"\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=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00227449f1437e06436ab2be2e2bffd09e7f\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 20 DECEMBER 2017\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c56a1a618af9455c9765fdda6d99ed24\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 20 DECEMBER 2017\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000002\u0022\u003EMr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e74e937ec3144bee9c5f6aec3dd1eaf5\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c39b239a575a4f6090d20f80e1dc12a3\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002247bcaca28ebf4426a45f36f68c9ebe30\u0022\u003EPartnership Schools\u2014Potential Closures\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u00226c5dfa85b48e49078e8055251f2756f3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226c5dfa85b48e49078e8055251f2756f3\u0022\u003ERt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government\u2019s policies?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u0022ba10de1006d648a8a13348fc75c9048a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ba10de1006d648a8a13348fc75c9048a\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3d5195e562347bc8e7309df3739f90d\u0022\u003ERt Hon Bill English\u003C/span\u003E: Does she stand by her statement on behalf of the Government that \u201Cchildren are at the heart of everything we do.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f9df1b2dd4914eedb54a677cb2b4ae26\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d59dd3accf37499984d76141a09a1908\u0022\u003ERt Hon Bill English\u003C/span\u003E: Can she explain, then, how her Government\u2019s policy on partnership schools will benefit the children in those schools?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e2baa9d2829485493aaa72813c5d0b1\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I can explain that. Every child deserves to be in a school where they have registered and qualified teachers and where they have the ability to be taught our fantastic curriculum. What we are keen to do and what the Minister of Education has said is that for those schools, there is a pathway for them to become schools of special character. There are options for them to keep their doors open. We\u2019re keen to work with them on finding that path forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222feebe5e8c0f455c85ecc37ba51eec94\u0022\u003ERt Hon Bill English\u003C/span\u003E: Has she seen the statement by a student from one of the schools: \u201CBefore attending this school I barely did anything with my life. I hated school and was never motivated to improve, but thanks to this school I have a chance of changing my life for the better.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002225dae4d5e4e74653a92515acf0a83dec\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I haven\u2019t seen that specific quote, but I\u2019m delighted to hear a child with a chance to engage in their education. We want for those children, though, to make sure that they are being taught in schools where they have registered and qualified teachers. We are working alongside those schools to make sure that they have a pathway to remain open. We\u2019re not asking much from them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f65e0972ac24b7fb5bdea6ab1265c38\u0022\u003ERt Hon Bill English\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Prime Minister visit at least one partnership school and talk to the students about their experience and their views on whether their school should be closed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c01d90c1f2e4ef69b003f2b00247c13\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: One thing I will say is that it\u2019s this Government\u2019s ambition to make every school the best school it can be, and there are a range of schools doing a fantastic job, and, actually, all they\u2019ve asked for is that those schools who the Government gave special treatment to be treated equally. That means curriculum, that means having qualified teachers, and it means the same level of funding. There is a pathway forward for them and we\u2019re working with them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002253b8d289f942457596e0a4bbdea82b48\u0022\u003ERt Hon Bill English\u003C/span\u003E: If the Prime Minister\u2019s policy is that everyone be treated equally, what does she have to say to those students who believe that by going to one of these schools they\u2019re actually doing a lot better than at the school where they were treated equally?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225c6bad4c891f4cdd93a5386998b7bd6c\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: They can continue on in those schools, if those schools are willing to teach the curriculum and have\u2014[Interruption] I\u2019d really be interested in what the Opposition\u2019s opposition to having registered and qualified teachers actually is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c5802fb9aaa14e189c538cb95ce2739a\u0022\u003ERt Hon Bill English\u003C/span\u003E: If she believes that \u201Cchildren are at the heart of everything we do\u201D, why won\u2019t she visit a partnership school and ask the children at the school for their views before she proceeds to close their schools?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222e44852b6d77462da3050fb6fb6fcd86\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As I\u2019ve said, we\u2019re not focused on closure; we\u2019re focused on giving them options to make sure that if they continue to teach the curriculum and have registered and qualified teachers, there is a pathway for them to remain open. I\u2019d be very interested to hear why the Opposition believes that having registered and qualified teachers is such a barrier to good education.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022029fe868363047a09c94cbefc921266c\u0022\u003ERt Hon Bill English\u003C/span\u003E: Why can\u2019t the Prime Minister of New Zealand answer a simple question: will she visit a partnership school and speak to the children about their views about their school? Why can\u2019t she answer that question?