"\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=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a762bf1553134c0490e41c33ecdd8860\u0022\u003EWednesday, 21 July 2010\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229f9ad63c72b245ef96b265578786bb9c\u0022\u003EWednesday, 21 July 2010\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000002\u0022\u003EMr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00226d93f4b66518493f8430f60483259e59\u0022\u003EQuestions for Oral Answer\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c74f2ced5ccc45fba8011d2f90d1a180\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f154fefbcc664058aaa7e75cf187e658\u0022\u003EForeshore and Seabed Act Review\u2014Iwi Ownership\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022 data-id=\u00222cfd794b337b4b94adf186f15db8db69\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222cfd794b337b4b94adf186f15db8db69\u0022\u003EDAVID GARRETT (ACT)\u003C/span\u003E to the Attorney-General: Further to the Prime Minister\u2019s answer to oral question No. 3 yesterday, what are \u201Cthe concerns that New Zealanders had about solely having Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed\u201D, and how does the Government\u2019s proposal to legislate for iwi ownership of the foreshore and seabed alleviate these concerns?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u00226bb293544e0244368ce8079e29125816\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226bb293544e0244368ce8079e29125816\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General):\u003C/span\u003E Many concerns have been raised\u2014for example, that the Foreshore and Seabed Act violates property rights, the rule of law, citizens\u2019 right to go to the courts for justice, and the principle of having one law for all. These were the concerns raised by, among others, the then ACT Party leader Richard Prebble in 2004, when his party opposed the current legislation. Mr Prebble also prophesied that the Act would do great and lasting damage to racial harmony. The Government\u2019s proposal protects property rights and removes the discriminatory elements of the current Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225147fee5493b4ca587f3f57ca0c9a770\u0022\u003EDavid Garrett\u003C/span\u003E: Will the proposed legislation weaken the test in section 50 of the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, which requires, in order for customary title to be granted, uses or practices to have been carried on since 1840 that are integral to tikanga M\u0101ori; if so, in what way will the test for customary title be weakened?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1565cd21a1342548ce47ff66293e52e\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: The overarching test will be exclusive use and occupation, without substantial interruption. The test has some emphasis on tikanga M\u0101ori. I do not believe that the overall changes will be very great, at all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa66f87df7c244a7926698a73d5b0f08\u0022\u003EHon Jim Anderton\u003C/span\u003E: Does the loss of sole Crown title of the foreshore and seabed in any way reduce the rights of any New Zealander in relation to the foreshore and seabed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f9e7c0347cd84d89866e4bbf37f2751e\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d7a86f8f28e49fdbe130de0591bd97d\u0022\u003EDavid Garrett\u003C/span\u003E: Does he agree with the Prime Minister when he said yesterday in relation to the foreshore and seabed: \u201CWe are not giving it away.\u201D; if so, what will iwi have to pay for the 10 percent of the foreshore and seabed that he estimates they will get?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f572ab205f034f8ea053ea017521495b\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227e88c58d5835430e9519cd1f8b33fa5d\u0022\u003EHon Jim Anderton\u003C/span\u003E: If the loss of sole Crown title of the foreshore and seabed is not going to reduce the rights of any New Zealander in relation to it, why is the National Government doing it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214fb91153410469a835df12ce9fe2ee9\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: I gave the answer to that in my answer to the primary question. It is because there was substantial concern among a significant section of the public that the 2004 Act is discriminatory. It removed the right of access to justice for a significant percentage of New Zealanders, and it removed uninvestigated customary title, and those matters needed to be addressed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022717addeb752041269b9c89961a096341\u0022\u003EHon Jim Anderton\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister think that New Zealanders are more concerned about Crown ownership of the entire Northland coastline, from Maunganui to the North Cape and down to Hokianga, or more concerned about Professor Margaret Mutu\u2019s statement: \u201Cwe own it\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f6c3b4fe2597465ebb50db7d42988a64\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: I think that most New Zealanders are very concerned about ensuring that a significant percentage of the New Zealand population has access to justice and has the right to at least be able to try to prove their case in court. That is what this legislation change is all about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d3b83c089665422bb1c5da80dee3f62c\u0022\u003EHon John Key\u003C/span\u003E: Did Michael Cullen\u2019s submission on behalf of the Labour Party contain most of the changes recommended under the proposed new foreshore and seabed legislation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e813bc0bd234c79b4a3dfdb26b56ec1\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am not sure whether the Minister has responsibility for Michael Cullen\u2019s submission. The Prime Minister may reword his question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282f545477fc34d0b8dc89cf087d35c89\u0022\u003EHon John Key\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has the Attorney-General received about Labour\u2019s submission by Michael Cullen about proposed changes to the foreshore and seabed legislation, and do they look a lot like the changes that the National Government is proposing?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002284a7f0a6a1504b55b9a4beb6c531af3d\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: I have received very, very positive reports indeed. Dr Cullen\u2019s contribution was extremely positive, and many of the proposals that he suggested have indeed been incorporated, because they go a long way towards alleviating the problems caused by the Stalinist Act introduced by the previous Labour Government. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223ad31013d82a41859cb42e518d0ce950\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I say to the Hon Trevor Mallard and the Hon David Cunliffe that I have been on my feet for some time now. OK, a little bit of noise is fair enough, but it cannot go on indefinitely. When I get to my feet it will stop, and members will not call other members hypocrites.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00226d3556571fc04358ab798f99b9c0c3c8\u0022\u003EMining in Conservation Areas\u2014Prime Minister\u2019s Intentions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022 data-id=\u002275e12c9b12e94e129b4d07adf83d6912\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002275e12c9b12e94e129b4d07adf83d6912\u0022\u003EHon PHIL GOFF (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: When he told Parliament in February that \u201Cthe Government will also be looking at regulations that may be preventing natural resources being used most productively\u201D and that it would \u201Cmake significant changes to schedule 4\u201D, was his intention to allow mining in national parks and protected areas?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022 data-id=\u0022cade87cacdb44e599dadd7db36891177\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cade87cacdb44e599dadd7db36891177\u0022\u003EHon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Our intention was to explore the possibilities in this area and to see whether they were economically valuable, could be achieved in an environmentally sustainable way, and would be acceptable to the community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022575aec2c172c456589d7be0ba57ca607\u0022\u003EHon Phil Goff\u003C/span\u003E: When Gerry Brownlee came to him in 2009 with a proposal for a step change in the economy by allowing mining on national parks and in protected areas, did he encourage or discourage Mr Brownlee?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286aba71f97414125ba56327b1d84cc32\u0022\u003EHon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: I encouraged Mr Brownlee to go out there and ask New Zealanders whether it could fit within that environment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c2400b33261e43449fe16e21ada8e974\u0022\u003EHon Phil Goff\u003C/span\u003E: Is it not true that in his speech made the day before Mr Brownlee\u2019s Cabinet paper went to Cabinet, he told this Parliament that actually he intended to go out and mine those national parks and that is what his message really was?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022761e76e0ce17429bbb5fd9f68fcc4fa5\u0022\u003EHon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022634f7d6998cb45baa4c0ce450b557777\u0022\u003EHon Phil Goff\u003C/span\u003E: Why did the Prime Minister yesterday, and on many occasions, blame officials for the 10 February Cabinet paper that proposed mining in 467,000 hectares of national park land, when that Cabinet paper was signed by Gerry Brownlee and Kate Wilkinson, was promoted by both of them in Cabinet, and was supported by the Prime Minister himself?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002278776f732fce44b8bf9850dd5ec3bf95\u0022\u003EHon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: If that the member wants to talk about a Government that blames officials\u2014well, he was part of one for 9 years that won the world cup for the event!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ba3e954734f4a739e04a2238d55c028\u0022\u003EHon Phil Goff\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I can tell by your frown that you understand that it is out of\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222491d761cd3345b79c460a3b479f03df\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member knows he cannot seek a point of order and speak like that. I will hear his point of order, but he is lucky. Members should settle down a fraction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022302cdd91023146039bb6427852b482b0\u0022\u003EHon Phil Goff\u003C/span\u003E: You will be aware that there was no effort made in that answer to answer the specific question that was asked of the Prime Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236a4a67e04884f7b89b0c41628e17251\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Speaker is considering a point of order and there should be silence. Members know that\u2014especially senior members on both sides of the House. I believe that the Prime Minister did take a part of the question very much out of context in answering it, and made no attempt, therefore, to really answer the question. So I invite the Prime Minister to answer the question, rather than just take a part of it totally out of context.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f5b4d32e10f643d0b3e3d4315d636869\u0022\u003EHon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: It is not a matter of blaming officials; the paper was prepared by officials.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d01db5afc98243718deae634743afc18\u0022\u003EHon Phil Goff\u003C/span\u003E: Did the Prime Minister ever personally favour mining in the Paparoa National Park, the Coromandel, and Great Barrier Island?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b42872d312f340a193ef25b96f053cc4\u0022\u003EHon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: I favoured going through the process that we went through.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022df843a21b4d548b58c086ad127793f59\u0022\u003EHon Phil Goff\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Prime Minister still believe that mining in national parks, the initiatives in the Job Summit, the 2025 Taskforce, and plans to become an international financial service centre will achieve step change in the New Zealand economy and catch up with Australia, as he promised New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222299f3249084488d97f911244a397dc1\u0022\u003EHon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: No, I do not think mining in national parks will, because it will not be taking place. But many of the other things the member discussed are works in progress and will make a difference. But if the member wants to give me 10 minutes I am happy to list all the things the National Government has done to lift performance to take New Zealand out of the recession. They include\u2014and I can start if he wants\u2014reforming the labour laws, which will be going through this Parliament, cutting personal taxes instead of waiting for 9 years, reform of the Resource Management Act, dealing with the situation in Environment Canterbury\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224b31821f18e247f69044967bc8d25b82\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think the House has heard sufficient of that answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220471f0de8cf94a50ae6eebb2f24472a2\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I know that members are not allowed to interject when you are on your feet but I think two members clapped the Prime Minister when you were. Is that allowed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a82a1de8d118424c886b613c09259140\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think the honourable member should just reflect back on his own behaviour in the last 5 minutes, before he raises points of order about what people do while the Speaker is on his feet. We will not say any more.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f9d174efa3954297a97698f63adf4cab\u0022\u003EEconomic Growth\u2014Progress\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022 data-id=\u0022e590ddd2812a41a695f5896e65e00b21\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e590ddd2812a41a695f5896e65e00b21\u0022\u003EAMY ADAMS (National\u2014Selwyn)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What progress is the Government making in getting the economy growing and helping Kiwi families get ahead?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u0022fe67033908064d90932a3936b1d290b0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fe67033908064d90932a3936b1d290b0\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Very significant progress. The Government is working to get this economy on its feet, because the previous Government ran it into recession in early 2008. Annual GDP growth is currently about 1.9 percent. The Government is putting in a range of policies to lift sustainable economic growth, such as infrastructure investment, new trade deals, science and innovation investment, plans for broadband, very significant tax reform, and sweeping regulatory reform\u2014all of which will help create new jobs and raise New Zealanders\u2019 living standards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da480286e3404eb3906d634186365b10\u0022\u003EAmy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: What recent reports has he received on trends in consumer prices faced by Kiwi families?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002269d8b07e629741abbd6238a597e1b600\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The latest CPI showed consumer prices rose 0.3 percent in the June quarter, mostly due to tobacco price increases, with annual inflation to the end of June of 1.8 percent. Food prices actually fell 2 percent, which was the largest fall since 1960. Electricity prices increased 2.9 percent in the year ended May, and floating home mortgage interest rates are still at near-historic lows, at around 6 percent. These are well below what consumers faced 2 years ago. There will be some one-off price increases in the next few months, such as a GST increase in October, for which beneficiaries, superannuitants, and Working for Families recipients will be fully compensated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ae465d3ad88347659eed4002c155345f\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: When he said he was \u201Chelping Kiwis get ahead\u201D, was he referring to the latest Dun and Bradstreet Consumer Credit Expectations Survey, which shows that 36 percent of New Zealand households are having to use credit cards to pay the bills for everyday expenses?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ee0f3ef446048f4937fa6b2ada10d47\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I think the figures show that New Zealand households are learning that they need to be very careful about debt. This country has a huge appetite for debt. At the moment New Zealanders are being careful with their spending; they are tending to reduce debt. The good news is that export prices and performance are up. That is the rebalancing the economy needs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a25340341a7241a1b46ea9ebc5341093\u0022\u003EAmy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: How will the Government\u2019s tax changes in October benefit some of those most in need?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da8f4b2794454878af55513d291db82b\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The tax package will leave someone on the average wage about $15 a week better off, and an average family $25 a week better off. For superannuitants the news is even better. The married rate for a couple on New Zealand superannuation has increased by about $100 a fortnight since late 2008\u2014an increase of more than 11 percent. The married rate for New Zealand superannuation will increase by another $40 a fortnight from 1 October, reflecting the impact of personal income tax cuts and an adjustment to compensate for the GST rate increase. This will take the married rate to $1,022.12 a fortnight\u2014up by $140 dollars in just 2 years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022103829cfc3424479a28c0a3804f8afbe\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: Which of the following does the Minister consider to be his Government\u2019s greatest achievement in helping Kiwis get ahead: achieving 5.9 percent inflation by pushing up the rate of GST from 1 October; promising a step change by excavating national parks, then burying the idea; attacking working conditions through the fire-at-will bill; cutting science funding and the research and development tax credits to strangle innovation; or proclaiming the perfection of his own Government\u2019s monetary policy when it is crippling exporters?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec309fe679a7449c94f93ca25688c8ac\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: Our most significant achievement was to grab this economy by the scruff of the neck after the previous Government had run it down while the rest of the world enjoyed a decade of prosperity. We protected New Zealanders from the sharpest edges of the recession, and now we are putting this economy back on its feet. One personal achievement of mine was to show up to \u201CMood of the Boardroom\u201D\u2014which that member mysteriously failed to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220fdca7ca58c64da182e0147e9337489f\u0022\u003EAmy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: How do the most recent trends in consumer prices compare with those that consumers faced in 2008?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bae257d6417f4c48a4db2bd6ed592ef5\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: Just about every measure has improved significantly since 2008. In the few years running up to 2008, inflation peaked at 5.1 percent in the year ended September 2008, with no compensation; electricity prices increased by 72 percent in the 9 years ended 2008; the price of petrol reached $2.11 for 1 litre of 91 octane, and it is now about $1.75; Labour put in place an emissions trading scheme that would have doubled the cost on households; and the official cash rate was at its peak of 8.25 percent and floating mortgage rates were almost 11 percent. New Zealand\u2019s hard-working families are much better off now than in 2008.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002287bf2ed7bd424219951bfb778276d577\u0022\u003EEconomic Development, Minister\u2014Cabinet Papers Submitted in Last 6 Months\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u0022fa7219730c31493fafe4fc7d5fb719d1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fa7219730c31493fafe4fc7d5fb719d1\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Economic Development: How many Cabinet papers has he in his capacity as Minister for Economic Development submitted to Cabinet during the last 6 months which were not related to mining?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00222c225871d5b64602a56458896f246b33\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222c225871d5b64602a56458896f246b33\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E I am surprised this question got through, because it should have been clear that the Minister for Economic Development never takes Cabinet papers related to mining to Cabinet. The member should have asked that question of the Minister of Energy and Resources. In my capacity as Minister for Economic Development I have submitted 14 papers to Cabinet in the last 6 months, because\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb31be01b6404004ac0ed5bf83533bff\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: None as Minister for Economic Development.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002293169bfc52e94230994b3d038e397025\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014all as Minister for Economic Development, my friend\u2014unlike the other side of the House I am not fixated on mining.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002268651a9352e444168d8d178ecdd1c434\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: What new moves has he as Minister for Economic Development proposed to fill the hole left by his mining blunder, given that John Key said in December last year that members will see a lot of economic development moves by this Government in 2010?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002213a768d27ead4036ad8563bb3140c760\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I totally reject the concept of it being a blunder. The mining industry will grow in this country. Further, I could list work related to the wine industry, the food and beverage industry, the leveraging programme from the Rugby World Cup, the output class of training through New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the realignment of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise\u2019s grant scheme, the aquaculture industry, the various missions that we are running into China this year, the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund, the Square Kilometre Array\u2014it goes on and on. We are a very active, economically focused Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002219aaffd0232048c597d1b0cb258d4db3\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: How many oral questions in his capacity as Minister for Economic Development has he been asked by the Opposition in the last 12 months? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb02bcd46bcf473bba78f656c9e6d10a\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: That is a most excellent question. I can say that I have been asked one, and the question from the member opposite now makes it two. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022881abeb850e540f294ace02f339975f4\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am not sure that the Minister is responsible for questions an Opposition might ask, and I was a bit remiss, I think, in allowing the question, but never mind. I apologise to the Hon David Parker for that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022522d1e58b18d483fa3463f85ea741f94\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister agree with commentators that his inept mining moves from a step change to a giant U-turn show that he has no credible plan to bridge the gap between New Zealand and Australia, which had stabilised under Labour but, contrary to National\u2019s election promise, is now growing wider and wider? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e6fe45c75eb64f779a39be86a8ce2f0a\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: It is fascinating that the member should say the New Zealand economy had stabilised against Australia\u2019s, when for the last 5 years of the previous Government our export receipts went into the negative, year after year after year. The current Government has a clear programme to grow many sectors of the New Zealand economy, and if time allowed, and the member asked one more question, I would give him a very good example. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224be62b22651a47b7b19d50a07389ed0e\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I am happy to give that opportunity. Has he presented any Cabinet paper on any specific measure to develop New Zealand into an Asia-Pacific hub for financial services? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210b4fb6315e94853b26855057bd68c0c\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: That is a matter being considered by Ministers at the moment. In due course\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221328f550c39d468d9089c3b1e9703bb2\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Ha, ha!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f7f34f1b31604a05841e55a247330775\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Well, we have been the Government for about 20 months, and one of the things we have done is find $21 million to fund a programme that the previous Labour Government had on the books for 7 years and could not move. It is the Food Innovation Network New Zealand, and I quote Professor Ray Winger, who said it has been \u201Cfrustrating at times working with the Labour Government. These things are no-brainers, and they appear to have none themselves.\u201D He finally went on to say: \u201CThank God we\u2019ve finally got a Minister who can cut to the chase and get the job done.\u201D That Minister is me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a316038888e54e6c9a97fa86cd83693d\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: How much interest in Cabinet papers has he received from the Opposition in the last 12 months in his capacity as Minister for Economic Development?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a0f80603a8e4d7d91d3fcba4f56f543\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member must realise that the Minister has no responsibility for any activities by the Opposition. He may have reporting responsibilities, but he does not have any primary responsibilities. I invite the member to rephrase his question to bring it within the Standing Orders. Given that I allowed him to get away with the first one, which did not meet the Standing Orders, I cannot let him get away with this supplementary question. I invite him to reword it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b84b5aef32f84d368031269ec95791f0\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I know that it is unusual for me to assist a junior backbencher from the National Party, but he asked how many the Minister had received. The Minister is responsible for what he receives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a63e8fef118b42569e94dc5487072b01\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I will listen to the member\u2019s question again. If I got it wrong, I apologise. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b58729112c584d37a1bb47482321a8b8\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: How much interest in Cabinet papers has he received from the Opposition in the last 12 months in his capacity as Minister for Economic Development? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227f49bd7a48124411a2e80f3ac16aa373\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have to disagree with my learned colleague the Hon Trevor Mallard, because the question was not exactly as the member implied. It was as I thought. It referred to interest from the Opposition in those Cabinet papers, and the Minister has no responsibility for that. I will give the member a moment to reword his supplementary question, because I do not want him to lose it. If he is ready to ask it now, that is fine. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022135587fd06154823b99e7c278440ddce\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has he received of interest in Cabinet papers from the Opposition in the last 12 months in his capacity as Minister for Economic Development?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224923942ed7624892ad4e247cecfebaa6\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I am advised that until today there was none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022775be333062a4561b1a867a57eaf88f9\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: How can\u2014[Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250bfd8a022914e8a894a73033dd9a12f\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have called the honourable member\u2019s colleague.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226657a8ee1c7c44c0a3dfc1fc7bfd8cfc\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: How can his Government be expected to have any credibility on closing the gap with Australia, when he conceded at the select committee that the Government has no specific timing or targets by which it can be held accountable, and when it clearly has no credible plan?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002226da8467871a4b9fa34de916541fcb29\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I think that is a total misrepresentation of a very long dialogue that took place at the select committee. I suggest to the member that by establishing in 20 months an economic growth agenda for New Zealand we are making a great deal more progress than the previous Government did, which took the economy backwards for the last 5 years of its term.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220d4ba0d3379044989e4e4dec63094adf\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Question No. 5\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c2ac726a99c54be9ac866736c120ec52\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary question, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002225d40bf7142d46bfb3ce2723353e46f3\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I apologise. The member must be more on the ball than that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002285e587c88e724f46a127af22a7956fd7\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: What are the targets and timing for closing the gap with Australia?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220def7c91d2614860b0d4a1ce701fdaf3\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: We have made no secret of the fact that we see it as an aspirational goal to reach\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0ace75c4f9d4f269cbd28a7bd181b27\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Oh!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dd56beba7e8e4d89a05831ce42b88c4a\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Well, he asked for timing, and I am about to give it. It is an aspirational goal to reach Australia\u2019s GDP income per capita by 2025. That has been well articulated by numerous National Ministers and, indeed, the Prime Minister over a long period of time. I am sorry that the member has not been awake to hear it sooner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d12567d810974b40bbfd64d402030eeb\u0022\u003EGST\u2014Removal from Healthy Foods\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022 data-id=\u002263501e07017f4e60a8c111c0a7d82691\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002263501e07017f4e60a8c111c0a7d82691\u0022\u003ERAHUI KATENE (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Te Tai Tonga)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Revenue: How was he able to make any estimate of the cost of taking GST off healthy foods when in his view defining what those healthy foods are is a real problem?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f555a23a-d230-4f03-80ba-a44e6ec8bd29\u0022 data-id=\u00227d872931e5074059aa65f0572f300fe5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f555a23a-d230-4f03-80ba-a44e6ec8bd29\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227d872931e5074059aa65f0572f300fe5\u0022\u003EHon PETER DUNNE (Minister of Revenue):\u003C/span\u003E On the face of it the member\u2019s question may appear reasonable, except that I did not make any such estimate. The estimate that I made was of the cost of removing GST from fresh fruit and vegetables, which is a lesser figure. That estimate was made on the basis of figures used by Statistics New Zealand in calculating the rising costs of those items in the Consumers Price Index.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c8e5f851a864093961daded24faf469\u0022\u003ERahui Katene\u003C/span\u003E: Has he read my bill, which defines \u201Chealthy foods\u201D as including fruit and vegetables, breads and cereals, milk products but not cream, lean meats, and legumes; if so, does he still stand by his statement that taking the GST off healthy foods is not viable, due to the problem of defining healthy foods?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f555a23a-d230-4f03-80ba-a44e6ec8bd29\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002240723d2ff59a4bab9a9910fa88d6f7fe\u0022\u003EHon PETER DUNNE\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and yes. The reality of the member\u2019s bill is that it introduces a number of terms that will be difficult to quantify in practice. For example, what is \u201Clean meat\u201D as opposed to \u201Cnon - lean meat\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281955b0042994a068d55601ece82f607\u0022\u003ERahui Katene\u003C/span\u003E: What analysis have his officials undertaken of the computerised model introduced in December 2009 by the Australian Taxation Office, and does he agree that such a model makes GST food and beverage compliance extremely easy to manage; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f555a23a-d230-4f03-80ba-a44e6ec8bd29\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229073566236d64c50b10fe93ae8e2cb2a\u0022\u003EHon PETER DUNNE\u003C/span\u003E: The Inland Revenue Department has not spent a great deal of time analysing the ways in which other countries remove certain items from the GST net, simply because it is not New Zealand\u2019s policy to have a non-universal GST. When one looks at the experiences of defining some of these items in the Australian and the British context, one sees that we would be extremely unwise to follow suit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d58f8975c4be462d916e5e351e73595e\u0022\u003EHon Phil Goff\u003C/span\u003E: Why is the Minister prepared to push up taxes and prices on goods that the Government does not want people to consume, like tobacco, but not prepared to drop taxes and therefore prices on healthy foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, when recent studies prove that this action leads to higher consumption of things that are good for people and is a very effective means of addressing the big obesity problem in New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f555a23a-d230-4f03-80ba-a44e6ec8bd29\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c6e36a273b3c45af939752b9c02daa4d\u0022\u003EHon PETER DUNNE\u003C/span\u003E: The answer is very simple: the products the member refers to are not easily defined. \u201CHealthy foods\u201D, \u201Cfresh fruit and vegetables\u201D, or whatever other terminologies members choose to apply are very imprecise and difficult to categorise, and simply make for ineffective law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ae9be9bb79ef4985a120f1694aaa1f90\u0022\u003EEmployment, 90-day Trial Period\u2014Dismissal Process\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022d5d33aff35e340a7922b2a05b51a55a9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d5d33aff35e340a7922b2a05b51a55a9\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Labour: Was it the Government\u2019s intention when it introduced the 90-day employment scheme that the usual requirement to communicate the reasons for dismissal in writing to the employee after they are dismissed does not apply when an employee has been dismissed during their trial period?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u00228430ccbb443745ff815d2614cd29284b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228430ccbb443745ff815d2614cd29284b\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Firstly, I thank the member for the endorsement that the 90-day trial is actually an employment scheme. But in answer to the question, yes, there is a very narrow exemption from the requirement under section 120 of the Employment Relations Act to provide a written statement requested within the 60-day and 14-day requirement, but we have made it very clear that this does not affect the good-faith requirements to be communicative and responsive. In practice, we expect that fair and reasonable employers will tell employees why a job did not work out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2017d3ff55346169d00729491711fba\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Was it her intention, when introducing the 90-day provision, that an employer would have no obligation to supply a reason for dismissal to an employee or former employee?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d2ca32f8708407cb96adf0e8c3d3887\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: It was our expectation that a fair and reasonable employer will tell employees why a job did not work out. The intent of the policy was that employers did not have to go through the legal rigmarole of providing formal written decisions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f724d61c88ef4e69ae3be4a87a8d83e9\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Is she satisfied that the legal change she made has met her intention as she expressed it in the first part of her last supplementary answer?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022209949060eb1459e809d78e808570ed1\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: I am satisfied that the law is working very well. We have had it in place since March 2009, and the sky has not fallen in.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb2279f5d9a14a5991a13cbc8988c08c\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is a relatively simple one. It was a very careful question about an answer to a supplementary question, asking whether the Minister\u2019s intention had been fulfilled by the law, not whether the law was working generally well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221f66de9bf40e49ff94cfd6dca28c0c54\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: She said yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cdc41332f00f4c54a058d3506e4dd889\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: No, she did not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224886ab0dd2fe49e79214ea7b332ead16\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Members should not interject while the Speaker is considering a point of order. If I remember correctly, the member asked whether the Minister is satisfied that certain things took place. I understood from the Minister\u2019s answer that she said yes to that. She may not have said exactly \u201Cyes\u201D, but her answer gave that indication.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220c88de5f6c354bfea96d6024c5f1db94\u0022\u003EDavid Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: What was the Government\u2019s intention when introducing the 90-day trial period, and has it been achieved?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002229ccd728b0ba4c09b86891b1cb7a17f9\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: The Government intended to create opportunities for New Zealanders to get into jobs, and the evidence indicates that the trial period is delivering jobs. That is why we are moving to extend the trial period to all workplaces.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228e1ba784b8a54c7da360f0b98d8c1d89\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Was it her intention, when introducing the 90-day provision, that a successful claim of unjustified termination would not be able to secure either reinstatement or compensation for the loss of employment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002266aa3d1b4ab3445691fa023afd90aff9\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: It was the intention in relation to the 90-day trial that a fair and reasonable employer will tell employees why a job did not work out. It was there to create opportunities for new employees to get their foot in the employment market. If the employment relationship did not work out, then it could be terminated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cfb34ff2a49444fcb735da62261868f4\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Again, it was a very careful and very specific question, which went to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a6fa2b40a894e738c94eb7e3836c98b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: To save the time of the House, I invite the member to repeat his question, because it was quite a specific question in respect of claims of unjustified dismissal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7fe29976528427cbe9cbf2a156eb500\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Was it her intention, when introducing the 90-day provision, that a successful claim of unjustified termination would not be able to secure either reinstatement or compensation for the loss of employment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e8ac49c8115444ea6c236fdb5e55576\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: It was the intention of the trial period that it restricts the taking of an unfair dismissal case only in the first 90 days.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ace7b708dda149f789e4c6bab8001ac0\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question went to the issue that if there was a successful claim of unjustified termination, an employee would not be able to secure either reinstatement or compensation for loss of employment. The question was not about when a claim could be taken, which was what the Minister answered about. It was a question about whether an employee could get compensation or reinstatement in the 90 days.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8b71f8503c44406a3452ae6bfe712d3\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: As I understood the Minister\u2019s answer, she implied that an issue of unjustified termination could not arise in the 90 days. I understood that that was the intention. If I have misinterpreted the Minister I invite her to correct me, but that was my understanding of the answer. I believe it answered the member\u2019s question, because it pointed out that that could not occur during the first 90 days of the trial period.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb38d35c221a44999d37643502ee70af\u0022\u003EDavid Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: What other reports has the Minister seen on how the 90-day trial period may apply?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002276b8a33474424dc19cf69ae1d81680e1\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: Yesterday I saw a statement from Phil Twyford that \u201C6000 employees could be subjected to the 90 day period at the stroke of a pen\u201D. However, as an Auckland member he should know that section 108 of the Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Act 2010 makes it clear that all employees who take jobs with the Auckland Council or any related agency are to be considered for the purpose of any statute as having continuous employment. Those employees would not be able to enter into a trial period. I suggest that the member might have more luck in getting an electorate if he actually read the legislation he was protesting against.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a368d19447a3405583bb5120bc9ed984\u0022\u003ESchools\u2014Public-private Partnerships\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022749d97b8-a772-4227-83da-b5e264c37bc0\u0022 data-id=\u002216435f55033c47a99ceb5ec3ffa463e2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022749d97b8-a772-4227-83da-b5e264c37bc0\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002216435f55033c47a99ceb5ec3ffa463e2\u0022\u003EALLAN PEACHEY (National\u2014T\u0101maki)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Infrastructure: What progress is the Government making with its multibillion-dollar infrastructure programme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u0022e4c38ff9db524f85991eb0c7e5e3507d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e4c38ff9db524f85991eb0c7e5e3507d\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Minister for Infrastructure):\u003C/span\u003E Good progress, while supporting thousands of jobs across New Zealand and helping the economy to grow faster. Today the Government announced that it would take the next steps towards a public-private partnership for building and maintaining some new schools. If the proposal proceeds, the school land would be owned by the Government, and the boards of trustees would remain wholly in charge of the governance and day-to-day running of the schools. Officials will now prepare a stage two business case, which will include a decision on specific schools. The tender process could start early next year, subject to Cabinet approval.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022749d97b8-a772-4227-83da-b5e264c37bc0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1fe4ed1288c4dc1b138e5b664e1f767\u0022\u003EAllan Peachey\u003C/span\u003E: Why is the Government considering public-private partnerships for building and maintaining some new schools?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227de1dea49f754f1eaef8ddf8ba1f6757\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The Government manages over $200 billion worth of assets on behalf of the taxpayer, and we are willing to make use of any tool that will help us to do that. Public-private partnerships are proven internationally as a tool that can make a positive difference to the use of taxpayers\u2019 assets. In April the Government announced that it intends to commission a new prison at Wiri, to be built and operated under a public-private partnership. Post-implementation reviews of public-private partnerships overseas have found that often there is better financial risk management and better operational risk management, and, in the case of schools, sometimes higher educational achievement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022749d97b8-a772-4227-83da-b5e264c37bc0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dc2fbe5e9aae4773b50097bfe4a77ee8\u0022\u003EAllan Peachey\u003C/span\u003E: What are the benefits of public-private partnership - type procurement of school property?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239fec66462db4371b89dbc625284257b\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: It hides the Government\u2019s deficit!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa37b27373ac46ee8f3ebffd1ad433b1\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: Actually, it does not, because the public-private partnerships stay on the Government\u2019s books, and the member would know that if he knew what he was talking about. The main benefit is that\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002224a3968d6b3245a18042352cbaa99dba\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: No, you have to borrow less money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e938fd3e52d4fde88af12a47c768678\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Speaker does not borrow any money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e9d983828f474c69ba2c9cb42470e6f2\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The member should do his homework; it stays on the Government\u2019s books. The main benefit is that, potentially, principals and boards of trustees can get on with teaching without worrying about maintaining school property. But the Government is progressing cautiously in this area. The second-stage business case will be an opportunity to ascertain just what benefits there would be to principals and boards of trustees, as well as what benefits there might be to the Government and, ultimately, of course, to the New Zealand children who are educated in these schools.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022aae2230f33bb4dc4a46a914a30d14b2c\u0022\u003EMining in Conservation Areas\u2014Removal of Land from Schedule 4\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d4506109-be18-4b9d-9a79-1e15e2e2cd41\u0022 data-id=\u0022d345ba8fdd9e4f5a891a93fd8ca996f1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d4506109-be18-4b9d-9a79-1e15e2e2cd41\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d345ba8fdd9e4f5a891a93fd8ca996f1\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS CARTER (Labour\u2014Te Atat\u016B)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Conservation: Why did she sign off on a Cabinet paper which proposed removing 467,517 hectares of land from schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u00227b1d21f0b43c41c4a9cfb00d2571805d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227b1d21f0b43c41c4a9cfb00d2571805d\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Conservation):\u003C/span\u003E After a stocktake of schedule 4, officials recommended this figure. At the time, the Minister of Energy and Resources and I were satisfied with the recommendation as an initial basis for discussion at Cabinet. As the member knows, Cabinet subsequently reduced the proposal to a net total of 5,000 hectares from schedule 4, and finally decided to remove nothing from schedule 4 and to add 12,400 hectares.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d4506109-be18-4b9d-9a79-1e15e2e2cd41\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224490bc446be743afa87a2d1392c7eab9\u0022\u003EHon Chris Carter\u003C/span\u003E: How does she reconcile her support for the removal of over 5,000 hectares of land from schedule 4 protection with her statutory obligation under the Conservation Act to act as an advocate for the protection of New Zealand\u2019s unique natural heritage?