for itself and try to raise its own money. That was the reality. It was very difficult under the legislation to bring charges. It was incredibly difficult for the SPCA, because it does not even have proper funding, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry had only five inspectors. It is little wonder that we have had just a handful of cases of prosecution for animal cruelty coming through every year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EWe think it is great that we now have the new category, which I think will make it easier to take those prosecutions, and that we will have 10 inspectors instead of just five. I hope there will be more support for the SPCA, too, for the fantastic work that it does. It acknowledged in hearings that there were many prosecutions it was unable to take simply because it does not have the resources to enable it to take them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EAs I have said previously, it is good to hear this Parliament actually debating the subject of animal cruelty. Let us hope that we will, having improved the legislation for prosecution of individual acts of cruelty against pets, turn our attention to institutional cruelty. Let us hope that the pig code\u2014the revision of which, it was promised, would be completed last year\u2014will be completed. It still has not been completed; we are still waiting for it. We are still waiting for the code for hens, which was due also to be completed last year. Let us hope that when those finally surface we will, as a Parliament, have the courage to address institutional cruelty against animals.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u0022f152ffc70ff34aba9dee63867467debd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f152ffc70ff34aba9dee63867467debd\u0022\u003ESIMON BRIDGES (National\u2014Tauranga):\u003C/span\u003E I acknowledge some very thoughtful contributions to this debate in the Committee stage of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. Carol Beaumont\u2019s contribution, I thought, was very good. I acknowledge the point she made that there were only 17 submissions to the Primary Production Committee on the bill. Like her, I think perhaps that does not signify a lack of interest in this bill, but rightly shows a view out there in the community that we are doing something about animal welfare, and doing something good. I also acknowledge Sue Kedgley\u2019s contribution, which again was a very thoughtful one. I acknowledge her advocacy for animals for some time now in this Parliament. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EI will not rehearse the arguments in favour of this bill. I did that in its first reading, and I have also done so in other places, but I just say that I think this bill shows Parliament at its best. It shows us uniting on an issue, for the most part without trying to score political points, and I think that is a wonderful thing, indeed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EI will also just address the concerns raised in the select committee\u2019s report on the bill. It raised a couple of concerns, one of which Sue Kedgley raised today in the Chamber. I will just go through them. Firstly, there is the concern that there are only five full-time Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry inspectors in New Zealand to undertake prosecutions for animal cruelty, and there are insufficient resources, the report says, to pursue all cases of cruelty, with 92 percent of complaints being made to the SPCA. That was the concern of some members on the committee. I think it is a valid concern. I have consistently said, in relation to that, that good work is being done by pro bono prosecution panels\u2014or at least one panel established in Auckland, with the very best lawyers on it. That goes at least some way towards addressing that concern, because the real expense is in taking the court cases. So it is good that first-class lawyers are taking those cases on for free. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EI think the other thing that we can say, of course, is what the Minister has said\u2014and he is to be heartily congratulated, in tight times, on finding an extra $8.2 million of funding over 4 years to boost animal welfare activities. Around $5 million of that is going into animal welfare enforcement and compliance; he has gone through the breakdown of some of that. Perhaps that is not the entire answer, but I think it is nevertheless a robust answer to that concern. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EThe other thing that concerned some members on the committee was a disbelief, if you like, that increasing the length of sentences would, by itself, result in a decrease in the number of cases of cruelty to animals, especially since only 10 people have ever been jailed in New Zealand as a result of animal cruelty charges. Again, that is a valid concern\u2014only 10 people ever jailed. I say to the Committee that the fact that we have had only 10 people go to jail for that is all the more reason to pass this bill, and to do something so that when those cases come to court they are treated with the appropriate severity and seriousness. I make the point that when this bill\u2014and I accept Sue Kedgley\u2019s point that it was a much more modest bill when it was my member\u2019s bill\u2014was drafted, I was simply trying to send a message to the judiciary to toughen up its game and treat this issue more seriously. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EI actually think there are good, strong signs that that is occurring. I know these are early days and the bill has not even been passed, but my understanding is that since this bill\u2019s introduction there have been a couple more cases of imprisonment for animal cruelty. Certainly I am aware of the one reported in the New Zealand Herald on 26 May under the headline \u201CFarmer jailed for cruelty to thousands of chickens\u201D. It states: \u201CAn Auckland poultry farmer has been jailed for a year for causing suffering to thousands of animals kept in what were described as filthy and inhumane conditions.\u201D My point to the House is that I think sending 10 people to jail in this country for animal cruelty is an indictment, but my view is that we are seeing signs of that number going up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022 data-id=\u00225d0c714b62074439bd6dd5e506623566\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225d0c714b62074439bd6dd5e506623566\u0022\u003ESTUART NASH (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E It is good to be able to clarify a rumour that went around. I had heard that the Government took the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill off Mr Bridges, who has just resumed his seat, because it did not think he was quite ready to take this bill through its passage in the House, so they gave it to Mr David Carter, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Minister of Forestry. But if I am wrong, and that is not the reason the Government took the bill off Mr Bridges, then I apologise, because I thought that was the reason. To anyone else who thought that was the reason, I say that it is obviously not right, at all. However, I must admit I heard Mr Bridges speak on National Radio about this bill, when it was introduced. I thought he spoke OK, but not as well as he does on television. He was OK. But, then again, it is very difficult to sound bad when one is talking about a bill that addresses the serious issue of animal cruelty. Obviously we are all supporting this bill, but there is one point on which I would disagree with Mr Bridges. He said that this bill represents Parliament at its best. We all agree on this issue, but I think Parliament is at its best when it is dealing with the issues that affect New Zealanders\u2014poor New Zealanders. There is $8 million provided against cruelty for animals and that is great, but how about $13 million for Adult and Community Education courses? I think that would have gone a long way to alleviating some of the problems we have in society. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EOne of the points I would like to bring up, and it follows on from my colleague Carol Beaumont\u2019s points, is that there is often a very strong link between animal cruelty and other much more insidious types of cruelty. I would like to read something. As we all know, tackling animal cruelty can have a beneficial impact upon society, which is the reason why we are passing this bill. But there is a very strong link between the cruel treatment of animals and the abuse of humans. A 1997 survey by the Humane Society of the United States showed that 50 of the largest shelters for battered women in the United States found that 85 percent of women and 63 percent of children entering shelters discussed incidents of pet abuse in the family. That is a pretty insidious statistic. We all hear of these statistics around Guy Fawkes Night, for example, when wayward children, misinformed children, or whoever, have attached firecrackers to animals, or have inflicted cruelty on animals, and it is just dreadful. It is time to send a very, very clear message to New Zealanders. This is one of the things that Parliament can do, by passing this legislation. I am aware that only 10 people have gone to jail for offences of cruelty to animals, and the incidence of successful prosecutions is quite low. But passing a bill like this sends a very clear message that society will just not tolerate this type of behaviour any longer. It is unacceptable. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThe main aim of this bill, obviously, is to amend the Animal Welfare Act 1999, but it introduces the new offence of reckless ill-treatment of animals. What does reckless ill-treatment mean? Section 28A, inserted by clause 5, provides that a person recklessly ill-treats an animal if that treatment results in \u201C(a) the animal is permanently disabled; or (b) the animal dies; or (c) the pain or distress caused to the animal is so great that it is necessary to destroy the animal in order to end its suffering; or (d) the animal is seriously injured or impaired.\u201D It is a sad indictment on society that we are passing a bill like this in the first place. Sue Kedgley talked about cruelty to farm animals, as did Carol Beaumont. I think that people can differentiate between farm animals and family pets. However, I also believe that pictures of cruelty to any types of animals that are flashed across our TV screens draw gasps of horror from ordinary New Zealanders, whether they are pictures of an emaciated cow, a horse that has come from a Crafar farm, or a dog that has been fed a bunch of kittens. It is something that strikes a nerve with New Zealanders. This cruelty is just downright insidious. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EA pet is part of the family; let us be honest about this. Some members have stood up and talked about their pets. My partner Sarah\u2019s cat, Mozzarella, gets treated better than I do, at times. It eats steak; I get mince. There is no doubt who rules the couch, if not the roost, in our house. I know that on occasion these pictures of animal cruelty are flashed up on the TV screens\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022719c7f4353424b659284bd583b4bf680\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re jealous.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002278968a73b793477599f2becd085d2995\u0022\u003ESTUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I am jealous; occasionally. But when these pictures are flashed up on our TV screens, Sarah just turns right off. My daughter, who is 8 years old, just looks at the pictures and says: \u201CHow can anyone do that, daddy?\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022 data-id=\u0022d2cf68af5b3e45cea2561be7ad557085\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d2cf68af5b3e45cea2561be7ad557085\u0022\u003EMOANA MACKEY (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E We may have to add a late amendment to the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill to allow animal names, such as Mozzarella, to fall under the category of animal cruelty. I do not know how any self-respecting animal could walk around with that name. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EI am happy to take a call in the Committee stage of this bill. Like members who have spoken before me, I congratulate Simon Bridges on bringing this legislation to the House. It is a little sad that, like a third-former who has had his lunch money stolen, the Hon David Carter came down to the Chamber, took the bill off him, and is now touting it as his own. But I am pleased to see Simon Bridges taking a call on this bill. My colleague Stuart Nash referred to the comment Mr Bridges made about this being Parliament at its best. I agree that it is always nice when we all agree on legislation. But maybe he was not here to hear the speeches made by Colin King and Sandra Goudie. They decided to use their time to attack the Opposition. It is nice to see Sandra Goudie onside; I believe that she agreed to support the bill once she was reassured that mangroves are not animals. Once that was explained to her, she was fine. But it was disappointing, because we all agree that this is good legislation, and we are all pleased to see it before the Committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EWe have all been frustrated by the fact that higher penalties are in the Act, but they have not been used by the courts; the courts have gone with very low penalties. I agree with Mr Bridges. I hope the courts take notice that Parliament is speaking with one voice on this issue. We want to see tougher penalties for animal cruelty, we acknowledge the link between animal cruelty and other forms of violence in our society, and we want to see the penalties significantly increased for offences under the Animal Welfare Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EI notice that the \u201CMinister for iPads\u201D, Maurice Williamson, is in the chair, and I hope he is prepared to take a call and answer some of the questions that have been raised around the resourcing of this Act. It does not matter how tough the penalties we put in place are if they are not adequately resourced. This has been a big issue in the past, and it is good that there is another $8 million in the Budget for the policing of animal welfare legislation. But members on this side of the Chamber would quite like to see the $40 million that went to private schools also go towards other initiatives such as the policing of animal welfare. It is good that the Minister was able to find more money in a tight Budget, but the Government made some choices in the Budget that would not have been Labour\u2019s priority. More money could have come to this important area. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EWhen we look over history, we see that 20 years ago one-third of animal abuse prosecutions were taken by the police\u2014one-third. Today, the SPCA has to take 90 percent of the prosecutions. As members have said, they have to look for pro bono work. Often when the court awards them money to pay for costs, it barely even begins to cover the costs of taking a prosecution. It is good that extra money has gone towards animal welfare, but I hope that this area will be watched very carefully. We need to see the number of animal welfare complaints that go on to prosecutions increase dramatically from the 0.4 percent that they are at today. Only 0.4 percent of animal welfare complaints go on to prosecution. Governments of all stripes over the past 20 years have to take responsibility for that, and that is why Labour is also supporting this legislation through the Committee of the whole House today. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EI have some questions for the Minister regarding, in particular, the distinction between wilful ill-treatment of animals and reckless ill-treatment of animals, which are in new sections 28 and 28A in the bill. I acknowledge the comments that were made by Sue Kedgley that these sections will make it easier, we hope, to get the prosecutions because it no longer has to be proved that someone intended to do it. I sincerely hope that we do not see a huge differential between convictions that happen under those two separate categories. I hope we do not see that people who go in for wilful ill-treatment of animals get treated significantly worse and have significantly harsher penalties than those under reckless ill-treatment of animals. The prosecution may be taken under reckless ill-treatment only because one cannot prove that it was a wilful act; it may well have been a wilful act. If the SPCA, the police, or whoever is taking the case is not able to absolutely prove it was wilful, then obviously the offender will go in for reckless ill-treatment, but that does not mean that it was not significantly worse. It does not mean that the act was not wilful. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EAlthough there will always be that difference, I hope we do not see a dramatic widening or a huge chasm between those two, where people who get prosecuted under reckless ill-treatment of animals get off really lightly and people who end up getting charged under wilful ill-treatment are worse off. That is the situation we have now. It is very difficult to get any kind of prosecution for people when it cannot be proved that the act was wilful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022 data-id=\u0022f96f65fe8f1a48c6ab04c43421c5d67c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f96f65fe8f1a48c6ab04c43421c5d67c\u0022\u003EDAVID SHEARER (Labour\u2014Mt Albert):\u003C/span\u003E I am very pleased, along with my colleagues, to speak on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. I also acknowledge Simon Bridge\u2019s creativity in bringing this bill to the House initially, and in many ways the bill has increased its weight by having been converted to a Government bill. A number of very tragic, high-profile cases have recently brought renewed attention to the whole issue of animal cruelty. There has been a case of kittens being fed to dogs and cases of dogs being dragged behind cars, and there have been some issues on farms where cattle have been allowed, more or less, to starve. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003EWhen this legislation was being discussed and thought through, I was very surprised at the degree to which the SPCA has taken the lead in trying to bring to the courts offenders who have committed inhumane acts against animals. I acknowledge its contribution. It was a surprise to me that 90 percent of all animal welfare cases have been headed by the SPCA. Again, I think that has heightened the attention being brought to bear on the difficulty of prosecuting these cases. The fact that only 10 people have ever been jailed for cruelty against animals is, quite frankly, extraordinary, given that so many offenders have been brought to light even in the short space of time in which attention has been paid to this issue recently. I think it is high time that we both toughen up the penalties and make it much easier for prosecutions to be taken against those who are offending. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003EIt has been mentioned, and I think that it is perhaps worth mentioning again, that there is a link between cruelty to animals and cruelty to humans, in that one can extend to the other. In the bill\u2019s earlier readings, one or two of my colleagues have mentioned the research from the Humane Society of the United States, where, in 50 of the largest shelters, 85 percent of the women and 63 percent of the children reported animal abuse in their homes. There is no doubt that abuse flows, in a sense, from one to the other. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003EI will also touch on the point my colleague Carol Beaumont mentioned, which is the economic case for this legislation. KPMG released a report about 6 weeks ago that looked at New Zealand\u2019s agriculture and asked where it would be in 5 or 10 years\u2019 time. There is no doubt that the demand for our agriculture, which is certainly in our high-protein products, will grow, but so will the supply of those sorts of products from other countries. The report stated very categorically\u2014and this is very important, I think\u2014that the point of difference New Zealand will have in competing against cheaper prices is the fact that not only are our animal products clean and green but also our animals have been treated ethically. They will have been able to wander around outside, rather than being cooped up in a small stall inside a barn. That will give us the point of difference to set us apart, and it will guarantee both that we have a market in Europe and the United States and that we will be able to sell our produce at higher prices. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003EIt is important, therefore, that we can stand up and say that the products that we produce for people to consume are from animals that have been ethically treated, well treated, and humanely treated. Our animals will not have been cooped up in small stalls as, no doubt, animals from many of the other countries will have been. For that reason, I mention that although Federated Farmers spoke in favour of this bill, they said in their submission that they wanted the part of the legislation making the reckless ill-treatment of animals an offence to be relaxed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022 data-id=\u002221318fe1a1bc4295bbfc899a026e180b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002221318fe1a1bc4295bbfc899a026e180b\u0022\u003EDAVID GARRETT (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I am taking a call on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. I did not intend to but I am afraid that I cannot sit here and not do so, given the sanctimonious warbling from the other side and the familiar sound from the Greens. I refer to the references that Mr Nash made. Almost word for word, he repeated my leader\u2019s speech on the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill. He said that the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill sends a message that this kind of conduct simply will not be tolerated, and he is right; that is what it is for. That is why we are voting to increase penalties. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003EBut members on that side of the Chamber did not see fit to support having increased penalties for hurting humans. In my 18 months in the House, this is the first time that the Greens have supported anything that increases sentencing. Ms Kedgley, in response to an interjection, has just said that they are doing that only because there is a new section, inserted by new clause 5, introducing the charges of wilful ill-treatment and reckless ill-treatment of animals. If that is the case, Ms Kedgley, then you should be supporting that clause and voting against the clauses to increase sentencing, because you have claimed in this Chamber, time and time again, that there is no connection\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b66e8b6a431141d4b1f91964b86baf78\u0022\u003ESue Kedgley\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. The member is getting so excited that he seems to be bringing you into the debate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ec2be2282ac439c8f76c43f3e8dd524\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I thank the member. The member is correct. The member cannot refer to \u201Cyou\u201D, as that is the Chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022020d17354fff445eaf96a0d27c02e764\u0022\u003EDAVID GARRETT\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Chairman. The Green Party should be consistent and vote against the provisions to increase sentences, because, in their world view, increasing sentences has absolutely no effect on human behaviour. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003EI call upon those members to be the principled party that they claim to be. They should support the part of the bill that incorporates the new section on wilful and reckless ill-treatment, but they should vote against the clauses increasing penalties because they are ineffective. But I do not think that that party will do it. The reason is that they do not dare to go against a motherhood-and-apple-pie measure like this that no one in this Chamber could possibly disagree with. Our party certainly does not disagree with it, which is why we are very happy to support it. But in saying that, I say that our concern is just as great for people. It would be great if members on the other side of the Chamber shared the concern for humans that is being expressed here for animals. It would also be great if they supported having increased penalties for violence against humans. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022 data-id=\u0022f489983f96e043748112b8ec09dd0af6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f489983f96e043748112b8ec09dd0af6\u0022\u003ESUE KEDGLEY (Green):\u003C/span\u003E I will perhaps make one last intervention. I probably should not try to respond to the previous speaker, David Garrett, but I will make a number of comments. The point that I and others have tried to make is that if the member looks at the facts, he would see that only 10 people in the history of New Zealand have ever been jailed for animal cruelty. Furthermore, for the past 10 years, we have had 3-year jail sentences to give to people who have been prosecuted for animal cruelty, but barely anyone has gone to jail, and certainly nobody has gone to jail for the full 3 years. If we look at the facts, we see that simply adding yet more sentences will not result in greater prosecutions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EI have already pointed out that the best thing that the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill does, and why we are very pleased to support it, is that it makes it easier to prosecute. It introduces a new category that makes it easier to prosecute, for which reason we are extremely pleased to support this bill. Furthermore, we are pleased that the Government has seen fit to increase the number of inspectors. The simple fact is that it does not matter how many years we say we will put people into jail for, if there are only five inspectors in New Zealand able to bring about prosecutions, virtually nobody will ever be prosecuted. That has been the reality. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EIt is good that at last we are addressing the issue seriously. We are doubling the number of inspectors who will be able to bring about prosecutions, and we are giving some greater support to the SPCA, which does valiant work. It takes 90 percent of the prosecutions, even though 60 percent of its workers are volunteers and at least 50 percent of them work only part-time. Against all the odds, the SPCA has to scratch around and have cake stalls to raise funds. It is the only enforcement agency in New Zealand that is a charitable organisation and has to run around baking cakes, etc., to try to pay for itself. We hope that the SPCA will be better supported in its valiant work as a result of the new Budget initiative made by the Minister of Agriculture. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThe real issue we should be addressing, and which I have talked about, is the fact that there is a double standard in New Zealand. This bill reinforces that double standard. It addresses individual acts of cruelty and completely ignores and turns a blind eye to the serious animal cruelty that takes place through institutional cruelty to animals. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EI will mention one further matter in this debate. One submitter argued that veterinarians should be obliged to report suspected cases of animal abuse. He said that this would be an incredibly effective way of monitoring animal abuse and that it would make the legislation much more effective. I thought that it was a very interesting proposal. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry rejected the submitter\u2019s proposal. It said that under the code of conduct vets were already supposed to do this. But then it pointed out that the problem is that even though veterinarians are supposed to intervene when they become aware of animals suffering, and are supposed to report the case to the ministry, the fact is that they are not legally protected from the potential consequences of making an animal welfare complaint about a client. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EI think that we ought to look at that issue. The reality is that if veterinarians did what their code suggests, which is to take action if they see animals suffering unreasonably, then veterinarians would be leading the campaign to get rid of sow crates and battery hen cages in New Zealand. Instead of being completely silent and complicit in this issue, veterinarians would be leading the charge. The problem is, I guess, that if a veterinarian pointed out some of the reality of what happens to sows locked up in cages, he or she would have no legal protection, as the ministry points out. I presume that client capture is the reason why so many veterinarians are silent about these practices.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EClauses 1 to 10 agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EBill reported without amendment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EReport adopted.\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002264f4c63ebd6e4a73ad96757e5dea5f12\u0022\u003ENg\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a172804c338543af8fa6b7617093516d\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022 data-id=\u0022473a0ff73c1342f79d2d291651dc9f71\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022473a0ff73c1342f79d2d291651dc9f71\u0022\u003EHon TARIANA TURIA (Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector) \u003C/span\u003Eon behalf of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: I move, That the Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill be now read a second time. Last weekend over 200 descendants of Ng\u0101 Wairiki / Ng\u0101ti Apa gathered at Whangaehu Marae to celebrate the special significance of Puanga at the start of the M\u0101ori New Year. In our tribal records Puanga was the time of w\u0101nanga, a time to feed the mind and spirit, and to learn whakapapa and histories. It was a time to share hospitality, to be entertained, and to learn. And it was a time to reflect on our past, acknowledging those who live on in our memories, inspiring the promise of a stronger future. It is therefore an entirely appropriate time to be advancing the bill to settle all the historical claims against the Crown by Ng\u0101ti Apa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EI firstly acknowledge the work of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, which considered this bill and reported back to Parliament within 3 months. The chairperson, the Hon Tau Henare, is to be commended for his leadership and for ensuring that progress was both comprehensive and expeditious. The committee considered 34 submissions on the bill. Submissions in support of the bill were received on behalf of each of the hap\u016B collectives of Ng\u0101ti Apa, including Ng\u0101 Ariki, Ng\u0101 Wairiki Ki Uta, Ng\u0101ti Tauira, Ng\u0101ti Kauae, and Ng\u0101ti Rangiwhakat\u016Bria me Ng\u0101 Uri o Taitapu.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EThe committee has now examined the bill and unanimously supports it. The committee has recommended that it be passed with a number of technical amendments. For Ng\u0101 Wairiki / Ng\u0101ti Apa this settlement is life changing. It provides a springboard to the future that is forever associated with our foundations back to the whenua. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EOur research describes Ng\u0101ti Apa as an alliance of Ng\u0101 Wairiki and Rangit\u012Bkei people, which emerged from events in the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s. From that period on, we have been linked together by whakapapa, our connections strengthened by relationships to the five rivers of Mangawhero, Whangaehu, Turakina, Rangit\u012Bkei, and Oroua. As we move forward, it will be because of the importance we are giving to unity between Ng\u0101 Wairiki, Rangitikei, and Oroua, the rivers along which our ancestors dwelt. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EIn coming together we are joining together the autonomous hap\u016B collectives that make up Ng\u0101 Wairiki / Ng\u0101ti Apa because we are intrinsically connected. Our whakapapa is indivisible. It has also been important to work collaboratively with overlapping claimants. The need to sit down early on with Ng\u0101ti Raukawa, Whanganui iwi, Rangit\u0101ne o Manawat\u016B, Ng\u0101ti Kauwhata, and Ng\u0101ti Hau\u0101, and others has required a huge commitment from all parties. It was wonderful to read the submission of Te R\u016Bnanga o Ng\u0101ti Hauiti and their reference to the Pourewa Accord. The accord demonstrates the deep respect between Ng\u0101ti Hauiti and Ng\u0101ti Apa, the mutual acknowledgment of the validity of each other\u2019s overlapping interests, and the agreement that identifies clear boundaries for future management and development. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EAlthough some submitters felt that Ng\u0101 Wairiki should not be included in this settlement, the committee\u2019s view was that the vast majority of Ng\u0101 Wairiki gave their mandate to Te R\u016Bnanga o Ng\u0101ti Apa. They were also satisfied that the mandating and ratification processes were robust. There has never been a separation of Ng\u0101 Wairiki / Ng\u0101ti Apa, certainly in my lifetime. Indeed, it is impossible to remove strands of one\u2019s whakapapa when our whakapapa, sites of significance, and rivers are intrinsically linked together. The committee was finally assured that te r\u016Bnanga has left the door open for members who were not supporting the settlement to still participate in the post-settlement affairs of the iwi, including the right to participate in elections in respect of the governance entity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EI firmly believe that out of the growth of kotahitanga, Ng\u0101 Wairiki / Ng\u0101ti Apa is now moving to a new phase; a time when Mt Curl will be known as Parae Karetu, and when Round Bush Scenic Reserve will be called \u014Cmarupapakau. The settlement includes the gifting of five papak\u0101inga properties, AgResearch lands, Parewanui School, part of Santoft Forest and Lismore Sands Forest, and Kauangaroa School. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EThe settlement allows for the implementation of the cultural redevelopment plan, including marae development and investment in current programmes or initiatives that focus on areas such as te reo, arts, taonga, and m\u0101tauranga. This is a unique initiative to revive the life force of the people. The revitalisation focus has been recognised as a first in Treaty settlements, and it is something to be immensely proud of given that many of the Ng\u0101ti Apa hap\u016B are probably lucky if they have one te reo speaker on each marae. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EThe immediate history of this legislation started on 16 November 2004 when the Crown recognised Te R\u016Bnanga o Ng\u0101ti Apa\u2019s deed of mandate. But, of course, the enduring story for Ng\u0101ti Apa tracks back to 1849 when the Crown purchased the 260-arce Rangit\u012Bkei-Turakina block. Our circumstances reflect that today. Ng\u0101ti Apa own less than 1 percent of their traditional rohe, the lands have been alienated, and the people have been disenfranchised. This bill confronts the failure of the Crown to adequately protect 35,000 acres of reserves set aside from the 1849 transaction. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EThe bill also takes into account the impact of the native land laws. They contributed to the erosion of traditional tribal structures and resulted in the alienation of nearly all of Ng\u0101ti Apa\u2019s remaining land. It also brings to the fore the consistent perseverance of our t\u012Bpuna in challenging the injustices meted out by the Crown. It reminds us of the petitioning of the Premier in 1899 seeking the establishment of the reserves for the Ng\u0101ti Apa Act; a call on the Crown to pass an Act of Parliament to protect our lands. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EThrough all of the land transactions, Ng\u0101ti Apa endeavoured to establish a relationship with the Crown. They sought to strengthen this relationship by going so far as to expressing loyalty to the Crown, but it was to no avail. The Crown failed to ensure that the arrangements in 1849 were given effect. The Crown failed to take steps to adequately protect the tribal and hap\u016B custodianship of their lands. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EThe settlement enables us to gain a clear appreciation of the historical relationship between the Crown and Ng\u0101 Wairiki / Ng\u0101ti Apa. A history is documented; the disillusionment that grew out of the transactions resulted not in prosperity but in poverty. We know now that the Crown\u2019s policy was to acquire land as cheaply as possible on the pretext that the growth of European settlement all around us would have ongoing benefits. The partnerships aspired towards in those times did not eventuate, and the wealth of a secure living was rarely experienced except by those who settled the land. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003ENow, with the progress of this settlement, we are poised to build a strong foundation to carry all our descendants of Ng\u0101ti Apa / Ng\u0101 Wairiki forward. The deed of settlement was signed by kuia and kaumatua appointed by their respective hap\u016B. All the hap\u016B provided the runanga with information to negotiate the statutory acknowledgments, to write the statements of association, and to negotiate the deeds of recognition. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EWe are also indebted to the leadership and vision of a very young negotiating team, Te Roopu Rangahau, and the strength of their w\u2019anau in supporting them through such a demanding process. Many complex negotiations have been required, and our young people have made us proud through their skills and talents, and, most of all, the great integrity they brought to the task. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EWe mihi today to all those previous Labour Government Ministers who began the process of negotiation. Ki a koe, e Mita, he mihi noa t\u0113nei ki a koe. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2dfe169-d946-4f87-8d43-0bcdb7d8bebc\u0022\u003EFinally, I want to mihi to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Chris Finlayson, who has brought a fierce intellect, an irrepressible enthusiasm, a gracious dignity, and a genuine sense of understanding to the settlement of Ng\u0101ti Apa, as indeed he does to every Treaty settlement. It has been a privilege to work alongside him, and I thank him for the honour of being able to speak first in this debate, for my own iwi. N\u0101 reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022 data-id=\u0022378433819f794b3c8f5e20f0abde54fe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022378433819f794b3c8f5e20f0abde54fe\u0022\u003EHon MARYAN STREET (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Deputy Speaker. E te whaea, te Minita, t\u0113nei te mihi ki a koe. It is an extraordinary moment, I think, that a descendant of the tribe, the hap\u016B, the iwi in question is the Minister of the Crown who moves the second reading of the Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill. The Minister may have missed it, but my halting M\u0101ori at the beginning of my speech greeted her. It was a short mihi of acknowledgment of her role and some acknowledgment from a P\u0101keh\u0101 who tries to understand what this might mean. Suddenly we are coming to the end of 100 or more years of struggle and protest on behalf of the Ng\u0101ti Apa people in order to reclaim some of the land that was theirs originally. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003EI will talk about a couple of things that I think are particularly significant in this settlement bill. I recommend that anybody who wants to know why this Parliament does these things read the preamble to the bill. The history that is recounted in this bill in the preamble is worth more people knowing about than just this House and the immediately affected iwi. It is the story of an indigenous people who were trying to get on with those who arrived more recently. They were trying not only to get on with them but to benefit from living together in that part of the country, which is largely around the Rangit\u012Bkei area but includes part of the country that runs between\u2014if I remember correctly\u2014the Whanganui River and Whangaehu River. Being brought up in Taranaki, I had to learn from the Hon Tariana Turia, out of respect for where she comes from, to pronounce the w-h as a \u201Cwh\u201D, and I acknowledge that. It is difficult to unlearn things, but saying \u201CWhangaehu\u201D when I have always driven across it, over it, and around it and pronounced it \u201CFangaehu\u201D is something that I will make an effort to do out of respect for those who come from there. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003EOne of the amendments I am pleased to see that the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee put in was one in which they insisted on putting the \u201Ch\u201D into Whanganui. They insisted on that, regardless of protests from outside that it should not be spelt that way. I acknowledge the work of the select committee not only in that respect but also for the fact that, with the submissions that they heard and the protests that were registered with them, they arrived at the conclusion that there was not much to amend in the bill as it was first put forward. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003EIn pledging Labour\u2019s support for this bill, which I hope has been obvious from my comments so far, I recognise some of the history and the length of time it has taken for this bill to get where it is. In fact, negotiations were led by the Hon Dr Michael Cullen, and the deed of settlement was signed on behalf of the Crown by the Hon Parekura Horomia in October 2008. The bill\u2019s introduction came in August 2009 and the first reading in November 2009. From there it was referred to the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee and finally has emerged today after report-back for its second reading. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003EThe area we are talking about in this bill is that part of the Rangit\u012Bkei-Manawat\u016B area that anybody who is familiar with that country knows is beautiful\u2014beautiful pastoral land, and a beautiful part of the North Island. I commend to people to read the story of purchase and quasi-agreement that started this process of alienation of land. Much of it, as I said, is recounted in the preamble. It is worth noting that Ng\u0101ti Apa never felt that they were properly consulted when an agreement was being drafted, and that they were never properly taken into account. Regardless of whether they received \u00A31,000 in exchange for 86,200 acres of land, and regardless of whether that was fair at the time, it is true that the reserve lands that were set aside for Ng\u0101ti Apa were also alienated later. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003EIt is hard to find a piece of Aotearoa New Zealand that has been subjected to more laws, quite frankly. By the time one has gone through the events of the 1830s, the 1840s, and on into the 1850s, and the application of a number of laws to the settlement of this piece of land, it is a wonder that anybody can track exactly what went on, particularly, as we are told, because in some instances the diary of the P\u0101keh\u0101 negotiator was the only record available. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003EI refer to some of the content of this bill. It provides a number of critical things that now people ought to be becoming familiar with as we move through Treaty settlements. One is an acknowledgment of the obligations of the Crown. Another is an apology, because there are times when an apology is the only way that we can proceed as a nation to move forward. There has to be some recognition of wrongdoing and an apology, even generations later. Beyond that, the critical things that also are contained in the bill are to do with cultural redress and commercial redress. The settlement includes a historical account, much of which I have alluded to in my speech; the Crown acknowledgment of historical breaches of the Treaty; a Crown apology; a cultural redress package featuring the transfer of a number of sites of cultural significance to Ng\u0101ti Apa, including two lake beds; and a quantum of money, including the opportunity to purchase four Crown properties in the Rangit\u012Bkei region. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003EIn winding up, I acknowledge some words that my colleague the Hon Mita Ririnui said in his first speech on this bill\u2019s first reading. They echo the statement of the Minister, and recognise the young people who came forward to negotiate this settlement. I pay tribute to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u0022ab25981a19284cdfbd3dfdd0e46c633d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ab25981a19284cdfbd3dfdd0e46c633d\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations):\u003C/span\u003E Ng\u0101ti Apa rohe, Ng\u0101ti Apa tangata, te iwi o te maunga tupuna i a Parae Karetu, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E[To the region and people of Ng\u0101 Apa, the people of the ancestral mountain Parae Karetu, greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all.] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EI acknowledge the contribution of both previous speakers. I consider I am one of the lucky ones in Parliament in that my opposite number, Maryan Street, is such a sensible person; it does not always apply when one is dealing with Opposition MPs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill recognises and addresses the historical grievance of North Island Ng\u0101ti Apa. Those grievances are longstanding. They relate primarily to the Crown\u2019s purchase in 1849 of the Rangit\u012Bkei-Turakina Block, and the subsequent failure to protect reserves set aside from this transaction. As the other speakers have said, from 1848 the Crown purchased many hundreds of thousands of hectares of land in which Ng\u0101ti Apa held interests. Through these transactions Ng\u0101ti Apa endeavoured to establish a relationship with the Crown, and they sought to strengthen this relationship by expressing loyalty to the Crown. But the Crown failed to ensure that the arrangements in the 1849 deed were given effect, and the Crown also failed to take steps to protect collective tribal and hap\u016B custodianship of the land. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003ENorth Island Ng\u0101ti Apa have worked over many years to have their claims addressed by the Crown. The Crown recognised the mandate of Te R\u016Bnanga o Ng\u0101ti Apa in November 2004. The negotiation reached a significant milestone when an agreement in principle was signed on 12 July 2007, followed by an initialled deed of settlement in September 2008. The settlement is well supported by North Island Ng\u0101ti Apa. In September last year 35 percent of the registered adult members of Ng\u0101ti Apa voted on the deed of settlement and proposed governance arrangements. Of these, 97 percent voted in favour of accepting both the deed of settlement and the proposed arrangements. The Crown and North Island Ng\u0101ti Apa subsequently signed a deed of settlement on 8 October 2008. I acknowledge the work of my predecessor, Dr Cullen. On 25 August 2009 the Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill was introduced to Parliament. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EI agree with the other speakers when they say that settling this claim is an important further step in this country\u2019s progress towards settling all historical Treaty grievances. The settlement redress provided by the bill recognises the history of North Island Ng\u0101ti Apa\u2019s interaction with the Crown. It includes Crown acknowledgments and an apology for historical breaches of the Treaty. Ng\u0101ti Apa have significant aspirations for the development of their iwi. The redress included in this bill will help them make progress towards those aspirations in the future. The commercial and financial redress totals $16 million, including a right to purchase approximately 6,500 hectares of Crown forest licensed land and certain other Crown-owned properties. The redress includes innovative cultural revitalisation elements, including the gifting of five papak\u0101inga properties, provision of funding to develop and implement a strategy for revitalising North Island Ng\u0101ti Apa customs, and funding to assist in compiling a comprehensive historical record. Although it is not possible to fully compensate Ng\u0101ti Apa, nor any claimant group, for the loss their people have suffered, the cultural redress in this bill seeks to recognise Ng\u0101ti Apa\u2019s longstanding cultural and spiritual association in the region. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe bill was referred to the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee on 17 November last year. The committee reported back to the House on 17 March 2010, and I thank the committee for its excellent work on this bill and for considering it in such a timely manner. The committee received and considered 34 submissions on the bill. Submissions in support of the bill were received on behalf of each of the hap\u016B collectives of Ng\u0101ti Apa. The committee heard oral submissions on the bill in Marton on 17 February at the Turakina M\u0101ori Girls College. The committee has examined the bill, it has proposed no major amendments, and it unanimously supports it. The committee has recommended that it be passed with a number of technical amendments. Ten properties listed in schedule 2 have been surveyed since the bill\u2019s introduction. The technical amendments recommended by the committee reflect the updated legal description of these properties. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EI acknowledge the North Island Ng\u0101ti Apa people who suffered from the breaches of the Treaty and who carried the grievances. I particularly acknowledge those who are no longer with us. I also acknowledge Te R\u016Bnanga o Ng\u0101ti Apa, including the members of the negotiating team; their dedication and determination have been vital in the path towards settlement. I thank other Ministers and departments involved in this process. A wide variety of people from across the political spectrum have made really important contributions to this settlement over the years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe second reading is part of the last stage of the settlement process that seeks to recognise what is important to the people of Ng\u0101ti Apa, and to provide redress for historical breaches of the Treaty. It is one of the many settlements that this Government is progressing toward a goal of settling historical Treaty of Waitangi claims by 2014.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022 data-id=\u0022df261bda084a48a1a71d7331a1e92c12\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022df261bda084a48a1a71d7331a1e92c12\u0022\u003EHon MITA RIRINUI (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Otir\u0101, kia ora t\u0101tou e te Whare. Kia ora t\u0101tou e te Minita, ahakoa kua wehe atu, n\u0101u tonu nei te pire i whakap\u0101nuihia ki te Whare, otir\u0101, ki te motu katoa. E tika ana r\u0101 te tikanga, m\u0101u tonu r\u0101 te pire e p\u0101nuihia i te mea r\u0101, ko koe r\u0101 te uri o r\u0101tou i \u0101rahi mai t\u0113nei kaupapa kia tae mai ki roto i te Whare nei. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003E[So greetings to us all, the House. Greetings to us, and the Minister; even though you are no longer present, you personally presented the bill to the House and to the whole nation. That you should present the bill is appropriate, because you are their relative and the one who guided this matter here into this House.] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EIn the time I have been a member of this House I have had the good fortune to have been involved in many settlement bills. Some have been quite massive and I could run off a list, just to highlight those particular settlements. But this one, the Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill, is of particular significance to myself, not so much for the way that the Ng\u0101ti Apa people were treated during the 1800s and in the early 1900s, but for the manner in which they conducted themselves throughout this whole process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EThe Minister, the Hon Tariana Turia, who is also the member for Te Tai Hau\u0101uru, reminded us of the sad history of this claim, particularly as it relates to her people of Ng\u0101ti Apa. If one reads the history of this settlement, the historical account, one would understand why over the years many people carry grievance to the point where it dominates their lives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EWhen we consider the commitment of the negotiating team, young as they were and still are, given that this settlement has progressed quite well\u2014they did not start young and finish old; they started young and they are still young\u2014and their attitude throughout the negotiations, it is obvious that they were the right people to lead us. Those who stood behind the negotiations and supported them were the ones who felt the harshness of Government policy and its effects over a period of time. Those young people had a clear vision that in order to overcome the grievance they needed to show leadership, lead the way, finalise the settlement, and provide for their people the opportunity to move forward. They have done an excellent job, as the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations reminded the House this evening. Apart from his unkind opening statements the rest of his speech was very positive. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EThis bill gives effect to the deed of settlement in which the Crown and Ng\u0101ti Apa agree to a final settlement of Ng\u0101ti Apa\u2019s historical claims. I am proud to say that Labour supports this bill, and does so for obvious reasons. The negotiations on behalf of the previous Labour-led Government were led by the Hon Dr Michael Cullen. The deed of settlement was signed on behalf of the Crown by the Hon Parekura Horomia, Minister of M\u0101ori Affairs, in October 2008. Soon after the deed was signed, Dr Cullen reminded us that this settlement was a historic moment in the relationship between the Crown and Ng\u0101ti Apa. It allows both parties, the Crown and Ng\u0101ti Apa, to move forward into the future. I am very pleased that Minister Finlayson continues to support the positive initiatives initiated by the previous Government, particularly when it comes to Treaty settlements. If the Minister is to meet his 2014 deadline, he will need the cooperation of every party in this House. I thank the Minister for his positive moves in this portfolio. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EI will spend some time talking about the select committee process, because that was very, very interesting. As with most settlements, issues developed along the way between competing interests, competing tribal groups, and also between competing tribal groups and their local mainstream communities. Ng\u0101ti Apa had it all. So it was really a test for them to see how they managed those different dynamics, those competing interests, so that they would be able to finalise this settlement legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EI am reminded of the differences, in terms of status, between Ng\u0101ti Apa and iwi belonging to Ng\u0101 Wairiki and the manner in which they resolved those issues. The select committee was reminded that many of those who belong to Ng\u0101 Wairiki also claimed that they had whakapapa to Ng\u0101ti Apa. In fact, they overwhelmingly supported the mandate of Ng\u0101ti Apa. To that point, Ng\u0101ti Apa was able to proceed, even though some dissenters came to the select committee. Also, those in support of the Ng\u0101ti Apa mandate belonging to Ng\u0101 Wairiki were happy with the way that the legislation was to be written and the way that the post-governance settlement arrangements were to be constructed. They will continue to enjoy, by right, the benefits from the settlement and the assets. The select committee recommended in its report back to the House that there be no changes in terms of the inclusion of Ng\u0101 Wairiki groups in this settlement legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EThe area of cultural redress properties was interesting also. Many of the properties that are included in the cultural redress are situated in areas of tremendous significance to the Ng\u0101ti Apa people. Although these properties may not have a significant commercial value\u2014in fact, many of them have none in so far as Ng\u0101ti Apa is concerned\u2014the areas of land on which these buildings are erected are of tremendous significance to Ng\u0101ti Apa. For that reason, and that reason alone, it was important that these properties not be overlooked in the negotiations, and that they be included in the settlement package as part of the cultural redress. I am glad that the staff of the Office of Treaty Settlements did not recommend to the Minister that these properties be classified as commercial redress, because that would have been a grievance upon a grievance; that would have been wrong. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EI remind the Minister that his officials advised the select committee that in so far as schedule 2, the list of 17 cultural redress properties, is concerned, AgResearch lands are not yet included in the land bank properties. We were given the assurance that by the time this bill completes its passage through the House that land would be included in the land bank and form part of the redress. I am hopeful that the Minister will be able to conclude this small technical matter by the time the Committee stage is finished. It is important that we all have a discussion on that. This is something new in Treaty settlements. We have included a parcel of land as part of the redress, and it is important that it is in the right place\u2014for want of words\u2014and that is the land bank. That indeed is a minor challenge, but nevertheless it is a challenge for the Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EThe fisheries protocol is very interesting. Anyone who knows the area of Whanganui or Ng\u0101ti Apa\u2019s rohe well knows that in the rivers and lakes\u2014small as they are\u2014there are massive populations of tuna, of eels. One person who submitted on the bill\u2014and I know that the committee members were surprised to hear it\u2014referred to small eels. We said to ourselves that anyone who has been there\u2014to Whangaehu and those particular areas\u2014would never have seen a small eel. They are massive; we call them taniwha. But that was a good example of a competing interest. Somebody believed that their commercial interests would be severely compromised because Ng\u0101ti Apa were going to catch small eels. Ng\u0101ti Apa do not catch small eels, and that is one thing we had to tell that person. But that is a good example of self-interest rather than of competing interests, of having little consideration for the customary rights of others, and of having consideration for doing the right thing, which is what this bill is about. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003EIn the short time I have left I will take the time, as everybody else before me has done, to congratulate the select committee\u2014and rightly so, because the chairman conducted a very open and flexible process when we heard the submissions. He allowed members to be quite broad in their questioning of submitters and officials. As a result, we have before us a well-considered bill. I hope that he keeps up those standards. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022 data-id=\u002289f01dce19a645c4a88131d281065753\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002289f01dce19a645c4a88131d281065753\u0022\u003EDAVID CLENDON (Green):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. I will open by acknowledging the Hon Tariana Turia, the Minister who opened this debate, and by recognising the unique situation that she is shepherding through the House a bill that is of such significance and personal importance to her and her whanaunga. I will take only a short call on this Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill, which we in the Greens have already undertaken to support through all of its readings. Although we have not participated directly in the select committee process, it is clear that a great deal of very valuable and useful work has been done in the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, and that issues have been honestly and openly dealt with, if not in every case resolved, which is inevitable. Clearly, there has been a great deal of goodwill in relation to that process, and it shows in both the documents and the outcome. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EWe acknowledge the work of the Minister and the members of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, who have supported this process, and most of all we take the opportunity to acknowledge Ng\u0101ti Apa and wish them all the best for the progress of this bill, to the extent that it will restore their tino rangatiratanga and their mana motuhake over their own lands. This bill reflects that Ng\u0101ti Apa, like so many other iwi and hap\u016B, have for over a century been engaged in a struggle, a very real struggle, to have resolution of wrongdoing and the receipt of justice, and to see the honouring of solemn commitments that were made on both sides of the Treaty relationship in 1840. Again, we acknowledge and offer our respects for that struggle, and to those who have participated in it over many generations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EIt is clear that the progress of this bill, and the negotiations that have underpinned it, have followed a pattern whereby certain elements have emerged, which are becoming commonplace, or familiar at least, within these Treaty settlements processes. It is clear within the report that some serious concerns have been expressed, from particular hap\u016B who have felt that their inclusion in this process, against their wishes and preferences, could to some extent compromise their own preferred outcomes in this process. But objections of that sort are common to just about every settlement process, current or past. I think it is fair to say that the Crown\u2019s policy of negotiating settlements with large natural groupings is one that must be constantly challenged and under constant review, to ensure that we do not get outcomes that deny the settlement of legitimate concerns, and the right of hap\u016B to self-identity and the self-determination of their futures. We note that there have been claims that some of the lands that will be returned under settlement, in this case, are also claimed by other iwi. Again, that is a typical effect of colonisation and the imposition of Western property law\u2014rather than of tikanga over generations\u2014which has confounded to some extent the appropriate resolution of inter-iwi disputes that otherwise could have been resolved. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EAgain, it is in common with other settlements\u2014and it was referenced by the previous Speaker\u2014that there are those within the wider community who seem to have a concern, or even a degree of suspicion, that the settlement, and the return of assets and mana to the affected iwi and hap\u016B, are somehow too much\u2014that somehow the proposed settlement might reduce or compromise the rights or expectations of those who have become accustomed to a particular situation or practice. The reality is, of course, that Ng\u0101ti Apa, as with so many other iwi and hap\u016B, have been extraordinarily patient, and have been equally modest and realistic in their expectation of what can be done in the 21st century to put right the transgressions of the 19th and 20th centuries. The detail of the Crown purchases contained in the preamble to this bill tells a story that highlights very well the almost complete lack of generosity and lack of empathy\u2014the almost complete selfishness\u2014of those who embarked on purchasing land from Ng\u0101ti Apa. I think we can consider ourselves very fortunate that in the 21st century M\u0101ori are much more generous of spirit in accepting only part of what was taken away as resolution and redress from the Crown. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EIt is encouraging and very positive to see that significant material assets will be returned to Ng\u0101ti Apa, and that there will be some wealth that will enable them to build an economy and to utilise their resources in ways that are appropriate for them and to the exercise of their mana. Equally important to that tangible return, and to those tangible assets, is the sincere apology from the Crown, which acknowledges the mana of these people, and acknowledges that their objections and their claims\u2014their grievances over a century\u2014have been justified, have been realised, and in fact were legitimate. I cannot stress enough, as others have, the significance of the apology, of the symbolic return, as much as the tangible redress and return of assets. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThere is not much more I wish to say, except to acknowledge again the good work of those in this House who have put through this bill, and of those who are no longer here but who made significant contributions to it. This bill is clearly about settlement, but it is also an opportunity for the truth of our shared history to be spoken and heard, and, we hope, to be better understood. Knowing a little more of our own history, of our shared history, will perhaps progress us towards a speedy resolution of this settlement and of those that will follow it. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227883c85e-a5bb-4a12-9962-80df55af0ecd\u0022 data-id=\u00222c68b2d3c6bc483fa289f21a6b66b239\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227883c85e-a5bb-4a12-9962-80df55af0ecd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222c68b2d3c6bc483fa289f21a6b66b239\u0022\u003EHONE HARAWIRA (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Te Tai Tokerau):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora t\u0101tou katoa e te Whare. Sitting on the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee to hear stories from wh\u0101nau, hap\u016B, and iwi is a real privilege, as it was to hear the submissions of Ng\u0101ti Apa on the Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill. It was an opportunity to hear them speak with pride of their whakapapa, their descent from Apa-h\u0101pai-taketake, another t\u016Bpuna of Rangitikei and Ng\u0101 Wairiki. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227883c85e-a5bb-4a12-9962-80df55af0ecd\u0022\u003EFour months ago, we travelled up to Marton to hear submissions at Turakina M\u0101ori Girls\u2019 College, and also, of course, to enjoy the sweet melodies of the beautiful young M\u0101ori women who attend that wonderful school. We heard submissions in support from various hap\u016B of Ng\u0101ti Apa, including Ng\u0101 Ariki, Ng\u0101 Wairiki Ki Uta, Ng\u0101ti Tauira, Ng\u0101ti Kauae, Ng\u0101ti Rangiwhakat\u016Bria, and Ng\u0101 Uri o Taitapu. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227883c85e-a5bb-4a12-9962-80df55af0ecd\u0022\u003EWe also heard submissions lodged by Wai 655 claimants and the Southern Whanganui Cluster / T\u016Bpoho working party, several of whom felt that Ng\u0101 Wairiki should be left out of the Ng\u0101ti Apa settlement and dealt with perhaps as a separate iwi or as a hap\u016B of Whanganui. But we noted that three major Ng\u0101 Wairiki hap\u016B groups had already chosen to be included in the Ng\u0101ti Apa settlement, and that the r\u016Bnanga had left the door open for all of Ng\u0101 Wairiki to participate in the post-settlement affairs of the iwi, including elections to the new governance body. We recognised the differences, but we also accepted the fact that those matters were best resolved in-house by Ng\u0101 Wairiki themselves. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227883c85e-a5bb-4a12-9962-80df55af0ecd\u0022\u003EThe other contentious issue was that presented by members of the Southern Whanganui Cluster / T\u016Bpoho working party, who said that they wanted to take issue with the part of the settlement that involved the Lismore Hills Forest, which both Ng\u0101ti Apa and Whanganui have interests in. Some objected to the transfer of 65 percent of the forest to Ng\u0101ti Apa, because they felt that there was a stronger Whanganui claim to the part of the forest being offered to Ng\u0101ti Apa. They felt that they were being shut out of gaining any interest or settlement from that area. That was one of the more complex issues that we had to consider, but our research showed that a lot of time had already been given to enabling the various interest groups to resolve that issue, including extensive litigation through the Waitangi Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which upheld the tribunal\u2019s decision. Given the number of meetings, the litigation, and the outcome of the litigation, and the very strongly held but differing view of the parties, we simply did not believe that more time would necessarily lead to a positive agreement. We noted, though, that 35 percent of the Lismore Hills Forest had actually been set aside for use in any future settlement with Whanganui iwi. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227883c85e-a5bb-4a12-9962-80df55af0ecd\u0022\u003EThe Hon Tariana Turia, herself of Ng\u0101ti Apa and Ng\u0101 Wairiki, has already spoken of the Pourewa Accord between Ng\u0101ti Apa and Ng\u0101ti Hauiti. It was interesting to note that Ng\u0101ti Hauiti felt that any concern they might have had regarding the settlement and other redress was covered in that accord, and that they therefore had no major issues with the bill. That is a precedent that other iwi and hap\u016B might do well to consider. It is unnecessary in the north, of course, but certainly worthy of consideration in some of the more rebellious areas south of the T\u0101maki River. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227883c85e-a5bb-4a12-9962-80df55af0ecd\u0022\u003ENg\u0101 Wairiki ki Uta spoke of the ongoing support they have received from and given to Te R\u016Bnunga o Ng\u0101ti Apa over the years, their continued representation at the r\u016Bnanga level, how the r\u016Bnanga itself could help represent Ng\u0101 Wairiki ki Uta. They spoke about a number of other important issues, including fisheries, resource management, iwi representation, and other dealings with the Crown, and their gratitude to the r\u016Bnanga itself, following the devastating floods of 2004, which had severely damaged their marae and a number of their homes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227883c85e-a5bb-4a12-9962-80df55af0ecd\u0022\u003EI come back to Ng\u0101ti Apa. The various hap\u016B collectives of Ng\u0101ti Apa have come together to give their support to Te R\u016Bnanga o Ng\u0101ti Apa negotiating and settling their historical claims. They told us that their hap\u016B had freely and willingly participated in every aspect of the negotiations and the settlement process, including a number of information hui held throughout the rohe, and that the deed of settlement had in fact been ratified by 97 percent of those who had voted. Ng\u0101ti Apa clearly are people on the move, rebuilding their culture and their identity from a time when they were almost landless. Their tikanga was under threat, and their capacity to speak the reo was seriously endangered. The progress they have made is a credit to their commitment and their vision to rebuild and restore themselves as Ng\u0101 Wairiki and Ng\u0101ti Apa. The M\u0101ori Party is proud to acknowledge their efforts and to support this bill today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022 data-id=\u00224894011b05194161942020bd6b9a3ca7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224894011b05194161942020bd6b9a3ca7\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Te mea tuatahi, kei a koe e te Tumuaki o te Whare nei, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. Kei a koutou e aku rangatira, ng\u0101 mema o te Komiti M\u0101ori, t\u0113n\u0101 an\u014D koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E[The first thing, Mr Assistant Speaker of this House, is greetings to you. To you, my illustrious colleagues, members of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, my acknowledgments once again to you all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI will not take too long on the Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to be able to play a part in the theatre of Treaty of Waitangi settlements. One of the reasons is that I get a sense of national pride, a sense of nationalism, and a sense of patriotism when the House enters this stage of a Treaty settlement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI take my hat off to my colleagues. Somebody on the other side is whispering and not listening to what I have to say, but that is OK. I take my hat off to the members of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, from both National and Labour, and to the Greens, who were sometimes there. I am not saying anything disparaging about them; it is just that they have a big workload.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI will briefly mention something that is in every Treaty settlement bill that I think we do not pay enough attention to during the process. If members cast their eyes over the preamble to the bill, they will find a pr\u00E9cis of the history of the involvement of Ng\u0101ti Apa. Although it is not a huge historical tome of where Ng\u0101ti Apa has come from and where it may end up, it is a small historical account of a people\u2019s struggle. I am sure that one day we will be teaching this stuff in our schools, and not for any other reason than to be patriotic and nationalistic about the history of our country. It will not be taught with any feeling of guilt or any thoughts other than this nation can, through this process, become closer as one nation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI will not ramble on too much more, other than to say that our select committee meeting at Turakina M\u0101ori Girls College to hear submissions was one of the best of our session.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022208fd41f9eb04132b6369097252dfe44\u0022\u003EHon Mita Ririnui\u003C/span\u003E: Did you pay the koha?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f999fb50cc424e2f9d17778365d74b75\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, we paid the koha.