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a7ca14b591db4f6db2d68cd0b1003717\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition rose, and he started to ask his first question, then he followed up with a second question, and he\u2019s perhaps going to move on to a third. That\u2019s against the Standing Orders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ffe570351d949ce816e35ef88ffb9cb\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think the right honourable gentleman is absolutely correct. I\u2019ve been trying to be a little bit reasonable with people who are taking unaccustomed roles, until they get used to it. I will be tightening up in the new year, but I think the Prime Minister\u2019s got 2\u00BD questions and she can pick a bit to answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022104cd7b758424fc29e25615c133c0329\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: My objection is that the member is implying that we\u2019re closing those schools rather than working alongside them to transition them away from that old, failed model into a model that simply asks that they teach the curriculum and that they have registered teachers. I have to say, it\u2019s purely\u2014from the students\u2019 perspective, that\u2019s purely administrative; purely administrative.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227cb3b40fab054810a8b507a2743581ad\u0022\u003ERt Hon Bill English\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Prime Minister visit a partnership school and speak to the students to ascertain their views about their school?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002257d04571025d4c88bb63cacc550f4335\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Again, the implication that I\u2019ve never in my life met a child who has been to a partnership school is wrong.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002201feb5e608f044ee934fb6e0f4bd8acf\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Rt Hon Winston Peters. [Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022870f32ee9d7844659074781b7e68fb1f\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Could I ask the Prime Minister\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216f8eb9066304a4f87b477a47c5f2ab9\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member will resume his seat. While I\u2019m calling a member, I don\u2019t expect three of the five most senior members of the Opposition to be yelling as loudly as that. They will cease.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a0e4cc339cd48aca9ba332d643c0050\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Prime Minister received any reports suggesting that the M\u0101ori students of this country should not be the victims of blind ideology when it comes to privatised education?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bef9fd2fd4344b9083b8c1dd0c05c27d\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. I\u2019ve also seen a line of questioning about it too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022310164cc911e44248b1e6e2efff734ce\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Question No. 2, the Hon Steven Joyce.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002245234077cd7b4eec807625fab5239cb1\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b0f44f157c9042edbf6a7edb2ea26613\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, sorry. I beg the member\u2019s pardon. I didn\u2019t hear Nikki Kaye.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a508ae27f7d4d8097adf9090cca0977\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Prime Minister guarantee that all partnership schools with contracts will remain open if they meet the three criteria that she just mentioned: registered teachers, following the curriculum, and comparable funding?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b0d8c47ae56c4a39a896da11e3019f10\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As our Minister of Education has said, that\u2019s a process he\u2019s going through as we speak.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022384864e7014946899a4d8528f64db322\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Prime Minister confirm that there are around a thousand children attending partnership schools, compared to the 760,000 students attending school overall, and does she think the New Zealand children\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226cd5e38db1954f679b14c8be36de8af1\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! As a result of the interjections\u2014I think there were five\u2014I will take two supplementaries from the Opposition. Chris Hipkins, start again, please.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bba701e01c1c41b895d3482dd0652592\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Is she aware that there are around a thousand children attending partnership schools, or charter schools, compared to around 760,000 children attending school overall; and does she think that those 760,000\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b2395924689f456b9091ec8644d94ced\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No. The member will sit down. He\u2019s asked a question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002228d9da2e1b514053b005a2eef6665130\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and if we\u2019d seen that kind of advocacy from the Opposition on the 760,000, maybe we would not have seen debacles like national standards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00226d62c0b14223486abf976fd6795bd889\u0022\u003EHalf Year Economic and Fiscal Update\u2014Fiscal Risk\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u0022855c260f55d14b5ea72dbcfdbee6d434\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022855c260f55d14b5ea72dbcfdbee6d434\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Is he confident he has met all his responsibilities under the Public Finance Act 1989 in relation to his Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update released last Thursday?