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220335550bc10a44b5a67ed860eff46147\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: Quite easily.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed4217366106434cb0e71d3bff253c46\u0022\u003ENicky Wagner\u003C/span\u003E: What additional protections for conservation land have been agreed on by the Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4595b2e52544c7a9099bc0ac07abb36\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: All land added to certain classes of protected areas will now be automatically added to schedule 4 without the need for a separate process. We will also require that significant applications to mine on public land are to be publicly notified. This was an issue that emerged from the submissions process, which shows that we were listening. This process has led to some significant gains.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d4506109-be18-4b9d-9a79-1e15e2e2cd41\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a404318c88464b62a974934a4fcb5fee\u0022\u003EHon Chris Carter\u003C/span\u003E: How does she reconcile quite easily her support for the removal of over 5,000 hectares of land from schedule 4 protection with her statutory obligation under the Conservation Act to act as an advocate for the protection of New Zealand\u2019s unique natural heritage?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c3c68d3577048a3838f5a0e6e2318e7\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: I have always said that I was happy to have a discussion paper\u2014it was always a discussion paper, not a decision paper\u2014happy to go out to the public for feedback, and then happy to listen to that feedback.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d4506109-be18-4b9d-9a79-1e15e2e2cd41\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210e8f4c19ed844658300e6a014aa0be7\u0022\u003EHon Chris Carter\u003C/span\u003E: Why did not she, as the Minister of Conservation, approach John Key to scrap the Government\u2019s mining plans on protected schedule 4 land, rather than leaving it to Gerry Brownlee to do so, as Mr Key told us happened yesterday?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222f25e3388af64cbab09dc62c1d4e2224\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: I think the member is making some misguided assumptions. There were many, many discussions with Cabinet Ministers and members about the submission process, the discussion paper, and the public feedback that followed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00225d57a52b514d4aeba570649682308ef7\u0022\u003ESchools\u2014Ultra-fast Broadband\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u002223b18cc0bdb64c468a17aeb897b7ca57\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002223b18cc0bdb64c468a17aeb897b7ca57\u0022\u003ELOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: What recent announcements has the Government made to get schools ready for ultra-fast broadband?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u00224a20853a33344878a00e4fd461d0f0c8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224a20853a33344878a00e4fd461d0f0c8\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E At the end of last month, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology and I announced the names of the next 239 schools to receive Government-subsidised network upgrades in preparation for ultra-fast broadband. These upgrades are being funded by the $37.5 million that the Government invested into making schools broadband-ready in Budget 2010.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022077559292b034e138e8ec05cb05f5f11\u0022\u003ELouise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: How many schools has the Government offered upgrades to in total?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f0cb9e6fbb64c5da6f70fc24785e1a2\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: With the addition of the 239 schools whose names were announced last month, this Government has offered upgrades to 353 schools. That is huge progress over 21 months in the first term of this National-led Government. It also compares favourably with the previous Government, which took from 2003 until 2008 to upgrade 259 schools. I look forward to making further announcements about upgrades again next year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229736bfad2f5f4c1f842145b620fb1e2e\u0022\u003EEmployment, Sick Leave Policy Changes\u2014Minister\u2019s Statements\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022 data-id=\u00225e4a124dec304aa6900744282460c7e8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225e4a124dec304aa6900744282460c7e8\u0022\u003EDARIEN FENTON (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Labour: Does she stand by her statements that concerns raised about the Government\u2019s proposed changes to sick leave policy are \u201Cridiculous\u201D and \u201Claughable\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u002216a1d05492024a1b837af0a55fb79ebd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002216a1d05492024a1b837af0a55fb79ebd\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Absolutely. I believe that the specific comments I referred to as being ridiculous and laughable came from the Council of Trade Unions, which stated that health care costs would escalate, and from the Green Party, which stated that everyone would get pulled out of bed when they were sick. Those statements are ridiculous and laughable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e889324e2e2b4d7ea55fe77e5b12d6b6\u0022\u003EDarien Fenton\u003C/span\u003E: Has she told her Cabinet colleague Peter Dunne that his concerns that this policy is unworkable are ridiculous and laughable?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b2de5ade61094591987e0b9b98c17a9f\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: We do not intend to create legislation that is unworkable and, actually, the discussion that is going on at the moment is very, very helpful. But perhaps I can assist the member, because not all of the comments have been critical. Today\u2019s Press editorial describes the proposal as being \u201Ceminently sensible and worthwhile\u201D, and then it goes on to state: \u201CThe measure is clearly aimed at those employees, known at practically every workplace, who consistently take days off, allegedly for sickness but in fact for what is strongly suspected to be no genuine reason. For some, these days of \u2018sickness\u2019 often happen to fall on Fridays or Mondays.\u201D This is really just being practical and clarifying the law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002253047b2d7e04450fabe28d8515fd7d2e\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: Why is she changing the law to account for what she has just said about people who persistently take off a Monday or Friday, when the present law already enables employers to require a medical certificate for a 1-day absence if the employer has \u201Creasonable grounds to suspect that the sick leave being taken by the employee is not genuine\u201D; surely that applies to people who persistently take off Mondays and Fridays?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228827950ee048438da6b81927f7ab1df2\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: This is a small suggested change that merely simplifies the current law. It might not get used much at all, but it is there if required by the employer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b85fa7bd8c8e42e486edba539193223a\u0022\u003EDarien Fenton\u003C/span\u003E: Does she stand by her statement that \u201CUltimately, the employer must make arrangements to pay for the doctor\u2019s visit. No one is going to go to those lengths for the sake of it.\u201D; if so, what is the point of this unworkable policy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e681427b8a042268a53a56394cd831c\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: Yes I do stand by those comments. The point of the policy to give an extra tool in the tool kit of employers in cases where an employee is taking, or suspected to be taking, a sickie. Whether it is used will be remain to be seen, and whether it is workable I am sure will be subject to careful select committee scrutiny.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b319847286b43bc944d3b28546e1b1a\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: How does requiring employees to drag themselves off to a doctor for a 1-day migraine or stomach bug improve the health outcomes for those particular workers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9182341176f446d9073f0a13e0edd4f\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: The proposal does not mention that at all, and does not actually require that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022abe74e06783f4ac0a6f629e7c917bbee\u0022\u003EDarien Fenton\u003C/span\u003E: Given that the Minister has already confirmed today that employers are already able to require proof of sickness or injury within 3 days if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that the sick leave is not genuine, is the change this Government is proposing to allow employers to require proof on unreasonable grounds?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222503e6c3b8b6407ebb4ec8793d19320d\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: No; we do not insist on unreasonable grounds for anything. Employment law should be based on what is reasonable and what is fair to both the employer and employee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022bf8158e55c61457183db99823b1a1862\u0022\u003ECanterbury Water Management\u2014Hurunui\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022 data-id=\u0022d056ab1b0d0e40ebb9e42b214ba3b6e3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d056ab1b0d0e40ebb9e42b214ba3b6e3\u0022\u003ECOLIN KING (National\u2014Kaik\u014Dura)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for the Environment: What will be the implications for the applications for the Hurunui water project, the Hurunui water conservation order, and the Hurunui River plan of the proposal by commissioners to impose a moratorium on water takes under the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act 2010?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u00227f92bbf3dd4341ee9d11b94c674bb1fe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227f92bbf3dd4341ee9d11b94c674bb1fe\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment):\u003C/span\u003E The commissioners\u2019 rationale is that advancing the massive $300 million Hurunui water project ahead of finalising a plan for the river and before decisions on the proposed water conservation order amounts to putting the cart before the horse. They also want to give the new Hurunui Zone Committee, under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, the opportunity to develop a balanced approach to the development of the Hurunui. I have approved the proposal as it provides a window of opportunity to provide for a far more sensible approach to water management in Canterbury.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022544b025d155f4183907671ccbd5d716d\u0022\u003EColin King\u003C/span\u003E: How has the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act enabled a better process for managing the Hurunui River?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c91273b0f09944d3891103b5fcfcea25\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Firstly, the powers for a moratorium do not exist in the Resource Management Act, so the steps today are possible only because of the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act. Secondly, the purpose of the moratorium is to enable a comprehensive plan to be put in place for the Hurunui ahead of major consents being considered. This would take many years under the existing Resource Management Act. But the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act enables that plan to be brought together quickly so that we are not unrealistically deferring considerations of major consents. The third way the special legislation helps is that it aligns the processes of the water conservation orders on the Hurunui with the plan and the major consent. It is one river, and having the water conservation order being considered separately to the plan makes absolutely no sense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022643c623ab79c45189170f9f71571ee8d\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: Given that the already unsafe water quality of the lower Hurunui River now requiring a moratorium is paralleled by many other Canterbury rivers and streams, will he halt other new water schemes until tough new environmental rules are in place, or would that totally disrupt the Prime Minister\u2019s growth strategy and projects such as Synlait\u2019s Chinese takeover and Fonterra\u2019s new milk plant at Darfield?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228c4e69fca8f44ec6ae299441dab81aa8\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The Government is committed to balanced development of Canterbury\u2019s water resources, and that means resolving some of the environmental challenges that were totally neglected over the last decade, when not one step was taken to deal with any of the water issues in Canterbury. This has meant that this Government is having to take some of these steps. I find it ironic that the member is calling for a moratorium on other rivers when he campaigned and voted against the very legislation that enables a moratorium to be put in place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277c39a4b30834da2b9a5cbdf51fe3651\u0022\u003EColin King\u003C/span\u003E: How will this decision support the work of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy and the Hurunui Zone Committee approved last Friday by the commissioners?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214857d8184174fc8bb38947bc6923621\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: This decision breathes life into the Canterbury Water Management Strategy and the work of the zone committee, which has only just been approved by the commissioners. The moratorium enables that zone committee, under the strategy, to develop a balanced plan for the river without being gazumped by a massive scheme that was approved under a separate process. This Government is committed to developing the irrigation potential of the Hurunui River, but it wants to ensure that this is done in a careful and balanced way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002208fddefaf48b4410aa1077707c759966\u0022\u003EColin King\u003C/span\u003E: Was Russel Norman correct when he claimed that \u201Cwe mustn\u2019t forget that if the Government hadn\u2019t run roughshod over democracy with the ECan Act we might have a water conservation order on the Hurunui River by now.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239eccbcfc3704aa299cd18ead7b5524c\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223505065b4bf846ca8e2208ef564575e6\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think I can anticipate the honourable member\u2019s point of order. The Minister has no responsibility for a statement made by Dr Russel Norman. I will allow the member a chance to rephrase his question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022433a00c495934c2c9c5a656e00112272\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The member\u2019s question asked whether the claim was correct. I have responsibility for the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act, so I think it is perfectly proper for a member to ask whether a claim that is being made publicly is correct.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a24e4605c17f4e9eb9cdcf5314a07649\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It is if the member asking the question makes it very clear early on in the question that that is what the member is seeking. I invite Colin King to repeat his question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e1c30c3656448c49f6d1df31584c385\u0022\u003EColin King\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister read any reports claiming that we would already have a water conservation order on the Hurunui River if the Government had not run roughshod over the democratic process?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d3c179b406640fb96658a2956f2a8f0\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: No, the claim is totally incorrect. The water conservation orders under the Act\u2014and if the member opposite looked at the Act he would see this\u2014have the decisions made by the tribunal and by the Minister. The councillors of any regional council have absolutely no role in water conservation orders, and I think it is completely incompetent for members like Russel Norman, who makes all sorts of claims about water, to get such basic facts of law wrong.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c81bc7367cc9466c9ad6d024caae29d8\u0022\u003EMining in Conservation Areas\u2014Public Support\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281e8ca24-8b1d-4558-9ef9-c9418df2b3c0\u0022 data-id=\u0022fdd0a4ccda984745af071b64e4cb4038\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281e8ca24-8b1d-4558-9ef9-c9418df2b3c0\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fdd0a4ccda984745af071b64e4cb4038\u0022\u003EKEVIN HAGUE (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Can he confirm that, as reported on Radio New Zealand, the Government believes it has public support to expand mining on conservation land?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u002274bd7c4a123e4167a6480e80233c6260\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002274bd7c4a123e4167a6480e80233c6260\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Energy and Resources):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. The recent schedule 4 debate has revealed that New Zealanders are generally keen to see New Zealand take advantage of its considerable mineral endowment, and a number of polls back that up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281e8ca24-8b1d-4558-9ef9-c9418df2b3c0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022479a1d50388b4b0780de765330f9389b\u0022\u003EKevin Hague\u003C/span\u003E: Can he confirm that according to the Government\u2019s own summary of submissions, just 1.5 percent of submitters support more mining taking place on public conservation land?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002273231b165492407d9a36d1a67ca52f4c\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: That may well be the case, but I can also report that a TV3 poll in May showed that 53 percent were opposed to mining on previously protected land, and 40 percent were in favour of it. Similarly a Television One poll in April 2010 showed that 44 percent supported such mining. I can also say that in February 2010 the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Phil Goff, said: \u201CI think most New Zealanders want to see a balance. They want to see some areas that are less sensitive in the conservation estate available to environmentally sensitive mining.\u201D That is a quote from Phil Goff, the Leader of the Opposition. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e6cf25be895a4391a44fd073e6a0197a\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave, noting the interjection by the Leader of the Opposition, to table the previous Government\u2019s approval of a mine in the Paparoa National Park in 2006.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022630250ac87bd40e78b461a6f8ae91e7e\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I just want to clarify whether this document applies to land that was schedule 4 land within that national park, because that is germane to the point that is being made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a543cbdfc724d3fbf4f3b624cb3f070\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I invite the Hon Dr Nick Smith to clarify the matter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002264a27147a6ef449087d098b144845ed6\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: The document that I wish to table is the approval by a former Minister of Conservation, Chris Carter, for mining in the Paparoa National Park.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f84a332d95d42179152882b45279be2\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=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281e8ca24-8b1d-4558-9ef9-c9418df2b3c0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248a9c1b1c5944d96a40452deb6b9a91e\u0022\u003EKevin Hague\u003C/span\u003E: How can the Minister seriously contend that 1.5 percent of the submissions gives him a mandate to expand mining on public conservation land\u2014or is he now calling on the selective use of polls for that mandate, as opposed to the opinions that were solicited through the discussion document?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b37fc6b2484d4d1a82c3fdf3903a1b4e\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I am not pretending.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b28a3481b9764508977579051a7b83bb\u0022\u003EHon Nanaia Mahuta\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister justify the huge time and expense of his stocktake discussion, when all it showed was what the public had already been saying, which is that schedule 4 land is simply too precious to mine; and will his U-turn decision extend to other precious parts of the conservation estate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b24d214f6a54450d91e53865a9a41e51\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I will answer the first part of the question: yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227281ec9cdb2241989d258213e547317c\u0022\u003EHon Nanaia Mahuta\u003C/span\u003E: Why was non - schedule 4 land with significant mineral potential in Northland and the West Coast not investigated in the first instance before he proposed mining in our precious national parks, and will he guarantee further consultation to seek a mandate to mine these other areas?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248c0985bcf874246b8319c5d0996aac1\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of that question, that was not part of our stocktake.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281e8ca24-8b1d-4558-9ef9-c9418df2b3c0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a603ebced0844298aaf16b159bdc117\u0022\u003EKevin Hague\u003C/span\u003E: Where is the Government\u2019s mandate for more mining in conservation areas, when 99 percent of submitters to the Government\u2019s discussion document, when asked about that issue, said they opposed the Government\u2019s research programme because \u201Cthe investigation programme would inevitably lead to the opening up of additional conservation areas to mining\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c97df615e67a4201be736021233ba3bd\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I think it is quite clear from this debate that there has been a line drawn in the sand between the most highly protected areas of the conservation estate and other parts of the country that are Government-owned. It is our intention that this particular industry will be part of future economic development, and we are backing it with the aerial magnetic survey. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281e8ca24-8b1d-4558-9ef9-c9418df2b3c0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa90a523e661450c98a2a8f8fb8a14c8\u0022\u003EKevin Hague\u003C/span\u003E: Does he honestly think that New Zealanders will buy his bizarre spin that the 1.5 percent of submissions on one side of that line in the sand that he has just referred to constitutes a mandate to expand mining on public conservation land\u2014what we might call, I guess, an aspirational hole?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e167c2448c4047f6afae4302430ec2f7\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I think they would do so just as much as they would accept the complete absurdity of suggesting that 32,000 submissions represent the views of all of New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a4eca250aa8e45fdacb8fc3094f9d656\u0022\u003EUrgent Debates Declined\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e496702d51864dafa2bb8e2db7b460a9\u0022\u003ESchools\u2014Public-private Partnerships\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022 data-id=\u00224ef2c6fba50d4cba80c4e2cab7e4fc7c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224ef2c6fba50d4cba80c4e2cab7e4fc7c\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have received a letter from the Hon Trevor Mallard seeking to debate under Standing Order 380 the Government\u2019s announcement of the next step towards a public-private partnership for building and maintaining some new school property. The announcement is a particular case of recent occurrence that involves ministerial responsibility. This is an important matter, but there must be an element of urgency for it to take precedence over other business. The announcement today is part of a continuing process. The business case is to be prepared, which will include a decision on specific schools. In considering whether a matter requires the urgent attention of the House, it is also relevant to consider whether another parliamentary means of debating it is available. There will be other opportunities to debate the matter, especially as the House will shortly debate the estimates. In these circumstances, I am not persuaded that the business of the House should be set aside today. The matter is one that can be considered over a longer time frame. The application is, therefore, declined.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022715dad5aafc94c00ba10fdd309d33bb7\u0022\u003EGeneral Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224dad44af3d084bf68d366444c828b784\u0022\u003EGeneral Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022 data-id=\u0022043b4a0209e24fb09ea3d54c1dda815b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022043b4a0209e24fb09ea3d54c1dda815b\u0022\u003EHon PHIL GOFF (Leader of the Opposition):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the House take note of miscellaneous business. There has been a controversy over the last 48 hours, since the Government announced its decision over mining proposals. That controversy is because this Government, led by John Key, had proposed to open up New Zealand national parks and protected areas to the mining industry, yet the Prime Minister will not accept responsibility for the part that he played in that decision. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003EI hold up the New Zealand Herald with an article entitled \u201CMuddled Govt mining stance fatally flawed\u201D. It was fatally flawed. Gerry Brownlee does not admit it, Kate Wilkinson does not admit it, and John Key does not admit it. But their proposal, considered by their Cabinet and announced to this Parliament by John Key in his opening statement to Parliament this year, was to allow the most precious and protected areas of New Zealand to be opened up to mining. That is what it was about. This Prime Minister will not accept responsibility for the part that he played in that decision, but he should. The day before the Prime Minister\u2019s opening statement in Parliament Gerry Brownlee and Kate Wilkinson took to Cabinet a paper that stated that 467,000 hectares of New Zealand\u2019s national parks should be opened up for mining, yet John Key announced that it was not a Ministers\u2019 paper, but an officials\u2019 paper. When I was in Cabinet, a Cabinet Minister took responsibility for what he or she took to Cabinet. If one did not support a proposal, then one did not sign one\u2019s name to it. Of course Gerry Brownlee supported the proposal, because he set it out way back in 2009 in a speech to the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and told that international mining interest everything it wanted to hear. What did this speech say? The major proposal was to gut schedule 4 to allow this National Government to go and dig up our national parks. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003EJohn Key should have known that that was never a runner. Gerry Brownlee went to see him early in 2009 and said that he had a step change for New Zealand and that he was going to dig up the national parks and we would all be wealthy. At that point John Key had the responsibility to say to Gerry Brownlee that it was not on, and that it was not acceptable to New Zealanders. It is not right for one Government to destroy the heritage of future generations of New Zealanders. He should have said to Gerry Brownlee that he was the Minister for Economic Development, and asked whether he understood that digging up our national parks would destroy our tourism industry, and would destroy our \u201Cclean, green\u201D, \u201C100% Pure New Zealand\u201D brand. That is what John Key should have said. He should have told him to take the idea away. It was stupid, it was flawed, and it would never run. But John Key did not say that. He embraced the idea, he announced to Parliament that he was going to do it, and he supported Gerry Brownlee\u2019s paper going to Cabinet. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003EI will say something about Kate Wilkinson. Kate Wilkinson does not understand that she has a statutory responsibility as Minister of Conservation to advocate for the conservation estate. What did she do? She signed her name to a paper that would have allowed mining in 467,000 hectares of New Zealand\u2019s national parks. I cannot remember in my entire time in this Parliament a worse Minister of Conservation, a weaker Minister of Conservation, or a Minister who failed more in his or her basic responsibility to take the side of conservation and stand up against damaging the conservation estate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003EThe other thing exposed by this affair is a total lack of planning by this Government to achieve an improvement in living standards, and growth in employment and wages. This is simply the last of a series of failed plans. The Job Summit fell over, and the report of the 2025 Taskforce was discredited by even the Government within 24 hours of its being produced. I ask Mr Brownlee what has happened to the idea of New Zealand becoming the world\u2019s financial services hub. It has gone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022b28a2f55f4894d56a4acda50fd59ec87\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b28a2f55f4894d56a4acda50fd59ec87\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E That has to be one of the saddest speeches this Parliament has ever heard. I say that because all that the Leader of the Opposition, the previous speaker, could do was to bring out an issue that is seriously now yesterday\u2019s issue, and try to rewrite history around it. In February of this year the Hon Phil Goff said he thought most New Zealanders wanted to see balance and wanted to see some less-sensitive conservation areas available to environmentally sensitive mining. That was what Phil Goff said in February of this year. He went on further in February of this year to say he thought there was scope in some conservation land to extract minerals if it was done without damage to the environment. He said Labour did that in Paparoa National Park with the Pike River coalfield. This man is grasping at whatever straw he can in order to try to impress his colleagues, rather than speaking directly to the people of New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EIt is utterly absurd for the Leader of the Opposition to say that because the Government took heed of public opinion and took heed of what it learnt in a discussion document, somehow that represents a massive failing of leadership. I think that tells us that the Labour Party has never ever operated in a democratic sense. It has always relied on the sort of dictatorial leadership that Helen Clark offered the country. She had all of her Ministers doing exactly the sort of bidding that she wanted. I have not seen Phil Goff give such a vein-popping speech as that one since he was a frustrated Minister of Foreign Affairs in the previous Helen Clark - led Labour Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EI could talk this afternoon about the 82 mines that that Labour Government approved on conservation land, and I could talk about the one mine that it approved on schedule 4 land. But I want to talk about the real issues that worry New Zealanders. They are the cost of living and New Zealanders\u2019 place in the economy. In the last 5 years of the previous Labour Government, when we had very, very good economic times, the non-tradables sector grew astronomically. The non-tradables sector of our economy under that Labour Government grew, and it took that as an indication that our economy was in good health. The purchasing power of New Zealanders\u2019 dollars fell under that Labour Government. We had a decline in exports of 5 percent per year for the last 5 years of that Labour Government. All the time its members talked about doing things on a sustainable basis, having an export year, and having all sorts of task forces for this and committees for that\u2014talk, talk, talk. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThis is a Government that will do things. This is a Government that is not afraid to go out and ask New Zealanders: \u201CWhat about this idea?\u201D. If they reject it, they reject it. If they accept it, they accept it. Mr Goff came in here this afternoon and suggested\u2014very interestingly, I think\u2014that because a Prime Minister says we are looking at something, somehow that is it; it is black and white, and cast in stone. That is the sort of legacy that those members want to re-inflict on New Zealanders\u2014the dictatorial, listen to no one, know what is best approach. I think the pathetic efforts by the Leader of the Opposition this afternoon to say: \u201COur Ministers were better than your Ministers.\u201D shows that Labour is still a party in total denial. Labour does not recognise that there is a new style of Government in this country. It is a new style of Government that does not mind asking people what they think and then acting on that advice. That is not unreasonable. That is why we have a democracy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThe other thing that struck me in that speech was the way that poor old Mr Goff\u2019s friends\u2014I was going to call them our opponents\u2014in the caucus had their heads down. They were quite embarrassed and completely unable to show the animated support one would expect for a leader. I think that is sad.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022 data-id=\u0022376f4c08b68548a087971da181f4507d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022376f4c08b68548a087971da181f4507d\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E It is a mark of a failed Government when nearly 2 years in, its members are still talking about its predecessor. How about talking about something they have done? How about talking about a plan that they have? How about talking about the way to make New Zealanders\u2019 lives better? They cannot, because they have no plan. Gerry Brownlee is the man who will for ever\u2014[Interruption] There he goes; off again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf38251283724a39ac3264c15125745d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member knows that he cannot do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222edcc480a62749c9b1b256b2a460dd8f\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: He will for ever be known for Brownlee\u2019s \u201CLaw of Holes\u201D: when in one, stop digging. The corollary to Brownlee\u2019s \u201CLaw of Holes\u201D is that when one has stopped digging, one should have a plan B. The funniest thing about this week is that it is now obvious to all that there was no plan B, because there never was a strategy. There is no analysis of what is fundamentally wrong with this economy and how to turn it round. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EFor the last 18 months we have seen a series of glib one-liners, manufactured pragmatism, and slip backs. It is now obvious to all New Zealanders that the emperor has no clothes. There is no strategy, as John Key promised. There is no aggressive growth in 2010. The Government promised New Zealanders a step change. Its members said they would do it by digging up national parks. Any idiot would have known that New Zealanders would take to the streets in their tens of thousands to defend the wilderness areas that make this country unique and that we all love. But that did not occur to those members. Now they have had to bury the idea. It should never have been dug up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EWhat about the other plans? The Job Summit was a nice-sounding idea. It led to a cycleway to nowhere, which created a few jobs and took taxpayers on a great ride\u2014a great ride to spend millions to protect John Key\u2019s reputation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022659f6556-09a1-4ead-bc52-05cbdb4eaab8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222acc2375a5954b858b0cb491da542cce\u0022\u003ECraig Foss\u003C/span\u003E: Which cycleway are you going to rip up?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f6ce019a2d843bb8288b7fbeef10c98\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: The cycleway to nowhere. Craig Foss is embarrassed about the cost of it. The Government cancelled a 9-day fortnight, in the middle of a recession. It produced a Budget that rightly said that the economy was imbalanced, but did nothing to solve the imbalances, nothing to restore savings, nothing to help New Zealand companies gain capital, and nothing to lift exports. In fact, those members are still saying that we have the best monetary policy in the world, but the rest of the world has moved on. The rest of the world has moved on, leaving them isolated and alone, dreaming of yesteryear and making up names about the previous Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EThere is no plan to transform our economy into a high-value, high-wage economy. There is no sense of urgency about getting us on a sustainable fiscal path. There is no sense of urgency about our No. 1 long-term problem, which is paying for superannuation. Those members have just kicked out pre-funding for 10 years, and failed to honour their promise to restore pre-funding when the books were in surplus. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EHow long will it take before New Zealanders realise they have been told a massive lie, which claims that we can have a 65-year-old qualification with no pre-funding? The numbers do not add up, and ordinary Kiwis know that. It is time the Government told the truth about that massive issue that is coming down the pipe. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EThe Government is saying that young New Zealanders, Generation X and Generation Y, will be able to foot the bill. We know that when young Kiwis figure out how big the bill will be, the Bill opposite will be on his way out. Bill English will be on his way out, John Key with him, and also Gerry Brownlee, the \u201CKing of Holes.\u201D Brownlee\u2019s \u201CLaw of Holes\u201D is that when we are in one, we should stop digging. But there should be an alternative plan, and that is the problem. There never was a plan, an analysis, or a strategy. It was a rolling maul of sound bites, which has fallen flat because there was never anything behind it except marketing spin. This is a Government whose marketing department rules the roost, and it forgot about ideas. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u002234b4528084534e11a1550862921d8328\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002234b4528084534e11a1550862921d8328\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Let us remember back to 2008 when, from listening to Labour, one would have thought the sky was going to fall in, and bad employers would be named and shamed, all because we introduced an optional 90-day trial period for new employees in small businesses. It was nothing radical, just moderate and more in line with international trends and jurisdictions. We thought hard about it. It was thoughtful and moderate. We built in protections of good faith, and protections that stated that it would be only by agreement. We also built in protections that ensured discrimination and harassment rights would be retained. We enabled mediation to be available.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EIn the past nearly 18 months, what has happened? Has the sky fallen in? No, the sky has not fallen in. Has the trial period been abused? If it had been abused, we would want to know about it, so that as we draft and craft the amendments now we could add in more protections if need be. But there is no evidence of abuse or exploitation of workers. Nobody has been named and shamed. Opposition to the 90-day trial has been made mute.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EWhat has happened is good news. The sky has not fallen in. Neither Labour nor the unions, which were very vociferous at the time, have been able to demonstrate that the 90-day trial period is not working. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4cddd2c071445448575b7c1d59abb91\u0022\u003EChris Auchinvole\u003C/span\u003E: Because it did work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d7b18981b2c4b52860b899443f7fdd2\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: It works. They have not been able to demonstrate that it is not fair, because it is fair. They have not been able to demonstrate that it is not reasonable, because it is reasonable. It is working. It is fair, reasonable, and it is working. It has given businesses more confidence in admittedly difficult economic times to take on workers whom they might not otherwise have taken on. The Department of Labour\u2019s report highlights, as we know, that 40 percent of employers would not have taken on employees except for the 90-day trial period. It has given workers, especially those on the margins who perhaps do not have an employment record or qualifications, or who are new to the country, the opportunity to say \u201CGive me a go.\u201D They have backed themselves in order to prove themselves and get their foot in the employment door. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EI went to our local refugee migrant centre in Christchurch, and I asked staff there what their biggest challenge was. They said it was getting their migrants to have a job. I asked them whether they used the 90-day trial, but they did not, because Labour had scaremongered so much. People there said it would be good because their migrants did not have a job record and did not speak English very well. They did not really know what to expect but would love the opportunity to be given a try and to get their feet in the employment door. Because of the scaremongering, some of them had not been given that opportunity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThis policy is good policy. It has not resulted in fire-at-will. It is a hiring policy. It has given more confidence in hiring. We want people to have jobs, and this 90-day trial regime is one of the tools in the tool kit to get more people into jobs. It is not radical stuff. It is reasonable and moderate, and it brings us more into line with other international jurisdictions, which are a lot tougher. Its success is one of the reasons we are extending the opportunity to all businesses. Let us look at other jurisdictions. The UK has a 12-month trial period.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220e7c741c23534522bf314d2bb9b38f41\u0022\u003EHon Maurice Williamson\u003C/span\u003E: Twelve months? Wasn\u2019t that under a Labour Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002209ab7707511b481e8e5e3498f79cd599\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: Twelve months, under a Labour Government. What do we have? We have 90 days, which is 3 months, or one-quarter of the UK period. Similarly, Australia has a 12-month period, introduced under a Labor Government. What do we have? We have 3 months. This is good policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u002290626c3301614d218878ea83cda65e93\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002290626c3301614d218878ea83cda65e93\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E If the Minister of Labour, who has just resumed her seat, is so proud of the effective protections that come from the good-faith provisions of the Employment Relations Act, I ask why she refused to acknowledge yesterday in this House that under the 90-day trial period legislation employees can be fired without any reason being given. They will not know the reason why they have been fired. They may have given up a prior job to take the new one, but they can be fired without any reason being given, up to 90 days after starting the job. The Minister will not admit that, not because she does not know it, but because she knows that it does not appeal to New Zealanders, who know it is just not fair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe Minister of Labour is also the Minister of Conservation. Given the controversies this week, we would have expected some defence of the Government\u2019s performance in respect of mining in national parks, but despite the fact that that has been such a terrible mistake on the part of the Government, the Minister of Conservation did not once acknowledge her role, try to defend her conduct, or try to defend the Government position. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThat is just not good enough. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002240ed6cba3ce24053bbfa2fc15d2d5f12\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: Beyond belief.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226197ab3f9e6d472183565e7211a75351\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: It is beyond belief. I think the most serious aspect of the debate on mining that has been exposed by the Opposition in the second stage is actually the flow-on analysis of what is missing from the Government\u2019s policy. It was always a mistake to suggest mining in national parks. It was always a mistake.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EAt the last election Gerry Brownlee was already on record as saying that he believed coal to be sexy. In fact, one chapter of the video blog on his website he entitled: \u201CSexy Coal\u201D. I would have thought that to be a bit of a warning to members of the National Government that they should keep an eye on him. Given that the burning of coal is responsible for about half of the greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels in the world, the world actually does not want to see a lot more burning of coal, I say to Mr Brownlee. It is not sexy. It is not the way forward for the New Zealand economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EAgainst that background, the National Government let him go out last year and say that New Zealand was going to catch up with Australia by mining our national parks, and that mining was going to cause a step change in the New Zealand economy. For a start, it was never going to cause a step change in the New Zealand economy. Only about 10 percent of the difference between New Zealand\u2019s wealth and Australia\u2019s wealth in income terms arises from mining. He had no answer for the other 90 percent anyway, but now he has abandoned the cure he though he had for that 10 percent difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI thought question time today was quite illuminating. Where is his plan, now that he has bungled mining his way into the future? Where is his plan?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022abf9355c1d89419599559d44c9b70d37\u0022\u003EHon Clayton Cosgrove\u003C/span\u003E: There never has been a plan.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b262e072a65847959483a20a412fea77\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Cosgrove is quite right. There is no alternative plan.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EMr Brownlee said that if we asked him some other questions, he would tell us. So I put to him one of the Prime Minister\u2019s other big ideas\u2014that is, that somehow New Zealand will become a financial services hub for the world. I asked him what papers he had taken to Cabinet about that idea. He has taken none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EJohn Key hops from cloud to cloud: the cycleway, the 9-day working fortnight, mining in national parks, a financial services hub, and building broadband with Chinese money. He has had one idea after another, yet none of them\u2014not one of them\u2014has come to fruition. Not one of them has stacked up in any significant way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe underlying question I ask this Parliament to consider is what has happened to the promise to catch up with Australia, a promise upon which the National Government was elected. I asked Gerry Brownlee at a select committee the other day about how we should judge how the Government is doing on that promise. I asked him what targets the Government has set, and what its objectives are. He said that it does not have any. He actually admitted that it does not have any objectives and targets, other than the ambition to get there by 2025. That is 15 years away. Not even in the worst nightmares of people who go along to horror movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street do they think that the National Government will still be in power in 2025. So I ask how the Government will be held accountable for whether it meets its ambition of catching up to Australia by 2025. Plainly, it has no plan and no targets, and it should be held to account.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022 data-id=\u00228845af18e4614f4e8cf7705f062293e2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228845af18e4614f4e8cf7705f062293e2\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP (Minister of Defence):\u003C/span\u003E Obviously, Labour has never understood the term \u201Cdiscussion document\u201D. Those members have never understood that it is actually about hearing from the public\u2014hearing, in fact, from the 35,000 people who sent in a form submission or made a full submission\u2014then taking on board what they said. One might wonder why Labour members have so much difficulty understanding the concept of listening to the people. The reason is\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4ecb35726324229bb717ba269d7672f\u0022\u003EDr Cam Calder\u003C/span\u003E: A 9-year dictatorship!