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002273f60731-048d-4a21-81c5-52d588de2325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002237653605a99843b1a2d237199e210685\u0022\u003EHon Mita Ririnui\u003C/span\u003E: Who sang the waiata?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282b9cac68d63403897752e66105acb24\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Hone Harawira sang the waiata, and our kaum\u0101tua, Mita Ririnui, did the k\u014Drero.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EOur select committee is a good select committee. We may have our run-ins and we may have fun, but we take our job very, very seriously, as do other select committees. Again, if we only took the time to have a look at the bills that go through our House of Representatives, this could be the beginning of something new in our education system. N\u014D reira, kei a koutou an\u014D aku rangatira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, \u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022 data-id=\u00226584572d235847d9b587d6bcabfbd91e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226584572d235847d9b587d6bcabfbd91e\u0022\u003EKELVIN DAVIS (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Te mea tuatahi mihi kau atu ki t\u0113r\u0101 te Minita a Tariana n\u014Dna nei te iwi e k\u014Drerotia nei e t\u0101tou i te w\u0101 nei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E[The first thing is to acknowledge Minister Tariana Turia, whose people we are discussing at the moment.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EI would like to start by touching on what the Hon Tau Henare has just mentioned about the wealth of history that is in these Treaty settlement bills. I agree totally with him and say I think it would be great if we could teach this history in our schools. I encourage Ng\u0101ti Apa, as part of its cultural redress, to consider developing this history just a little further and taking it to schools, so that schools and the local iwi can work in partnership and cooperation to make sure that local iwi history is not simply forgotten. I encourage that not just for Ng\u0101ti Apa but for all schools in the areas covered by Treaty settlements, using the information in these bills. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EIt is important for us to consider that in 1840 Ng\u0101ti Apa had considerable land interests in the Rangit\u012Bkei and Manawat\u016B areas. That is the first point. The second point is that it is also important for us to know that three members of Ng\u0101ti Apa signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The way that the land was broken up, which became a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi, disenfranchised Ng\u0101ti Apa from their land and from their culture, and that is at the crux of this bill. It is important that the Crown has acknowledged that Ng\u0101ti Apa have been raising grievances with the Crown for over 100 years, and that the Crown failed to deal with the longstanding grievances of Ng\u0101ti Apa in an appropriate way. The recognition of the grievances of Ng\u0101ti Apa is long overdue. It is also important for us to realise that from 1848 over 400,000 acres of the considerable land interests of Ng\u0101ti Apa were purchased. It was through these land transactions that Ng\u0101ti Apa endeavoured to establish a relationship with the Crown. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EThe deed for the 1849 Rangit\u012Bkei-Turakina purchase stated that approximately 35,000 acres of that land would be reserved for all of Ng\u0101ti Apa to collect and settle on. However, later native land legislation enabled these reserve lands to pass through the Native Land Court, which awarded land interest to individuals rather than to all the tribe, and that excluded many Ng\u0101ti Apa from ownership of the tribal reserve land. That failure of the Crown to ensure that the arrangements recorded in the 1849 deed were given effect to was a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi. The native land laws, in particular awarding the land to individual Ng\u0101ti Apa rather than to iwi or hap\u016B, made the lands that Ng\u0101ti Apa were able to retain more susceptible to partition, fragmentation, and alienation. It is a classic case of divide and conquer. This contributed to the erosion of the tribal structures of Ng\u0101ti Apa, which were based on collective tribal and hap\u016B custodianship of the land. The Crown failed to take steps to adequately protect those tribal structures, and that had a prejudicial effect on Ng\u0101ti Apa. Again, that was a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EDespite Ng\u0101ti Apa\u2019s contributing lands for settlement purposes, the significant benefits that Ng\u0101ti Apa expected to flow from its relationship with the Crown were not realised. The cumulative effect of the Crown\u2019s actions and omissions left Ng\u0101ti Apa virtually landless. The Crown failed to ensure that Ng\u0101ti Apa retained sufficient lands for their present and future needs. Therefore, today we have the situation where most of Ng\u0101ti Apa live outside their tribal rohe, and the loss of their traditional lands has impacted on the access of Ng\u0101ti Apa to resources such as their rivers, lakes, forests, wetlands, and traditional walking paths. Ng\u0101ti Apa have lost control over many of their significant sites, including w\u0101hi tapu, and this has had an ongoing impact on their physical and spiritual relationship with the land.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ESo it is important that we acknowledge the apology that has been offered by the Crown. It is important that we acknowledge the work that was started by Dr Cullen, the Hon Parekura Horomia, and the Hon Mita Ririnui, and that has been continued by the Hon Chris Finlayson. It is also important to note that four Ng\u0101ti Apa people signed the original document. They were Lillian Te Aweawe, R\u014Dpata Te Hina, Arikih\u0101nara Mare Mare, and Mariana Shenton, all from Ng\u0101ti Apa, of course. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EThe apology is really important. An apology does not bring back everything that was lost, but it is important that the Crown has apologised and recognised the efforts and struggles of Ng\u0101ti Apa in pursuit of their claims for justice and redress. It is also important, in the apology, that the Crown has said it profoundly regrets and unreservedly apologises to Ng\u0101ti Apa for the breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. It is also important to note that the Crown regrets and apologises for the cumulative effect of its actions and omissions over the generations through to the present day. These matters have all had a detrimental impact on the traditional tribal structures of Ng\u0101ti Apa. With this apology the Crown seeks to atone for the past wrongs, to begin a process of healing, and to make a significant step towards rebuilding a lasting relationship with Ng\u0101ti Apa, based on mutual trust and cooperation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EThe cultural redress is that there are protocols to be issued to the trustees by the Minister of Conservation, the Minister of Fisheries, and the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. There is an acknowledgment by the Crown of the statements that were made by Ng\u0101ti Apa of their cultural, spiritual, historical, and traditional association with nine statutory areas and the effect of the acknowledgment, deeds of recognition between the Crown and trustees, and also the vesting in the trustees of the fee simple estate in 17 cultural redress properties. It is really important for everyone and for the House to understand that the 17 cultural redress properties represent but a fraction of the land that was denied or that was partitioned and removed from Ng\u0101ti Apa. I can imagine all the rednecks out there saying the blimmin M\u0101oris are getting more land handed back. But the rednecks have to realise that this is just a fraction of what Ng\u0101ti Apa lost. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EFinally, there is a part of the cultural redress that talks about the alteration of place names. We know about the most obvious example of altering place names, from the debate over whether \u201CWanganui\u201D or \u201CWhanganui\u201D is correct. I believe it is really important for us to recognise that to M\u0101ori it is important that our language, our places, and our place names are given the due respect that they deserve. It is not fair or right that a group of people can come and change names, often not just by removing a letter from the name but actually by supplanting a name in another language, and then to say that is the way it is and M\u0101ori just have to get over it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EThis settlement has been great. I endorse what the others have said about being part of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee and the work that has gone on with regard to this legislation. It is well overdue. Ng\u0101ti Apa have waited far too long for this settlement to occur, and Labour, of course, supports this bill. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022 data-id=\u0022ef00be67db5b41d8a834ea38c9595e4c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ef00be67db5b41d8a834ea38c9595e4c\u0022\u003ENICKY WAGNER (National):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koutou e te Whare; e te Tumuaki, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. I rise to support the Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill. It is great to see that this historic claim has finally been settled. It is particularly pleasing to see that the settlement package is a mixture of cultural redress and financial and commercial redress, and also that there is an agreed historical account and Crown acknowledgment that form the basis of a Crown apology to Ng\u0101ti Apa. All members of Ng\u0101ti Apa, wherever they live, will be pleased to see this final settlement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003ENational is committed to our goal of reaching just and durable settlements from historic Treaty claims by 2014. We are putting our money where our mouth is. Budget 2010 provides an extra $6.5 million over the next 3 years to achieve the Government\u2019s goal of settling all historical Treaty of Waitangi claims by 2014. This Ng\u0101ti Apa settlement is part of a significant acceleration in Treaty settlements that we have seen over the past year. The Government has signed 11 agreements in principle and six deeds of settlement in the last 12 months. The extra funding that we have put in Budget 2010 will continue speeding up that process by providing resources for our successful team of Crown chief negotiators to employ extra staff to support negotiations and draft the deeds of settlement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EMore groups are also keen to ramp up the speed of negotiations since they have seen the benefits that settling claims in a timely fashion can bring for people by creating jobs and unlocking economic development opportunities. Coming from \u014Ctautahi, or Christchurch, in Te Wai Pounamu, or the South Island, I am particularly pleased to see more settlements taking place. Our local iwi, Ng\u0101i Tahu, led the settlement process and the whole South Island community has benefited form their proactive stance. Because they settled early they have the opportunity to grow their assets, to grow their businesses, and to strengthen their iwi. They are now dominant and highly respected players in the business community of the South Island. Ng\u0101i Tahu companies are involved in retail, education, agriculture, fishing, and forestry. But they are best known\u2014and perhaps best loved\u2014for their tourism ventures. The story of Whale Watch Kaikoura, in particular, illustrates powerfully everything that is good about economic independence for iwi. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThe Treaty settlement process is about acknowledging unfairness, making amends for mistakes, and accepting each other\u2019s apologies. This Government is committed to its goal of reaching the just and durable settlement of historical Treaty claims by 2014 because we understand the importance of getting down to the business of settling the claims with as little delay as possible. We must settle those claims so that all New Zealanders can look to the future and move forward together.