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022dda903e80b5d4a73911d62a06e2e0384\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dda903e80b5d4a73911d62a06e2e0384\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, and for the benefit of the member, that means it\u2019s legal, not \u201Cpretty legal\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c4ee1349250d419684a4fb7bb2f239f7\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: When did the finance Minister formally advise Treasury that the Government was no longer considering a public-private partnership for Dunedin Hospital and that it would be funded from the Crown\u2019s capital account?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214e5fb2dfd8a482a8cfe56005a7dfaab\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I don\u2019t believe I have made a personal formal acknowledgment of that. It is the Government\u2019s policy view that we should fund health and education capital expenditure as a public good.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002254a94c9997b04c069869543812888f89\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Can the finance Minister explain why Treasury did not include a specific fiscal risk for Dunedin Hospital in the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), a project likely to cost between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion, even though it meets the requirement he signed on 7 December to inform Treasury of all material implications under the Public Finance Act?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216ee56bfa666478eb6449ef6732013e8\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I am advised by Treasury that this is considered under the heading \u201COther Capital Cost Pressures\u201D on page 84 of the HYEFU, similar to how such projects have been treated in other updates.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022445fb0d44e674eaa8d8a7daa39e86f00\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Can the finance Minister explain how it didn\u2019t warrant its own listing as a specific fiscal risk, and is he suggesting that it\u2019s going to be less than the other risks\u2014for example, the clothing allowance for unsupported children and orphans, which did manage to make the threshold for inclusion as a specific fiscal risk last week?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa36828871b443b991dee26fafc92ac6\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: As I said in the House yesterday, the specific fiscal risks and how they are categorised are a matter for Treasury. Treasury advised me that they consider this under the \u201COther Capital Cost Pressures\u201D on page 84.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c2d202b60240496bbc8bbd6ae36720d3\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: When did he formally advise Treasury of the Government\u2019s commitment to additional rapid transit projects in Auckland, at a cost of up to $15 billion, as he stated in his recent speech to the Auckland chamber of commerce?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022402b1d3f88d34b5bb8d6e49a0197aaf7\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I don\u2019t believe I have formally advised that, but that is covered in the specific fiscal risk section around the Auckland transport alignment process. And I would like to say that the member should de-stress a little about this because we have\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce8d4bb02b9f4468a215f9507eb2670b\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The member had answered the question; there\u2019s no need for the gratuitous political\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022377f6a4203e2402ba6f41c51fcca4944\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member\u2019s absolutely right, and right from the beginning of his answers today, Mr Robertson has been giving more than is necessary. [Interruption] And the member will stand, withdraw, and apologise for interjecting while I am on my feet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d081e62fb26542e4bdc2769c50ea67f9\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da83da53c36e4e878831304c9c73086c\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Does the finance Minister recall signing the disclosure agreement that appears on page 1 of the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update, in which he clearly states that the contents of the document are his responsibility; and is he now at all concerned that he has failed to meet his obligations as the Minister of Finance under sections 26U(3) and 26V of the Public Finance Act to disclose all circumstances that have a material effect on the fiscal outlook?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227366cbd0e3a840b4a64e973d448214d6\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: No, I am not concerned at all. I signed that in good faith, as other finance Ministers have in the past, including, I presume, the member when he put forward the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU), which also didn\u2019t include the commitment to Dunedin Hospital, made four days before the PREFU.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002276bb92d6d69b4dab9859a727b4ca6eab\u0022\u003EFiscal Strategy\u2014Budget Policy Statement and Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u00223200e42ed416478ca4ad87b513ce26af\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223200e42ed416478ca4ad87b513ce26af\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What reaction has he seen to the Budget Policy Statement and Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update that were released last week?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u00227fd6a88d98dd406988f0e47d57309908\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227fd6a88d98dd406988f0e47d57309908\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I\u2019ve seen some positive reactions from the banking sector. The ANZ said, \u201CIn our view, \u2026 we are constructive about the prospects going forward \u2026\u201D; \u201Cthe overarching message from today\u2019s figures is that there is room to accommodate [lifts in spending and operating plans] right now.\u201D The ASB said, \u201CThe HYEFU and the healthy [fiscal] forecast operating balances shows that the Government has remained committed to the Budget Responsibility Rules.