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c43f80c480dd4a5b83577bef92c44e28\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP\u003C/span\u003E: Exactly! It was a 9-year dictatorship, and that was exemplified by the Electoral Finance Act. There were marches in the street, there were submissions, there were questions week after week in Parliament, and there was a whole campaign in the newspapers and the media saying that the Electoral Finance Act was a fundamental breach of democratic principles. But what did Labour do? It just boxed on; it just crashed on. The public could see the way that the Labour Government ignored the people. It was contemptuous of the public voice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222cb18e44f7f8486d9a00fd3560d9e4f4\u0022\u003EDr Cam Calder\u003C/span\u003E: Arrogant!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226a99d0f3754847d99e1511b6153ddb62\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP\u003C/span\u003E: Arrogant! What a contrast that Labour Government is to the current Government\u2014what a contrast. We put out a discussion document that is, as it says, a discussion document. We listen to the people, and we take on board the people\u2019s voice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003ELabour needs to ask itself a simple question: why is it that during the discussion around mining National was about 20 points ahead of Labour\u2014the whole time through? Because people had an intuitive sense that we were actually listening, that we were actually taking on board public comment. The public understood that that was a fundamental feature of this Government. There have been enough examples, in a general sense, for people to understand that the style of the John Key - led Government is to take on board public concerns, and on serious issues\u2014and I recognise that mining is a serious issue\u2014to react accordingly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003ELabour, of course, is extremely disappointed. It would like us to be mining in national parks. It would like us to be mining on schedule 4 land, because that would give Labour the ability to play this issue out month over month over month. But the response of a Government that listens is to take on board the public\u2019s fundamental concerns. That is, I suggest, a fundamental difference between this Government and the previous Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003EI want to look at the economic record. I have been listening to the previous debaters, and they kept saying that Labour had a fantastic economic record. What is the truth of that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a2272a9410d41f0b2c5eb341c14045e\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: They take tough decisions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222579e4eb0dc2455b88bd3a7cbb6aac71\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, tough decisions, like the Electoral Finance Act\u2014that was a really tough decision, Darren! That really worked for Labour! The public really gave their judgment on that one, Darren. While the Labour Government was fiddling around with the Electoral Finance Act and completely distracted by it, what was actually happening in the real world? Well, for 5 years there was declining export growth. The real economy was shrinking. Certainly, there was growth fuelled by the extra borrowing by the private sector; certainly there was growth fuelled by the expansion of public sector expenditure, which meant that the size of Government relative to the total economy grew substantially.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003EWhat did it lead to? It led to recession hitting New Zealand 12 months before the rest of the world. Why was that? We saw a succession of investment failures in New Zealand during 2007 and 2008. We were already in negative growth before the change of Government in 2008. New Zealand\u2019s recession preceded the rest of the world\u2019s by 1 year. That is easily forgotten because it has been subsumed in the broader global financial crisis, but that was the reality. That is why so many New Zealanders made the decision to travel to Australia. People saw better prospects there, because, frankly, the Australian economy was being managed better than the New Zealand economy. Members on that side of the Chamber are silent now, are they not? They know the truth of this. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003ENational inherited years and years of mismanagement, and we had to fix it. What has the National Government done? We delivered a tax reform package entirely oriented around growth. It is the best tax reform package in 25 years. The Resource Management Act reforms have been significant. There have been improvements in infrastructure, roads, and broadband. The science and innovation package caps it all off.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022 data-id=\u00220fa924dc2d234152b237617268143969\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220fa924dc2d234152b237617268143969\u0022\u003EHon JIM ANDERTON (Leader\u2014Progressive):\u003C/span\u003E We have just heard from the former spokesperson on the eradication of political correctness. He wants to know why we were not making any noises. It was because we were asleep. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003EThis is a Government with no plan and no new ideas, but with lots of smiles from Mr Key, who is starting to look like a poor man\u2019s Wizard of Oz. He is like a travelling magician who pulls out every other trick every other time that the one before did not work. But we can only trick Dorothy and the Tin Man for so long, because the people of New Zealand are starting to see there is no plan. There is no way back to Kansas. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003EWhat has the \u201CWizard of New Zealand\u201D pulled out of his bag so far? We have had the 2025 task force, which was meant to show how we could catch up with Australia. What happened to that? Nothing. Don Brash failed to deliver, but \u201CThere\u2019s no surprises there.\u201D, as the Kiwi kid says about the Aussie kid, in the TV ad. Don is still being kept on to give another report next year, yet he has run out of money already. That is some trick for the former Governor of the Reserve Bank, who is in charge of New Zealand\u2019s monetary policy. He runs out of his budget in the first year of the task force. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003EThen we had the Job Summit. How is that going? There are no new jobs. Unemployment is on the rise. The Government that my colleagues on my right and I were in halved unemployment to 4 percent when we went out of office. This Government has increased unemployment by 50 percent already, and it is still rising. Now the rate has almost returned to what it was under the previous National Government. We cannot blame that on the recession, especially when the only idea to save jobs was a 9-day fortnight. That was meant to save thousands of jobs, by getting people to work less so that they were paid less, and businesses stayed afloat. That was the idea. At most it saved 100 jobs, for the whole of New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003EThen John Key came up with another wizard idea. Employees could sell the fourth week of their holidays. That means that the solution to New Zealand\u2019s problems is to get people to work longer. Previously the solution was for people to work less, and now it is for them to work longer. Then National had this great idea of a 9-day fortnight. Employees were going to work less still, and get paid less as well. What a magician\u2019s sleight of hand it was to suggest that employees have the choice to sell their annual leave. In my book it is just working an extra week and getting paid for it. It is not exactly rocket science. But this scheme will save New Zealand and catch us up to Australia. Oh, really? Why not take Christmas Day tomorrow, and then decide to sell it and go to work anyway? Would that fix the problem? We would catch up with Australia then! \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003EThen we had the cycleway. This was meant to create jobs. The cycleway was the great new innovation for New Zealand. Tourist industries were meant to pop up all along the cycleway. All we have seen so far is pictures of John Key on a bike, smiling as always. It will take more than a pushbike and a cycleway in New Zealand to fix up the New Zealand economy. But, however, now we have the answer; it is mining. We will dig up the country, just like Australia is doing, and we will catch up to Australia. What happened to that idea? It was another flip-flop, because the smiling Prime Minister does not want to be unpopular. He discovered that this idea was not all that popular. Actually, 40,000 people in Queen Street convinced him of that. So that is not going to happen. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003EIf John Key and his Government were serious about growing the economy, they would not pay just lip-service to the farming sector. That sector is our largest economic earner. The truth is that agriculture makes up 43 percent of New Zealand\u2019s exports. Is there anything about that that John Key does not understand? Let us compare that with tourism, which he took the portfolio for. Tourism makes up 17 percent of the economy. He did not take agriculture, which makes up 43 percent of the economy. Gee, that is a no-brainer. We want to really lead the economy, so we take an industry that is less than half as important as the one we do not take, and then we do not mention it. John never mentioned farming in the 2008 post-election Speech from the Throne\u2014he never mentioned it. He did not mention it in 2010, in his speech to Parliament at the beginning of this year. I am a member of Parliament for an urban electorate, and I mention agriculture all the time. Mind you, I was told by Helen Clark to mention it, and I did; I was a good Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228415e962-886d-47b9-9356-3fdce746891f\u0022\u003EThere is nothing wrong with supporting tourism, but there is a heck of a lot wrong with not supporting farming and ignoring it. If John Key thinks we can grow the New Zealand economy while ignoring the farming sector and building cycleways, he is dreaming. What kind of mickey mouse economics smashes the Fast Forward fund for research in the primary sector, and cancels the tax credit for business, in favour of a cycleway? We do away with the New Zealand Fast Forward fund, we do away with research and development rebates for business, but we replace them with a cycleway. Now, that will work. Yeah, right!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022 data-id=\u00225108351f5d7549fa85ecbb6a96f6df13\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225108351f5d7549fa85ecbb6a96f6df13\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE (National):\u003C/span\u003E My congratulations go to John Key, Kate Wilkinson, and this National-led Government on the planned extension of the 90-day trial period to all businesses. National is a party that backs business and backs workers, because we know that without jobs and growth, New Zealand and New Zealanders will not get ahead. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EHaving a job is crucial to people\u2019s self-esteem and to giving them choices and independence. That is why this Government has had an unrelenting focus on getting people into jobs. We make no apology for that\u2014none whatsoever. The extension of the 90-day trial period to all businesses is about getting people into jobs and giving employers the confidence to take on new staff. An increase in the number of jobs where jobs are not currently available does not magically appear out of thin air. A business needs to see the opportunity to expand and it is important that it needs to be confident to create those new jobs. The hysteria that has surrounded the announcement has been quite astonishing. Anyone would have thought that sweatshops had been introduced. On the contrary, this is a step forward, not a step back. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EPreviously the 90-day trial was for small to medium sized businesses with fewer than 20 staff. Our nation\u2019s backbone is small to medium sized businesses. The fact is that 99 percent of New Zealand businesses, which employ 60 percent of our workers, are small to medium sized.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a9cf3b651654a978ffd4c6524a206eb\u0022\u003EHon Maryan Street\u003C/span\u003E: No, no, the figures are wrong.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226fd122af1cbc4265927236b6b0c250dd\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE\u003C/span\u003E: Not according to the Human Rights Commission. The member should read its report. These businesses generate a big part of our wealth. When they prosper, we all prosper. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003ENational\u2019s plans for small to medium sized businesses link with National\u2019s plan for growing the economy. The 90-day trial period was an integral part of our election manifesto in 2008. It was aimed at small to medium sized businesses, because they are crucial to our economy. Many small businesses do not have the human resources of larger companies. The 90-day trial will now be extended to all businesses, and that can only be good for people needing jobs, for businesses, and for New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EA recent review found that half of all employers had used a trial period when hiring workers. In relation to the last employee that an employer had hired on a trial basis, 40 percent of employers said they would not have, or were unlikely to have, hired that person without having a trial period. To put it another way, without the 90-day trial, 40 percent of businesses would most likely have not hired that person. That is an excellent outcome. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThe evaluation suggests that employers view dismissals during the 90-day trial period as being unfavourable, and actively try to avoid them. Indeed, dismissals were not given on the 89th day, as some cynical members and unionists might have predicted, but were given mainly in the first few weeks. The evidence is clear from the evaluation that employers were not out to exploit those employees who were hired under the 90-day trial. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EI challenge members opposite. If unscrupulous employers have been using the 90-day trial period in an unethical manner, then I ask why those businesses have not been named and shamed. The fact is that, in general, employers have acted responsibly and workers have been treated fairly. It is important to note that the 90-day trial can only be entered into by a written agreement between the employer and the new worker at the beginning of the employment relationship. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EI was interested to read the Human Rights Commission\u2019s recent publication What Next? National Conversation About Work. The publication blows a few tired old myths out of the water and exposes a few truths. The first truth is that work is a critical source of well-being and identity, and that is something the Government absolutely agrees with. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227124e0d867c84364abd08f164ef6c404\u0022\u003EDr Rajen Prasad\u003C/span\u003E: Who didn\u2019t know that? What\u2019s the myth that blows?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002240038052fe4c4da6bfe0b50222b15001\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE\u003C/span\u003E: It is a truth, not a myth. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EOne myth exposed was that all bosses are bastards. It was the observation of the Human Rights Commission that the \u201Cemployers we met, especially in smaller businesses were more likely to treat their staff as extended family than as labour units.\u201D The article went on to state that many of the employers the commission spoke to were responsive to the needs of their employees, such as family responsibilities, emergencies, and other life events, and were devastated by the emotional trauma of redundancies when they had to lay off staff. It is hardly the comment one would find in a Charles Dickens novel. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EAnother myth was that workers are slackers. The Human Rights Commission found that there was universal enthusiasm by employees not just for the socialisation of work but also for the tasks, functions, and professionalism required of them by change in the labour market. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003ESo the hugely respected Human Rights Commission, after meeting hundreds of employers and hundreds of employees, found\u2014wait for it\u2014happy employers and happy employees. It is not the sort of picture that unions want to paint. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThe extension of the 90-day trial is about opportunity. It is about giving people the chance to find a job.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022 data-id=\u0022352f96139f864547b3956db85b46f8c2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022352f96139f864547b3956db85b46f8c2\u0022\u003EHon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour\u2014Waimakariri):\u003C/span\u003E After a couple of days of watching this debacle with Gerry Brownlee I tried to do some research into how best to describe him, and I can do no better than to quote from the Christchurch Press. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! If we look back to 9 May last year we find this headline in the Press: \u201CGerry on the job\u201D. Mr Brownlee was described as the Ilam MP who was the third most powerful politician in New Zealand. The might, the glory, the influence! Then as I thumbed through the article\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6763c52ed0b48ce99ba783317fa1d00\u0022\u003ELouise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re just jealous!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221dddfe8aa109409eabec39a87674e1da\u0022\u003EHon CLAYTON COSGROVE\u003C/span\u003E: Hell no, not after the last couple of days. At the end of this article about Mr Brownlee it states \u201CWhat others say\u201D. The first quote was from a guy called David Henderson from Christchurch. Some Canterbury members may know this guy. He is fighting off bankruptcy day after day, as a property developer, as we speak. I am told by reliable sources that he is the best mate of Gerry Brownlee. Mr Henderson is a business person, whom I know the National Party and the ACT Party admire, and here is what he said about Mr Brownlee: \u201CA nice guy but completely useless.\u201D That is what the mates of \u201CGerry on the job\u201D say about him. I disagree; there is no egg on Gerry\u2019s face\u2014it would not last long enough, especially if it were fried. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003EBut what has been demonstrated over the last couple of days is that Gerry Brownlee, who wanted to put not a line in the sand but a trench in the sand\u2014he is quicksand in Cabinet\u2014wanted to make his mark on history. He went out like the veritable political blunderbuss that he is and said: \u201CWe\u2019re going to dig big holes in places where no one wants us to do that. We\u2019re going to dig up gold. There is gold in them there hills. This is going to happen.\u201D, and that was reinforced by his Prime Minister, who was pop-riveted to this policy. Then yesterday or the day before, Gerry was stuck out on a pole\u2014I will grant that it was a big one\u2014at the press conference, aided and abetted by the ghost that walks, Kate Wilkinson, the person who never fronts on the hard stuff. If one asks her about the cut in general practitioner services in Rangiora, she is nowhere to be seen. She agrees with it, and I will come to that in due time. Kate Wilkinson was stuck out there at the press conference but said absolutely nothing. She would not front the issue, and it has been a complete debacle from start to finish. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003EI ask, as David Parker did, where the aspiration is. Where is the step change? Where is the great plan and economic development vision for New Zealand? We had one and we delivered on it through 9 years in Government, and the employment rates and economic growth proved it. But where are the words that we heard about before the election, such as aspiration? Where is Gerry Brownlee now? I feel a bit sorry for him. He is stuck out there. He has to huff and puff and stamp his feet, and try to tell everybody that he listened.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003EIf this is now a listening, reformed, reinvented National Government, why does it not say that to, say, the 72 percent of people in my electorate on $40,000 or less a year who will get a meagre tax cut that will be negated by a 2.5 percent increase in GST and by 5.9 percent inflation, which means they will be worse off by 30 to 50 bucks a week? If it is a listening, reformed, reinvented, and now very silent, Government, will it back down on that policy, which constituents in my patch have borne the brunt of? Will it reverse the policy if it finds that the 90-day expansion will put the sword not only into young people but also into others? Will a person in a job who wants to take a promotion to a new job take a risk on a 90-day deal as opposed to a bird in the hand, a permanent job? If that proves to be correct, which it will do, will the Government back down on that? Will it U-turn on that? No. Is it a listening Government? No. Mr Key has not articulated any plan at all. From 70 jobs on a cycleway to a 2025 Taskforce that was dead, buried, assassinated, and nailed to the ground within 24 hours of its recommendations being brought out\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200020493a7644707a82a7e58ed88d022\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: And we\u2019re still paying for it!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200f8cbea0f254355a8bf0051e81c17d0\u0022\u003EHon CLAYTON COSGROVE\u003C/span\u003E: According to my colleague we are still paying for it. Where is the plan? I ask Kate Wilkinson, who got up and did her usual and told us a few stories here and there about certain people she had talked to who might have supported the 90-day bill, whether she articulated a plan. No, she did not. Did Gerry Brownlee articulate a plan? No. But these people certainly have egg on their faces. It has been a debacle from start to finish. There is only one reason that they backed down and it is that the people of New Zealand revolted against them on that policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022 data-id=\u002232216d7b48d941d5b9df414ab9755410\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002232216d7b48d941d5b9df414ab9755410\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG (National\u2014New Plymouth):\u003C/span\u003E We are determined to see the number of jobs increase. After the announcement by the Prime Minister, John Key, on the extension of the 90-day employment trial period to all employers, the New Zealand Herald reported that the New Zealand Amalgamated Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, the National Distribution Union, and others are meeting for a war council tomorrow and Friday. The only thing is that that war machine rolling into a nearby town is likely to maim and injure the hard-working New Zealanders whom it thinks it is coming to rescue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EOne employer from New Plymouth said this morning about the 90-day trial period for new employees that he spoke about it last week to all his staff, from 18-year-olds to those who have worked there for 20 years, and that 95 percent of them agreed that it was fair and were in favour of it. He said that in tight economic times it is a particularly crucial option. The union bosses\u2019 guns are blazing for just 5 percent of the workforce who agreed with them in that place, and they need to realise that the rest of the workforce is happy because they think it is fair. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002233f893ca0d1a42ee85cc27322dd09c48\u0022\u003EHon Maryan Street\u003C/span\u003E: What did you expect them to say, Jonathan?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d9e6604ff83647b7a9d93b5459b4a960\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG\u003C/span\u003E: What about the 5 percent who did not think this measure was fair? They had the courage to speak their convictions, and, obviously, the employer embraced that and enabled it to happen. That is a very good work environment that is very, very open. Another employer said this: \u201CA very good move. It puts the employer and employee on an equal footing with equal rights.\u201D Whether or not members opposite agree with that, the perception out there is that it has been unequal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EAnother employer from New Plymouth said that it was a very positive move and another tool in the tool box for employers, who have been on the back foot in this area for ages. The employer also said: \u201CA good employer looks to invest in his employees and does so in good faith, but gets caught when the employee does not deliver on expectations.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EWe need to understand that business success is the key to creating more jobs. A fundamental truth that some people do not understand is that with Government employment not growing, and not likely to do so, more jobs for more New Zealanders will come from private sector business. The 90-day trial period is designed to make it easier for businesses to employ those New Zealanders. That is a good and essential thing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EAnother employer from New Plymouth says: \u201CI am very encouraged by it.\u201D\u2014members should listen to what he says\u2014\u201CIt will give us confidence to recruit more staff.\u201D Another says that he agrees wholeheartedly\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226411b46447744f9289faf930a4df615a\u0022\u003EDr Rajen Prasad\u003C/span\u003E: Tell us what the workers say.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229b35e0b535224b869e75ae1395feed9b\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG\u003C/span\u003E: I told that member in the very first instance that 95 percent of that large firm agreed with the trial period and said that it was fair. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225c31124082344d9585b2d624600dad38\u0022\u003EDr Rajen Prasad\u003C/span\u003E: How many?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a5a05fe050244990bd956cdae0211086\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG\u003C/span\u003E: It was 95 percent. The member does not want to hear it, but 95 percent of the employees of that firm said that. Another business owner said: \u201CNo employer hires to fire. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EBut it gives smaller employers the added confidence that if they get it wrong, then they are not penalised, and it gives them equal rights with the employee.\u201D Nearly every one of those employers said this morning that they felt this was a fairer deal than they have had to work with in the past. They talked about equal rights and about no longer being on the back foot\u2014equal footing with equal rights\u2014and, as I said in the first instance, one employer said that 95 percent of employees in that firm agreed that it was fair. That is what we want to hear.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ENational\u2019s employment law package is not about ideological change; it is about moderate change, aimed at rebalancing the system so that it is fair for both employees and employers. I believe in fairness. I believe in justice. I believe in having reasoned dialogue between reasonable people, and I believe that it can build a strong common understanding and goals. We do not want to create or support an us-versus-them environment. I am not anti-union, but, unlike the previous Government, we do not want employees to feel pressured to join a union. We are encouraging communication\u2014reasonable people talking about reasoned ideas\u2014between employees and employers, while ensuring that employees can join, or participate in, unions if they wish to. Sometimes things do not work out. Expectations set and expectations met is what successful work relations is all about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022 data-id=\u00227f6fb243d4de48c5b1599b85169ca322\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227f6fb243d4de48c5b1599b85169ca322\u0022\u003ERAHUI KATENE (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E I want to put the topics canvassed so far in this debate into a wider context. Yesterday the New Zealand Youth Choir returned from a spectacular tour of Singapore, South Korea, China, and Australia, and the tour finished with a spectacular simultaneous broadcast across Australia and New Zealand. Everywhere the choir went, it received the support of packed houses. It showed the massive talent that we have here in New Zealand, and it represented New Zealand with massive pride. Tomorrow the Aspiring Leaders Forum will bring together a group of young people to share their ideas and philosophies on leadership, whether in the fields of politics, the arts, business, or sport. Yet, what was the breaking news this morning? It was \u201CYouths arrested after crime spree\u201D. We are told that yesterday afternoon in my home town of Nelson, the police arrested two rangatahi at Taser-point and gunpoint after having set police dogs out to track them across farmland. It appears that two young people aged 15 and 17 years had gone on a spree from Christchurch to Nelson, stealing cars and evading apprehension. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EIt seems to me that we have the emphasis all wrong. The crime spree that I think this nation should be focusing on is the moral crime of child poverty. Just a month ago the head of OECD social policy, Dr Monika Queisser, told the Government\u2019s Welfare Working Group that New Zealand was out of step with other countries. In her estimation, high child poverty was the third-biggest issue in New Zealand\u2019s social policy. She noted that 15 percent of New Zealand children live in families with less than half the median income, compared with an OECD average of 12 percent, and that the gap between the material deprivation of children and older people is the biggest in New Zealand out of 27 countries. I ask where the breaking news announcement is that will stem the tide on this utterly unacceptable high rate of child poverty. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EIt is not just international experts who are telling us this. In a report released this month by the Government\u2019s own watchdog, the Human Rights Commission, we were told that New Zealand needs to take a much stronger stand on child poverty. The Right to an adequate standard of living: focus on the right to social security confirmed that recent policy initiatives show that it is possible to reduce child poverty rates substantially over relatively short periods of time. However, the report challenged the Government to also remember that sustained progress requires continued commitment and specific targeting of those who are the most vulnerable. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EEarlier in the year the Race Relations Conciliator stepped into the fray, pointing to the 2010 statistics that one in three M\u0101ori and Pacific young people are unemployed, and saying that there will be serious long-term effects. The grim reality of child poverty, the generally poor living conditions for low-income children, and child poverty\u2019s disproportionate impacts on M\u0101ori have long been brought to our attention by the Child Poverty Action Group. This group has told us that one in six New Zealand children lives in poverty, that a third of children live in overcrowded conditions, and that we have the highest rate\u2014the highest rate\u2014of youth suicide in the entire OECD. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EThese are not statistics to celebrate. We must fix a vision in our sights that invests in the promise of prosperity for all children. We must promote success and be proud of the amazing achievements of our young people, such as the achievements of the Youth Choir, the aspiring leaders, the Youth Parliament, or the hundreds and thousands of amazing kids in our communities. But we must also ensure that every child has the right to a fair deal, a decent life. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EThe M\u0101ori Party campaigned on the aspiration of setting a deadline to eliminate child poverty by 2020. We know that this will have to work alongside other subsequent policy developments, such as raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, raising core benefit levels, and extending the in-work payment of Working for Families to all families. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EWe were thrilled to see that another of our policy goals was shared by this OECD expert, and that is the proposal to have a universal child allowance to tackle child poverty. She observed that the countries in the OECD that have achieved low child poverty\u2014the Nordic countries and France\u2014often have universal child benefits, and she suggested that New Zealand might want to explore this in more detail.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022 data-id=\u0022064393968b93444facfebe355384452d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022064393968b93444facfebe355384452d\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thirty days ago\u2014as opposed to 29 days ago, as it was yesterday\u2014there was a bit of an event. I will reintroduce the topic of that event and draw some similarities between it and what happened over the last 9 years of what I consider to be some of the best economic times that we have seen and one of the most appalling wastes of time that this country has seen. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EThe 9 years of the previous Labour Government saw a great move forward in terms of our bank balance, but literally nothing happened. The plaque around the arteries got clogged up and, like my own cardiac event\u2014they call it a cardiac event these days; they do not call it a heart attack\u2014nothing got through. The red corpuscles did not get through to the tissues of this country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI will do something that has not been done yet in this House, which is to congratulate Gerry Brownlee on a job well done. At least he stuck his neck on the line for his country. He stuck his neck on the line. I support the mining industry in this country; I support it 100 percent. It is the people across the Chamber who do not support our move forward and our looking after our grandchildren and children. That is what the decision is all about. That is what our decisions are based on. Our decisions are based on our children and our grandchildren\u2019s future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EMembers on that side will tell us that they have all the answers. Well, if they had all the answers, then we would not be sitting on this side of the Chamber, and they would not be sitting on that side. The fact of the matter is that after 9 long years of good economic times, the country had had a gutsful of the way that Labour had played the game. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI will talk about the whole issue of the 90-day trial period. A long, long time ago, back in the 1980s, I was a union organiser with one of the better unions around\u2014the Northern Clerical Workers Union. Every member of the Northern Clerical Workers Union had to have a trial period. It was written in the national award that there was a trial period for every new employee. Members opposite say that the 90-day trial is just National being anti-union. I will tell members what I am anti: the people who run the unions, who think that it is their God-given right to tell workers what to do. I wonder what Andrew Little\u2019s wage is. I wonder whether it is the wage of a normal, working-class engineer or of a member of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union. I bet members that it is not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI bet members that some of the union boys whom I used to know\u2014I know I am supposed to be calm, because it was only a month ago that I had a bit of an event. This matter has nothing to do with my health; it has everything to do with this country\u2019s health. That is why at the last election people voted for us to get through the hard times. It always happens. National is put into office during hard times because a National Government is the only one that can get this country through the hard times with forward-looking legislation. We talk about our future; we know our future. We want a brighter and better future for our kids and our grandchildren, and we are certainly not going to get it if we leave it to that lot over there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EThe debate having concluded, the motion lapsed.\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=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ff4484299f984412881a79d5caf78fa0\u0022\u003ERodney District Council Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a181e673079e4b0b81b8c1c06453e287\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022 data-id=\u0022b60a115f856d435d8783c148d70e58f1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b60a115f856d435d8783c148d70e58f1\u0022\u003EDARIEN FENTON (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Rodney District Council Bill be now read a first time. At the appropriate time, I intend to move that the bill be referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EThe purpose of this bill, as set out in clause 3, is \u201Cto constitute the Rodney District Council as a unitary authority\u201D. As such, it will have the responsibilities, duties, and powers of a territorial authority and a regional council in respect of the Rodney District. Clause 4 of the bill specifies that the Rodney District will retain the boundaries that it has had since the local government reorganisation in 1989. It will also retain its existing wards. Because of time constraints, it is necessary to defer the local authority elections for Rodney for 1 year. There will be an election in 2011 to cover a 2-year period, and triennial elections will resume in 2013. This is set out in clause 7 of the bill. Consequentially, Rodney is excluded from the Auckland region and the new Auckland Council under this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EThe whole saga of Auckland governance has been a confused jumble and an unbelievably undemocratic process. Because of the Government\u2019s mishandling of the decision making around Rodney\u2019s inclusion in the Auckland super-city, Labour believes that this bill should go to a select committee for a fair hearing. I state firmly that Labour supports the original boundaries as proposed by the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, but in the interests of democracy\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022007d13ba56894e2eb592650065f86eac\u0022\u003EDavid Garrett\u003C/span\u003E: Democracy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206347baf26884b349ea13a4b3db45ee7\u0022\u003EDARIEN FENTON\u003C/span\u003E: I say to Mr Garrett that in the interests of democracy this bill should be given a fair hearing. That is because the Government has ignored the legitimate concerns of the people of Rodney, and Rodney has not had a fair say on it. This is another chance for the Government to get this issue sorted out once and for all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EThis is a local bill promoted by the Rodney District Council, which has been through all of the hoops required to get this bill to Parliament. If the member David Garrett does not understand what it has to do, he should go and read up on it. The Rodney District Council and the media have repeatedly asked Rodney citizens whether they want to be part of the Auckland super-city, and the answer has never changed from an emphatic no. A Colmar Brunton survey in April showed that for every person in Rodney who supports becoming part of the super-city, two oppose it. The pattern of opposition is the same in the north, the west, and central Rodney, as well as in the Hibiscus Coast. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EThere are some differing views about this bill, which reflect the results of the poll\u2014one person in three does not agree. The Northern Action Group, for example, wants the boundaries changed to reflect the select committee\u2019s original recommendation that the Rodney District should be divided in two, with the boundary based on a line between the mouths of the P\u016Bhoi and Makarau rivers. It is fair to say that the council and the citizens of Rodney have sent a consistent message to the royal commission, the select committee, and their local National MPs that they want no part in the super-city. They have been saying consistently that Rodney\u2019s future should not be decided in Queen Street instead of Warkworth, Wellsford, Matakana, or Whangapar\u0101oa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister, the Minister of Local Government, the Associate Minister of Local Government, and local National MPs have given the people of Rodney false hope. They have repeatedly offered their support to this community and their community representatives, telling them that they should make submissions and that they will respond to them. There was no response. They told the community they should trust the process to deliver the right result, but I ask for whom will it be the right result. They told the community they should put in a petition and the Minister will receive it on the steps of Parliament. A petition was put in on the steps of Parliament; it had over 6,000 signatures from the Northern Action Group and the Wellsford Community Group. The Minister Rodney Hide received it and then it disappeared. Rodney residents were told they could opt out via a reorganisation proposal, but then the Government legislated to ban any reorganisation for the next 3 years. They even told the people of Rodney to get their council to put together a local bill. That is what the people of Rodney have done. Here is their local bill, and the Government should be supporting it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EUnfortunately, I hear that more false hope is being generated and held out to the Northern Action Group, with hints that another local bill to exclude north Rodney and join it to the Kaipara District Council would have every chance of success if it were not for this bill, because this bill gets in the way. If that were true and it were that easy, I have to ask why the Government did not support my amendment to exclude north Rodney when the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill was going through Parliament in June. It is true to say that the Government panicked over the north Rodney boundaries. Despite what the select committee report recommended on the second super-city bill, the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill, just 24 hours before the select committee brought the bill back to the House, the Government did a complete flip-flop on John Carter\u2019s decision and decided to bring the whole of Rodney in. John Key attempted to blame the decision on reports that he had received from select committee members. That was outrageous; one of his own Ministers was the chair. The fact is that the Government has dithered around on the issue, has made the wrong call, and has been forced to adopt the initial royal commission recommendation in the wake of widespread public outcry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003ERodney District Council is doing exactly what councils should do. This council has gone to its people, has asked what they want, and is now reflecting that through this bill. This bill is the result of the democratic process required for local bills, which is different from that of other bills, and it should not be ignored. The Government has badly mishandled the creation of a super-city, and the decision making on Rodney\u2019s inclusion has been a fiasco. This bill is now the only option open to the people of Rodney District. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EThis local bill is not perfect, but it is the only democratic response left in a highly flawed and cynical National-ACT process. The people of Rodney have behaved honestly and honourably. They have been tricked and have been given false hopes. They have been sold out by the people whom they relied on to represent them in this Parliament. The people of Rodney District ask this House once more to let them determine their own future. I ask the House to please support their local bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022 data-id=\u0022ebb83465500448a68e183587438e3ebb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ebb83465500448a68e183587438e3ebb\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE (National):\u003C/span\u003E The first thing I want to say in the first reading of the Rodney District Council Bill is that most of the time when there is an issue of real importance in the community, people protest. One such issue was the foreshore and seabed. Something like 25,000 to 30,000 people parked up outside Parliament. Without getting into the rights and wrongs of that legislation, I would say that the protest showed that a lot of people had a view that was contrary to the view of those putting forward the legislation. During the process of the three pieces of legislation on the super-city, the biggest demonstration was on M\u0101ori representation. Then came the huge demonstration that was organised by none other than the great organiser, the great leader of 50-odd people\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224efd24fe22f44ba4811c2416785f9db4\u0022\u003EDavid Garrett\u003C/span\u003E: John Minto.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dc0da0c788ef43e19b134d5d7f5deea0\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: No, it was my colleague across the Chamber who decided that it would be the biggest protest about the super-city.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228bbf86c356024645afa446074398983f\u0022\u003EDavid Garrett\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, Mr Twyford.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220290a9a8106948d8af4bbc1e36bc1f1a\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I did not say the name. There were only 40-odd people and an ambulance there\u2014and the ambulance was not there for me. I like protests, because I think they show what people are thinking about issues and whether they support issues. The next big protest was the Queen\u2019s Birthday weekend vehicle protest against the super-city and in favour of having their own little fiefdom up there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f496a413e404662bc71e7e12a223e74\u0022\u003ELouise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: How\u2019d that go?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad0221b17a394c489d1415b8a534874d\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: There were thousands of people leaving Auckland on the Friday, and even on the Thursday, to get away for Queen\u2019s Birthday weekend, and there were no hold-ups. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f365019f9bf4805a8e0bdbfa1538d87\u0022\u003EPhil Twyford\u003C/span\u003E: They used to vote National.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f2cd7b94f1546fcbd79d541d2bf1ac3\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Actually, they have always voted Labour. People like that have always voted Labour. The fact of the matter is that at the next election we will see the Hon John Carter, the Hon Phil Heatley, and the Hon Lockwood Smith all hold their seats, which are based in that area. Do members know why? It is because those people not only support National and their local members of Parliament\u2014because they are good local members of Parliament\u2014but support the idea of a super-city.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238fb5fd5740b45ec86567dc12def6605\u0022\u003EPhil Twyford\u003C/span\u003E: Has he read the bill?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022097f317498b34bd594fef72024c880e4\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: It is hard not to read the bill. There is so much rubbish in it, one laughs when reading it. It is a bit like a cartoon. It has been put together by people who want to protect their own jobs. That is all it is. The bill is only about protecting the power and the wages of those who will lose their jobs in October of this year. That is all they are worried about. They are not worried about being part of a local community board. They are not worried about being part of a bigger prize at the end of the rainbow. They are after the protection of their jobs and their wages or salaries and all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f716ceea092644fe94018c154f53e267\u0022\u003EPhil Twyford\u003C/span\u003E: What an insult!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002262d27249e6564957a37811c92b49bfca\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: It is an insult. It is an insult to the people who want to see this country go ahead. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI cannot believe my luck\u2014this is the third opportunity I have had to speak in the House since that event some 30 smoke-free days ago. Do members know what this issue is all about? It is all about getting the pump of the economy going. We will not be able to do it by supporting the establishment of little backwater fiefdoms. That is not democracy; that is just self-interest at its worst.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002293531f6237a24266b7cd577bb1e65f24\u0022\u003EPhil Twyford\u003C/span\u003E: He\u2019s sold out to big business.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bbace2ad9fb44b169e54dc8853d10f2d\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Oh yeah. Whom did I sell out to?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002234588a3ec2444dc0b32b2409d8688be2\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: No one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f5576ca4d20d4bc88f1849a11345e88c\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Exactly\u2014no one. Those who have sold out are those with these \u201Cgood\u201D ideas. All they have done is try to protect their own wages and protect their own outdated and outmoded philosophies.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa875067687846a7b8be655ed8f1bc98\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: What did the party-hopper do?