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022 data-id=\u002298075ac5119c4bc988d01b1da9d4db39\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002298075ac5119c4bc988d01b1da9d4db39\u0022\u003ENIKKI KAYE (National\u2014Auckland Central):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. I am pleased to speak on this Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill, but I will start by recognising the members across the House, including former Labour Ministers, who have contributed to this process. I also acknowledge the recognition by the previous speaker, Nicky Wagner, of the significance of this settlement to a member of this House. This settlement is for Minister Turia\u2019s wh\u0101nau, her people. Occasionally in this House members are able to look back on the words they said as a newbie MP. In my maiden statement I said: \u201CIn supporting this National Government the M\u0101ori Party MPs have shown that they are not bound by rigid left or right-wing ideology in their pursuit of better lives for all M\u0101ori.\u201D I acknowledge Minister Turia and the M\u0101ori Party for the purposeful and hard-working job they are doing in walking a line that is enabling them to keep their independence as a party while making extraordinary progress for M\u0101ori. This week\u2019s announcement on the foreshore and seabed is a real achievement, which guarantees access to our beaches while restoring the ability of M\u0101ori to have the fundamental right to test their rights within our court system. That is a fundamental right of all New Zealanders, and I support that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EI will touch on why we are here, and on why we are doing these settlements for all New Zealanders. Firstly, we believe that M\u0101ori are seeing the benefits that settling claims in a timely fashion can bring to their people, and we know that by doing that in a timely fashion we can see that new jobs are created and economic development is unlocked. Secondly, we are doing this because we fundamentally acknowledge that there is unfairness, that we need to make amends for mistakes, and that we need to accept each other\u2019s apologies. Thirdly, we are doing this because we want to live in a country that moves beyond grievance to the empowerment of people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EI have just a few other comments to make. Obviously, we acknowledge the pace our Government is working at, and I acknowledge Mr Finlayson for the huge amount of work that he has done. I think that previous speakers have called him someone who has a huge intellect and graciousness, and I support those comments. We have put a lot of money into speeding up the pace of these settlements, and I think that people are acknowledging that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EBut this settlement is really about Ng\u0101ti Apa, and I acknowledge Minister Turia\u2019s comments that this bill is life-changing for them. Ng\u0101ti Apa has more than 3,200 members. The historical grievances of the iwi relate primarily to the Crown\u2019s purchase in 1849 of the 260,000 acre Rangit\u012Bkei-Turakina block, including the Crown\u2019s subsequent failure to adequately protect approximately 35,000 acres of reserves set aside from that transaction. I acknowledge that this is the final settlement of all of Ng\u0101ti Apa\u2019s North Island historical claims. Nicky Wagner acknowledged the fact that the package includes cultural redress, and financial and commercial redress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EI acknowledge members of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, and in particular Tau Henare for the way that he has led that committee. In closing, I speak to the people of Ng\u0101ti Apa when I say: Ng\u0101ti Apa, mauri ora ki a koutou katoa. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022 data-id=\u002298a5598bb3cb4e5b9b6c427253d7656e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002298a5598bb3cb4e5b9b6c427253d7656e\u0022\u003EDr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E It is a delight to take a brief call in support of the Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill. It is pleasing that Ng\u0101ti Apa has progressed this bill. A huge process has been entered into to get to this point. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EOne of the wonderful things about what has happened in this Treaty settlement period of New Zealand history, as M\u0101ori reach a post-renaissance period, is the many examples where a particular iwi or tribe, Ng\u0101ti Apa in this case, is mandated to develop a process to identify all of the issues that are before it, and then to enter the process of negotiations with the Crown over a long period of time. It is something special about New Zealand society that this has happened many times now. It is now Ng\u0101ti Apa\u2019s day. We acknowledge the grievances that have been raised, we acknowledge the hurts of the past, and we find a way to the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EOne of the defining aspects of contemporary New Zealand society is that we are able to do this. It sets us apart from many, many other countries and it makes us unique. In many countries indigenous people and tribes have been colonised and have had their rights and their land taken away. Sometimes they never reach the point that Ng\u0101ti Apa is reaching today. That is the special characteristic that I acknowledge and celebrate as a New Zealander and as a member of this House speaking at this stage of the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EThe bill is a credit to previous members of Parliament and previous Governments that have worked on this process. In this particular case, we note that the part of Mr Cullen has been acknowledged, and that of others. I also acknowledge the part of the Hon Christopher Finlayson in bringing it together. They all do this House and this country proud by engaging in the process and taking their own time to make it so special. It falls on the present Government to bring this legislation to a conclusion, so I acknowledge the Hon Christopher Finlayson, the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, and others who have worked on this bill to bring it to this phase.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EThis bill has all of those unique aspects that have become a hallmark of settlements in New Zealand. Firstly, the main provisions acknowledge the harm that was done and offer an apology. That is quite special about New Zealand society. Some do not realise that. At times, in many conversations outside the House, there are those who say that they did not do anything wrong, so why should they apologise. But, indeed, in a symbolic sense, these apologies are unique to us as New Zealanders at this point in our history. So this bill also provides an apology, and there are several aspects of it. The bill also includes cultural redress aspects as well as commercial redress. Together those aspects make the bill a cause for celebration. It provides a pathway forward and puts to rest certain matters of the past. It provides compensation to the extent possible, which is never enough, clearly. Most important, it enables this particular tribe to move forward as equal partners in this society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EMy call is a brief one to acknowledge that particular work and to acknowledge unique aspects of our society at this time. I wonder what aspects people listening to this debate will focus on. Will they think that it is just another settlement and that Parliament is going through the motions again? Or is it more important than that? Clearly, it is particularly significant for Ng\u0101ti Apa. It is their time; it is their process. It is their time to be compensated, to have resources, and to move forward. But would it not be nice if others also moved forward with it? That is the symbolism of the apology, which I mentioned earlier. It is us as a nation trying to put to rest some aspects of the past. As we do that, it provides a way to move forward. I urge others who are listening, others who might not be 100 percent behind what this bill is about, to accept the symbolism of the apology and the importance of the settlement. It provides us as a society with an opportunity to move forward, as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EI congratulate those who have taken part in bringing the bill to this stage. I acknowledge the work of this Government and of the previous Labour Government. I acknowledge Ng\u0101ti Apa and Minister Turia, in particular, who introduced the bill. I stand proud to support this particular bill. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EBill read a second time.\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=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002205fdee2c279a486792a22c0be6e5de57\u0022\u003EWhanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fb8fb1a482e24c1f8a8d9e5e9ed659a5\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u00223c6dc6c4b3974602a6c02372b3189188\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223c6dc6c4b3974602a6c02372b3189188\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Whanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill be now read a second time. Perhaps because I am Acting Leader of the House, I will resist all efforts by the chief Government whip for the House to lift before 6 o\u2019clock; I think we should work to rule\u2014work until 6 o\u2019clock. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe bill gives effect to aspects of the deed of on-account settlements signed by the Southern Whanganui Cluster / T\u016Bpoho working party on behalf of Whanganui iwi and the Crown on 31 July 2009. It protects iwi interests in the northern part of the Wanganui Forest and the half share in the land under the prison. The agreement by the Crown to enter into an on-account settlement was a result of discussions between Ng\u0101ti Apa North Island and the working party to address concerns Whanganui iwi had with aspects of the Ng\u0101ti Apa settlement. Addressing overlapping interests is a difficult and complex aspect of the negotiations process, and the on-account settlement is a creative solution to those issues. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe deed of on-account settlement provides the working party with an opportunity to acquire a half share in the land under the Wanganui Prison and the half of the Wanganui Forest not offered to Ng\u0101ti Apa North Island. The right of deferred selection offered to Whanganui iwi over these properties is subject to Ng\u0101ti Apa North Island deciding whether they wish to purchase the half share of the land under the prison or the forest. The value of the assets transferred in this on-account settlement will be taken into account when the Crown makes an offer of redress for the final settlement of the iwi historical claims. The transfer of these properties is closely linked to provisions in the Ng\u0101ti Apa bill to transfer the land under the prison and the southern part of the forest. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EI propose that this bill be progressed through its stages as a companion measure to the Ng\u0101ti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill we have just dealt with in order for the bills to receive Royal assent on or close to the same date. I thank the members of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee for their excellent work. The hearings were held in Marton on the same day as the Ng\u0101ti Apa bill at Turakina M\u0101ori Girls College. The committee has examined the bill and there are a couple of minor technical changes reflecting the name. I want to thank Mr Henare and his team for the excellent work they did, and I want to thank members of the working party for their work in reaching this on-account settlement in such short time frames. Once again, I thank the committee for their work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022 data-id=\u00227adb79ae2dc0475b83e21924002d11dd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227adb79ae2dc0475b83e21924002d11dd\u0022\u003ECHRIS TREMAIN (Senior Whip\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E We have made good progress today, and I seek leave for the House to rise early.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226931a31a0dfb4f25a37220855c3e1a5c\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought for the House to rise early. Is there any objection? There is no objection. I think members have saved 30 seconds.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2010061792e18328cab74a2ca443ce57430deaca000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 5.59 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"