\u201D The BNZ said, \u201CAny fuss about the HYEFU might particularly nonplus international observers. [It looks] very good. [It] conforms to the promises made by [the] Finance Minister\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f5d4a74a1d546668a60a7ff9d21ed21\u0022\u003ERino Tirikatene\u003C/span\u003E: What other reactions has he seen from economic commentators?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022175178e38d8a492db07bb1a380270950\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I have seen numerous positive comments from a variety of sources. PricewaterhouseCoopers said, \u201CThe Government is projecting significantly higher allowances for capital expenditure, with schools, housing, and transport being the main winners.\u201D Rod Oram says, \u201CTreasury\u2019s forecasts in its half-year economic and fiscal update will be comforting to Government and business alike.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b1115fa203d5421294a3336f65f5412b\u0022\u003ERino Tirikatene\u003C/span\u003E: Has he heard reports of any other reactions, including shortness of breath, resulting from the release of the Budget Policy Statement and the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022536b1f6342de4d5d8359fc72ce73558c\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Surprisingly, I have heard one, from Barry Soper, who said, \u201CIt\u2019s fair to say National was a bit like a fish just landed and gulping for air.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d23c71a2bc8545669821809278497fed\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Given the selective quoting of the comments from the banks, I seek leave to table a document that says, \u201CEconomists cast doubt over Treasury\u2019s\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1f17dbefd2c474bb1a308c894d3f220\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The name of the document, who it\u2019s by, its date, and whether it\u2019s publicly available.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248890a51c9034b17894a6ecc4d9349fd\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: It is by Hamish Rutherford, it is dated 12 December, and, yes, it is publicly available.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c213e377ce914f29a77bb5fde28e1585\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member will resume his seat and stop trifling with the Chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022483000d5960a437cba4a3a0eca11e329\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. In terms of trifling with the Chair, we\u2019ve just had a list of questions and answers in this House that you\u2019ve previously ruled out as Ministers responding in terms of reactions to their particular announcements, which aren\u2019t actually reports. So I understand completely, except that perhaps I was bending the rules slightly in terms of my point of order. But it was literally in response to the approach that was taken, and allowed to be taken, during that question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b885a544a5145c0bba2ab5bfd5acb0e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I just want to remind the member of a saying that I\u2019m sure many of our grandmothers told us \u201CTwo wrongs don\u2019t make a right\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ddff832468e4532ae85aebf60245b82\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I refer to your rulings, or advice, to the House last week on what reports could be requested of Ministers by way of questions from the Opposition, either primary or supplementary, and your concern that some of the questions being asked by another party, who are part of the Government, to one of their Ministers, also requiring comment on a report, were not to progress. So I\u2019d ask you simply to have a look at what you were ruling last week, and then consider the exchange that\u2019s just taken place with Mr Robertson and see whether or not there is a little bit of leniency being applied to Mr Robertson that wasn\u2019t applied last week.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236b4c002420c4f20a849f7190cf29747\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am happy to look at that. I will say that I have been listening pretty carefully, but I think the questions that were ruled out were people seeing reports for things before they had responsibility, as opposed to around things that they had presented to this House. But I will check that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022062d53a2ebed447d94594ae0d13304c8\u0022\u003EHealth Policy\u2014Medical Cannabis and Mental Health Pay Equity\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022 data-id=\u00228badac49a4d74db68136796f23a56512\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228badac49a4d74db68136796f23a56512\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (National\u2014Northcote)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: What measurable outcomes, if any, will his policies deliver?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022 data-id=\u0022ca244738d21c40329eae4d76d2408c7a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ca244738d21c40329eae4d76d2408c7a\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Merry Christmas to that member. I\u2019m delighted to answer his question. They will deliver better health for New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221d989bfb648247f2b7b7912ca58f1bc1\u0022\u003EHon Dr Jonathan Coleman\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, yeah, yeah! Merry Christmas to you, too\u2014that\u2019s you as well, Mr Speaker. Can he explain why he told unions that he was delivering on his promise of a pay equity settlement for mental health workers, but then, within two hours of celebratory Christmas press releases from the Public Service Association, E t\u016B, and the Council of Trade Unions, he had to directly go back on his verbal and written assurances to say the unions \u201Chave got ahead of themselves \u2026 No announcement has been made \u2026 [and] there will need to be a Cabinet process.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a0b621adca4423aa7db2cc6330a6d63\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: That was obviously a long way from the primary question, but I\u2019m happy to answer. And\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022799fcb771e4749e3ac61ff59e7cce64b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! The member will resume his seat. Can I just say that whether things are close to or not is a matter for me, and any comment that the member makes is a reflection on me and it will stop.