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022512a3e02d7d34e04afafd9ad371d9166\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Let us talk about some party-hoppers. Winston Churchill was a party-hopper, and, frankly, I quite like Winston Churchill. I think Winston Churchill was a great man\u2014a fantastic man. I wish members opposite would calm down. I know what happens to the old ticker when people get stressed out. The only words I can bring to this debate before I sit down are \u201Ccalm down\u201D. I tell those members to calm down and open up their arteries so the blood can flow through, and let Auckland\u2014[Interruption] I have had 30 smoke-free days. I do not smoke anymore; it is a disgusting habit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226cc336f4175d43b79891f1b31e576243\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: He\u2019s a convert to every cause.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228989093900e24c6e968717343708a50b\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Actually, I do not care whether people smoke. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EMost people in the area of Rodney, further north, want to be part of a great big Auckland movement. They want to be part of the new Auckland. If there is a chance that we have not got it right, there is an opportunity to tweak and change. But we will not be going back to the old left-wing philosophy of having little fiefdoms all over the place, because the people who get control of those little fiefdoms are the people on the left in central government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EThe Auckland legislation brings more power to the people of Auckland. It brings more power to the people of north Auckland, east Auckland, south Auckland, and west Auckland. [Interruption] That is what this crowd do not want to happen. They do not want the power to be left in the hands of the people; they want the power to be left in the hands of their mates like Bob Harvey and Len Brown. They are all the same. They want to control their own little fiefdoms and their own little power bases. That is all I have to say.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022 data-id=\u0022b374f4b9a8bc418c97794a95bcd8ac16\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b374f4b9a8bc418c97794a95bcd8ac16\u0022\u003EHon GEORGE HAWKINS (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E I just want to say how good it is to see the previous speaker, Tau Henare, back in the House. He is quite an interesting member. I think he started many years ago in New Zealand First, then he turned to Mauri Pacific, and now he is in National. By the speech he just made, he is smoke-free and will be joining the M\u0101ori Party in its policy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003EI think local bills demand a bit more respect. This Rodney District Council Bill would be unnecessary if the Government had done what it should have and had a referendum of the people of Auckland. Then this bill would not have reached the House. I want to thank my colleague Darien Fenton for bringing it to the House. It took a Labour list member to do it. Other members of Parliament are associated closely with Rodney, such as the Speaker of the House, the Hon Dr Lockwood Smith. I can understand his reasons why he may not want to address the House. John Key, the Prime Minister, is probably too busy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227df975cd-93d2-4f55-9bc5-d2790e28e043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022161d3be4ae0b471ca728d54e76c955a9\u0022\u003EHon Maryan Street\u003C/span\u003E: Too busy doing what?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286888b14883a4b5d932dd4d2a0efeb98\u0022\u003EHon GEORGE HAWKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Well, he is going around everywhere smiling. He is going around saying we will not have any mines, with an ear-to-ear smile as he says it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270fa4cbd-9380-4916-9f2a-78da059d220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f63e869c6ec64847af68c12eada8ed7a\u0022\u003EH V Ross Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: From cloud to cloud.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002276777f7e10894ab18cbf05185785b8cf\u0022\u003EHon GEORGE HAWKINS\u003C/span\u003E: That is right. So the people of Rodney who want this bill before the House are disappointed. There are other members of Parliament from the North Shore, like Wayne Mapp. He dodged the crossfire; he did not want to be involved. We have Jonathan Coleman, but he did not want to know about it. Of course, we have\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c28506df85854bbea0168f7c5968097a\u0022\u003EDarien Fenton\u003C/span\u003E: Or Murray McCully.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022182d0fa11c024ee4af5b9836464f3b07\u0022\u003EHon GEORGE HAWKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Or Murray McCully. He is over in Afghanistan, and many people hope that no harm comes to him. But I doubt that all those people would come from Rodney, because they are very disappointed. They want to stay by themselves. Labour supported the reorganisation principle, right from day one, but the National Government forgot one thing, and that was to listen to what people were saying. I suggest to Rodney Hide and John Carter that they take a call on the first reading of this bill and say why they will not support it. We know they will not support it. I know that Rodney Hide is busy trying to get his vote up. I was at one of his meetings, on Monday, where he shared the platform with Penny Bright. That is desperation politics, but that is what happened. Will those members support local people like Bill Townsend, who worked like nobody\u2019s business to try to make submissions and have the Government take notice of him? It did not happen. Penny Webster, Mayor of Rodney District Council, and a former member of this House and former member of ACT\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a297908400314a728f000d75cbb30de7\u0022\u003EDavid Garrett\u003C/span\u003E: Former!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002289b3f42274b04cc485a2e812af37f450\u0022\u003EHon GEORGE HAWKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Well, they cannot afford too many formers or that member will be gone. I must say I would not advertise the fact; I would sit there quietly, take a deep breath, and get on with things. People who by substantial majority in a referendum say they are opposed to what is happening should be shown the decency of seeing this bill going to the select committee. I know that the select committee will bury it; that is what happens. I am doing a local bill for Manukau City\u2014a prostitution by-law bill\u2014but I know that it will not go very far, because Manukau is going into Auckland. But Manukau goes in with its eyes wide open; Rodney is fighting it, and other communities are still very, very unhappy. Papakura people are bitterly disappointed that the Government did not listen to them. They were told by John Carter: \u201CWe\u2019re listening.\u201D But they were not hearing. We need a voice in the House to represent that area, and I am really pleased that Labour is doing it, even though we do not hold a parliamentary seat on the North Shore. When all else is lost, people come back to Labour. That is what they will be doing; they will be coming back to Labour. The people of Rodney will not forget this betrayal. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022 data-id=\u0022dabe746ec0ea463daa062a366336ad4d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dabe746ec0ea463daa062a366336ad4d\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is a pleasure to rise and speak on the Rodney District Council Bill, which is a local bill. This bill seeks to create the Rodney District Council as a unitary authority and separate it from the Auckland super-city.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270fa4cbd-9380-4916-9f2a-78da059d220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022925444fcc20a4b64be49780c59da9a9a\u0022\u003EH V Ross Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Where\u2019s the passion?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221dea17d2afea4b9898a001ddba29d424\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER\u003C/span\u003E: I acknowledge that, indeed, the people of Rodney are extremely passionate about this, I tell Mr Robertson. Some are passionate to have a change, and some are passionate to stay in the super-city concept. I have here a very recently received email from a western corridor focus group that constitutes a representative forum group, with one representative from each of the ratepayers and community associations of Riverhead, Coatesville, Taupaki, K\u016Bmeu-Huapai, Waimauku, Muriwai, Helensville, Parakai, Kaukapakapa, and Shelly Beach. These people are not in favour of this bill, so I think it is wrong to suggest, as we have heard in the House, that this bill has unanimous support in Rodney. I acknowledge the contribution from my colleague Tau Henare. It is good to see him back in the House after his somewhat chequered last 30 days. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003EOne thing we know is that the previous Labour Government called upon a royal commission to investigate the problems occurring in Auckland. That royal commission found, after 18 months of consultation, 3,500 submissions, 500 oral submissions, and advice from experts, that there were huge problems\u2014suffocating red tape, transport bottlenecks, and lost opportunities for development. The commission said that doing nothing was not an option and that an Auckland super-city was the way forward. The commission found many things holding up Auckland in relation to the way the city was run. In particular, it felt there was a lack of leadership, and that Auckland required a leader to unify all the district communities and provide a single vision for the greater community. The commission wanted important Auckland-wide matters, which were getting tangled up with competing interests of local councils, to be dealt with by a single authority. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003EThe commission did not think to ignore the local communities, and the people of Rodney can take some comfort from the fact that the local boards will be the face of local government. They will have an important role to play, and the people elected to local boards will play a huge role in the Rodney community. They will be locally elected people, who understand their community\u2019s concerns and hopes. Local boards will be required to meet regularly with the communities they represent, and they will be required to formally consult their communities when developing their local board plans. They will have a wide-ranging role. They will make decisions on local matters, provide local leadership, and strengthen and build that local community. Local boards will also provide important local input into region-wide strategies and plans, including those of the council-controlled organisations. Auckland needs to move forward together. I think it is for that reason that National has good reason to not support this bill. 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=\u0022996a21df07e243ceb346bf976ee4f29a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022996a21df07e243ceb346bf976ee4f29a\u0022\u003EDAVID CLENDON (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora koutou. It is a privilege to speak to the Rodney District Council Bill, which is essentially a rearguard action by the people of Rodney, who have been steamrollered into something they did not want a bar of\u2014and for very good reason. I have some affinity for the area, having lived at Whangapar\u0101oa for some 13 or 14 years, and I recently held a public meeting in Whangapar\u0101oa. It was on an entirely different topic. The meeting was attended by Green Party members and supporters, but also, predominantly, by members of the public who were perhaps not politically affiliated. One needed only to scratch an inch below the surface to find a great deal of anger and frustration at the fact that Rodney has been pushed into this unwanted and, in many ways, unnecessary amalgamation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EOur colleague Tau Henare, who spoke earlier, was reflecting on what I think is an extremely optimistic view, which is that the Government will not take a political hit on this issue. I will disabuse the member of that belief. There will be a political cost to this. There is a great deal of anger and frustration at the loss of democracy, as there has been throughout the very ungainly and unsatisfactory process of melding Auckland into one mass.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThis local bill is a result of the frustration about that hostility and that attack on democracy, which has occurred in Auckland and elsewhere, particularly in Canterbury. Throughout the region, people feel disenfranchised. They have spoken but they have not been listened to. Mr Twyford and I, and other Labour and Green MPs, ran a series of meetings. We went around the entire region to hear people\u2019s stories, including the stories of people from Rodney. They presented very compelling arguments as to why at least north Rodney\u2014if not, in fact, the entire district\u2014ought to be left out of the amalgamation. Over 6,000 people signed a petition. They went to the trouble of presenting that petition to Parliament. They also sought people who supported the amalgamation, and they managed to find only a few hundred in north Rodney who supported that contrary view.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EIt is true that a number of people think that the super-city is a good idea. Many of those people are under what is clearly a false belief that they will get a bigger slice of a larger pie. In some quarters there is some understanding and expectation that Rodney going into the Auckland super-city will mean that more money is spent in Rodney on roading, on infrastructure, on transport, and on other public amenities. We know that whoever comes into the council in a few months\u2019 time will use a great deal of money, expenditure, and other resources simply to establish the super-city and simply to get some workable form to the very poorly designed super-city and the increasingly poorly implemented process of creating the super-city. It will be a very long time before the Auckland Council has the time or the wherewithal to consider the outlying parts of the city\u2014Manukau District, Franklin District, and, indeed, Rodney District.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThere is a reason why the proponents of the super-city were so determined to have Rodney District in the super-city, particularly north Rodney, which is primarily a rural environment and far from Queen Street, far from the west, the south, and the North Shore, which are primarily urban developments. I have one word and that word is land bank. Some would have it that Greater Auckland should aspire to have a population of some 2 million people, which is 600,000 or 700,000 people more than we currently have. Clearly, those people will want to live and work and enjoy recreation somewhere. It is very clear that Rodney District is being preserved as a land bank for future development, despite the wishes and aspirations of people who currently live there, particularly given that there is a strong push to move the metropolitan urban limits in the false belief that the spatial plan will render such an organism unnecessary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThis bill represents a good statement of the very deeply held feelings of the Rodney District people, and the Greens will be very happy to support the Rodney District Council Bill on that basis. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022 data-id=\u0022a41affa9851a4cb8b00bdf98584b4d7c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a41affa9851a4cb8b00bdf98584b4d7c\u0022\u003EDAVID GARRETT (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I do not know about the members on the other side of the House but I am a resident of Rodney District, and I have been in contact with councillors\u2014or, should I say, they have been in contact with me\u2014for some time on this whole issue. I want to correct the record. Statements such as \u201CThe people of Rodney think this\u201D, or \u201CThe people of Rodney think that\u201D could not be further from the truth. The best that one can say is that the people of Rodney are highly divided on this issue. It would be fair to say that there are many\u2014and I am happy to admit that I am one of them\u2014who think that the best solution would probably be a split between the Kaipara District Council and the super-city. The question, of course, is where that split should be. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003EI attended select committee hearings where a number of options were considered and put forward, such as the northern railway line that runs past my house, which would have put me in the Kaipara District, and the ridge for the catchment of the Kaipara Harbour, which would have put me in the super-city. There was no consensus on that but there was certainly consensus on one thing. Aside from a small number of Rodney District councillors and a few of their supporters\u2014perhaps a few hundred; Mr Clendon talked about the petition, and I think he said 600\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022694950f5e5a74f08bee0285da1803d57\u0022\u003EDarien Fenton\u003C/span\u003E: 6,000.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227547ce44f119434aa765d72d62628767\u0022\u003EDAVID GARRETT\u003C/span\u003E: That would probably be the total number who wanted a unitary authority. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003EThere are 90,000 people in Rodney. I had a meeting with Mayor Penny Webster, a former MP, as Mr Hawkins noted. She timed it very badly, because a few days before the meeting I received an email from a woman in Australia who was complaining about the number of MPs we have to run this place. She asked why we need 122 MPs to run New Zealand when the Greater Melbourne Council has 20 councillors and they have a population of 1.8 million. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003EWhen I went to see the Rodney District Council I made that point. The councillors were rather sheepish. Then I asked them how many fulltime-equivalents they had. I do not want to misrepresent what I heard, but it was in excess of 400\u2014400 fulltime-equivalents. I was astounded. Then the mayor said it was a very wide area. I asked whether she had been to Melbourne. I said it takes half a day to get across it by train. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003ESo the Rodney District Council has 20-odd councillors, I think, for a population of 90,000, and Melbourne is able to manage 1.8 million with the same number. That is a perfect example of why this is a very bad idea. I am not sure whether Ms Fenton has actually been past the great castle in Centreway Road, \u014Crewa\u2014the \u201Cnot to be for much longer\u201D headquarters of the Rodney District Council. It is astounding. It is a huge castle of a building for 90,000 people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003ELast year a councillor rang me, gave his name, which I will not give, and told me that the Rodney District Council budgeted $6 million\u2014this is last year\u2014for new vehicles\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221276849dcd264c4ca4bbcb4204ddbb91\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: How much?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022790676788b7042d5b23f3be5d807b105\u0022\u003EDAVID GARRETT\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014it was $6 million\u2014when it knew it was going out of existence in November the following year. That is an absolutely scandalous misuse of ratepayers\u2019 money\u2014and I am one of them. I am a ratepayer in the Rodney District. The Rodney District Council was so dysfunctional some years ago that the Government had to put commissioners in to run it. I believe they were actually physically attacking each other. So as an example of a unitary authority model, one could hardly pick a worse one than the Rodney District Council. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022187e4099-cc16-4bb8-8379-82c881af1724\u0022\u003EI will end as I started by saying I agree that the community is divided. Many people, and I am one of them, think that probably\u2014probably\u2014the area should be divided. The area I live in, Kaukapakapa, is definitely rural. It does not have very much in common with Parnell\u2014in fact, nothing, thankfully, which is why I live there. Most of the people around my area would be much happier with the Kaipara District Council. But the crucial thing is that we will all get a shot in 2013 to make submissions and move the boundary, but in the meantime one could not pick a worse example of a council as a unitary authority than this one, and any claim that the people of Rodney wish this to happen is simply nonsense. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022 data-id=\u00225e9a945b25f54d998a7f7c0e8983b14c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225e9a945b25f54d998a7f7c0e8983b14c\u0022\u003ERAHUI KATENE (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E During the select committee process associated with the Auckland Council law reforms, Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua Ng\u0101 Rima o Kaipara referred to a historical request from 1860 from the rangatira Paora T\u016Bhaere. The rangatira issued a plea for unity between M\u0101ori and the Crown in governance. It was a plea that appears to have fallen by the wayside in recent months, but not for want of trying. I believe that this Rodney District Council Bill is an expression of the effort made by both local government through Rodney District Council and mana whenua by merit of the work undertaken by Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua Ng\u0101 Rima o Kaipara. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EThe purpose of this legislation is to constitute Rodney District Council as a unitary authority. The M\u0101ori Party takes as a starting point that a unitary authority must, by its very nature, ensure the authority of mana whenua. Our approach to the Rodney District Council Bill is similar to any bill in the local government policy framework, in that Te Tiriti o Waitangi provided at a minimum that tangata whenua should have an equitable say in the decisions that affect them via Treaty-based representation. But in the case of Rodney, it would appear that a unitary authority for the local authority is a concept that mana whenua have already been working with and alongside of. We know as a result of a memorandum of understanding that Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua Ng\u0101 Rima o Kaipara has already consolidated with Rodney District Council that both authorities often work together. This partnership is demonstrated in practical ways to ensure the best outcomes in terms of water infrastructure, with projects linked to wastewater, water conveyance, and stormwater. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EAs mana whenua, the iwi, the hap\u016B, and the marae have indicated consistently that they will not willingly abdicate their responsibilities regarding kaitiakitanga, and, as such, have advanced a particular role in relation to co-monitoring. This has been evidenced in the Environment Court. In essence, it is observed in means such as facilitating consent. I hasten to add, of course, that the emphasis towards kotahitanga to work together in the process of pursuing a single intent has been demonstrated by Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua through the south Kaipara takiw\u0101 for other than the council process alone. I am thinking particularly of a partnership that evolved between five mana whenua marae in south Kaipara and a primary health organisation aimed at improving the health of Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua wh\u0101nui. That way of working is destined for success, and it has been recognised in the New Zealand Health Innovation Awards. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EWe also understand that Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua Ng\u0101 Rima o Kaipara is a key part in the council\u2019s social well-being strategy. This is the wh\u0101riki, the foundation, upon which we respond to this bill. We know that the die is cast already and it is highly unlikely that the bill will proceed through the House, but I think it is important for the record to note that Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua Ng\u0101 Rima o Kaipara have recognised the benefit of the memorandum of understanding they negotiated with the Rodney District Council. It is the basis for a relationship of goodwill between the two parties. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EThe Rodney District Council is the only council out of three others that sit within that tribal rohe that has established this form of relationship with Ng\u0101 Rima o Kaipara. As such, it has been of great value to the people. The key question now is inevitably around the new Auckland Council\u2019s capacity to engage with the iwi and hap\u016B of Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua o Kaipara ki te Tonga. We have been advised that Naida Glavish, the chair of Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua Ng\u0101 Rima o Kaipara, has indicated that they would engage reluctantly with any advisory board of the Auckland super-city. We are apprehensive that the relationship established under the memorandum of understanding will continue with the new Auckland Council when the council comes into effect. We would not want to place at risk the level of input that Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua Ng\u0101 Rima o Kaipara currently holds in regard to the decision-making process around issues relative to Rodney District. We support this bill at its first reading to provide a forum for discussion about how to best invest in a unitary authority that brings mana whenua alongside.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u00223851c5f5c777400583a346d29a125bef\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223851c5f5c777400583a346d29a125bef\u0022\u003EPHIL TWYFORD (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Sometimes this Parliament is a court of last resort, and today is one such occasion. For the people of the district of Rodney, this is their final opportunity to have a say, to have their day in court. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThe people of Rodney submitted to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, they submitted to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee on the second super-city bill, and they lobbied their elected MPs in good faith. Still frustrated, the people of northern Rodney gathered a petition. I will correct the gentleman from Taupaki\u2014David Garrett, the member for ACT\u2014who said that they gathered only 6,000 signatures. Well, those 6,000 signatures in northern Rodney were collected from a community of 22,000 people. That is an impressive result in anybody\u2019s book, I think. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThe Government invited the people of northern Rodney to submit a reorganisation proposal to take Rodney out of the super-city, but in the next breath, under this Minister of Local Government, it banned any reorganisation proposals in the Auckland region for the next 3 years. This local bill, the Rodney District Council Bill, was brought to the House by my colleague Darien Fenton. It is the last chance for the disillusioned and disenchanted of Rodney District. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EWhy do the people of Rodney deserve to have a say on this issue? There are three reasons. The first is that this ACT-National Government has utterly mishandled and mismanaged the entire Auckland reorganisation process over the last 18 months, particularly in relation to the inclusion of Rodney and the people of Rodney in the Auckland super-city. It has been a fiasco. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThe second reason is that the people of Rodney District do not want to be part of the Auckland super-city. A Colmar Brunton poll of a sample of 1,200 people stated that 52 percent of the people of Rodney District opposed Rodney\u2019s inclusion in the super-city. A bare 21 percent said that they supported their community\u2019s inclusion in the super-city. Those results are absolutely clear. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EBut it is not just the people of Rodney who are unhappy about being press-ganged into Rodney Hide\u2019s super-city by this Government. Those poll results can be found throughout the entire Auckland region. No matter which way we ask people the question\u2014whether they feel like they have been listened to by the Government, whether they think their lives will be better under the super-city, or whether they think things will be run more efficiently\u2014almost always about 50 percent of the respondents say no. They do not think life under the super-city will be better; they do not want to be part of it. All the polling that we have seen published in the last 6 months indicates that this Government is lucky if it can muster 20 to 30 percent of people who support the super-city. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThe third reason Labour is supporting this bill is that the National Government would not give the people of Rodney their day in court. It would not allow them to have a say at the select committee on whether they should be incorporated against their will, against their wishes, into the super-city. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThe member for Rodney declined to sponsor this bill. The member for Northland\u2014even though he is the Associate Minister of Local Government and was quite happy to chair the select committee\u2014would not sponsor this bill. The member for Helensville would not sponsor this bill. The member for Waitakere would not sponsor this bill. Four Government Cabinet Ministers whose electorates overlap with the district of Rodney refused to sponsor this bill, but my colleague Darien Fenton did the right thing and brought it to this House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThose three reasons are why we are supporting this bill. It is a bizarre fact of this situation that Labour supports, and has supported throughout the super-city process, the royal commission boundaries. We believe, based on the planning and the environmental arguments, that Rodney should be in the super-city. There are very persuasive reasons to protect the metropolitan urban limits and to prevent rampant urban development leapfrogging over urban limits into the hinterland. There are very good reasons in terms of managing Auckland\u2019s long-term growth that Rodney should be part of the super-city. But, in spite of that, we think democracy means that the people of Rodney deserve to have their day in court.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022 data-id=\u00223aa90bcb81944289a6fb277e2277b12d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223aa90bcb81944289a6fb277e2277b12d\u0022\u003EDr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E This bill, the Rodney District Council Bill, really demonstrates this Government\u2019s inconsistency and duplicity. In my contribution to this bill, I want to demonstrate that. Fundamentally, the bill is about enabling the voices of the people of the Rodney District Council to be heard in this Parliament. By the very reaction that the Government is taking and by the actions taken by those who should be representing the interests of this conservative electorate, the Government is really disabling the views of the people of Rodney from being heard. The Government has failed the people of Rodney by not fronting up and also by making little of the arguments that they are presenting. Not one National member north of the bridge has come forward to say that he or she would at least put his or her name to a local bill, which is the tradition. Not one of those members has done that. The people of Rodney will not forget it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EThe people of north Rodney are good and reasonable folk. They essentially want to represent the views of the people whom they have campaigned very actively with. They make it quite clear that they want to get north Rodney out of the super-city, following the view of the majority of the members in this area of that city. That argument is pretty important and pretty powerful, yet they are not being enabled to be heard here. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EGovernment members are being absolutely inconsistent. They take a particular position when it suits them, but on the same principle they discount it when it does not suit them. I remember very well when the Hon Maurice Williamson came to this House and said what a wonderful thing it was that the people of Howick, the people of Te Irirangi, had had a big meeting, had signed petitions\u2014he brought the box into the House\u2014and how important democracy was. On the basis of that, the Hon Pansy Wong and the Hon Maurice Williamson supported the name change and carried the day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EI ask what happened in this particular case. Howick does not even describe Te Irirangi, which is a beautiful name. It has local meaning as well, but members opposite used, in that case, the principle of \u201Cthe voice of the people\u201D. Well, what happened this time? The people of north Rodney have come together, with 6,000 signatures. They have described to us how they walked street after street to find people at home to sign the petitions, but the Government is being inconsistent and illogical. My colleague Darien Fenton and I were invited in the summer of this year to go to north Rodney and have a public Labour Party meeting there. I asked my wife to come along. I said that it was a very conservative electorate, and there would probably be 20 people there, if that, so we could go and have a meal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022355a9d1fc86c4667b15f03fc0fc6672e\u0022\u003EDr Cam Calder\u003C/span\u003E: Did you take the red machine? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a6de12c39374d8e8467fad71f843174\u0022\u003EDr RAJEN PRASAD\u003C/span\u003E: They are the people who elected the Government last time, so Mr Calder should listen to what they said. When we went there the hall was full to overflowing. The people were angry. They were absolutely annoyed that the Government was not listening. It is an insult to those people that the Government has not listened. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EThe position taken by Tau Henare today was that those people were interested only in themselves, and that is why the bill is here today. That is an absolute insult to the people of north Rodney. I hope they are listening to this debate or will read the transcript, because they will realise that the Government is not interested in actually living by the democratic principles that this country operates on. The party opposite sings its praises all the time, but it is inconsistent. The Government talked about mining, but now it says that the people do not want it, so we will not have it. Yet the people of north Rodney do not want to be part of the Auckland super-city. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003EThis bill is about giving a voice to the people of north Rodney. They will not have that voice. I thank Darien Fenton for bringing the bill forward. It is a shame, and a black day in the history of this Parliament really, that the people of north Rodney cannot come and have their say. Thank you very much. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022 data-id=\u002286c2675ab4c140d7ad02390b1af461d6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002286c2675ab4c140d7ad02390b1af461d6\u0022\u003EDARIEN FENTON (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I cannot say I am surprised at the response from National and the ACT Party and their decision to vote against the Rodney District Council Bill. I do not think the people of Rodney will be particularly surprised, because it is just another event in a very long pattern of their being let down by their parliamentary representatives, being ignored, and being put through a ridiculous and undemocratic process. I am sure that members opposite will be hearing from them directly, and I am also sure it will be noted that there has been no contribution from those members in this debate. I thank the Greens and the M\u0101ori Party. I know that Dave Clendon has been, as he said, around the district, and certainly I have too, with colleagues Phil Twyford and Rajen Prasad. For the information of the ACT Party member David Garrett, I live in Taupaki, which is in Rodney District, and nobody has asked my opinion on that side of Rodney. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EThis is a sad day, as my colleague said. We are seeing a pattern emerging, where this Government is willing to ride roughshod over local views and local opinion. I find it ironic. I like the comparison with the back-down on mining, drawn by my colleague Rajen Prasad. Apparently that occurred because the people have had their say. The people of Rodney have tried to have their say through a proper process, and let me just remind the House what that process entails. A local bill is not something that I just draw up and bring to this House. A local bill has to go through a very complicated legal process. Consultation with the local people is required. They are allowed to have their say. There must be notifications, and the Clerk has to be absolutely convinced that that process has been followed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EEven though I felt privileged to take up this local bill and put my hand up, I believe that the members from the local area have some explaining to do. I would have thought that if the Government was so confident about its process and about what has come out of a year\u2019s work on the super-city it would welcome a debate. It would have welcomed the chance for the Rodney people to come and have a say through the only democratic means left to them, which was a local bill. I think they deserve better from this Government. The people of Auckland certainly deserve better. As I said, it just follows a trend we are seeing from this Government\u2014a Government that ignores local views: for example, the decision to fire the board of Environment Canterbury without any local consultation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EThe Government has been intimidated, I think, by the very malevolent presence of the Minister of Local Government, Rodney Hide. So tainted has that name Rodney become, that I would not be surprised if there was an application to the Geographic Board to change the name\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225db0a23e-1579-44c6-9194-76e34cf5ae99\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a42916dc4194056bb7c2cdd8a53413c\u0022\u003EDr Rajen Prasad\u003C/span\u003E: Change his name. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022df8589ecc0774a3696874aab9e1060ad\u0022\u003EDARIEN FENTON\u003C/span\u003E: The Geographic Board cannot change his name, but it could change the name of Rodney, and I would not be surprised if we saw that at some stage. I doubt that this will be the last\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206b5ac17bb9445218810a08413e8bdeb\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: It could be called Darien.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6638ecc1592464f9e3d8d391b822923\u0022\u003EDARIEN FENTON\u003C/span\u003E: They could call it Darien. That is right: the Darien District. That sounds pretty good to me. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EI doubt this will be the last time we hear from Rodney on this issue, or from north Rodney. They have vowed to keep fighting. They will do that, through the ballot box next year. Members opposite should not be too confident about picking up those National Party votes next time. Members would be surprised how many people are now saying, all over the place\u2014not just on this issue but on a whole lot of other things, such as cuts to early childhood education, and so on\u2014that this Government has to go. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a40f5af7-f9b0-4b44-9669-9e63be1c3ced\u0022\u003EIn closing, I acknowledge all of those who were involved in bringing this local bill together. I acknowledge the Northern Action Group and the Wellsford Community Group. Those people went from farm to farm, from door to door, collecting 6,000 signatures, to bring the issue to Parliament and present it to the Minister because they were promised they would be listened to. They have been let down once again. I also recognise all the other groups in the community that have tried to contribute to the democratic process surrounding what is a massive change. They have been let down. Promises were made, and the people have been let down. I think this whole process has been hijacked by this Government. This is a very, very disappointing day for Rodney. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022298b99a88a36489397f95bcae5d3dee8\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Rodney District Council Bill be now read a first time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 58\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 43; Green Party 9; M\u0101ori Party 5; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 64\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion not 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=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b90136bb32cd4240975c9332fc3d0d1e\u0022\u003EPublic Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002249bf8a22ccc8400ebd9bdf37dca29066\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022 data-id=\u0022a4381c68797d4d3997922ae2a8003c57\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a4381c68797d4d3997922ae2a8003c57\u0022\u003ETE URUROA FLAVELL (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill be now read a second time. Hoi an\u014D, kia ora t\u0101tau e te Whare. I te tuatahi hei w\u0101w\u0101hi i waku k\u014Drero, ka huri te titiro ki a koe kai taku rangatira e Tau, kua hoki mai koe ki t\u014D Whare. Nau mai, hoki mai me t\u014D ate hou hei whakahihiko i te ng\u0101kau, ka mutu, e hari koa ana kua hoki ora mai. Nau mai, hoki mai. Otir\u0101, ki a t\u0101tau e hoa m\u0101 m\u014D te \u0101huatanga o ng\u0101 mate o te w\u0101, waiho r\u0101tau kia moe. Anei t\u0101tau kua hoki mai ki roto i ng\u0101 pakitara o te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, kia ora t\u0101tau. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EKo t\u0101ku i te tuatahi he mihi kau atu ki te komiti n\u0101 r\u0101tau t\u0113nei pire i titiro i ng\u0101 marama kua hipa. Ka mihi r\u0101 ki te Local Government and Environment Committee. E hoa m\u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. Ka nui te mihi ki a Chris Auchinvole, te tiamana o taua komiti i whakatuwhera nei te k\u016Baha kia tae atu ahau ki te whakatakoto i ng\u0101 k\u014Drero e p\u0101 ana ki t\u0113nei pire. Ki a au nei, i \u0101hua areare mai ng\u0101 taringa ki te tikanga o taku pire, ka mutu, ahakoa he \u0101hua uaua ki \u0113tahi. Ko te mea nui i tae mai ng\u0101 t\u0101ngata o te motu ki te whakatakoto i \u014D r\u0101tau whakaaro ki mua i te komiti, ka mutu, i rongo te komiti i ng\u0101 k\u014Drero. Te \u0101hua nei e kore pea e eke ki te taumata i wawatatia mai ai i ng\u0101 marama kua hipa engari ko te mea pai, i k\u014Drerohia, i w\u0101nangahia. N\u014D reira, ka nui te mihi ki a koutou katoa i kaha rongo nei i te tikanga o t\u0113nei pire.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E[So greetings to us, the House. First of all, I open my address by looking in your direction, Tau, my honourable member; you have returned to your House. Welcome back with your restored heart that makes you vibrant within. How happy I am that you are back and alive. Welcome back, welcome back. In respect of the departed fellow members, allow them to rest there. Here we are, back within the walls of the House, so greetings to you collectively, and to us all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EFirst, I want to acknowledge the Local Government and Environment Committee, which considered this bill in the past months, and the members on it. To you, the committee members, thank you. To the chairman of that committee, Chris Auchinvole, I greatly appreciate the opportunity you provided that enabled me to appear before the committee to make personal representations on this bill. I feel that the purpose of my bill struck a chord somewhat with those who listened, even though some had difficulties coming to terms with it. The important thing is that the people of the country came before the committee to present their views, and ultimately the committee heard them. I get the feeling, however, that what I desired in the past months will not be achieved, but the best thing that has come out of this process is that it was addressed and debated. So I appreciate greatly all of you who listened intently to the purpose of this bill.] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EThe Waitangi Tribunal\u2019s He Maunga Rongo: Report on Central North Island Claims of 2008 stated that the taking of lands in the central North Island was \u201Ca major grievance\u201D, and that \u201Cthe compulsory taking of land and resources\u2014without consent and sometimes without compensation, by legislation unsanctioned by Maori communities\u2014has given rise to an enduring and powerful grievance.\u201D This bill, which I have put forward, responds to that challenge to address the enduring and powerful grievance of the legislative history that has been unsanctioned by M\u0101ori communities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EM\u0101ori land has over the years both been taken under the Public Works Act for a specific purpose and purchased by the Crown for specific purposes. In most instances, land sold to the Crown for a specific purpose has been sold by M\u0101ori for only that specific purpose, and for no other. With that principle in mind, this bill, which I have had on the books for some time, proposes either that land sold to the Crown should be offered back to the original owners and/or their descendants, or that compensation should be offered. That is the point of the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EWe have a legacy of Waitangi Tribunal reports in this land that suggests the Crown has historically failed to honour its obligations and responsibilities as articulated in article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Those reports have said in the strongest terms that the Crown has an obligation to protect M\u0101ori land for use by M\u0101ori for as long as M\u0101ori wish. We know too that the evidence of these words is revealed by the amount of land taken from M\u0101ori by the Crown and its agencies using the various tranches of the Public Works Act over successive generations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EDuring the select committee process submitter after submitter, when describing the way in which M\u0101ori land has been taken in a disproportionate manner over the decades, told us that the Public Works Act 1981 creates discrimination. Atareta Poananga shared her views on the way in which the Waitangi Tribunal\u2019s reports have dealt with public works takings, and talked about the fact that they have described what she called \u201Ca crucial insight into the human cost of Crown policies and practises \u2026 In the Turangi Township Report for example the Tribunal described the statutory powers of the Crown as \u2018draconian\u2019 and that many \u2018suffered grievous spiritual loss, the scars that remain today\u2019.\u201D She reported that \u201CThe Crown operates from a world view that assumes the inherent superiority of certain values and beliefs which are firmly rooted in Western Law.\u201D Her challenge to the committee was that \u201CTikanga Maori should be elevated to the same status as Tikanga Pakeha\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EAtareta Poananga also advised the select committee of the view of Te Roopu Arataki, a group of M\u0101ori who were considered to combine a specialist technical focus with knowledge of tikanga. Te Roopu Arataki assisted Land Information New Zealand on policy development for a review of the Public Works Act. It was their unanimous opinion that \u201Cnot one more acre of Maori land should be taken for Public Works purposes.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EI might add that this is the phrase that my colleague Hone Harawira has upheld in the last couple of days. In fact, he has breathed new life into that phrase, which originated in the M\u0101ori Land March to Wellington 35 years ago. The march had as its slogan, as I say, \u201CNot one more acre\u201D, because M\u0101ori were scared about how much M\u0101ori land was being gobbled up by the Crown. Such is the passion that many of our people have in wanting to retain their land. This bill is related very much to the passion that our people sang about and continue to sing about, and in some cases even march about. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EMy view is that this bill has the most honourable intentions. The bill proposes amendments to the Public Works Act 1981, specifically section 40, in order to ensure, firstly, that the former owners of land who have been deprived of that land by the Crown for the purposes of a public work are given the right of first refusal to purchase that land when the Crown no longer requires it for the particular public work for which it was originally acquired. Secondly, the bill would ensure solatium payments for the former owners of land who have been deprived of their land for a public works purpose for which the land was never actually used. Thirdly, it would ensure that where the former owners are deceased, the descendants of the former owners can exercise the rights set out in section 40(1). \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EI have read the view of Land Information New Zealand that the purpose of the bill is already met through the current mechanisms for redress, compensation, and offer-back available through the court system and te Tiriti o Waitangi settlements process. But I put it to the House that the very solid evidence that came out of the approximately 71 submissions on the bill was that all the legal and M\u0101ori submissions were actually in favour of the bill\u2019s proposals. I understand that the select committee does not want the bill to proceed; that is a little bit disastrous. That is its view, and there is little that I can do about it, unfortunately. But I strongly recommend that section 40 of the Public Works Act and the incidental sections be reviewed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EIt is my strongest view that the Crown has an obligation under te Tiriti to protect, preserve, and promote the retention of M\u0101ori land by M\u0101ori by adopting policies and practices that facilitate that obligation. Given the major role that the Crown has played in the dispossession of M\u0101ori of their land, the Crown must have a major role in rectifying the critical land-loss situation that M\u0101ori confront in 2010. The dispossession of land from M\u0101ori is an indictment on the Crown. We will never forget that where M\u0101ori once held 660 million hectares, now, in 2010, M\u0101ori control less than 6 percent of the land mass of Aotearoa. We say \u201CNot one more acre\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EThe Public Works Act as a whole was often used in unscrupulous ways. Against that background, although the members of the select committee understood that the intention of the bill was laudable, the practicalities of such legislation were clearly a bridge too far to cross. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EFinally, I submit that the failure of the Crown to protect M\u0101ori land as agreed to within article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a blatant breach of its obligation to M\u0101ori. I stand on notice before the House to say that if this bill does not proceed today, the M\u0101ori Party will nevertheless continue to uphold, and be dedicated to, our commitment to protect and preserve the whenua that is still in our hands, as tangata whenua, and for the generations to come. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EIn closing, I thank in English the select committee for giving solid time to the bill and for listening carefully to my submission. I thank the select committee for giving time to all of the many submitters, and I publicly thank the submitters, who took time out to provide information to the select committee. That was really well appreciated, and I am hopeful that in the end a review of the Public Works Act may well be a positive outcome. Kia ora t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022 data-id=\u0022aa8956a97e404ee1ad4b6d219b1fc124\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aa8956a97e404ee1ad4b6d219b1fc124\u0022\u003ECHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National\u2014West Coast - Tasman):\u003C/span\u003E I stand to speak on the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill. I begin by thanking the honourable member Mr Te Ururoa Flavell for his hard work on the issue, for the seriousness with which he has approached the issue, and for the excellent level of discussion that has taken place in regard to this bill at the Local Government and Environment Committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EIn reflecting on Te Ururoa Flavell\u2019s final comment, which was that he hoped that the consequence of this bill would be a review of the Public Works Act, I can perhaps turn that round slightly without causing offence and say that in the event of the Public Works Act being reviewed, this issue could be part of that review. I think that a review will probably be wider than just this issue, and I think we basically had good agreement on that in the committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003ENational rightly supported this bill\u2019s referral to the select committee as we felt it was important that the issues were debated. The Public Works Act was reviewed in 2001, but despite the noise it generated at the time no changes were made. This is one of the reasons why, almost a decade on, it has been worth revisiting this debate. Mr Flavell\u2019s bill has obliged people to consider the Public Works Act, and although the broad intentions of it are good, there are significant concerns associated with the bill as used and as drafted, particularly as to the past, and the potential impact of its provisions. These concerns were pointed out in some of the 71 very sincere submissions we received, and were again highlighted in the advice we received from Land Information New Zealand, the Government department that administers this Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EThis bill seeks to ensure that former owners of M\u0101ori or general land taken or acquired by the Crown for the purposes of a public work are given the first right of refusal to purchase that land, where the Crown no longer requires it for the public work for which it was originally taken or acquired. Mr Deputy Speaker, if you have easily understood that sentence I suggest that you could do the cryptic crossword in the Guardian and find it a dolly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003ELet me give an example that was brought before the select committee by one of the submitters. Let us suppose that land was essentially bought for a purpose, such as a runway, but then the runway was moved into a different direction and therefore the land was eventually used, say, to house cool-stores at the airport. That was not the purpose for which the land was taken, and that, basically, is part of the argument that affects this whole issue. The bill as drafted would do this, through amendments to section 40 of the Public Works Act 1981. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EThe bill would also provide for solatium payments to be made for loss of land or opportunities associated with its use where land was acquired or alienated for a public works purpose for which it was not actually used. Where the former owners of the land are deceased, the bill would pass these rights to be exercised by their descendants. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EAs we noted in the select committee report, it would appear that the bill\u2019s offer-back and solatium provisions are intended to apply retrospectively, and then we start into the major financial, practical, and legal implications, should this bill be enacted. The committee was advised that the number of previous Public Works Acts in New Zealand\u2019s history have all permitted land to be acquired for one use and then used for another if changes in use were in the public interest, and that this allowed for the effective and efficient management of land for public works purposes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EI dare say that members of the House can begin to see the complications that creep into this well-intentioned provision. Provisions proposed in the bill could undermine and invalidate these historical changes of use. In effect, all land where the current use is different from the original public work would become surplus on enactment of this bill, requiring the investigation of this land and its offer back to former owners or successors, and they would have to be defined, irrespective of whether the land was acquired compulsorily or by voluntary agreement. This would be a most unfortunate, unintended consequence. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EAnd not only that\u2014there is no central and easily searchable register of land acquisitions, transfers, and disposals under the Act since it was first enacted in the 1870s. There are likely to be thousands, possibly thousands upon thousands, of properties held by the Crown or local authorities that are not currently used for their originally intended public work but are still being used for a public works purpose. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EAs such, if this bill were passed it is likely that every Crown agency, local authority, State-owned enterprise, and Crown research institute would have to make an initial assessment of all land under its control in order to establish whether the bill\u2019s requirements affected that land. We were provided with copious illustrations by local authorities as to the detail involved in that. If any part of that land was not being used for the original work, a full offer-back investigation under section 40 of the Act would be instigated. As one can imagine, the resulting workload would be unduly burdensome and costly, especially as implementing the offer-back provisions of the current regime can take up to 12 months for a single property. There would also be impacts on the future use of land. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003ELet us consider, for example, the situation in which the Crown currently has land, or land has been acquired by local authorities for public works, and it is transferred or set apart for another public work. It is often considered more efficient and cost-effective to use land already in Crown or local authority ownership for a new public work, rather than to acquire more private land. However, if this bill were to be implemented there would be the likelihood that all land in this situation would first have to be offered back to the former owners or their successors, and then we come to the problem again of defining exactly what a former owner or successor is. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EThe process of offering back and then reacquiring land sounds like a logistical nightmare, and indeed it would be. For a Government that is about cutting red tape and simplifying and streamlining our resources, I would suggest that this bill is the opposite of what we would wish to achieve. Also, to create this degree of bureaucratic procedure was not, in my mind, the intention of the author of the bill. Aspects of the Public Works Act are being reviewed in phase two of the Resource Management Act reforms anyway, which I look forward, as a member of the select committee, to being involved in. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EThis bill has been carefully considered by the Local Government and Environment Committee, and I take note of the very kind comments that Mr Flavell made towards the seriousness that was given to this bill by the committee, collectively and by individual members. I can certainly say, on behalf of the committee, that it was a very interesting bill and it certainly exercised our minds. I stand by the select committee report, which highlighted many of these difficulties and problems, which, I repeat, were not anticipated by the author when the bill was introduced. National is opposing this bill. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022 data-id=\u0022a0c44a1307ec45cdbeb3dd7d6a3bfd01\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a0c44a1307ec45cdbeb3dd7d6a3bfd01\u0022\u003EHon GEORGE HAWKINS (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E I start by congratulating Mr Flavell on bringing the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill to the House. One of the important duties of a member of Parliament is to put before the House one\u2019s own ideas and the changes one wants to make. This bill is all about trying to make a difference. For that reason alone, I congratulate the member. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003EI also say to him that this bill brought about so many issues that one did not know about when one first read it. It became more and more complicated as we went into it. I say to Mr Flavell that perhaps, in the fullness of time, we will see another bill based on this issue. You see, when a member presents a bill to the House, that member does not have the resources that a Government has to plan it, or to look at all the fish-hooks that are in it\u2014and there are many in this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003ENo one can criticise Mr Flavell for having honourable intentions and realistic expectations that the House will want to address the fairness element of the Public Works Act. The Public Works Act is not all about fairness, at all. One of the submitters was the Ardmore Airport company. The land at Ardmore was originally used in World War II as a place where a military airport could be built. Of course, over the years things have changed. It is a very, very busy airport. Indeed, if this bill had proceeded it would have caused all sorts of dilemmas for the airport. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003EI think one of the worst aspects of the Public Works Act, which was drawn to the attention of the select committee, was that many of the original intentions for taking land under that Act changed over time. When people take land and turn it to some other use, people soon forget the original use. Ardmore Airport turned into a teachers\u2019 college, then Auckland University\u2019s engineering section, and housing, and now it is being used as an airport. The No. 4 Squadron of the Air Training Corps has a base there. A helicopter service is there now. Things change over time, and this bill needs to address those sorts of questions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003EWe have a situation whereby many councils around New Zealand would be terrified if the bill went through unchanged. They would be scrambling to see what land they took under the various provisions of the Public Works Act and what consequences could flow on from that. For example, land may have been taken many years ago and be now used for public reserves. Land taken for public reserves may now be used for car parking. There could be all sorts of problems. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003EPeople came along to the Local Government and Environment Committee and made submissions. The really interesting thing in listening to the submissions was that no one was against the basic concept of being fair and making sure that land is used for its original purpose. But time is a funny thing\u2014it changes things dramatically. I think most people realise that. Things changed quite dramatically in relation to Ardmore Airport and the Auckland International Airport. I well remember that at M\u0101ngere, where the international airport is, there was once a grass flying strip with cows all around it. It is now quite different, and it will continue to change. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003EI think that we make these moves under the Act with the best of intentions. I well remember having to deal with some of these issues when I was the Mayor of Papakura, and it was always a dilemma to try to change the purpose for which land was taken. I say to Mr Flavell that he should not give up. Hopefully, when there is a review of the Public Works Act this matter will become part of that review. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003EThere is a strong feeling that a lot of the land that has been taken under the Public Works Act has been M\u0101ori land. When people feel aggrieved by land being taken from them they do not get down to the fine detail of why it was taken and what it is now being used for. It was their land and it is not being used for its original purpose. I do not think this will be the last time we debate this matter in Parliament. I hope that either later on in the term of this Parliament or in the next Parliament there will be a new bill. I think the challenge is to the Government itself to introduce legislation and use the resources it has to present what is a very complicated issue to the House in a way that enables many of the problems to be resolved. When one is a member with not very many resources it is extremely tough. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003EI think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that everyone on the select committee took a great interest in the bill. That interest was nothing other than genuine and I think we did the best we could to work through some of the problems. But they were too numerous. I do not think that the bill could be put in a workable manner. The select committee has reported back in a way that I think clears out all the fish-hooks. We have laid them open. No one on the select committee criticises Mr Flavell. I think that everyone on the committee thinks he did a good job. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228e686b62-8dc4-4f03-a7b6-2d0f9c874e9a\u0022\u003EI conclude by saying that, yes, a lot of work has been done by the Waitangi Tribunal and lots of problems have been solved. This is another problem, under different legislation, that needs to be addressed. I hope it will be. Finally, I say once more that Labour understands and has sympathy with the issue, but we cannot support the bill in its present form.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022 data-id=\u0022ab69efef885b4e35932b54f5db59e1e9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ab69efef885b4e35932b54f5db59e1e9\u0022\u003ENICKY WAGNER (National):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to debate the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill in the name of Te Ururoa Flavell. This bill looks to amend the Public Works Act 1981. It seeks to ensure that former owners of M\u0101ori or general land taken or acquired by the Crown for the purpose of public works are given the first right of refusal to purchase back that land when the Crown no longer requires it for the public work for which it was originally taken, and also that solatium payments can be made for loss of land and loss of opportunities associated with the use of that land when the land was acquired or alienated for public works use but for which it was not actually used. The key here is that it was not actually used. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThe Local Government and Environment Committee has considered this bill. There were 71 submissions and a lot of interest in the bill, which led to some fascinating discussions. Te Ururoa Flavell and the M\u0101ori Party acknowledge that although the bill contains issues that should be addressed, the bill in its current form is too far-reaching and broad. It raises a new set of issues that would be significant for the country. They further acknowledge that the Land Information New Zealand report on the bill recommends that it not proceed. It recommends that the bill does not proceed because of its retrospective element, which would negate legitimate past use of the public works land and expose the Crown and local authorities to significant financial costs. It recommends that the bill does not proceed because it creates a very restrictive and costly regime for future strategic planning and management of public works and the return of public works land. It recommends that the bill does not proceed because its purpose is already met by current mechanisms for redress for compensation and offer back, available through the courts system and the Treaty of Waitangi settlement process. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThe report also notes a series of technical difficulties with the bill. Te Ururoa Flavell suggests that although the bill should not proceed, he would like to see either an overall review of the Public Works Act or at least a review of section 40, which provides a series of issues that he feels any review should include. The first issue is the inclusion of the Treaty of Waitangi in the Public Works Act. He would like to see a special review of section 40 because it fails to acknowledge and address the historical injustices created by the use of the Public Works Act to dispossess M\u0101ori of their land. He would like to see solatium payments made available by the Crown to beneficiaries, and considers that the M\u0101ori Land Court is an appropriate forum to determine these issues. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThe Local Government and Environment Committee reported back to the House that it did not want to proceed with the bill. However, it recommended that when the Public Works Act is reviewed the issues raised during the consideration of this bill are included in that debate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022 data-id=\u0022011f15ea628847dfb4053ee7f83511a5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022011f15ea628847dfb4053ee7f83511a5\u0022\u003EIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour\u2014Palmerston North):\u003C/span\u003E It is a pleasure to speak on the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill, although it is with some regret that like many of the other contributions this evening mine will be to oppose the bill, for all the same reasons that have already been canvassed. But, like others, I would like to start by congratulating Te Ururoa Flavell on bringing this bill to Parliament and getting it through to a select committee. It was a long road for Mr Flavell. The bill was first introduced in July 2007 and it did not get its first reading until June 2009. So he waited patiently for that first reading. The issues were significant enough for most parties in the House to see fit to send the bill through to a select committee, where those issues could be properly addressed and considered. It was at the point of the select committee consideration that some of the perhaps further fish-hooks in the bill were discovered. That is not to say that there is not resounding support for what Mr Flavell is trying to achieve, and already a few different options have been suggested. Mr Flavell said that he would like to see a review of the Public Works Act, and the chair of the Local Government and Environment Committee, Mr Auchinvole, has said that perhaps one day it will happen, and this issue could be one thing that is considered as part of that review. I hope the debate that has occurred in the select committee and here in the House might help stimulate the Government into proceeding with such a review, and other things may be included in that review, but I hope that Mr Flavell\u2019s concerns might also be addressed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThe Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill sought to ensure that the former owners of M\u0101ori land\u2014or general land, for that matter\u2014that had been acquired by the Crown for the purposes of public works are given the first right of refusal at the point when the Crown no longer requires that land. It also sought some redress where that land has been used for purposes other than what the Crown originally intended it for. This bill had merit. The issues were certainly worth considering, and that is why Labour supported its referral to a select committee. Mr Flavell opened his address by thanking the select committee and by saying that the door was open. He said that he felt listened to and that the bill was discussed by everybody. I am sure that the people of Rodney would have enjoyed receiving the same level of consideration from the Government. They, of course, were shut down at the first reading of the Rodney District Council Bill. But again this is an issue of land, of who controls land, and of who has a say in the way that we use our land. I think that the people of Rodney had just as much reason to have their consideration taken to a select committee and to have the sunlight shine on their issues, as well as on a whole host of other things. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThis is a rare moment when this Government has actually given people the opportunity to make submissions on a members\u2019 issue. There were 71 submissions on this bill, which means that the discussion was obviously quite varied and a range of views were heard. Well, a range of views could have also been heard on the bill of my colleague Phil Twyford about the privatisation of Auckland\u2019s assets. There could have been some good discussion on that bill at a select committee. Darien Fenton had a bill to discuss minimum wages for contract workers. That would have been quite a good bill to have at a select committee, as well. I think that the discussion would have been interesting and that we could have come back to the House to consider what the people had to say and what the public thought about that bill, just like with this bill, but, no, the Government shut that one down. Ruth Dyson had an amendment to the Resource Management Act to do with the requiring authority status. That bill was shut down at the first reading. Winnie Laban had, I thought, a very important bill dealing with the rights of the families of people who are suffering from poor mental health, and I know that that bill came very, very close to making it through to a select committee. That would have been a good bill to refer to a select committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EDo members know what the common theme is here? Those were all Labour bills, and the Government was not prepared to allow those bills to go through to a select committee. We have seen with this bill that there is a very good opportunity to hear the issues at a select committee, and to maybe not progress the bill any further after that but to stimulate some debate so that those issues can be considered, and may then be looked at in another way. With this bill, there has been a proposal about a review, or maybe there are already a few mechanisms available through the Treaty of Waitangi and other issues. But that has all come up as a result of the parliamentary process. It seems that the only way that one can get this Government to rethink its position on anything is to march up Queen Street in Auckland to show the Government that there is political will against what it is doing and that maybe the result of the next election would be at stake. Then we would have a back-down, as we have seen with mining. Then we would get a back-down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228915662122e642a299cbde7f47ca974f\u0022\u003EChris Auchinvole\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s this got to do with Te Ururoa\u2019s bill?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229ab8868b8e244c528d757786036d9a8a\u0022\u003EIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: But it would be far better to use the political process in the way that Mr Flavell has with this bill. It is a good bill with good intentions. It has raised a number of issues that were worth considering, and I know that the select committee took a lot of time over them and listened very closely to the submissions. That is the value of our process, and it could be used in a whole range of ways. But I think that the issues with this bill have been well covered by previous speakers. It is a pity that it will not go on, but I think that this is not the end of this issue. We will see this issue again. Maybe Mr Flavell will find another way to put it through in legislation. Maybe the Government will suddenly rumble into action and look at the Public Works Act and at all the other anomalies that it may have within it. But I congratulate Mr Flavell on bringing this bill to the House. It is sad that it will probably not progress any further than this second reading, but he has raised some important issues that are worth discussing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022 data-id=\u0022d5503e3a132446359624d72cf99480ec\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d5503e3a132446359624d72cf99480ec\u0022\u003EDAVID CLENDON (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora koutou. This Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill seeks, in essence, to give M\u0101ori the first right of purchase, the first right of refusal, for land that the Crown has acquired compulsorily, in the event that the Crown no longer has use for that land and seeks to sell it. M\u0101ori should have the right at the very least to have first option of buying back land that was taken through the Public Works Act. The Green Party supported this bill\u2019s referral to a select committee because it is a way of addressing a process that has been going on in this country for a very long time\u2014that is, the process of alienation of M\u0101ori land. The classic colonising model evolved with the usual impact of bibles and bullets, and introduced illnesses played a demoralising part. Starting as early as 1841, in came a whole raft of legislation\u2014and, indeed, the Native Land Court and the Public Works Act\u2014as some of the legislative mechanisms that either deliberately or consequentially served to deprive M\u0101ori of their land, resources, and possessions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThe Treaty Resource Centre has a very instructive document on its website listing legislative violations of the Treaty over the years, from 1840 through to the early to mid-1990s. That document runs to some four or five A4 pages, and it is not a list that should give any cause for celebration or pride to those who are responsible or who have benefited from some of those changes\u2014in fact, quite the contrary. The bill we are considering today seeks to make some contribution to reversing a process and to put in place some provisions that undo some of the harm that has been done over generations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThe point has been made that virtually every report, every hearing, of the Waitangi Tribunal will contain within it some reference to the effect of the Public Works Act in facilitating the alienation of M\u0101ori land\u2014the taking of land from tangata whenua. In some instances, compensation was not paid for the land at the time that it was taken. It is interesting to note that in 1908 the Public Works Act first authorised the taking of land by the Crown for public works. At that time Europeans had the right to compensation and the right to appeal, but those rights were not applied to M\u0101ori land until nearly seven decades later. It was 1974 before that playing field was evened up. It is an indication that there was not a great deal of goodwill even through the 20th century towards putting right the alienation. The success of the campaign to alienate M\u0101ori land can be readily seen in the historic numbers. In 1840 M\u0101ori had control of some 66 million acres of land, and within 12 years, by 1852, that had been reduced to some 34 million. Nearly half of the land had been taken by various means. This process went on inexorably, it seemed, well into the 20th century and even into the 21st century, with the foreshore and seabed raupatu in 2004 and the confiscation of that land. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThis bill is clearly not being supported by the Government, albeit there is obviously some expression of goodwill towards the principle behind it. But in the interests of restoring justice and some of the material wealth that has been lost, it is important that there be a review of the Public Works Act. We support the view of the proposer that in the course of the review, consideration ought to be given to inserting a Treaty clause into the Act. There needs to be acknowledgment of the historic injustice done, and there need to be some remedies and some mechanisms to remedy those, including solatium payments. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EIt was quite interesting to note the Land Information New Zealand report to the Local Government and Environment Committee on this matter, which dwelt at some length on solatium payments. Clearly, officials were quite troubled by the notion and the principle of those payments. The report noted: \u201CSolatium payments and loss of use are subjective economic considerations, which would require a highly detailed assessment.\u201D The report goes on to say: \u201CPotentially, the former owner of the land or their successor could be compensated twice.\u201D We accept quite happily the first proposition, which is the notion of subjectivity. Mana, justice, and fairness are very subjective notions that need to be established and debated. Value needs to be assigned to them, but that ought not to frighten us away from the principle of solatium payments at some point in the future. The second proposition, the idea that somehow former owners or their successors would enjoy double compensation, is patently wrong in the way it was posed in the report, but that is a debate for another day and a topic to be returned to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EI think the key assurance that the proposer of the bill should reasonably be expected to secure is a genuine commitment from the Government to return to the primary Act in a timely fashion, and to undertake the significant review that is called for. There is clearly good will for that; it has been expressed here on all sides of the House. I hope that that will not be lost, and that the review will proceed in a timely fashion. The Greens will continue to support this bill, acknowledging, as we do, that there are significant problems\u2014fish-hooks have been referred to\u2014but we support it to inflate the importance of the principle that is underpinning this bill, which is the return of land, and the compensation for land inappropriately taken for which there was no compensation offered. We think that despite support being given for the principle that has been expressed by Government speakers, there is no absolute responsibility on the Government to return to this Act and to have that done sooner rather than later. Kia ora koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u0022178010d0844348a5b00a4e2bcfab9fab\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022178010d0844348a5b00a4e2bcfab9fab\u0022\u003ELOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to stand to speak on the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill in the name of Te Ururoa Flavell. As other speakers have said this afternoon, the motive for this bill is worthy, but in practice the further the Local Government and Environment Committee looked into this bill, the more troubling it became. A number of submitters were in support of the intent behind the bill, but they raised serious concerns from a wide range of quarters, whether they were the Manukau City Council, the Wellington City Council, groups such as Federated Farmers and Vector, or airports such as Auckland Airport. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EI will talk about some of the challenges that have arisen as a result of the submissions to explain in a little bit more detail why this legislation will not work, why National will not be supporting it in the second reading debate, and why the select committee as a whole reported back that it recommended that the bill not be passed. There are a couple of issues or challenges, such as the retrospective nature of the legislation, the definition of \u201Coriginal use\u201D, the unintended consequences that arise, and also the impact on future land use. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EWe will look first at unintended consequences. I will use an example that Vector, which opposes the bill, brought forward. It is not just M\u0101ori land that is affected by this bill, it is all land. There could be a situation where a piece of land was subject to discussions under the Public Works Act and was then acquired voluntarily through a sale and purchase agreement. That land would then be subject to this legislation. So, no matter how the land was acquired, it would be subject to the offer-back requirements. One of the issues is that even if the land is not required for the original purpose for which it was purchased, it may be required for other public works. I will give a couple of examples of that. One of the problems with this bill arises in a situation where there is a piece of land that is currently used for a public work. There could be more than one public work utilising that site. Co-location is more prevalent these days, so the problem becomes compounded. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EIn terms of the retrospective nature of this legislation, the bill would create significant expense both for central government and local government. It would be incredibly inefficient to have to offer back land to the original owner, assuming we could track them down. If the land were still being used for a current public work, even if not the original public work, that organisation, whether central or local government, would have to go through the process of repurchasing that land, which is very bureaucratic and cumbersome, and, of course, not at all what this current Government is interested in; we are about getting rid of red tape and getting rid of bureaucracy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThen there is the issue of original use. Again, this Government is spending billions of dollars on infrastructure, unclogging the arteries of our country. I will not go into the matters of unclogging arteries like the Hon Tau Henare has already described earlier in the House today. But I do want to give a simple example of how original use can change over time. If we think back, there may have been some land that was purchased, let us say, for a post office or a manual telephone exchange. Over time, the land went from a post office, to a telephone exchange, to a cabinet on a side of the road, and now to a fibre optic cable under the ground. The argument that submitters raised was in respect to whether that fibre optic cable was the original purpose for which that land was acquired. If we were looking at it from a pure perspective, we would argue that it was not. If we look at it from a pragmatic perspective, we would have to argue that it does, and that is why the original use definition creates significant problems. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EIf we take that argument forward, we can then look at the impact on future land use. I will use the example of an airport. An airport clearly needs room to expand in the future if it is planning for a 50-year horizon, not a 5-year horizon. One of the airports that came to submit to us said that it had significant blocks of land that were for the purpose of an airport. Currently it did not need that land, but it would need it in the future. All of a sudden, there would be a problem if this bill were to pass whereby that airport would have to offer back the land that it was not currently using for an airport but would need in the future. It would then have to hope that in the future when it needed the land it would be able to purchase it back, which is fairly unlikely. That is a bit ridiculous. Those are some of the complicating factors with this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EAnother unintended consequence of the bill was raised by Wellington City Council. It gave another example of a difficulty around a public work and the use of the land. The Wellington City Council gave the example of a paper road that is not used as a road, but is used for the very important purpose of flood control. Under this legislation, I ask whether we would expect the Wellington City Council to have to offer back the land that it so desperately needs for flood control, because the land is not being used as a road. Those are numerous examples of how difficult this legislation was the deeper we delved into it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EI must say again that the intention of the bill was great. I commend Te Ururoa Flavell on bringing the bill to the House and on getting it through the select committee process. He and the select committee members recognise the difficulty with progressing it further. I recognise that there are some difficulties and some problems that need to be solved, and some of the submitters also said that the public works legislation needs further attention. This Government will look at aspects of the Public Works Act when it does its phase two reform of the Resource Management Act. The first phase was incredibly successful. It is great to look towards the next round of reform, part of which will incorporate the Public Works Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EWe do recognise on this side of the House that there are some issues, but unfortunately this bill does not fix them. I look forward to being part of the committee working on the second phase of the Resource Management Act to pick up some of the issues with the Public Works Act. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u00224647caf459fd4eb581114f664849386f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224647caf459fd4eb581114f664849386f\u0022\u003EPHIL TWYFORD (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to support Labour\u2019s position in this debate that this Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill should not proceed any further. We supported the bill at its first reading. We believed it had considerable merit and it deserved the chance for proper scrutiny, analysis, and debate at a select committee. That is what it got. I want to join those before me in this debate who have acknowledged the good intentions of Te Ururoa Flavell in bringing this bill to the House. There is no doubt that the select committee engaged with this bill with a great deal of seriousness. There were 71 submissions to the committee. Almost everybody recognised that there are significant issues of rights and justice associated with this bill. As a consequence, there was a seriousness about the debate. However, at the conclusion of the debate, a strong view had formed on the select committee that this bill carries with it too many unintended consequences, and that its effective result would be to open a can of worms that is too big and too challenging for our current legal framework in this area to deal with. The consequences would make it unworkable. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EI shall reflect a little on the Public Works Act, and what an important role it plays within our legal system and the modern history of this country. Others have noted that a view was formed in the course of the select committee process that this bill correctly identified a problem but offered an unworkable solution. I suggest that part of the reason for that is the underlying problem that the Public Works Act itself represents a trade-off between two different sets of values. On the one hand, we have private property rights, which play a central role in our society and our culture. On the other hand, the Public Works Act is a product of 19th and 20th century thinking about the development of the State\u2014infrastructure, ports, roads, bridges, railways, and public buildings. It is the full gamut of physical infrastructure that is needed for the development of the State and the pursuit of the public good. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThere is no doubt that in New Zealand, as elsewhere around the world, the original Public Works Act, which we inherited from the British jurisdiction, played a critical role in the early nation-building of Julius Vogel, with the expansion of roads, rail, and so on. Over the years the legislation had evolved to recognise the rights of property owners. Nevertheless, the Public Works Act itself gives powers to the State to override private property rights in the interests of the community. Those two values are in contradiction. A careful web of concessions, rights, responsibilities, and obligations has built up over the years around the Public Works Act. To start unpicking that now, or to seriously renegotiate the balance between those two legal principles, is an ambitious proposition that almost all of the submitters and the select committee were not willing to entertain. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003ETwo key concerns emerged from the discussions at the select committee. The first is the retrospective nature of the application of the buy-back provisions and the solatium provisions. It was felt by many of the submitters and, I think, by most of the committee that it would have destabilising and impractical consequences for the administration of the Public Works Act in New Zealand. The effect of the passage of this bill in its current form would be to deem all land that had been acquired under the Public Works Act surplus land overnight, and it would necessitate a massive project of historical research and legal determination to work out whether the provisions of this bill would apply to thousands and thousands of pieces of land from one end of this country to the other, whether former owners or their successors could be identified, and whether land would have to be offered back. Thousands of properties all around the country have been used by the Crown and local authorities for numerous different purposes since the Public Works Act was enacted in the 1870s. We believe that that would have been completely unworkable. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThe second big objection is the impact on the future use of land and that the provisions of this bill would have created such an enormous compliance cost on local government, the State, and the various other Crown entities that are empowered under the Public Works Act. They currently have huge portfolios of land that have been acquired under the Act and are being held for some future public work, are in the process of being transferred or set apart for some reason, or are in the process of being disposed of when no longer required. The view we heard from many of the submitters, particularly from local government, airports, and ports, was that the rationale built into the Public Works Act allows the use of a piece of land that has been acquired under the Act to be changed over time if it is seen to be in the public interest. On balance, that is a more efficient and cost-effective way to use these resources than it would be to offer that land back to former owners before the use could be changed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThe effect of this would be to completely freeze up the process of the acquisition of land under the Public Works Act for infrastructure. Personally, I am extremely conscious that we have an infrastructure deficit in this country. When I look at Auckland, I see that the needs for investment in infrastructure over the next couple of decades are huge. We are talking about the rail system Auckland needs, which Steven Joyce is back-pedalling on as fast as he can, the investment in broadband, and the investment in water, infrastructure, and electricity. Those needs are huge in our country\u2019s biggest city. The appropriation of land under the Public Works Act for this infrastructure\u2014not only for roads, rail, electricity, and water but also for the urban renewal projects that are so needed in Auckland\u2014will require the agglomeration of land under the Act to undertake the kind of ambitious urban renewal that Auckland needs. I would hate to see the ability to acquire land for these purposes compromised or jeopardised. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThose are the two main objections that emerged from the discussions in the select committee. I cite an example that Waitakere City brought to the select committee about land on the Te Atat\u016B peninsula that was acquired by the Auckland Harbour Board in the 1950s. The board thought the land might be needed for a future port for Auckland. There is no evidence that that land was compulsorily acquired. It was negotiated and paid for, and the land was held. Obviously, no port was ever built there and periodically Waitakere City reviewed it. The land has been used for many other public purposes, including being set aside for a marae and recreational purposes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022 data-id=\u0022a884561b4d084ce4b4f94d3892a45b93\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a884561b4d084ce4b4f94d3892a45b93\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER (National):\u003C/span\u003E E ng\u0101 mana, e ng\u0101 reo, e ng\u0101 rangatira m\u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb6fb8e0af974f7db30af4f406c58c43\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER\u003C/span\u003E: I acknowledge the work done by my colleague Te Ururoa Flavell on the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill. I have had the privilege of sitting on the Local Government and Environment Committee, which heard submissions on this bill, under the exemplary chairmanship of Mr Auchinvole. We heard many submissions from airports, ports, and public utilities. It became apparent that there were many possible complications and unintended consequences of the bill, which is the reason that National is opposing it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003ESome of these concerns and complications follow; my colleague Te Ururoa Flavell has himself acknowledged them in the select committee. These were unintended and became more obvious as the complexity of the legislation and the situation became apparent from the many submitters. The bill in its present form creates too many complications to be workable. It would require strict definitions of \u201Coriginal owner\u201D, \u201Cdescendant\u201D, and \u201Coriginal public work\u201D, to name a few. These definitions could be in conflict with other legislation, and interpretation could be difficult. It would probably require every Crown agency, local authority, State-owned enterprise, and Crown research institute to make an assessment of all land they hold to see whether it may be affected, which, of course, would be a very costly and time-consuming exercise. It is more efficient and cost-effective to use land already in Crown ownership or local authority ownership for new public works, rather than acquiring more public land. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003EI do not wish to speak at length on this bill. I acknowledge my colleague\u2019s work on this but National will not be supporting it. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022 data-id=\u002281a31f3a01a74957b11bdbff2e0651ef\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002281a31f3a01a74957b11bdbff2e0651ef\u0022\u003ERAHUI KATENE (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E It seems entirely fitting as MP for Te Tai Tonga to have the last word in this debate on the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill. I want to take us back to the words of the Waitangi Tribunal in 1991. The report began with the now historic statement: \u201CThe narrative that follows will not lie comfortably on the conscience of this nation, just as the outstanding grievances of Ngai Tahu have for so long troubled that tribe and compelled them time and again to seek justice.\u201D The Tribunal acknowledged Ng\u0101i Tahu\u2019s generosity to the nation and noted that \u201CNgai Tahu have not objected to giving up their lands when they were satisfied that this was for the public good. They are, however, well justified in objecting to the Crown\u2019s failure to return such land once that public interest has been served \u2026 To be consistent with the obligation to protect Ngai Tahu\u2019s rangatiratanga over their lands, we feel that the tribe\u2019s continuing interest in lands devoted to the public good should be recognised by the Crown.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EWhen Te R\u016Bnanga o Ng\u0101i Tahu presented to the Local Government and Environment Committee it was, no doubt, the weight of these words and the legacy of this history that led them to their deliberations. The r\u016Bnanga fully supported the intent of the bill but suggested that the bill does not go far enough. I acknowledge my colleague Te Ururoa Flavell for his determination, his vision, and his steadfast endeavour to ensure that no more M\u0101ori land will be taken by the Public Works Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EI have been sitting in the Chamber this afternoon listening to the speeches made by the members who have spoken on this bill, and I have to say that I am extremely disappointed in the attitude that has been taken. Members said that the further we got into this bill, the more unintended consequences we saw. They said that it was impractical, that there were huge compliance costs, that it was difficult to deal with in the public good, and so on and so forth. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EI will give a little bit of history to the House. I am from Te Wai Pounamu. I am Ng\u0101ti K\u014Data from Te Tau Ihu; I am Ng\u0101i Tahu from Te Wai Pounamu. The Te Tau Ihu claims report has been published, and I will read to the House one of the quotes from that report. It was a quote from my auntie P\u016Bhanga Patricia Tupaea. She said: \u201CAuntie Maria Tuo Hippolite (who was my grandmother) gave me the k\u014Drero about the land we lost to the Crown. She had said that we had been promised free health, free education, and jobs in return for letting those settlers come and live on our land and that we would participate, not be excluded; that our mana would be respected. I feel great grief at the loss of our land and at the loss of our Treaty relationship. We have always acknowledged that the P\u0101keh\u0101 European had great benefit to bring. We were, and are, willing to welcome them among us and share what we had but not to have our mana, customs, and laws disregarded and our land and resources taken. These must be restored and rangatiratanga recognised so that the partnership will resume on the right footing. P\u0101keh\u0101 had a lot to offer us but we didn\u2019t invite them amongst us to become our masters.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EI will tell the House a little bit about the Te Tau Ihu claims. One of those claims is about the Nelson tenths. With tenths, what normally happens is the Crown buys 10 sections, nine are sold, and one goes back to M\u0101ori. In the Nelson tenths, 10 sections were sold. Then another one was taken\u2014not out of the 10; it was another one\u2014and given back to M\u0101ori. So, in fact, M\u0101ori got elevenths. But the taking did not end there. Once that tenth\u2014or eleventh, as it actually was\u2014was put into a reserve the land kept being taken. In one particular case the report stated: \u201CThe Crown took land from the estate for public works in circumstances where it could have limited its taking to the leasehold and quite frequently where the work was not essential in the national interest nor was it essential that it be trust land that was used.\u201D This is talking about public works. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EI also quote from a Waitangi Tribunal report called \u201CPublic Works Takings of M\u0101ori Land in the \u2018New Zealand Gazette\u2019 \u201D. It states: \u201CThe definition of what constitutes a public work has widened over the years \u2026 The Gazettes in the 1880s indicate that there were a number of major road lines and railways in construction that involved the taking of Maori land \u2026 Roads and railways, however, only constitute some of what was taken under the label public works. The sheer variety of purposes that land was taken for shows the very broad definition that \u2018public work\u2019 has had in New Zealand legislative history. The following list of the public purposes that Maori land was taken for and proclaimed in the Gazettes, illustrates the wide domain of the Crown\u2019s powers to take land for public purposes: lighthouses, gravel-pits, police stations, hospitals, scenery preservation, school sites, native schools, electric lighting, wharf sites, cemeteries, landing reserves, stock paddocks, post offices, drainage systems, courthouse sites, public buildings, internal communications between lakes Rotomahana and Tarawera, a station for collecting rainbow trout ova, the construction of beacons and leading lights, model kaainga, waterworks, magazine reserves, abattoirs, bridges, recreation grounds, historic purposes, pilot and signal stations, travellers\u2019 accommodation, public health purposes, and defence works. This demonstrates the immense variety of purposes for which land could be taken as a public work.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EI will also talk about public works as spoken about in the Ngai Tahu Ancillary Claims Report 1995. The Waitangi Tribunal said: \u201CWe turn now to discuss the manner in which the tribe\u2019s reserves have been taken for public works purposes such as defence, roading, railways, scenic preservation, and recreation, as this has been a dominant issue in the ancillary claims.\u201D It goes on to state that many times the lands were taken without notification to the owners\u2014in fact, the only notification was in the Gazette when it was gazetted. The owners did not even know that their land had been taken from them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u201CAs important as the issue of notification is the Crown\u2019s failure to return lands which are no longer required for the purpose for which they were originally acquired. A striking example of this was the acquisition of some 592 acres in 1964\u201D\u2014this is 1964, not 1864\u2014\u201Cfor the television transmitter site at Hedgehope. Less than one-sixteenth of the land so taken was required for the purpose. Rather than returning the surplus area, it was leased out for grazing and then set apart as State forest.\u201D I wanted to point this case out because when members talk about how inconvenient this bill has been, or could be, I get really angry, and I am sure that other M\u0101ori around the country are just as angry. Members are talking about our land. Members are talking about our history. It was taken; it was not given back\u2014592 acres were taken for one television transmitter. It is grossly unfair and the fact that it has not been returned is an even bigger issue of fairness. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EPeople say that there are other forums that we can go to in order to get redress for this issue\u2014they are talking about the Waitangi Tribunal; they are talking about direct negotiations\u2014but the truth is that all we will get back is 1 percent of the value of what was taken from us. Even then there are letters to the paper and the public moans about it, such as a letter that I read in the Press just the other day saying that M\u0101ori were on the Treaty gravy train again. We are being made out to be the bad guys. I think it is grossly unfair that the members are not allowing this bill to go any further, and I have to say that we will not be stopping here. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022c59d1cc1bd91433681ad9bc03f2cb45f\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill be now read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 14\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EGreen Party 9; M\u0101ori Party 5.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 108\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; New Zealand Labour 43; ACT New Zealand 5; Progressive 1; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion not 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=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00226155b9626510472bbbbf38dddd231b27\u0022\u003EConsumer Guarantees Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022961ba1b484374f268518f7a70918143d\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000510\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 16 June.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u002280194a9d45d146d6a0750d381a357cdf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002280194a9d45d146d6a0750d381a357cdf\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is a pleasure to rise in support of my colleague and neighbour Jackie Blue. I think the last time we spoke on this bill I got slightly further than my learned colleague in front of me, Cam Calder, who managed only to put out \u201CT\u0113n\u0101 koutou\u201D before the dinner break, so I did slightly better\u2014but still. The Consumer Guarantees Amendment Bill is about consumer rights. This Government is committed to promoting an environment where consumers\u2014all of us fit into this category\u2014can make purchases knowing that our rights are protected. Before we broke for the last adjournment when I spoke on this bill, Jackie Blue gave some wonderful examples. The one that I remember is about TradeMe. If we as consumers win a competitive online auction from a professional seller, we are not covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act, but if I hit the button for \u201Cbuy now\u201D on the same online auction, then I am. This is an anomaly that must be fixed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EWe must remedy this, because there are unscrupulous people in this world who would specifically look for these loopholes to sell inferior goods to innocent people who get really excited about winning an auction online but find that they have no protection. I prefer to hit the \u201Cbuy now\u201D button because I cannot be bothered waiting for the auction to happen. My son likes to wait for that auction to happen, but by the end of it he is not protected by the Consumer Guarantees Act, and that is a very, very sad situation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThere is always recourse, and people could take this up with the sellers if they can find them and take them through the disputes tribunal. However, without the protection in law a disputes tribunal has little legal reason for finding in favour of the buyer. We were told by Jackie Blue that millions of New Zealanders are trading on sites like TradeMe. I am a member, my son is a member, and I have sold and bought items on TradeMe. Even my son has traded and swapped toys through TradeMe and I had to drive miles away to pick up those toys that he traded online. Now I know that he was not actually covered by this law, and was just one of the 280,000 weekly online transactions on TradeMe. We are looking at over a million transactions a month, and that is a lot of auctions that are probably won and not protected by the Consumer Guarantees Act. This bill addresses that issue. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThe other issue is one that was on telly recently on Fair Go about extended warranties. Most people, naive but well meaning, and concerned to protect their newly purchased goods, often end up buying extended warranties. We have probably all done it at one point; I know I certainly have. But as we all know, it is completely useless and a complete waste of money. A lot of extended warranties that people buy at the moment cover less than what consumers are entitled to under the law. If we happen to break things by accident, most home and contents insurance cover them, so there is really no use for an extended warranty. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EHaving said that, there will be some people like my friends in Mount Albert who have seven children, and their washing machine will be getting a good go, 7 days of the week. That washing machine probably needs an extended warranty, but that is not so in normal, everyday cases. Customers and retailers must be clear as to what the Consumer Guarantee Act covers, as it seems people often get turned away by retailers when things go wrong because they do not have extended warranties, but the Consumer Guarantees Act should cover them. This is a good bill, and I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022 data-id=\u0022e9517f908acb41acb428b6b9b1ccc796\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e9517f908acb41acb428b6b9b1ccc796\u0022\u003ESUE KEDGLEY (Green):\u003C/span\u003E We have very weak consumer protection law in New Zealand, and the Green Party supports anything that will strengthen consumer protection, help to protect consumers, and keep them well informed when they are buying goods. So we are very pleased to support the Consumer Guarantees Amendment Bill, which helps to protect consumers in two small but important ways, and we congratulate Jackie Blue on this bill. It gets rid of the loophole that means that if consumers buy something through a competitive online auction, they are not covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act. Obviously, when there are 15,000 businesses selling online every week, this is an important issue. There is no doubt that some unscrupulous operators are deliberating exploiting the loophole. Jackie Blue reported that the Motor Trade Association actively advises car salespeople to make use of the loophole to dispose of older and less reliable cars before the loophole is closed through legislation like this. This is shocking, and the sooner that we close the loophole the better it will be. The sooner that we pass this legislation, the better it will be. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThe second issue is that extended warranties are sometimes being offered by retailers at considerable cost, when, in fact, the extended warranty provides little or no greater protection than that which already exists under the Act. We think that addressing that issue is a very good initiative, because it will mean that consumers will have to be informed about whether an extended warranty that they are considering purchasing provides any benefit, any right, or any convenience greater than that provided for under the Act. The warranty will have to include more information about what it really means, and this is important because many people do not really have any idea what an extended warranty might or might not entitle them to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThe provisions that address both those matters will assist consumers to make informed decisions about purchasing, but the underlying problem is that most consumers in New Zealand have never heard of the Act. If they have heard of it, they have absolutely no idea what it means for them. I note that the Minister of Consumer Affairs is doing a reform of consumer law. She may like to carry out a survey. I am sure she would find that the overwhelming majority of consumers have no idea that the Act means that retailers are obliged to guarantee that the products they sell are of an acceptable quality and are fit for their purpose. This means that most products should perform well for many years, and if they do not, then the retailer must be prepared to have them repaired or replaced. Most consumers have no idea of that, and I think it would be useful to consider requiring retailers to refer to this right in any pamphlet in which they advertise their product. If consumers knew of the existence of this Act, if they knew that everything that they were buying needed to be of an acceptable quality and fit for its purpose, and if they knew that the retailer must take it back if it fell apart\u2014as many consumer goods do these days\u2014then I think that retailers would not be able to con consumers with extended warranties, and consumers would be much better informed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThe other point I make is that all of these amendments are intended to help consumers to make informed decisions about purchases. Consumers are not exactly clamouring for these amendments to be made, but they will be helpful. Yet what consumers are clamouring for, and what would help them to make informed decisions, is the right to know where a product, especially food, comes from. It is ironic that the Government claims that it is supporting this bill because it supports the consumer\u2019s right to know what he or she is buying, but it refuses to allow mandatory country-of-origin labelling so that we can find out what we are buying. Nor has anyone ever explained\u2014perhaps the Minister of Consumer Affairs could explain this in this debate\u2014why it is mandatory to know where our clothes and our footwear come from, but nothing else, including our food. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EIt is also ironic that the Government will not support consumer legislation to protect consumers from exorbitant interest rates and loan sharks\u2014a bill on which is coming before this House straight after this debate\u2014yet it puts forward this bill as being a great piece of consumer protection. One of the key objectives of the whole Ministry of Consumer Affairs is to enable consumers\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u002225dece05de2140d7ab323fc132b482a7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002225dece05de2140d7ab323fc132b482a7\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member, but her time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022 data-id=\u0022bb121ca31f9645a0b9560f34c15e5800\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bb121ca31f9645a0b9560f34c15e5800\u0022\u003EHon HEATHER ROY (Minister of Consumer Affairs):\u003C/span\u003E It gives me great pleasure to rise to speak in the first reading debate on the Consumer Guarantees Amendment Bill, which is in the name of Dr Jackie Blue. I commend the member for bringing this very good bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe bill covers two issues. One is that of extended warranties, as we have heard from the previous two speakers, Melissa Lee and Sue Kedgley. Extended warranties were the subject of a Ministry of Consumer Affairs survey of 1,000 people in 2009. It was a very good survey. The previous speaker, Sue Kedgley, was clearly unaware of it, but it was very rigorous, unlike some that the Green Party has done recently. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe survey showed that very few New Zealanders knew about the implications of extended warranties. They did not realise that extended warranties provide customers with very little protection and certainly do not cover more than the Consumer Guarantees Act does. There are two exceptions to that: goods that are bought at auction and goods that are purchased by a tendering process. They are not covered in the same way. The protections in the Consumer Guarantees Act do not apply to them, and it may well be worth considering purchasing an extended warranty. But, in the main, when consumers purchase goods from a retail chain store, for example, it is most unlikely that the purchase of an extended warranty will give any additional protection to what they already get under the Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe second provision in this bill concerns online sales. The Green Party member Sue Kedgley mentioned my consumer law reform discussion document, which is under way at present. It was released a few weeks ago and submissions are being called for at the moment. Written submissions will close on 31 July. Verbal submissions will be heard on 10 and 11 August. Online sales form quite a part of that discussion document under the consumer law reform project, because they are a gap in the law. We heard from Melissa Lee that some purchases are covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act and others are not. Confusion exists as a result of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe provisions in this bill are excellent. I am pleased to think that I am hearing from the House that Dr Jackie Blue\u2019s bill will go to a select committee, at which point she has agreed to hand over the bill to the consumer law reform process. I am delighted that she has done that, because these matters will be able to be addressed at that point. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe member who spoke before me, the Green Party member Sue Kedgley, mentioned that we have very weak consumer protection law in New Zealand. That in fact is not the case. Many jurisdictions look very enviously on the Consumer Guarantees Act; it is good principles-based law. New Zealanders are very well aware of the protections offered to them under the Consumer Guarantees Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EIn the survey carried out in 2009, which I mentioned earlier, 49 percent of New Zealanders were able to name the Consumer Guarantees Act, and they knew in general terms of the protections that were conferred on them by the Act. They knew that if they had an issue with goods they had bought they could go back to the retailer, and that they have the right to have the goods replaced or repaired, or to have their money reimbursed. Those who are familiar with research will know that that was an extraordinarily good result. It shows that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, over a period of time, has done a very good job of educating people as to their rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EI am looking forward to seeing the consumer law reform submissions. I am also looking forward to hearing the oral submissions that will follow. This is a revolutionary initiative in New Zealand. We are reviewing seven pieces of legislation with the intention of rolling those into two pieces of principles-based legislation: the Fair Trading Act and the Consumer Guarantees Act. That will simplify the process; it means that New Zealanders will experience less confusion about their rights when they buy goods. We are aiming to set up a very level playing field where businesses and consumers can enter the marketplace with confidence. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022 data-id=\u0022827347bc83094f02be401fa64dc7643b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022827347bc83094f02be401fa64dc7643b\u0022\u003ETE URUROA FLAVELL (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 n\u014D t\u0101tou katoa e te Whare. A simple browse of today\u2019s TradeMe listings on M\u0101ori heritage yields the following classic finds: with a starting price of $6, I could buy a vintage stereoscopic postcard of M\u0101ori children in Rotorua. It is a used postcard posted on 3 September 1906 with a genuine message on the back. For a dollar more, I could get another postcard called: \u201CIn the Ngawhas\u2014Whakarewarewa\u201D. It is described as being in excellent condition. Or, for the mighty starting price of $12.50, I could buy the postcard known as \u201CA Haka for a Penny\u201D, featuring the children of \u014Chinemutu, and categorised as a \u201CNice tidy piece of historical significance.\u201D All of these examples are from my electorate and my home town of Rotorua, which is the home town of the Hon Steve Chadwick, as well. The problem is that from the luxury of our computer, how do we know whether we are getting a good deal? How reliable is the classification of the stereoscopic postcard? Is it really 3-D or is the illusion of depth just a marketing technique? What does it mean to be in \u201Cexcellent used condition\u201D? Without a trademark in sight, how can we guarantee whether a postcard is a tidy piece of historical significance or just a big huge rip-off? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EThe Consumer Guarantees Amendment Bill is about giving us some confidence with the supply of goods and services by suppliers through competitive online bidding, such as on TradeMe. We in the M\u0101ori Party support the concept of safer trading using online auction websites, and the assurances that purchases of goods and services through online auctions will be protected under the Consumer Guarantees Act. We are also pleased that this bill will require transparency with the benefits of extended warranties. From time to time some might ask how the key kaupapa of the M\u0101ori Party fits with these sorts of bills. We have rangatiratanga, kaitiakitanga, and manaakitangi, and those are values that promote excellence, accountability, and transparency. We support the notion inherent in this bill that consumers should be informed about whether any extended warranty they are considering purchasing provides any benefit, right, or convenience. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EOne of the issues that creates some debate amongst many M\u0101ori is the cultural authenticity of objects listed in online auctions or for competitive tender. Under the Protected Objects Act of 1975, it is an offence to sell taonga t\u016Bturu\u2014in other words, M\u0101ori cultural objects\u2014to people other than registered collectors, public museums, or licensed dealers. It states that there should be a banned or restricted items section on, for example, TradeMe sites. The question we have is who monitors the vast range of products for sale on sites such as TradeMe. The bill requires that retailers who are offering extended warranties to consumers must fully inform the consumer about the benefits of that warranty. I remember a couple of years ago a huge furore broke out about a set of wooden stacking M\u0101ori dolls, which were selling for up to $35 a set at souvenir and gift stores around Aotearoa. Aroha Mead, a senior lecturer in M\u0101ori studies at Victoria University, said that the dolls were an insult to traditional artists. They were basically a derivative of an original Russian doll, but made in China. The key question is whether this bill will do anything to improve the extended warranty one might get for products such as those. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EIn closing, I note that the concept of an extended warranty is frequently applied to hire purchase agreements for vehicle sales. We know that many of our low-income communities, particularly M\u0101ori and Pacific communities, are often encouraged to sign up to hire purchase agreements as a way of being able to buy up front without needing to show the cash. It is an issue that will come up again, particularly with the next bill that is to be debated, the \u201CLoan Sharks Bill\u201D. It is suffice to say that we support the concept of increasing the accountability and transparency of any of these transactions. The M\u0101ori Party is pleased to say that we will be supporting this bill\u2019s referral to a select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022 data-id=\u002222cbe4e679594a6f9ed3a477d503e2c7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002222cbe4e679594a6f9ed3a477d503e2c7\u0022\u003ERAYMOND HUO (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E It is a great pleasure to speak in the first reading of the Consumer Guarantees Amendment Bill, not only because the Consumer Guarantees Act used to be one of the areas of my legal practice prior to becoming an MP, but also because I am taking a call on behalf of my learned colleague Clare Curran, who is Labour\u2019s very diligent and busy MP for Dunedin South. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EI should congratulate Dr Jackie Blue on this sensible bill. We support this bill as a fitting response to the genuine community concern about consumer protection. This bill extends the right of the consumer in an evolving market place. It is a common-sense bill that updates our legislation so that it better serves the consumer in the modern market place. Equally, I should congratulate my colleague Carol Beaumont on her Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill, more commonly known as the \u201CLoan Sharks Bill\u201D. Carol Beaumont\u2019s bill protects the most vulnerable families by cracking down on loan sharks, and I heartily encourage the Government to support it on the basis of principle, not expediency. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThe Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 sets out a number of warranties that consumers receive from suppliers, manufacturers, and importers of goods, and from suppliers of services. It is not possible to contract out of these warranties unless the consumer of the goods or services is a business. The Act requires the supplier to guarantee that it has the right to sell the goods, and the goods must be of an acceptable quality. The supplier may remedy a failure of any goods to comply with the guarantee by repairing the goods, by curing the defect in title, or by refunding the money paid where appropriate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThat all sounds very good, and the Act serves very well in the, shall I say, conventional market place. However, consumers are not well served in the online market place; for instance, they are not protected under the current Act when entering into competitive bidding online. Loopholes exist that bypass consumer rights, and those loopholes need to be closed. This bill amends the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 to improve its operation in two areas: firstly, extended warranties, and, secondly, the supply of goods and services by suppliers through a competitive bidding process that uses an online trading facility. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThe bill seeks to assist consumers to make informed decisions about purchasing extended warranties. It will provide for a cooling-off period following the purchase of an extended warranty, during which consumers can change their mind and cancel the purchase of an extended warranty and still receive a full refund. It will further extend the protections of the principal Act to goods and services supplied through a competitive bidding process, using an online trading facility, for example TradeMe. According to Clare Curran, Labour\u2019s spokesperson on communications and information technology, today at around 12.30 p.m. over 55,000 Kiwis were shopping on TradeMe. That is a big market place. Yet under the current Act, consumers are not protected when entering into a competitive auction online. This loophole means unscrupulous sellers can often market faulty goods without fear of come-back. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003ETo conclude, in supporting the Consumer Guarantees Amendment Bill, Parliament is seeking to close some apparent loopholes for the benefit of consumers. I hope that intention will continue this evening in support for Carol Beaumont\u2019s bill, and that it will not be halted for mere political expediency at the expense of New Zealand consumers. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022 data-id=\u0022764fcabb2a394d7d867753b4d60a8ea5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022764fcabb2a394d7d867753b4d60a8ea5\u0022\u003EKATRINA SHANKS (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is my pleasure to speak in the first reading of the Consumer Guarantees Amendment Bill tonight. First, I acknowledge Dr Jackie Blue, who has put forward this member\u2019s bill. I think it is fantastic when we have support from all parties for a bill that is practical. Everybody sees that the gap in the legislation can be easily fixed through Parliament bringing in a little legislation. It is a small bill, but it makes a big difference for the people whom it affects. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003EIt is also great that the Consumer Guarantees Amendment Bill is being referred to the select committee that I sit on, the Commerce Committee. We are a busy, hard-working select committee, but I am sure that we will find time for this bill. I will be interested to hear what submitters have to say about this bill, and about the other bills to do with consumer guarantees that are coming before our select committee and which we are working on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003EThe thing about this bill is that it affects many young people in our society. Over 280,000 online trades are made a week, and over a million are made in a month. I am a parent, like many of the people who are out there listening to the debate tonight, and our kids go on TradeMe continually. They are continually trawling, trying to find that bargain, and trading their Pokemon cards or bits of Lego. They deal with professional traders and with other kids who just want to trade a Pokemon card, and like many parents out there, I drive around the city dropping off Pokemon cards in other people\u2019s letterboxes. It would be cheaper for me to buy the cards brand new, but it is all in the spirit of TradeMe to trade and to teach children the value of the money they have. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003EThere is a loophole on TradeMe, in terms of professional traders. If we go on TradeMe and opt for the \u201Cbuy now\u201D option, we are currently protected by the Consumer Guarantees Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003EThe other option on TradeMe is to go through an auction. My children are often lucky enough to win the auction. They sit there until the last second, pushing in the last dollar, another dollar, and another dollar, even as their parents sit there freaking out at the dollars going up and up and up. [Interruption] They are buying Pokemon cards; the most expensive Pokemon cards ever, I have to say. If young people are lucky enough to win the auction, they are not protected at all. When it concerns a non-professional trader, I think that is fine, because it is in the spirit of TradeMe. But when it concerns professional traders, this legislation will change the situation to ensure the Consumer Guarantees Act will apply to those traders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003EI also put out a challenge to any school teachers listening, especially in the Wellington area. This is great legislation to engage young people on. Young people trade on TradeMe, so this legislation would be great to do a bit of a study on in social studies classes. Teachers cover governance in their social studies classes, especially in year 10. That could show young people how they can make an impact by coming in and being a submitter to a select committee on something that they are interested in and that impacts on their lives. They could see how the process works. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003EMy challenge is to school teachers and to any children who are listening or watching\u2014they should be going to bed, as it is 10 past 8; my children should be in bed\u2014to come along and make a submission to our select committee. This bill affects them, because TradeMe affects them. We have a very robust select committee process. Young people could come in, have their say, and see how our process works. They could see the outcome from coming in and giving a submission with their friends or as a class project. We would love to see them at the Commerce Committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003EThe other area that this bill affects is extended warranties. I might go with my children to buy an iPod. The shop assistant says to get an extended warranty for 5 years, because if something happens we have this warranty and will be so much better off. If customers scratch the screen, they will be able to bring in the iPod, and the retailer will see whether they are covered. Actually, in many cases, customers should be covered under the warranty that they already have without having to buy an additional warranty. The salesperson will now have to tell customers that so they will know it when they go into the shop, and that is a really good thing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003EThe other thing is that there will be a cooling-off period with regard to the extended warranty. If customers get all excited in the shop when buying an iPod and purchase an extended warranty, and they then go home and their parents say that the extended warranty cost $60 more than they were told about, there is a cooling-off period so that customers can go and do something about it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003EIt is my pleasure to speak in the first reading of this bill this evening. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022 data-id=\u002230df782fb3aa419e8cfbea7557924ca7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002230df782fb3aa419e8cfbea7557924ca7\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE (National):\u003C/span\u003E I will speak briefly. I thank all members for their support of the Consumer Guarantees Amendment Bill. I am really pleased and delighted that it will go to a select committee and be merged with the Minister\u2019s consumer reform legislation, which he is bringing to this House, hopefully later this year. I certainly hope it will be this year. I think the matters raised in this bill are urgent and have been of some concern for some time in the sector. The online issue is urgent because of the sheer number of transactions that occur on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis. I know that TradeMe has been extremely concerned. It brought in its own code of practice for professional sellers some 18 months ago because there was no legislation. It has been waiting for this legislation to come to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThe loophole, where if a consumer wins a competitive auction from a professional trader he or she is not covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act, is not something that online bidders understand. Very good points have been made about educating the public about the Consumer Guarantees Act. Equally concerning is the issue of unnecessary extended warranties being bought. The fact is that often when consumers buy items and they buy extended warranties, they are probably paying for protection consumers are already entitled to under the Consumer Guarantees Act or other consumer laws; or even their home and contents insurance policy may cover it, and possibly the manufacturer\u2019s warranty. But, as the Minister indicated in her speech, there may be situations where an extended warranty is entirely appropriate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EOnce again, I thank members for their support. I think members have raised important issues, which I am sure will be taken up at the select committee. I look forward very much to this bill becoming part of the consumer legislation the Minister is bringing to the House later this year. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EBill read a first time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EBill referred to the Commerce Committee.\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=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022dfe72c739cc04c35b4dd531138bac9b5\u0022\u003ECredit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ad810d943d414be18df60e8435676e87\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u0022a018dfed547849c2b99eb0603c3acdc7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a018dfed547849c2b99eb0603c3acdc7\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill be now read a first time. I seek the support of my parliamentary colleagues for people who are struggling, who are vulnerable, and whose families are being hurt by the actions of predatory and irresponsible lenders. These lenders, commonly referred to as loan sharks, are prospering in these hard economic times. I feel a great weight of responsibility raising an issue that has such serious implications throughout New Zealand, but particularly for low-income, Pacific, and M\u0101ori families. I have spoken to hundreds of people about this issue. There is widespread support for my bill and for the broader Stop Loan Sharks campaign. The community wants action, and it wants for this Parliament to act cooperatively to stop loan sharks. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI need to acknowledge many people. I start with Charles Chauvel, who has campaigned passionately on this issue. Charles was the original sponsor of the bill and\u2014along with Mr Andrew Shann, who is in the gallery\u2014has worked tirelessly on the need for regulation of loan sharks. Many members will have received detailed correspondence from Mr Shann, who is an expert in the area. I thank Andrew. I acknowledge the people who work so hard in the community to deal with the consequences of loan shark behaviour: the budget advisers. These people are true heroes. They have my utmost respect for the help they provide to people in extremely difficult circumstances. Despite being under-resourced, they often manage to do the seemingly impossible. The many budget advisers I spoke to told me that the majority of the people they see are hooked into high-interest loans. In some areas, it is 100 percent of the people they see. Community law centres, citizens advice bureaux, churches, unions, women\u2019s organisations, M\u0101ori organisations, and Pacific organisations also assist those who suffer at the hands of unscrupulous loan sharks. I thank them all for their efforts on behalf of some of our most vulnerable people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe purpose of the bill is to amend provisions in the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 and the Credit (Repossession) Act 1997 to require lenders to act responsibly when lending and to curb excessive rates of interest. At the appropriate time I intend to move that this bill be referred to the Commerce Committee. Part 1 of the bill amends section 39 of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act to allow for a maximum rate of interest to be set by regulation. Such delegated legislation avoids the need to make amendments every time there is a change in the rate of interest. An amendment to section 118 extends the definition of \u201Coppressive\u201D conduct to include a responsible lending obligation. It would effectively impose an express duty on the creditor to have done at least some analysis of the debtor\u2019s income, expenditure, and commitments in order to form a reasonable belief that the debtor can afford the lending. Part 2 amends the Credit Repossession Act 1997 by limiting the amount that the creditor can recover from a debtor. This is particularly so when it should have been obvious at the outset that the debtor would not have the capacity to meet the payments. Part 3 amends the Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 2004. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThere is no limit in New Zealand on what interest rates companies can charge. They could charge 55 percent, 1,000 percent, or 2,000 percent. In contrast, interest rate restrictions now apply in Japan, many countries in Africa and Europe, and almost all of South America. Four Australian states have implemented pay-day lender caps at 48 percent, and nine of Canada\u2019s 10 provinces have implemented, or are in the process of implementing, such restrictions. President Obama has undertaken to cap rates at 36 percent right across the US. In the UK the incoming Conservative - Liberal Democrat coalition Government has already undertaken to implement interest restrictions on store cards, and Britain is one of the last countries in the European Union to take such measures. Responsible lending provisions are also used in other countries\u2014for example, the UK, Australia, and South Africa. It has been successfully argued that a responsible lending obligation already exists by virtue of sections 28 and 29 of the Consumers Guarantees Act, which guarantees consumers of lending services that a creditor will use requisite skill and care and that their services are fit for purpose. However, for those in the community who have English as a second language or who have communication difficulties, having to argue the above in legal proceedings is not very accessible. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EIn speaking to people about this bill and the broader loan shark campaign, I have been deeply moved by what I have heard. Stories abound of people hurt by irresponsible lending and excessive interest rates. I am sure that many other members have heard of this harm. I will mention two such stories because this bill is about people, like the Tongan family that needed $3,200 to repair their car. The family have five children under the age of 13. The husband works as a storeman and the wife is a stay-at-home mother. His total take-home pay is $598 per week. They also receive Working for Families. They took out a loan with a company in \u014Ct\u0101huhu, and as security put up their car as well as two cultural mats that had been in their family for over 80 years. The loan was for $3,500. The interest charge was 55 percent over 24 months. The family had to repay $1,925 in interest, or $5,425 in total. They defaulted in the third month, then default charges started. Nine months later this family have had their car repossessed and they have had to pay for vehicle towage and storage. The family wants their mats back, but the company refuses to return them until such time as the debt is paid off in full. They have no car and still owe more than $10,000. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EWhat about the young woman called Honey? At the age of 21 she is in huge debt, due to loans for her family members. She was extremely scared when she approached the budgeting service. She felt her only option was suicide. I quote: \u201CI\u2019ve done nothing but a good deed to help out when needed, but I get stepped on the back for this. I seriously want to die, as a way out of this mess. I\u2019ve had enough. I\u2019m 21 years of age and I\u2019ve never been in this situation before, and I\u2019m as scared as hell.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThere are many organisations that hear these stories and that support this bill. The Salvation Army says that it deals with people who are victims of loan shark activity daily. The activities of loan sharks in offering loans at exorbitant rates of interest cause immense suffering and lock people into poverty. The finance sector union says that the Government is developing a negative record of siding with banks and financial institutions, rather than customers. FinSec members see firsthand the negative impact of debt on borrowers and their families. The Problem Gambling Foundation says that the campaign is long overdue, and that problem gamblers are easy targets for loan sharks. The Pasifika community, in urging the Prime Minister to support this bill, explains that finance companies exploit people during their vulnerable times, and legislation is required to ensure families do not end up on the breadline because they have borrowed from an unscrupulous lender. Child Poverty Action Group says that the charging of outrageous interest rates is one of the cruellest aspects of unregulated lending, and talks about the obscene practices impacting negatively on the poorest children. The Jubilee Christian Centre points out that there are 23 references to the term \u201Cusury\u201D in the Bible, and none speak favourably of it. They believe this should be a parliamentary-wide bill, with support from all members who have a conscience. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003ELast year both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister publicly condemned banks for taking advantage of credit card users by charging high interest rates of 22 percent. Although I agree with them, 22 percent does not even compare with loan sharks hitting our most desperate and poor community members, sometimes with interest rates in three or four figures. I can tell the House that the community expects us to show leadership on this issue, and to send a strong message that we are willing to work together to protect those who have been targeted. I have been very disappointed by the comments of the Minister of Consumer Affairs and of ACT and National colleagues. There have been lots of sympathetic words attached to excuses about why they will vote against this bill, such as that the bill does not go far enough. Well, it is a starting point and provides focus tools to deal with the problem. The damage is a much wider creation from low incomes, poor access to reasonable credit, and poor financial literacy. There is also the comment that the bill will not work. I believe we should test this robustly through the select committee process. Many countries have interest rate caps, and they do not seem to be having too many problems. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003ENational MPs say they are already working on the issue. I was shocked to find out recently that the review of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, which contains some good suggestions but does not deal with excessive interests rates, has been deprioritised by the Minister. That is right; any outcomes have been delayed by a whole year. How can that be right? I look forward to hearing of the Government\u2019s work on this matter. I now urge members across the House to do the right thing, to listen to the community, and to show leadership in helping some of the most vulnerable who are being exploited.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022 data-id=\u00229bbab670fc6e4946a9b4384bb950f315\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229bbab670fc6e4946a9b4384bb950f315\u0022\u003EHon HEATHER ROY (Minister of Consumer Affairs):\u003C/span\u003E Although the Government does not support the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill, I would like to begin by commending Carol Beaumont for her desire to protect New Zealanders from some of the problems that arise from over-indebtedness and for bringing this well-intentioned bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003ECredit is an important part of everyday life. It provides flexibility for consumers to access goods and services, and enables increased participation in the market. But in the current economic climate many consumers face greater challenges in accessing, using, and repaying credit. Care is needed to ensure that consumers can access credit, and also use and manage that credit appropriately.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EConsumers are protected in credit contracts by the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, or the CCCFA as it is routinely called, which covers all loan arrangements that are primarily for personal, domestic, or household purposes. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs monitors the effectiveness of credit legislation. The ministry\u2019s monitoring of the operation of the credit market resulted in a discussion paper, The Review of the Operation of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003. The paper was released in 2009 and addressed many credit-related matters, including the ones raised in Ms Beaumont\u2019s bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThis bill is promoted as a solution to the problems in the area of fringe lending. It has four main features. The first is introducing a cap on interest rates. The second feature requires lenders to reasonably believe that borrowers will be able to repay loans. Thirdly, the bill limits what lenders can recover, should a borrower default on loan repayments. Lastly, the bill allows pawnbrokers to charge administration fees. I would like to address each of these four parts in turn.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EMs Beaumont argues that capping interest rates will prevent excessive or exploitative profits from being made from disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, and she points to caps on interest rates in other jurisdictions, as we have just heard, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and most Australian states. But the Australian Government is currently reviewing the effectiveness of interest rate caps and has stopped the introduction of further caps in order to monitor the effects of the ones already in place. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is monitoring the outcome of this review.