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0d93be52d464cf4a2a9dbf06e1bccd9\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: I welcome the member\u2019s interest in the unions, and wish to assure him that I have written to the unions to express the Government\u2019s interest in resolving an issue that was not resolved under the previous Government\u2019s watch. The unions are excited, and they have every right to be excited.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e58a966f61f461eb5b1b76ae630d32a\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: What will he say to the Green Party, who believed his election promises on wide-ranging medical marijuana reform but go into Christmas saying, \u201Cwe are disappointed the bill does not provide coverage to all people suffering from conditions who could benefit from its use\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220833e31080b04367b908e0712a9c247b\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: The same press release the member\u2019s referring to also says that the Green Party are delighted with the progress being made. Look, we could always go further, and, in fact, there is a member\u2019s bill in the name of Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick that will give the Parliament an opportunity to go further should it wish to. So this change that we are bringing to the House, in terms of making medicinal cannabis more available and accessible, is further than any Government has gone in the past. We need to celebrate the progress, and then the Parliament will have an opportunity to test whether it wants to go further in the new year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b38c11bfedd44710a3101752cada5bf9\u0022\u003EAngie Warren-Clark\u003C/span\u003E: What announcements has he made about better health outcomes for people requiring medical cannabis?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002276edb846ae16426a9a7d16e1e7031a3f\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: Today, I have announced a comprehensive package to make medicinal cannabis accessible to those with a terminal illness or in chronic pain. This will include a statutory defence for those who are terminally ill; they will be able to use illicit cannabis products without fear of prosecution. We have also established a scheme to ensure medicinal cannabis products can be more easily imported and domestically manufactured.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e61377955ff4ff7bcf7d098837522b6\u0022\u003EMatt Doocey\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. How does the Minister explain his officials\u2019 admission at the Health Committee today that despite the Government\u2019s promise of action on mental health, he has made no decisions on changes to services and the details of his inquiry are not yet settled?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e3fb27abc771499b90385413e961bb73\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: We will not take nine years to make mental health a priority. This Government is committed to a review of the mental health system. We\u2019re announcing a ministerial inquiry in the new year as part of our 100-day plan. We\u2019re making very real progress, unlike that prior Government, which took nine years and did nothing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bdfa1f43772447f9d13b81ebd6baec8\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Government support the member\u2019s bill in Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u2019s name that the Minister has raised in the House?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c393169f167c4cf78bd675baaa49fb13\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s a conscience issue\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226546af0b6f1b412aad34d9276de397bc\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Yes, that\u2019s exactly right. It is a conscience issue, and it has been so ruled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b87e6870f45744c19365acf7596d72a4\u0022\u003EHon Dr Jonathan Coleman\u003C/span\u003E: Is he concerned that he can\u2019t back up his claims of problems with the bowel screening programme, that he can\u2019t meet the expectations he generated on medicinal marijuana, and that now he\u2019s publicly embarrassing the Prime Minister by making promises on mental health worker pay equity that he\u2019s then had to backtrack on?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf2af68ea361442fbe0ba00de7f19b51\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: No. There\u2019s only one person in this House who should be embarrassed: it\u2019s the member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b8da95de675a4b759e37f765ffd8cb70\u0022\u003ERt Hon Bill English\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I\u2019m raising this as soon as I can, but, before, in ruling in respect to a question, you made mention that some issue was a conscience issue. Now, that is not the province of the Speaker; that\u2019s the province of caucuses and should not be used as a way of determining what questions can or can\u2019t be answered.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1b4034078934f2194d8359896227de9\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, no. Just to make it absolutely clear, whether something is a conscience vote and a personal vote is a question for the Speaker. I have been asked, and I have so ruled. If a particular party decides to have a collective conscience, then that is a matter for the caucus.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229eb8280d481f44ce91c44fb53c865ad6\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think it\u2019s an interesting ruling and one that\u2019s certainly new to me. I\u2019d like you to point to somewhere in Speakers\u2019 Rulings that would say it is current convention, or perhaps indicate that you are going to bring down a new ruling to that effect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd2efbcb4ae8417c97064f96a9528b34\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll just make it absolutely clear that whether or not an issue is a personal vote based on the fact that it\u2019s a conscience vote is something that the Speaker is responsible for, and it always has been.