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe ministry\u2019s research into interest rate caps has also found that those most likely to be affected by caps will be the disadvantaged and vulnerable borrowers whom the bill aims to protect. A possible unintended consequence of interest rate caps is that if the cap is set too high\u2014and I would suggest that 48 percent, as Ms Beaumont promoted as a reasonable amount, is too high\u2014it could become a target. In fact, if a Government-approved target is set too low, the cap could result in a decrease in the supply of credit, which would disadvantage those who most require it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed07475301c144ffbc89052fa4880a52\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Rubbish!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022314364cbfe01482c841ef5064f782ae5\u0022\u003EHon HEATHER ROY\u003C/span\u003E: It seems that Opposition members do not really pay much attention to what the Government wants to do, despite Ms Beaumont\u2019s intention to hear that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EMs Beaumont\u2019s bill also proposes the introduction of responsible lending obligations to ensure that credit providers do not provide or suggest unsuitable credit. Providers would have to ensure that the credit meets the consumer\u2019s requirements and that the consumer is able to service his or her loan obligations. There are difficulties with this approach. A difficulty in implementing such specific responsible lending provisions is that being new and untested they can create uncertainty for lending agencies. This in turn leads to less credit being available to those who already have difficulty in obtaining access to credit from mainstream providers. Existing legislation includes specific protections against oppressive conduct. Important and immediate developments from the courts indicate that these provisions already protect against irresponsible lending. There are also examples of disputes tribunal referees using the oppression provisions in the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act to deal with oppression and exploitative secured loans or consumer credit contracts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003ETo strengthen the protection available to consumers, the Government requires all financial service providers to belong to free-to-consumer dispute resolution schemes. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is also considering the introduction of protections against unfair contract terms in the Fair Trading Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe third feature of the bill seeks to limit the value of a debt owed to the value of the goods at the time of enforcement. Ms Beaumont argues that this will curb some of the excessive actions of fringe lenders and repossession agents. This is simply misguided. For example, if a consumer buys a $3,000 TV under a no payments for 2 years, interest-free finance deal and then reneges after 2 years, the creditor would be able to recover only the current value of the TV, which by that point in time would be valued at about only $1,500\u2014half of what it was. The retailer would have effectively paid the consumer $1,500 to look after its TV and provided a free pick-up service to get it back. What would the incentive be if this was put in place? No one would bother paying anything. Such a clause could encourage the non-repayment of loans and, potentially, cause a collapse in the consumer finance market.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EAs part of the ministry\u2019s Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act review, the Government is looking at better listing and description of security items in order to prevent lenders seizing anything and everything. Proposals include giving responsibility for the enforcement of the Credit (Repossession) Act to the Commerce Commission.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe bill\u2019s final feature seeks to allow registered pawnbrokers to charge administration fees, removing the need for higher interest rate charges. Pawnbrokers currently charge a single fee for redeeming a pledged good. This is called an interest charge and covers both the fee for the pawnbroking service and the interest charged. It is non-contentious. Pawnbroking charges have existed in this manner for years, and there is no reason to change and complicate this accepted approach to pawnbroking.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EAlthough Ms Beaumont should be applauded for highlighting the issues confronting vulnerable borrowers, the fact is that this is a very complex area that requires comprehensive solutions, not just a band-aid solution, as this bill proposes. However, the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill proposes superficial band-aid solutions and has the potential to wreak even more havoc on the very people it is trying to protect. As the Minister of Consumer Affairs I do not support this bill, and the ACT Party does not support the bill. It has fundamental flaws and contains provisions that could result in dramatic and perverse consequences.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EOpposition members have asked what the Government will do. [Interruption] If they stop talking, they might hear. The Government is currently considering comprehensive measures to address these issues, with real solutions\u2014real solutions that include reviewing the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, as is currently happening. This project has not been deprioritised. It has been reprioritised in favour of the consumer law reform, which also will address some of the issues in this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EImplementing the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act is another measure that the Government is currently working on, and one that was introduced by the previous Government. Each financial service provider or financial adviser must, from 1 December, be registered. It must also, in order to be registered, belong to a dispute resolution scheme, which will give consumers far more protections than they have ever had previously. Quite why the previous Government did not put this in place much sooner is beyond me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EWe are, of course, undertaking a major review of consumer law, and this too will cover many of the provisions proposed in this legislation. A discussion document is out at the moment, and the submission process is under way. I look forward to people such as this bill\u2019s promoter putting forward a written submission on this discussion document.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe last thing, which is extraordinarily important, and which the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and other Government agencies are putting a lot of effort into, is improving financial literacy. Arming consumers with the means and the wherewithal to recognise for themselves the sorts of credit provisions that they should entertain, and those they should not, will go a huge way to dealing with the unscrupulous lenders that we know do exist. As I have just said, a discussion paper has been released that suggests carefully considered amendments to the legislation that the bill seeks to amend. There is little point in progressing this bill further while that paper is out for consultation. The issues are complex\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d0074f306d344aca72b5e226db31671\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member; her time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022 data-id=\u00228865301e785548b2838a7697af6b1f2b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228865301e785548b2838a7697af6b1f2b\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E An American Vice-President once said that the moral test of a Government is how it treats those in the dawn of life, those in the twilight of life, and those in the shadows of life. The Credit Reform (Responsible Lending) Bill is about protecting those people in some of the darker shadows of life\u2014Kiwis who have become so trapped in the cycle of poverty and debt that they are forced to borrow money from predatory fringe lenders just to live from one day to the next. Those lenders\u2014let us call them by their true name: loan sharks\u2014target the most vulnerable members of our society and charge them obscenely high interest rates, sometimes 1,000 or 2,000 percent per annum once the true rate is calculated. The lenders have no intent of ever seeing their loans repaid; that is not how the business model works. Instead they profit off the rapidly compounding interest and the subsequent seizure of the debtor\u2019s assets once the debt has been sold on to a repossession company. That behaviour is morally repugnant.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EI am proud that Carol Beaumont has sponsored this legislation, which seeks to regulate the interest rates that lenders can charge and require them to take responsibility for ensuring that those people taking out loans can actually pay them back. I congratulate Carol Beaumont on her campaign on this issue, and on her determination to pursue it, whatever the outcome of tonight\u2019s debate. She can be assured of the continuing support of all members on this side of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThe changes set out in the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill have never been as urgent as they are now. Times have never been better for loan sharks. Unemployment is up and families are struggling to make ends meet. At least 75 percent of taxpayers earn under $40,000 a year. That is a huge group who have been left worse off as a result of this year\u2019s Budget and the price inflation and wage deflation we are seeing in its wake. Despite that, the Government refuses to act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EHeather Roy has just trotted out the claptrap we have heard from the officials at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs for the last 5 years. Her excuse for turning her back on the vulnerable people targeted by loan sharks is that the area is too complex and that credit contracts law is currently under review. Well, that is not good enough. Struggling families out there cannot wait another year for her review and for solutions that may not even hit the target as far as what is required. We have to take action now. For National and ACT to refuse to let this bill go to a select committee is to let down all Kiwis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThis bill was drafted with input from a number of individuals. I give credit to former professor Duncan Webb and Andrew Shann, in particular, for their assistance. Andrew Shann has campaigned tirelessly on behalf of those people adversely affected by loan sharks. He took the issue to National and asked it in good faith to act on this issue, only to be ignored. He has authorised me to say that his father, now 91 years of age, is at home listening to the debate tonight. Mr Shann Snr is a former National Party electorate chair. His family\u2019s support for the National Party goes back to that party\u2019s foundation in 1936. He is appalled that the party today lacks the decency to see that supporting this legislation is the right thing to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EWhile we are talking about National Party pedigrees, if she does not mind me putting it that way, I want to acknowledge the presence of the Mayor of Porirua, Jenny Brash, in the gallery tonight, and the Deputy Mayor of Porirua City, Litea Ah Hoi. Porirua City has been fantastic in supporting this measure. It sees every day the damage that loan sharks do, and it understands the need to regulate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EI challenge the Government to do what is morally right: to protect the most vulnerable, struggling New Zealand families from those who are exploiting them. It owes it to people such as the family in Mount Albert whose house I was present at last year when the repo agent came to call on behalf of Budget Loans. That agent\u2019s conduct was disgraceful. At the time, Budget Loans was and still is owned by Cynotech Holdings Ltd. Cynotech is run by convicted fraudster Allan Hawkins. Its fifth-largest shareholder is a subsidiary of the New Zealand Guardian Trust. Its sixth-largest shareholder at the time was the family trust of Craig Foss, chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee, although I note that the trust has now disposed of that shareholding. Clearly, there is a lot of money to be made by those who choose to profit from the activities of loan sharks. Shame on them, because they do it off the backs of the most vulnerable in our society, and shame on National and ACT for leaving us in the company of countries like Nigeria that fail to act to protect the vulnerable. That failure is a betrayal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022 data-id=\u00221ac5bade083340d7a042f562e2cf71cb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221ac5bade083340d7a042f562e2cf71cb\u0022\u003EPESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (National\u2014Maungakiekie):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak in opposition to the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill. Although I admire the intention of the bill to address issues relating to loan sharks, I believe that the bill is flawed in many ways. The amendment to section 118 of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act amends the definition in that Act of \u201Coppressive\u201D. I would first of all question whether a legislative change of this sort is needed. As the Minister of Consumer Affairs has alluded to, the section already contains the word \u201Cunconscionable\u201D. Surely, if any debtor could prove that the lender knew that he or she could not repay, then a court would accept the conduct as being unconscionable. The onus would be satisfied if the lender had asked for proof of income, but that is the easy part. Any lender can ask for bank statements, pay records, or any other proof of income, but in the real world the ability to repay a loan has much more to do with one\u2019s expenses as with one\u2019s income. This is the point. At the end of the day a lender can judge the ability of a debtor to repay based only on what the debtor chooses to disclose of his or her expenses. Borrowers are likely to say whatever it takes to obtain a loan, and this clause does not remedy that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022\u003EThe bill also seeks to regulate interest rates and it requires the Governor of the Reserve Bank to provide them. In Canada, section 347 of the Federal Crimes Act criminalised interest rates charged in excess of 60 percent. Since then, the Federal Government has had to change that law to exclude pay-day lenders. A 48 percent interest rate on a pay-day loan for $1,000 over 2 weeks is $18.40. No one will do business on those types of terms at that rate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022\u003EThe member\u2019s answer might be that lenders can charge fees. Well, that is the next problem with this clause. Caps on interest rates alone do not cap the cost of borrowing funds. That is why fees are regulated along with interest rates in Singapore and why fees are completely prohibited in Hong Kong. The member\u2019s bill has no prohibition on fees. Therefore, her interest cap is completely ineffective. This bill does not propose a realistic or workable solution. This is an important issue that needs to be looked at in the forthcoming review. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022\u003EThe third change is to repeal section 57(2) of the Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act. In the explanatory note of this bill, the claim is made that if fees can be charged, then there will be no need to charge high interest rates. That goes against the member\u2019s concerns about the total cost of borrowing. I ask why allowing more fees to be charged would lower the total cost of borrowing. It would simply spread the total cost of borrowing between interest and fees. You see, it is very clear from legislation elsewhere that if we want to effectively cap the cost of borrowing, we cap interest and ban fees, we regulate fees and interest, or we cap the total cost of borrowing not just the interest. In one clause in this bill Ms Beaumont proposes that we cap interest and let lenders charge whatever fees they wish to charge, and in another clause she wants to allow fees where they are currently prohibited. This is clearly an ad hoc and confused approach to legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022\u003EIn my electorate office in Maungakiekie we have seen the effects of these loans on our constituents. In fact, in my meetings with many budgeting agencies like the Salvation Army and other budgeting services, I have discovered that the problems are more far-reaching than this bill would address. It is what this bill does not contain that is disturbing. I have a problem with dragnet clauses that allow a moneylender to grab everything in a borrower\u2019s home and to come back for more and more. There are real problems with moneylenders being able to send in repo men to take away children\u2019s beds, bedding, clothing, and toys. I have issues with the fact that a car dealer needs a certificate to sell cars, but needs nothing to finance the sale. There are problems with the fact that a pawnbroker can loan money against the property that he or she holds and needs a licence to do that, but a lender who loans money against security not held needs nothing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022\u003EMost countries that legislate in this area, for good reason, have a licensing regime. This matter needs to be looked at seriously in the upcoming review. The problems that I have alluded to have no political party slant. It is not about the left and the right; it is about what is right and what is wrong. For this, we need better law than we have here today and we need to have a much better bill to go to a select committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022 data-id=\u0022e2a2b9f31c0f4b3db99daf95f0d0e0a8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e2a2b9f31c0f4b3db99daf95f0d0e0a8\u0022\u003EDAVID CLENDON (Green):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to stand on behalf of the Greens to support this Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill tonight. It is a bill intending to require lenders to have reasonable expectations that money lent will be paid back\u2014that the borrowers have the capacity to pay it back\u2014and to prevent excessive rates of interest being charged on those loans. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThe bill will require lenders to seriously consider the ability of prospective borrowers to repay a loan. That is something one would wish; that, in an even somewhat imperfect world, people who lend money would do as a matter of course. But, sadly, we know that that is not the case. Even lenders who are operating more or less within the law are able to charge their customers excessively and to put people into extraordinarily poor financial positions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003ECredit and the access to debt seem to be something of a national disease. Even quite legitimate lenders in recent times have been guilty of encouraging and actively selling debt. I recently spoke to a banker, a fellow who was the first of three generations of bankers in his family. The grandfather was the first of the generations. In his day, to borrow money was a serious matter, and banks required significant references, credentials, and a very close examination before they would lend money. His son operated in a somewhat looser environment. The grandfather was horrified to discover that his granddaughter, who was also a banker, was being actively encouraged to sell debt and was being rewarded for selling debt to people. She was selling credit cards and selling loans, and that is a reflection of our culture. Of course, the loan sharks that this bill endeavours to drive out, or at least to put some controls on, are the extreme reflection of that culture. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EWhy do borrowers engage with these clearly unscrupulous and cheating lenders? To some extent it is to do with naivety, a lack of financial literacy, or sometimes just sheer desperation. People need money to repair a car or to make a car warrantable to enable people to get to work. People need to pay bills and to repair appliances so that a family might continue to function. There are cultural demands for travel or to meet other family obligations, such as weddings, funerals, or whatever else it might be. There is a temptation to purchase toys, be they cars, large televisions, or expensive telephones. That is driven by the relentless consumer advertising that we are all constantly exposed to. Often the least well off, the most vulnerable, are the most vulnerable to that consumer advertising. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EA very wide and diverse range of organisations has spoken out in support of the proposal in this bill, including the New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services, which said that over 30,000 new client families walk through its doors around the country every year, many of them hopelessly indebted to loan sharks. Loan sharks are in the business of making money off those vulnerable people, those vulnerable communities, and they deliberately target those groups by their store locations and presentations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EI currently live in Avondale, which is a low-decile suburb, if we could describe it that way. Just off the top of my head, I can think of four or five outlets in the main street of Avondale where one can walk in and just about be guaranteed to walk out with often quite substantial sums of money, with very little reference to one\u2019s ability to repay that money. FinSec, the bank workers union, came out in support of this legislation and, as has been pointed out, noted that the Prime Minister criticised charging a rate of interest on credit cards of 22 percent, which hardly compares with the rates that are being charged by the worst of these loan sharks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThe point is already made that we are actually out of step, and it is made again by FinSec that we are seriously out of step internationally with other developed countries. Restrictions apply in Japan, in many countries in Europe, in South America, and even in Africa. Caps have been implemented or proposed in most of Australia, Canada, the USA, and the UK, but we seem to struggle with the very notion of applying these limits and controls on unscrupulous lenders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EI will quote from a speech made on a similar topic: \u201CFirstly, and probably most significantly, the Green Party believes there should be a named and fixed limit on interest rates charges. Many low-income people in south Auckland and elsewhere are defaulting on loans that have exceptionally high finance rates \u2026 Those loans are being made by moneylenders who are very well aware that it would be just about impossible for a borrower to meet the repayments.\u201D That quote was from a speech made in 2003 in this House by Sue Bradford at a time when what was then called the Consumer Credit Bill had its first reading debate in this House. Seven years ago, the Greens and Sue Bradford were advocating for exactly the sort of mechanism that we are now again endeavouring to bring back to this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022 data-id=\u00224828e8bc757642f7ba92be2fcc202124\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224828e8bc757642f7ba92be2fcc202124\u0022\u003ETE URUROA FLAVELL (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Kia ora huihui t\u0101tau katoa. Ko t\u0101ku noa ake ko te whaiwhai haere i te \u0101huatanga o ng\u0101 k\u014Drero kua puta, me k\u012B, i a Reipa me ng\u0101 K\u0101k\u0101riki m\u014D t\u0113nei pire. Ko t\u0101 m\u0101tau e k\u012B nei, h\u0101ngai tonu ana t\u0113nei pire ki te hunga rawakore, koremoni me te hunga pani r\u0101nei. K\u0101re m\u0101tau i te tino whakaae atu ki t\u0113r\u0101 momo huarahi. I t\u014Dna p\u016Btake, he k\u014Drero t\u0113nei m\u014D te hunga penihana, te hunga koremahi. Ka huri ki hea ki te kimi moni, ka huri ki te nanakia, ki w\u0113tahi hei utu i ng\u0101 nama, p\u0113nei i te kai, ng\u0101 mea, me k\u012B, hai \u014Dranga m\u014D te tangata. N\u014D reira, t\u0113nei pire he k\u014Drero m\u014D te \u014Dranga o te tangata. Ka kore he moni, kore he kai, ka huri ki hea? Ka huri ki te nanakia. N\u0101 reira, he aha t\u0113nei mea te nanakia? E ai ki t\u0101 te Department of Internal Affairs, anei te whakam\u0101rama i te reo P\u0101keh\u0101 m\u014D t\u0113nei m\u014D te loan shark. E ai ki r\u0101tau.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Assistant Speaker, and greetings to us all gathered here. I want to follow up on what Labour and the Greens have said about this bill. We advocate that this bill focuses on the needy, the penniless and those without. We do not go along with what they say. Essentially this story is about beneficiaries and those without work. Who do they turn to for finance? To the loan shark or to others who can offer finance to pay bills like those for food and essentials to survive on. So this bill is a story about one\u2019s survival. If there is no money, no food, who does one turn to? To the loan shark, no doubt. So what is this thing called a loan shark? This is an explanation in English to the Department of Internal Affairs.]  \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EA loan shark is a person or entity that offers loans at very high interest rates, typically illicitly and requiring little or no security. Repayment is often enforced by blackmail or by threats.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, koin\u0101 te p\u016Btake o t\u0113nei pire m\u014D t\u0113r\u0101 momo nanakia. Ko t\u0101ku he mihi ki t\u0113r\u0101 mema a Carol Beaumont. Ko ia t\u0113nei e k\u014Dkiri nei i t\u0113nei pire ki roto i te Whare P\u0101remata i te mea, i ng\u0101 tau kua hipa, ehara i te mea kua tino rongo ng\u0101 taha e rua ki te p\u016Btake o t\u0113nei o ng\u0101 take. M\u0113n\u0101 ka taka te tangata ki roto i te raruraru \u0101-moni nei, \u0101n\u014D nei, ko te korokoro o te parata, in\u0101 k\u0113 t\u014Dna toronga. He kore moni, he \u0101wangawanga \u0101-ng\u0101kau, he m\u0101uiui, he whakawehewehe i te t\u0101ne me te w\u0101hine, wahine ki te t\u0101ne, kore moe, \u0113nei \u0101huatanga katoa. N\u014D reira, ka p\u0101 kaua ki te p\u016Bkoro i t\u014Dna kotahi engari, ko te noho o te tangata i t\u0113nei ao. K\u0101ore e kore, t\u0101tau katoa kua huri ki te p\u0113ke, ki t\u0113tahi atu r\u0101nei ki te moni. Ko te mate m\u014D t\u0113nei pire, in\u0101 k\u0113 te nui. He nui noa atu te moni e kimihia nei e \u0113tahi ki te haere ki te p\u0113ke m\u014D te whare, \u0101, m\u014D te aha r\u0101nei. N\u014D reira, koinei t\u0101 m\u0101tau e \u0101wangawanga nei. Kua rongo ake i te ingoa o t\u0113nei tangata nei a Mr Andrew Shann, ka nui te mihi ki a ia. N\u0101na t\u0113nei take i k\u014Dkiri me tautoko ka tika. E ai ki t\u0101na, e 90 pai h\u0113neti o te hunga haere ki te kimi moni, n\u014D te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, n\u014D te Ao M\u0101ori, ng\u0101 mea o Tonga, o H\u0101moa r\u0101nei, n\u014D te Ao M\u0101ori\u2014e 90 pai h\u0113neti o t\u0113r\u0101 hunga n\u014D t\u0101tau. N\u014D reira, kia t\u016Bpato t\u0101tau. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EAr\u0101 an\u014D te p\u0101tai, he aha te take ka haere mai ki a au, a M\u0101ori nei, a H\u0101moa nei, \u0101 Tonga nei? M\u014D te aha? \u0100, n\u014D te mea kai te rongo t\u0101tau i te ngau o kore moni, \u0113r\u0101 \u0101huatanga katoa. Engari, me hoki r\u0101 an\u014D ki t\u0113nei tangata ki a Mr Shann me te mihi ki a ia i te mea, ko ia t\u0113tahi kua tae mai ki a m\u0101tau o te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori i ng\u0101 toru tau kua hipa. Me mihi ki a ia. Me mihi ki te m\u0113a o Porirua ki a Jenny Brash, ki a Litea Ah Hoi, t\u0113n\u0101 k\u014Drua, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou hara mai i te mea, n\u0101 k\u014Drua an\u014D r\u0101 t\u0113nei take i k\u014Dkiri p\u0113nei i t\u0101 te mema a Charles Chauvel i kokiri nei i t\u0113nei take. Me mihi ki a ia i te mea, kua puta i roto i w\u0101na rangahau \u0113nei k\u014Drero katoa. Kia huri au m\u014D te w\u0101 poto ki te reo P\u0101keh\u0101. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E[So that is this bill\u2019s rationale for that kind of loan shark. I commend that member, Carol Beaumont, for bringing this bill before the House, because neither side in the past has been prepared to face up to the issues around this matter. When a person falls into debt it is like dropping into a huge whirlpool in the sea called the throat of Te Parata. Its effect spirals. It creates poverty, stress, illness, a breakdown in relationships, sleepless nights, and all those kinds of things. So it is not the pocket alone that is affected, but a person\u2019s lifestyle in this world as well. Without a doubt we all turn to banks or someone else for money. The problem for this bill is the scale of it. The amount sought by some for the house, or whatever, from the bank is huge. And that is a concern to us. Hearing the name of this person, Mr Andrew Shann, brings to mind the solid work he has done in this area. We acknowledge and appreciate him greatly. According to him, 90 percent of those who seek money are from the Pacific Islands and M\u0101oridom; from Tonga, Samoa, and M\u0101oridom; 90 percent of that group were ours. So we need to be careful. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EHere is another question. Why do M\u0101ori, Samoans, and people from Tonga come to me? What do they come for? Because we are feeling the sharp edge of poverty and all those kinds of things. But we must go back to this person Mr Shann, and commend him, because he was the one who worked solidly with us, the M\u0101ori Party, in the past 3 years. We acknowledge him. Acknowledgments as well to the Mayor of Porirua, Jenny Brash, and Litea Ah Hoi; greetings to you two, and the others, welcome. You two worked on this matter as well, like the member Charles Chauvel. But we must be grateful to him because all that we have talked about here was revealed in his research. I wish to switch to English for a brief moment.] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EMr Shann\u2019s research indicates that actual annual interest rates being charged by fringe lenders can exceed 400 percent per annum, effectively compounding to well over 1,500 percent. Secondly, he says insufficient attention has been paid by regulators to the fringe lending sector. He says that whether fringe lenders can legally recover the extremely high rates of interest they charge is unclear, and that New Zealand is lagging behind the Australian states in protecting consumers from the behaviour of the fringe lending sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EKa mutu i t\u0113nei pire t\u0113nei momo ng\u0101ngara? \u0112 k\u0101o! Engari, t\u0113r\u0101 pea ar\u0101 an\u014D \u0113tahi tiakitanga hai \u0101whina i ahau a M\u0101ori nei, otir\u0101, te hunga noho koremoni nei. Kua roa m\u0101tau e k\u014Drero ana m\u014D t\u0113nei take, m\u0101tau, ng\u0101 mema P\u0101remata o te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori. Katoa ng\u0101 mema kua rongo i ng\u0101 k\u014Drero m\u014D te ngau o ng\u0101 nanakia nei ki ng\u0101 mea e noho nei i roto i \u014D m\u0101tau rohe p\u014Dti. N\u014D reira, he pai tonu te \u0101ta titiro ki ng\u0101 waka \u0101taahua, ng\u0101 whiriti \u0101taahua, ng\u0101 mea h\u014Du m\u014D te k\u0101inga engari, m\u0113n\u0101 ka ngau tonu t\u0113r\u0101 i t\u014D p\u016Bkoro me te \u0101huatanga o \u0113tahi nanakia e haere nei i roto i ng\u0101 hapori, ka raruraru i reira. N\u014D reira, ka tautoko te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori i t\u0113nei pire.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E[Will this bill put an end to this type of reptile? Not at all! But it might give more helpful protective measures to M\u0101ori like me, indeed to vulnerable people on lower incomes. We, the members of the M\u0101ori Party, have spoken out about this issue for a long time. All members have heard stories about people in our electorates who now owe more than they own. So while it is still fine to look carefully for flash cars, fridges, and new things for the home, the moment it hits the pocket and one becomes a victim of a shady loan shark in the community, then there is a problem. So the M\u0101ori Party will support this bill.] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022 data-id=\u00228e93e42cd80f4264a694edc85fcd0b22\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228e93e42cd80f4264a694edc85fcd0b22\u0022\u003ESU\u2019A WILLIAM SIO (Labour\u2014M\u0101ngere):\u003C/span\u003E I join with my colleagues tonight in recommending the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill to this House and thanking members for their support. I simply appeal to those who are able to acknowledge that we have a problem in our communities with loan sharks. I ask members to consider the matter before they vote. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EYesterday some of us joined Carol Beaumont and others who support her member\u2019s bill in front of Parliament, where in a symbolic gesture we attempted to use a net to catch a young man who was dressed in a shark suit. In my mind, that was a very powerful symbol that highlighted what Carol Beaumont\u2019s bill is attempting to do. It reminds me of a Samoan proverb \u201CE mana\u2019o i le i\u2019a, ae manumanu i le upega\u201D. Literally speaking, it means \u201CIf you want to catch fish, you cannot be worried about tearing your net\u201D. Another meaning of this proverb could be \u201CIf we want to protect our people, to protect the vulnerable New Zealanders, we must build a stronger safety net\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EThis bill is a small safety net in the overall scheme of things. It is a small step in efforts to prevent fringe lenders or loan sharks from charging excessive interest rates. It is a step change towards ensuring that loan sharks are more responsible when lending money, especially when lending money to vulnerable people. It is a small signal to unscrupulous lenders who are in a powerful position in an extremely free environment where they can charge any amount of interest. This bill is a signal to those loan sharks about their predatory behaviour in exploiting poor people who are not financially savvy in their time of desperation. We are saying to those loan sharks that that sort of behaviour is unacceptable in our community, in any city in New Zealand. Loan sharks\u2019 unbridled exploitation of desperate people is unacceptable to the Kiwi way of life. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EThe concept of interest is difficult for many Pacific people to get their heads around. From a Pacific eye, the concept is better understood when the word \u201Cusury\u201D is used in the Bible. Many who understand the term will recognise that it is promoted as evil. It is a bad thing. If we love our brother, then we will not charge an arm and a leg when our brother is in need\u2014or our sister, for that matter. That is what this bill is about. People who approach loan sharks go to them as the last resort. They are unable to get loans from banks or the help they need from credit unions, so they go to these loan sharks in desperation for simple things like the rent or the electricity bill that is 2 weeks overdue. The loans sharks know that they are desperate. They know that these people will struggle with repayments, and that is why they add on that particular interest. The minute somebody is unable to pay that loan, other costs are added on to it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EA short example is of a man who owed $300 to the Ministry of Justice, which confiscated his car. He did not have $300. He went to a loan shark to borrow that money to get his car so he could get to work. Today, 3 or 4 months later, he has paid the $300 but he is still paying interest to the loan shark he borrowed the money from. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000621\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EThe way that loan sharks advertise and behave is really predatory. They use people who are familiar to them in a friendly manner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022 data-id=\u0022d5f64af44e20411b8b7d34e95ef82f70\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000622\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d5f64af44e20411b8b7d34e95ef82f70\u0022\u003EHEKIA PARATA (National):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Speaker. Huri noa i t\u014D t\u0101tou e te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa. I begin my remarks on the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill by acknowledging Carol Beaumont for the work, effort, and purpose that sits behind the bill, and her predecessor, Charles Chauvel, who equally has made significant contributions to this area of work. I also join with the House in acknowledging Her Worship the Mayor of Porirua, Jenny Brash, the Deputy Mayor of Porirua, Litea Ah Hoi, and Andrew Shann. I acknowledge all the work he has done and the many months and years he has devoted to that work. If it is not clear from the speeches tonight, I will make it clear that I do not think there is any disagreement between any sides of the House as to the problem we face and the concern we have about the predatory nature of fringe lending and the vulnerability of fringe borrowers. But, with respect, the fact that we disagree on the solution to this problem does not attribute to one side or the other a greater moral authority. I think it is important\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000623\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e132a5003d84b20a4cc5ab24509bf0b\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s shameful that that side is not supporting this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000624\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022301e898e8fcb4160af70ca8b989bb416\u0022\u003EHEKIA PARATA\u003C/span\u003E: I am not ashamed at all to say that I think this is absolutely a problem, and that it is one we need to deal with. Obviously, it disproportionately affects those who are on the fringes of our society\u2014those who are the poorest. In many cases, they are M\u0101ori and Pacific Islanders. To have the Opposition shouting abuse at me that I should be ashamed is offensive, because I do share the concern of the House; I do not share those members\u2019 view that the Opposition has the monopoly on understanding the solutions. This is a very complex area and the bill proposes measures that are not, in my view, viable solutions. The Government is looking at comprehensive measures to address these issues, and we are reviewing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002208dfb9635fc2414c8508b20bcc0ebc99\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: Looking is not good enough.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022820e8cc0927d408fa4ac2690636dd8d8\u0022\u003EHEKIA PARATA\u003C/span\u003E: It is amazing how those members can sit on a moral high ground when Labour had the opportunity for 9 years to address this issue, but it did not do so. I have 4 minutes, and I would really like the opportunity to contribute my 4 minutes to this debate. We are reviewing the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, we are implementing the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act, we are undertaking a major review of consumer law, and we are improving financial literacy. Lacking as they might the drama that the Opposition wishes to bring to this debate, those measures have far greater potential to bring about the changes that we all agree are necessary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000627\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EThe interest rates cap proposed in the bill as a way to stop loan sharks has generated the most publicity. Although National does not support the charging of excessive interest rates, we have reservations about interest rate caps being a viable regulatory intervention for over-indebtedness and poor lending practices, because the issues are wider and more complex than the cost or affordability of credit. All consumers should have access to credit when they need it, on an informed basis. If a cap is introduced at a level insufficient to generate a lender\u2019s required margin, the price of credit can be transferred from the interest rate to fees and other charges, thereby negating the intention of price control.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000628\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EThe bill seeks to limit a creditor\u2019s right to the value of the goods at the time of enforcement. This measure, too, is problematic. There is concern that the finance market for lending on consumer items could potentially collapse overnight if such a law was introduced.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000629\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EThe bill proposes the introduction of responsible lending obligations that seem to be based on initiatives in Britain and Australia. We have heard from previous speakers that the capping of interest rates has been halted in the Commonwealth of Australia while its effectiveness is studied. The notion that we should embrace what every other country in the world is doing\u2014which they have been doing for only the last 12 months or so, without knowing how effective it is\u2014seems to me to be a foolhardy rush when we have the opportunity to test the confluence of changes that we are already bringing about. I do not resile from my position that I share the concern of this House for fringe borrowers; nor do I resile from the position that this Government is taking.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u00226714a78ad25643faaeee7b891485a668\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226714a78ad25643faaeee7b891485a668\u0022\u003ECARMEL SEPULONI (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I would like to begin by commending my colleagues Carol Beaumont and Charles Chauvel for a job well done: for the fantastic campaign they have run, and the foresight they have shown. I also wish to acknowledge the Mayor of Porirua, Jenny Brash, and the deputy mayor, Litea Ah Hoi. I thank them both for coming along to support this bill. I also acknowledge Andrew Shann for the amazing amount of work that he has put into this member\u2019s bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000631\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EI need to start by dispelling some of the myths that have been said tonight in the House. We heard from a number of members, but I wish to speak to the points that were made by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, the member Hekia Parata, and the member Sam Lotu-Iiga. All three said that this bill does not go far enough. I have been a member of Parliament for only 18 months, but I have seen a number of bills come through this House. No bill is perfect when it comes up for its first reading. That is why we allow it to go to a select committee. We make the decision on whether it should go to a select committee based on the intention behind the bill and what the bill seeks to achieve. Everything that this bill seeks to achieve is something that we as a whole Parliament should be endorsing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000632\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EFour things stand out about this bill. I think they need to be mentioned and told to members on the Government side of the House, because they fail to get it. This bill is about the duty of care to vulnerable citizens. It is about protection of the weakest members of our society, advocacy for those members of our society, and fairness. Those are the four points that members on that side fail to understand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000633\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EI am a Pacific woman, and it has come up over and over again tonight that Pacific people are the ones, alongside M\u0101ori, who are disproportionately affected by loan sharks. As a Pacific woman, I humbly need to acknowledge that an organisation that does not take political matters lightly or come out endorsing political matters has done so on this occasion. That organisation is P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc. That organisation has written to the Prime Minister, pleading with him that he support this bill. The reason it is pleading with him is that the organisation knows that loan sharks are out there being predators on our families and our communities. Rather than speak on behalf of myself as an individual, I wish to read directly the letter that has been written to the Prime Minister by the Pacific women\u2019s organisation P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc. I say from the get-go, with my hand on my heart, that I am a member of this organisation, but I have not even spoken to those people about this legislation, so I have in no way lobbied them in that regard. The letter is addressed to the Prime Minister and states: \u201CWe are writing to seek your urgent action on loan sharks by seeking your support for the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill. As the premier organization of Pacific women in New Zealand, with 20 branches from Whangarei to Invercargill, PACIFICA has been supporting Pacific families by empowering Pacific women for over 34 years. Unsurprisingly, PACIFICA has been seriously concerned by the significant number of Pacific families struggling on low incomes, who are vulnerable to accessing expensive finance company loans. Prime Minister, it is evident that our families are preyed upon by loan sharks. Targeted advertising campaigns, free \u2018Pacific focused\u2019 gifts such as boxes of corned beef, trips to Samoa and Tonga, and the recruitment of Pacific frontline staff are all practices that loan sharks use to attract Pacific clients. On any given Sunday evening when Pacific programmes view on Triangle TV, the car dealer and finance company advertisements repeatedly target their Pacific viewing audience. The problem we have Prime Minister, is not with loans being easily accessible; but that finance companies exploit people during their vulnerable times through the supply of high interest loans with high fees, making them more expensive than loans provided by banks. Families who are already shackled by the constraints of low income, now have the added burden of having to pay back more than just the principle and the interest. Furthermore, when a client falls behind in their repayments they are subject to default interest and penalty fees, in some cases this can add up to more than the principle. \u2026 It is upon this basis, that we contest that all lenders should be fair, legal and monitored by the government. We are now seeking your support for the first reading of this Bill and we ask that this matter be given the chance for public discussion and debate through Select Committee.\u201D It is signed by Sally Dalhousie, National President.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u002202539652e914411da356b9043db6f7a0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000634\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002202539652e914411da356b9043db6f7a0\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E My colleague Steve Chadwick said to me: \u201CI don\u2019t know whether to feel sad or mad.\u201D, and I feel exactly the same way. I feel both ways: I feel very sad that I have heard in this House tonight that the Government will not take responsibility on this issue; I feel very mad that the voice of the community has not been listened to, and that a genuine effort to deal with the problem of loan sharks is being ignored. Instead, members have tried in 5-minute speeches to argue what is wrong with the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill. I think it deserves a fair hearing at a select committee, and the public deserve the right to have a say on it. I acknowledge those parties that have spoken in support of this bill\u2014the Greens, the M\u0101ori Party, the Progressive party, and I understand that United Future will also be supporting it\u2014and I thank them for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000635\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI believe that what I have heard in the House tonight has been truly awful. The speeches have been probably some of the worst speeches I have heard in my time in Parliament.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000636\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI do not think there is any disagreement that there is a problem with loan sharks. Any member of Parliament will know there is a problem, because they will see it in their communities. They will have people coming to their offices and they will hear the stories. Certainly, I found it quite tragic that the member for Maungakiekie spoke in the way he did, because in the very area that we share our offices\u2014we both have offices in Onehunga\u2014there are many loan sharks. Just this week, I saw featured on television a young man going into one of those places and being offered loans at 25 percent per month, which on a compounding basis is over 1,300 percent per annum. I found it disgraceful that the member for Maungakiekie made the kind of speech that he did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000637\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EMembers know there is a problem with loan sharks. I want to repeat for the House what was said by the Jubilee Christian Centre, which is a registered charity with no interest at all in getting involved in party politics. It talked about the use of the term \u201Cusury\u201D in the Bible, and that none of the references\u2014all 23 of them\u2014speak favourably of it. My colleague Su\u2019a William Sio also mentioned that. The centre went on to say that this bill should receive parliamentary-wide support, and that all members who have a conscience, including Government members, should support it. At this stage in the debate, I am still standing before the House urging members to make the right decision to assist people who are struggling, who are vulnerable, and whose families are being hurt by the actions of predatory and irresponsible lenders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000638\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EWe have heard a number of excuses given tonight that make me mad and angry. It has been said that this bill does not go far enough, but, frankly, some of the issues that lead to the problem are not things for which we would legislate\u2014for example, we all agree that we need to improve financial literacy. That is about resources and focus; it is not a matter for legislation. Members have mentioned low incomes in New Zealand, but I do not see the Government doing a lot of work in that area. Certainly, that is one of the root causes of the problem, as is the credit market itself, where those who are outside the banking system who cannot get credit from banks need access to credit on reasonable terms. That is also not a matter for this bill, but there are targeted suggestions that are worthy of consideration in a select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000639\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EWe have heard the excuse that the provisions in the bill will not work. In several 5-minutes speeches, we have had supposedly some analysis of that issue. Well, I would like to see a great deal more robust consideration of that in a select committee where we look at the experience of other countries. I do not see that the dire consequences being predicted by the Minister and some of the other speakers are in play in those countries.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000640\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003ENational and ACT MPs have said that their parties are already working on this issue, but I say that that is the biggest and worst excuse of all. Frankly, there are some good provisions in the review of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, but why has it been delayed for 12 months? How can those members stand in this House and tell us that that legislation will help when they have delayed it by 12 months? It is an absolute disgrace. I find those excuses very hard to stomach, and doing nothing, which is effectively what is happening here, is not a plausible answer. Where are the solutions? None of the Government members who have spoken tonight have suggested solutions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000641\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI want this House to know that this campaign will not end here. The community wants something done, and I and my colleagues will be working with the community to continue this campaign.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u0022abd59ed065414f138fe232cee6e3ccef\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000642\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022abd59ed065414f138fe232cee6e3ccef\u0022\u003ECARMEL SEPULONI (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I seek leave to table the letter to the Prime Minister, dated 19 July 2010, by the premier organisation of Pacific women in New Zealand\u2014P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc.\u2014asking that the Government send this bill to the select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000643\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dbe8f90fdb6546cb80c5fc7e2208f858\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there any objection? There being none, leave is granted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000644\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00221875ea69e3d14df3a07ec289f4ba04ec\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Credit Reforms (Responsible Lending) Bill be now read a first time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 59\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 43; Green Party 9; M\u0101ori Party 5; Progressive 1; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 63\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion not 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=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022bb06333b10e14b5caf0b7fdc6ec803bb\u0022\u003EResource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000646\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e661557ff2ef4b61ad93a4874a135ab6\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u0022e2cdb7fd9e664b24b45729ea823ac164\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000647\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e2cdb7fd9e664b24b45729ea823ac164\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour\u2014Hauraki-Waikato):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Resource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I am pleased to introduce this bill to the House to affirm greater recognition of tangata whenua interests in the resource management and local government planning process. As stated in the explanatory note, \u201CThe purpose of this bill is to strengthen the provisions by which iwi management plans influence regional and district plans and policies,\u201D. Clause 5 of the bill introduces an amendment that would mean iwi management plans would be elevated in the planning hierarchy, recognising and providing for the interests of tangata whenua when it comes to developments in their rohe. The intention is that the cultural, environmental, and heritage interests of tangata whenua are considered more effectively at the front end of the planning process rather than at adversarial, often lengthy, resource consent hearings. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000648\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EI believe that this bill strengthens the intent of sections 6, 7(a), and 8 of the Resource Management Act by setting out the priorities of iwi in their management plans. This bill also promotes in a practical way the intent of section 5 of the Resource Management Act to achieve an integrated response that footnotes the whole notion of sustainable management. M\u0101ori have a huge contribution to make in this space and too often they have been left on the periphery rather than being critical to the outcome. I am optimistic that given the National-led Government\u2019s new-found relationship with iwi and M\u0101ori this bill may get to select committee. Indeed, if the M\u0101ori Party can see the value of this bill, then I would hope the Government would endorse its judgment, as the bill is progressive in its intention. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000649\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003ENot so long ago the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu (Claims) Waikato River Settlement Act passed its third and final reading in this House, with a significant majority. That settlement provided for a co-governance and co-management framework to address a longstanding concern amongst Waikato iwi that the degradation of the Waikato River be addressed. That settlement makes provision for statutory recognition of a vision and strategy that seeks to create an integrated management approach to cleaning up the river and, more important, forging a common ambition amongst iwi, local government, landowners, Government agencies, industry, and the community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000650\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003ESome of the mechanisms to achieve change require accords, joint management agreements, and a broader context for considering land-based activity and its effects on waterways. I expect several more settlements will look to this model as a means of defining a unique approach to catchment management of waterways and engaging effectively with iwi and central and local government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill seeks to normalise a way of doing things that has been achieved to date only as a result of Treaty settlements. I have heard numerous examples throughout my electorate where negative encounters with the Resource Management Act have led iwi to oppose resource consents because of a lack of engagement with tangata whenua or any recognition of their concerns. Iwi management plans are just part of the picture and should be integrated across council planning and policy processes. In order for them to be effective they must be developed as planning documents that preserve the integrity of tangata whenua aspirations, but are able to be utilised by regional councils and territorial authorities in the planning process. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000652\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003ETo achieve this, a dedicated work stream for iwi, councils, and the Ministry for the Environment would be necessary. Undoubtedly this will signal a new way of doing things, with some councils having to engage the participation of iwi through their regional policy statement consultation processes. I believe this bill sets a uniform approach to achieving best practice. This change will result in the setting of better planning and policy-making decisions, rules, and internal operational practices for council and more effective outcomes. I have thought about the issue of cost and foreshadowed that there will be a fiscal impact that might be better considered in full by the select committee process, as it will involve iwi and local and central government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EI want to highlight just a few examples from my electorate, Hauraki-Waikato, as there is a problem that needs to be fixed. Ng\u0101ti Te Ata is situated in the south of T\u0101maki Makaurau, the Auckland isthmus. Their interest to protect ancient burial sites at Maioro in Waiuku, and historical sites at Matukutureia in Wiri, are well documented in the Manukau claim, yet their representation to protect their heritage and special landscapes have been fraught with conflict, frustrated by process, and delayed by inaction. A long period of time has passed since their interests were brought to light substantially in the 1980s. But that has been a long and drawn-out process. Against the backdrop of the Auckland super-city reform this amendment would give greater assurance to iwi who want to protect their natural heritage and historical sites. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000654\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EAcross the Hauraki Gulf I think about Whangamata. Hap\u016B and iwi there lodged objections to the Whangamata marina on the basis that their traditional fishing and harvesting grounds would be detrimentally affected. Even though the Resource Management Act provided for recognition of kaitiakitanga and the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, those hap\u016B presented their information to the Environment Court, to Ministers, to local MPs, and to anyone who would listen, but their interests were secondary to the economic potential of the marina. The chairperson of the Hauraki M\u0101ori Trust Board even declared that they were not anti-development but their customary interests in the area had been totally ignored. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000655\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EIf this amendment were to proceed, iwi could have had a proactive discussion about a development proposal with their priorities clearly outlined in the council planning documents, and relevant policies and rules applying to consents in sensitive spaces. There would also be a clear point of engagement for developers wanting to meet with iwi. Out on the west coast in the small community called Marokopa, the efforts of one woman on behalf of her hap\u016B, Ng\u0101ti T\u016Bpoho, has led to the preservation and protection of sand dunes and a sandspit in the area. Her dogged determination has, at times, seen her efforts conflict with those of the community wanting to enjoy access to this coastal area, but her intent to be a kaitiaki in a very real way cannot be faulted. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000656\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe benefit of this amendment would provide greater protection for her to continue the good work that has been done, and it would also provide better access to information and points of engagement for the larger community in terms of recognising this special and historically significant place. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000657\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EI come back to the Waikato. Near the river at Horotiu, archaeological sites had been excavated in the past. This is the case throughout this stretch of the river, as the sand was particularly useful for lining k\u016Bmara pits and preserving the k\u016Bmara over winter. Although these sites are protected, there is an application to build approximately 5 metres from the pits. The applicant argues that although the site is preserved and protected, it is not damaged by this development. This site is on private land. The benefit of the amendment that I am putting to the House today would be that whether on private or public land, M\u0101ori or general land, all would be subject to clause 6, which amends section 75(2) \u201Cto allow territorial authorities to state resource management issues of particular interest to local iwi in their district plans.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000658\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThere are other examples too numerous and equally important to outline in the House. But whether the issue is discharge in waterways, dirty dairying practices, sewage effluent being discharged into harbours, developments in small coastal villages, a change in land use, intensification of farming practices, or mining practices out in the exclusive economic zone or on conservation land, tangata whenua have been involved in consenting processes, and too often at the back end. The Resource Management Act can and should work better and we should not have to wait for a Treaty settlement. There is simply a better way of doing things by including at the front end of the planning process engaging council and territorial authorities more positively with the aspirations of iwi. After all, there is a dearth of M\u0101ori representation on councils, and a legislative imperative would ensure proactive engagement with tangata whenua in the planning and policy-making process. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000659\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EI am a firmly believer that if something needs fixing, then do it. Since its inception the Resource Management Act has undergone a number of iterations. Some changes were driven by sheer political ideology; others were technical changes resulting from the practical experience of implementing the intention of the Resource Management Act. This amendment seeks to rebalance the interest of tangata whenua in the planning environment to have greater regard to the cultural, spiritual, historical, and environmental values of iwi. I am hopeful that during the debate today members may consider the positive contribution that this bill can make to the resource management and planning decisions of local government. In many ways it will simplify and streamline more effective engagement with M\u0101ori. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022 data-id=\u0022ff1b8a6a0fa74e7cbf2f6ffd26077c37\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000660\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ff1b8a6a0fa74e7cbf2f6ffd26077c37\u0022\u003ECHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National\u2014West Coast - Tasman):\u003C/span\u003E I am very pleased to speak on the Resource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill in the name of the Hon Nanaia Mahuta. As the chair of the Local Government and Environment Committee, which considered the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill, I am very cognisant of the issues raised by this bill and the fact that we keep visiting the Resource Management Act to change it yet again. But let us step back for a moment and consider the progress that has already been made in the area of resource management.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000661\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EStage one of our reforms saw this Government streamline and simplify the Resource Management Act to ensure a better balance of environmental protection with economic growth. That has achieved good, positive outcomes for all concerned without incurring unnecessary delays and excessive costs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000662\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EWe removed the pervasive presence of the Resource Management Act in matters of low-level environmental significance by defining the activities that should not require consent, and that means they will have a smoother pathway to approval. For example, a great deal of time and money was wasted in issuing 4,500 consents annually for trimming, pruning, and removing non-scheduled trees in a number of urban councils. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000663\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EThe whole process was undertaken in order to simplify and streamline the Resource Management Act so as to make better progress without compromising the ideals of environmental protection. The reforms reinforce National\u2019s blue-green message that being pro-environment does not equate to being pro - red tape. We have already achieved much in reforming the Resource Management Act, so let us not look backwards but let us take a step forward together.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000664\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002272dabe13b53547979ed9e6fc03fc909c\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I seek leave for the member to have his full allotment of time restored if he cares to pick up the research notes for the bill currently being debated by the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000665\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ffc9a9c319444b99efb046789d315a3\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: That was not a point of order. I say to the member that points of order are made about the order of the House. Points of order are not to be used to break up a member\u2019s speech. That was, in my opinion, a deliberate tactic to break up the member\u2019s speech. I warn the member against it. Please let the speech flow.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000666\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4931ac59e0a40c1b420c371c21705a3\u0022\u003ECHRIS AUCHINVOLE\u003C/span\u003E: I can appreciate what this bill is trying to achieve. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000667\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225546b826a054428cb67418ce67e3360f\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: Which bill?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000668\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002207bf4eed8e3e45478b2060140d62240e\u0022\u003ECHRIS AUCHINVOLE\u003C/span\u003E: The bill that we are speaking about and that I have been speaking about throughout. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000669\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275a9a146f50f45d0b1e2805b9895ff82\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: Are you sure?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000670\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe5b221267474a09b8d242b2b80dd29f\u0022\u003ECHRIS AUCHINVOLE\u003C/span\u003E: I cannot be responsible for the lack of comprehension on the part of members opposite\u2014they will catch up in due course. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000671\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EThe bill aims to strengthen the provisions by which iwi management plans, or IMPs, influence regional and district plans and policies and elevate their status in the planning hierarchy. Under this bill, regional councils will be required to recognise and provide for iwi management plans as opposed to taking into account these plans, as is legislated now. However, I believe it would be a retrograde step to introduce this legislation, because there will be ample opportunity to debate these issues in phase two of the reforms of the Resource Management Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000672\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EOne of the four objectives of the phase two reforms is achieving efficient and improved participation of M\u0101ori in the resource management process, so I think it would be unhelpful to pre-empt these discussions or indeed limit the possibilities. I am certainly not unsympathetic towards the proposal of the bill; I am looking just at the process. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000673\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EI am confident that through the process of the phase two reforms, we will ultimately have legislation that will ensure that M\u0101ori and iwi can be sufficiently involved in participating in the resource management process. In fact, I understand that the Ministry for the Environment is working on means to improve iwi involvement through iwi management plans in the Resource Management Act processes. There are three options on the table. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000674\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EOption one is to change the statutory weight of iwi management plans. Increasing the policy weighting means that the key content of, and outcomes sought by, iwi management plans can be given more consideration in Resource Management Act planning processes. Option two is the definition and minimum requirements for iwi management plans. The option proposes identifying a list of matters that must be considered as a minimum requirement of an iwi management plan. The matters should be identified during consultation with iwi M\u0101ori, and, ideally, could include environmental outcomes sought, resource management issues of significance, M\u0101ori customary values, and processes for meaningful engagement with local authorities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000675\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EOption three is the lodgement and the register of iwi management plans. The lodgement process would require the chief executive of the relevant authority to send a copy of a lodged iwi management plan to the Ministry for the Environment or to Te Puni K\u014Dkiri. There would be a new corresponding obligation on central government to keep and to maintain a central register of iwi management plans. The register could be made publicly available to promote the sharing of information among iwi and hap\u016B and assist local authorities and resource consent applicants in locating iwi management plans. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EI am looking forward to the cost-benefit analysis of each of the options, as I am sure that we will all be open to discussions on these options as we work through the process of finding the best solution to the situation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000677\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EI point out that there are some fundamental problems with this bill. Elevating the status of iwi management plans to the level proposed in the bill would represent a significant step change in how non-statutory plans are considered under the Resource Management Act. The bill would elevate iwi management plans to a status similar to that of nationally important projects, which are dealt with in section 6 of the Resource Management Act. I do not think that that is the way forward. It would mean that iwi would have the power to influence or bring to a standstill district plans if they varied from iwi management plans. I think that would be unhelpful, and it would hinder progress. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000678\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EThese provisions were amended in 2004. It is a matter of balance. Previous decision makers were required to have regard to iwi management plans. In 2004 that changed to \u201Ctake into account.\u201D I believe this was and still is a sensible approach and a balanced approach, but I am sure we can further discussions during phase two of the reforms. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000679\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EI say in conclusion that the National-led Government is making fantastic progress on Resource Management Act reforms. Phase one went a long way to reducing costs, uncertainty, and delays, which have frustrated New Zealand homeowners, small businesses, and farmers for years. Phase two will address aquaculture, the new structure of the Environmental Protection Authority, freshwater management, urban design, and infrastructure issues. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000680\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220bfa5b74-8933-458a-99d4-bbd75d9898d0\u0022\u003EThe Resource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill would in fact be an awkward distraction from this progress. Regardless of the fact that it has fundamental problems, we must remember that one of the four objectives of phase two reforms is achieving efficient and improved participation of M\u0101ori in the resource management process. I look forward to being part of those discussions. We will therefore be voting against this bill. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022 data-id=\u0022742efe80fe4b4f05b1b33f8fe76b3371\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022742efe80fe4b4f05b1b33f8fe76b3371\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Our Resource Management Act can and should work better when it comes to involving iwi in the planning and consent process. As a House we should be proactive in creating good legislation that strengthens the constructive relationship between M\u0101ori and consent authorities. I would like to take this call firstly to congratulate my colleague the Hon Nanaia Mahuta on putting forward a bill that does just that, and, secondly\u2014despite the speech we have just heard from Mr Auchinvole\u2014to encourage all parties in the House to support the legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000682\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003ECurrently the law provides that those exercising power are required to have regard for kaitiakitanga, which has been translated as guardianship over our natural environment, and for the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Consent authorities are therefore required to consult iwi and to give consideration to any relevant documents prepared by them. However, the way things are currently structured, iwi input may be poorly integrated into the plans of local authorities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000683\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EM\u0101ori have no real way, as of right, to participate in planning, except to object through the consents process, causing delays and resulting in a few positive outcomes while at the same time being potentially divisive because of the adversarial nature of the objections process. Partnership and good faith, which are both Treaty principles that suggest working together, are not fulfilled by this process. Instead, we take an unconstructive and adversarial approach to these matters. It is not the right way to do things. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000684\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003ENanaia Mahuta\u2019s bill seeks to remedy this by ensuring that more weight will be given to iwi concerns early in the planning and consenting process. It encourages a greater level of engagement between iwi, authorities, and resource management stakeholders. This would shift iwi to a position of front-end participation, providing better outcomes for all involved and having more public support than has been garnered in previous situations, because of the front-end rather than post hoc nature of the input that the bill would provide for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000685\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EAs Nanaia Mahuta said, the bill also seeks to normalise a way of doing things, as opposed to the current situation where those involved often have to wait for a Treaty settlement to have the way in which they want things to be done formalised. A recent example is where provision has been made for statutory recognition of the vision and strategy in the Waikato River settlement legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000686\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bfd221400e11416fb6ea4d0504143f8d\u0022\u003ESandra Goudie\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, and that\u2019s costing a million bucks a year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f620aad4ae624d94b10dd23e16dbd47a\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry to disagree with the learned view being shouted across the House by Sandra Goudie, but that legislation looks to create an integrated management approach to cleaning up the Waikato River, and developing a goal common to iwi, local government, landowners, Government agencies, industry, and the wider community\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000688\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002225f8c78b-f301-4aca-a936-366f00a26bc9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e72a63d42caf4fb4b6b2a6da615a3944\u0022\u003ESandra Goudie\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s a big costly bureaucracy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000689\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d92f49b6869c4c818daa03587a3741ea\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and no shouted voice from the 1960s across the House can negate that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000690\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EIt is a strongly held belief in the Labour Party that things get done better, faster, and to the benefit of everyone when people work with, rather than against, each other. This bill would extend that value to an area of the law where it is sadly lacking at the moment. I listened carefully to Chris Auchinvole\u2019s speech setting out the reasons why the National Party will not be supporting this legislation. Basically, he told us not to worry, because these matters would be dealt with in phase two of the review of the Resource Management Act. Well, we will see; maybe they will, and maybe they will not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000691\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EWhy not vote to send this legislation to the Local Government and Environment Committee? That is what I say to National members\u2014and I see that the Minister for the Environment as well as the chair of the select committee are present in the House tonight. When submissions are heard on the second phase of the Resource Management Act reforms, submissions could be heard on this legislation too, and the House will perhaps gain some assurance that the matters referred to in Nanaia Mahuta\u2019s bill are being dealt with in an adequate way. I commend that course of action and I commend Nanaia Mahuta\u2019s bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022 data-id=\u0022f03abde07bcd4cc8a1e949eb1e86fb45\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000692\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f03abde07bcd4cc8a1e949eb1e86fb45\u0022\u003ENICKY WAGNER (National):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak on the Resource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill. I thank the Hon Nanaia Mahuta for this bill and for raising the issue of iwi management plans.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000693\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThis bill aims to strengthen the provisions by which iwi management plans influence regional and district plans and policies, and elevate their status in the planning hierarchy. Under this bill regional councils would be required to \u201Crecognise and provide for\u201D iwi management plans, as opposed to what is legislated now, which is to \u201Ctake into account\u201D those plans. Charles Chauvel has spoken eloquently of M\u0101ori being involved in the front end of Resource Management Act issues. This bill does nothing to change the process; it merely elevates the status. It would be another change to the status of iwi management plans, because this bill\u2019s provisions were amended in 2004. Previously, decision makers were required to \u201Chave regard to\u201D iwi management plans, and in 2004 this was changed to \u201Ctake into account\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000694\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003ENational does not support this bill. We are already involved in a process of updating and reforming the Resource Management Act, which includes reforms to increase M\u0101ori participation in the Resource Management Act process. Phase one of the reforms was the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act, and that Act went a long way towards reducing costs, uncertainties, and delays that had frustrated New Zealand homeowners, small businesses, and farmers for many years. During that process we heard a lot about iwi management plans, and learnt that although some iwi have detailed plans and have used the process very effectively, others have not. Ng\u0101i Tahu, the South Island iwi and the iwi of my home town, Christchurch, have a comprehensive set of iwi management plans. They have found that their plans have been taken into consideration and have been very useful. However, there is a lack of consistency on the number and quality of iwi plans across the country. As a first step, all iwi should be encouraged to develop iwi plans, and this bill would do nothing for iwi if they did not have plans in place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000695\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003ENational\u2019s reform of the Resource Management Act is continuing. We are now on to our second phase of reforms, which will address aquaculture, the new structure of the Environmental Protection Authority, freshwater management, urban design, and infrastructure issues. National has already identified the need for more M\u0101ori participation in the Resource Management Act process. One of the four objectives of the second phase of reforms is \u201Cproviding for efficient and improved participation of M\u0101ori in resource management processes.\u201D We believe that will be a better way to ensure iwi plans are recognised and provided for without additional legislative complexity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000696\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EWe therefore conclude that concerns of M\u0101ori will be more effectively considered through phase two of the Resource Management Act reforms than under the Resource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022 data-id=\u00220483ff5747f84800b9e68f96368beaf4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000697\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220483ff5747f84800b9e68f96368beaf4\u0022\u003EDAVID CLENDON (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora koutou. The Resource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill that we are discussing clearly seeks to enhance the status of iwi management plans in developing district plans and regional policy statements. It does this through a very simple mechanism of changing some language within the Resource Management Act from \u201Ctake into account\u201D to \u201Crecognise and provide for\u201D. As politicians\u2014and for some, indeed, as lawyers\u2014we know the power of language. Language matters. This is a very simple but very appropriate change to make in the context of the wider legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000698\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EAs a party committed to te Tiriti and to recognising M\u0101ori as tangata whenua, the Greens are very happy to support this bill and the intention underpinning it, which is to enhance the role mana whenua play in the management and development of the rohe. It is a very small step towards more comprehensive acknowledgment of rangatiratanga.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000699\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EIt seems that much of the opposition to this bill\u2014in particular, to the notion of enhancing iwi management plans, and, more generally, to a deeper level of M\u0101ori engagement in resource management\u2014comes from a fear, I think, of conflict between M\u0101ori activity, ideas, and developments and environmental protection or, indeed, economic development. For many people these things cannot coexist. Clearly, this is an ill-founded fear and it is simply not true. There are numerous examples of why it is not true.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000700\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EIn a technical sense, this particular bill\u2019s giving a stronger foundation and a higher status to iwi management plans would not elevate the plans to a level where they could in any way compromise or threaten the overarching primary criterion of the Resource Management Act, which is the promotion of sustainable management. Section 6(e) of the Act already recognises and provides for iwi concerns. The sky has not fallen. This is not a veto right; it is simply a means of adding more weight to M\u0101ori issues, M\u0101ori concerns, and M\u0101ori aspirations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000701\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EI studied resource management at Lincoln University in 1993-94, only a couple of years after the Resource Management Act had come into force. At that time there was considerable optimism within M\u0101oridom that this very new, radically different regime would give M\u0101ori greater opportunities to be actively involved and to affect the management of our natural and physical resources. Some very high-quality analysis and review were done through the resource management law review process of the late 1980s; again, this was cause for optimism. I had the good fortune to be influenced by some of the people at the centre for M\u0101ori studies at Lincoln University, as it was then, not least one Hirini Matunga, who had some extraordinarily innovative and creative ideas about how M\u0101ori and non-M\u0101ori planning processes could run in parallel, in tandem, and give us richer and deeper outcomes. Sadly, a lot of that early promise has not been fulfilled, largely because M\u0101ori have constantly found themselves struggling to find that point of entry to get real influence and some traction in terms of creating these high-level documents\u2014the district plans, the policy statements. They are constantly forced into a position of reaction and objection, which is not helpful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000702\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThe M\u0101ori world view is naturally integrative. The Resource Management Act was intended to enhance integrated management at an ecosystem level, a regional level, and a catchment level. M\u0101ori do this almost intuitively. But we are not seeking to rely simply on some spiritual or cultural value. I have personally witnessed some extremely good work done by young M\u0101ori students of mine, their peers, and their own teachers, who are looking for creative ways of blending Western science and Western economic and cultural norms and practices with m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori, with M\u0101ori knowledge, and with M\u0101ori aspirations. These models exist; they could be applied. This bill, in raising the status of iwi management plans, would be a useful step towards encouraging much better outcomes for M\u0101ori and non-M\u0101ori alike. Kia ora koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022 data-id=\u00229141ac108ea841c69b0c3e0ce69b249d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000703\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229141ac108ea841c69b0c3e0ce69b249d\u0022\u003ETE URUROA FLAVELL (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora an\u014D t\u0101tau katoa. E te tuahine, ka mihi r\u0101 ki a koe m\u014D te \u0101huatanga o t\u014D pire e w\u0101nangatia nei e te Whare i t\u0113nei p\u014D. Kia m\u014Dhio mai koe, ka tautoko te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori i t\u014Du n\u0101 hiahia ahakoa, t\u0113r\u0101 pea ko te \u0101hua nei ka kore e eke. Hoi an\u014D, me mihi r\u0101 ki a koe ka tika. E tika ana kia k\u014Drerohia t\u0113nei pire i t\u0113nei w\u0101 tonu nei i te taenga mai o te tangata, me k\u012B, te kaituhi m\u014D ng\u0101 take iwi taketake o te R\u016Bnanga Whakakotahi i te Ao, ar\u0101, the United Nations special rapporteur on indigenous peoples\u2019 rights, a Professor James Anaya, kua tae mai ki Aotearoa nei ki te \u0101ta titiro i te \u0101huatanga o te noho o te Ao M\u0101ori, ng\u0101 iwi taketake, ki konei. E tiakina ana, \u0101e r\u0101nei, k\u0101ore r\u0101nei, ka mutu, ki te kimi rongo\u0101. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000704\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E[Greetings once again to us all. I acknowledge you, sister parliamentarian, in respect of your bill being debated by the House tonight. I want you to know that the M\u0101ori Party endorses your desire, even though it seems likely that it will not succeed. But we must congratulate you, all the same. That is the least we can do. How timely it is that this bill is being debated at this very moment, with the arrival of the special rapporteur of the United Nations, Professor James Anaya, who has arrived in New Zealand to take a close look at how M\u0101oridom, the indigenous people, exist here\u2014 whether they are they protected, yes or no, and further to that, to seek remedies.] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000705\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EKua hara mai n\u0101 runga i te \u0101huatanga o te whakaputanga o te R\u016Bnanga Whakakotahi i ng\u0101 Iwi o te Ao m\u014D ng\u0101 Tika o ng\u0101 Iwi Taketake. Professor James Anaya has arrived on New Zealand shores. He does so in the context of the New Zealand Government\u2019s support for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000706\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EKo t\u0101ku e p\u012Brangi nei, ko te whakatakoto i t\u0113tahi w\u0101hanga o t\u0113r\u0101 Whakataunga, ar\u0101, ko te article 25. Article 25 of that document states: \u201CIndigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000707\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, kei reira tonu te tuar\u0101 o t\u0101ku k\u014Drero, he tautoko, he mihi tonu ki te H\u014Dnore Nanaia Mahuta m\u014D tana hiahia ki te whakatakoto i t\u0113nei pire ki mua i te aroaro o te Whare P\u0101remata. We congratulate the Hon Nanaia Mahuta on taking the initiative to put the Resource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill into the ballot\u2014an initiative that we believe serves the intent of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to keep our natural resources and environment healthy, safe, and intact for future generations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000708\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EThe M\u0101ori Party will certainly support the initiative taken by this bill to elevate the status of iwi management plans as they relate to the setting of regional policy statements and district plans. It is a bill that has been a long time coming. It responds to the poor integration of iwi management plans into local authority plans and policies by strengthening the provisions that enable iwi management plans to influence planning and policy. In doing so, it fits with the key policy position of the M\u0101ori Party, which is to promote wh\u0101nau, hap\u016B, and iwi as kaitiaki, and support moves to restore this role to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000709\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003ESo we are even more determined to acknowledge the initiative of this bill in putting into legislation aspirations and commitments that will ensure that the intent of the Resource Management Act is honoured. We would go so far as to make a suggestion to the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, if by chance the bill was lucky enough to go through. It would be that she strengthen the provision in clause 6 that allows councils to state issues of significance to the iwi. There is no specific or compulsory requirement to include issues of significance to iwi, but merely a provision for councils to act only if they want to. We know how the notion of \u201Cvoluntary\u201D works in relation to compliance, especially compliance with the Treaty. The opportunity for mana whenua to be involved is a key ingredient that we would say needed to be put into the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EWe also would speak about the new models of negotiation, and I would recommend that we consider the recent Te \u0100tiawa, Ng\u0101ti Toa, and Ng\u0101ti Raukawa initiative to form a regional r\u014Dp\u016B to collectively liaise with all of the councils in their rohe. That is the sort of stuff that I am sure the Hon Nanaia Mahuta would be putting up, and it should be supported by the rest of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000711\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EAnother well overdue amendment that might go a long way to assist in addressing some of the issues that she is after would be to elevate the Treaty of Waitangi section to a preamble in the Act, similar to that in Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993, or perhaps to move it to Part 2 of the Act and make it a matter of national importance. This is another suggestion that might be helpful. We are close to the vote now, so we will know shortly whether the bill will progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000712\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EThe idea of the changes I have just suggested is to give the Treaty greater status in the Act, so that decision makers would be compelled to recognise and provide for hap\u016B as the Treaty envisaged. All in all we support the initiative from the honourable member. I am happy to say that the M\u0101ori Party is pleased to support this bill and hopes that in the short space of time left the bill is voted on and supported. Kia ora t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022 data-id=\u0022329a77d12fc549f5ab72d231f6ebfd10\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000713\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022329a77d12fc549f5ab72d231f6ebfd10\u0022\u003EBRENDON BURNS (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora t\u0101tou. I am very pleased to support this bill in the name of my colleague Nanaia Mahuta and commend her for it. This is a bill about creating the potential for front-end consultation with iwi without the need first for Treaty settlements, such as happened in the Waikato. It will take some effort from councils to implement this bill, if passed, but the benefits of it are, I think, very, very clear. We do not need to look very far into our history to see a graphic example of where a bill like this might have prevented a major issue that we are still, as a Parliament and as a nation, dealing with today. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000714\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EI think back to Marlborough 10 years ago when iwi in the Marlborough Sounds felt that they were being excluded from the growing race for water space in the Marlborough Sounds. They believed, whether right or not, that a councillor or councillors were precluding them from gaining any water space. What did that lead to? It led to the foreshore and seabed issue that this Parliament and indeed this Government are still trying to resolve today. Yet this Government is saying that it will oppose this very sensible bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000715\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EI also note that Nick Smith, who has been in the House tonight, has today announced a moratorium on the Hurunui River and further extraction of water in that catchment. That decision was recommended to him by the Environment Canterbury commissioners he installed by parliamentary majority just a few months ago. Included amongst the seven commissioners is one appointed iwi representative. Yet Dr Smith and this National Government say that they do not support this bill, which facilitates iwi input into decision making and allows for some recognition of iwi management plans\u2014some taking proper account of iwi management plans when councils are forming their own plans. It is very, very much a bill that will allow M\u0101ori to be truly taken account of in their contributions to the future of a regional plan and of a region. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000716\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EI also note that the ACT leader, Rodney Hide, in talking about what I suppose in a sense is a precursor to this bill\u2014the co-governance arrangements on the Waikato River, which gave Tainui a right for some input into the decision making on the river they regard as so sacred and important\u2014commented that it was an inappropriate decision because it was not democratic. He said that it was not giving the community the right to sack people\u2014that people coming from iwi into those co-governance arrangements were only being appointed. Yet Rodney Hide, along with Dr Smith, was very pleased to be able to sack the Environment Canterbury councillors just a few months earlier, and that supposedly did not contravene any democratic principle at that time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000717\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EThis is a bill that makes sense. It acknowledges that M\u0101ori, through iwi management plans, should be allowed to have some input into council plans. It acknowledges that they have in the past\u2014and it was extraordinarily variable\u2014not been able to have their views heard around council tables when important decisions are being made. The goal of the bill is to ensure that more weight is given to iwi concerns in planning and consenting processes, and that there be a greater level of engagement between councils and iwi. That is a commendable principle. It should not have to require Treaty settlements and it should be something that this Parliament recognises and reflects in the adoption of this bill in the name of my colleague Nanaia Mahuta. The Opposition Labour Party supports this bill along with the M\u0101ori Party and the Green Party. We believe that the bill deserves to have a run and I think the Government should reconsider its position in respect of it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000718\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20100721facc5ab3f1c149f49c944d3d7ec5e021000719\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 10 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"