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a238734d6a4b4903b61dbe8a65c6724b\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to the point of order, Mr Speaker\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ea2c71b1edc4c5b8b31457c8313023e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, there is not a point of order at the moment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002263a12293acd146a0baa2d27593d61483\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m going to raise\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022237e10f652a5496c82a472788a6daae7\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re not going to continue with that issue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e55650d20db4381b9dfe1d4678d609a\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker, a point of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221d8b019fb75842da894d7561c8e9600e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: As long as it\u2019s a new issue, Dr Smith.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229050232e07cd4b9dac45757a008dfd43\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: I have been a member of this House for 30 years\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c57b76a3451d45e495ca9addeaca355b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is it a new issue, Dr Smith?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002256c114df57a34eaab3ea76a8ef178a7e\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: This is the first occasion on which the Speaker has made a ruling\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c01309b16844e8b9b742a03f7413e48\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Dr Smith will resume his seat.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad5bcb8a3d2a423f9d2b857206489047\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229bbdef9b67f44c60938f08123820a34e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Brownlee, you\u2019re not going to try it as well, are you?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022104a30da2a5247ca9eb9afdcba8d73d6\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002284c958e72bcf48d98b9c170c4128e7ae\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Because it is\u2014we are getting into the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022008daf200a7f4688a22420e4d2e1fc28\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019ve left us in a difficult position.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cae80d8963824ed59ae9de1b9c281dbf\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I\u2019ve left you in the difficult position of asking you to have a look at the Standing Orders, and I think if you look around Standing Order 142, you\u2019ll work it out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5b07ab729d345079e12d535e6e1bba8\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: That is true\u2014that is quite true. However, the question remains: have you decided this will not be a personal vote\u2014this Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick bill?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c9baa835ef4a4e8da913ff93b7fef49b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s been inquired of me by members in this House as to whether it will be a personal vote on a conscience basis, and I have ruled that, yes, it will be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c3398ed9df054bcf989ff31e8ab2fd69\u0022\u003EEducation Policy\u2014National Standards, New Entrants Age, and Partnership Schools\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022 data-id=\u0022f09db5ced8cf4c87886f8e4b770eb60a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f09db5ced8cf4c87886f8e4b770eb60a\u0022\u003EHon NIKKI KAYE (National\u2014Auckland Central)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by all his statements, including \u201CI\u2019ve discovered that anecdotes are not always a good way of making Government policy\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u002280cb6a199adb4198ad2e342c897e1e07\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002280cb6a199adb4198ad2e342c897e1e07\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, Merry Christmas; and, yes, I do stand by my statements in the context in which I made them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d90e4c369c84979ac82699cdf717d80\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his statement that national standards will end but schools will not be forced to get rid of national standards, and why does he think it\u2019s good Government policy for the Ministry of Education to remove key support and documents from their website\u2014effectively, forcing schools to ditch national standards? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218b1224ec51a4404b3e96e1089150669\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll go through this slowly. We have been very clear that national standards have now been abolished. What tools schools use to measure a child\u2019s progress are up to them. The Ministry of Education\u2014as was explained to the member at select committee this morning\u2014has removed the elements of compulsion on their website around what schools have to do with regard to the previous national standards regime. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e8655cc31f6741ad9f0e7216a3dbbe3f\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his statement regarding partnership schools that \u201CThey won\u2019t continue under Labour. The 2019 schools will not open.\u201D, and is it good Government policy for the Crown to be facing potential court cases and have schools unclear on the eve of Christmas what criteria they need to keep open? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232bda9ebe970449c8043ce726dbaa2f8\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ve been very clear that the Government intends to fulfil its pre-election commitment\u2014made by all three of the governing parties\u2014to remove the charter schools, or partnership schools, model, and if we want to avoid any legal challenges to that, then me answering the latter part of the question would simply increase the odds of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002245a0ca9104ea4aaaadc394c9785cea2f\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his statement that an amendment will be progressed that changes the school starting age, and does he believe it\u2019s a good way of making Government policy to not tell any coalition partners, the Prime Minister, or Cabinet prior to making the announcement? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022854b0528d280484d8fa9ec47b05013a3\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: The coalition partners, the Prime Minister, and Cabinet all were aware of the collective view that we took into the election campaign opposing the cohort entry policy introduced by the previous Government, which they didn\u2019t consult anybody on before they introduced it and legislated for it in the House. We\u2019ve been very clear that we will go through a consultation process with regard to changing that process, and I\u2019ve been also very clear with the public about my intention. On the one hand, the Opposition seem to be saying we\u2019re not public enough about our intentions, but on the other hand, they criticise us when we are. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252c0c42f96be4c5b86ff00e3c2a17907\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, a secret agenda. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c27d23d8c9964afa898369a24d99c7ac\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Exactly right\u2014exactly right! \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1eb72b0411a4a33b0c9538820231254\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his statement that \u201CGiving all children the best possible start in life is one of Labour\u2019s highest priorities.\u201D, and if so, why has he pushed through rushed ideological changes to our education system with little consultation and detail and at a huge cost to New Zealand parents and students? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac3d00e49c284fda89fa11040ed605a5\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and I haven\u2019t, and\u2014thirdly to that\u2014unlike the previous Government, we won\u2019t be freezing funding for early childhood education for the better part of a decade, which has set New Zealand children back. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227f5c729b80c747f0af18d363a1b50845\u0022\u003EJan Tinetti\u003C/span\u003E: Has his view that Government policy should not be based on anecdotes influenced his approach to replacing national standards?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e3e64bdb27b40f6b3f666c1520b5577\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s absolutely right. It has indeed influenced my approach to replacing national standards, which is that we will go through a thorough process, unlike rushing through the introduction of national standards, which the previous Government did, and they got it badly wrong.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ea67bdd3093d4cde8e70b393784b3e18\u0022\u003EState Housing\u2014Housing Stock Retention\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022 data-id=\u002246eb4c478c5e4ec7a83860d1891ae686\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002246eb4c478c5e4ec7a83860d1891ae686\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR (Labour\u2014\u014Ch\u0101riu)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: What recent announcements has he made regarding State houses?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u00222ee360d0d16143a9b74e4207a8901cd8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222ee360d0d16143a9b74e4207a8901cd8\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development):\u003C/span\u003E Today the Prime Minister and I announced that the previous Government\u2019s State house sell-off is over. This is yet another of our first 100-day promises fulfilled by the Labour-led Government. The last Government spent millions shuffling an ever-dwindling public housing stock between the Government and community providers. That is no solution to the housing crisis. This Government is focused on building more and more houses through KiwiBuild, State housing, and by backing councils, iwi, and community housing providers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227ee4d0a942304a8a938f8f6ad54beed3\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: Why has the Government made this announcement now?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002221098f16eb1e41248ebcd838cafda1b1\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: We felt it was important to get this piece of work complete before Christmas so that we could give families living in State houses, particularly in Christchurch, peace of mind over the holiday period. Letters are in the mail to thousands of affected State House tenants in Christchurch, letting them know that under this Government there will be no mass sell-off of their homes. Making this announcement at 12 Fife Lane, in Miramar, the first State house built by the first Labour Government 80 years ago, symbolises the rebirth of State housing under this sixth Labour-led Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a0204e4059b64740b4d8a0e02b60badf\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: What are the Government\u2019s plans for Housing New Zealand, now the State house sell-off has been cancelled?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224baa3056b2fe4c47b862681cc7b92f9a\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: We are working with Housing New Zealand on multiple fronts: first, we want to increase the number of State houses being built; second, as a major land owner and builder, Housing New Zealand will play a major role in KiwiBuild; and, third, we are working to transform Housing New Zealand into a compassionate, world-class public housing landlord, not a cash cow for the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00226ae1ec2855504c289af8a4f8d5823fe7\u0022\u003EJob Creation and Unemployment\u2014Minister of Employment\u2019s Statements\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u0022a9c0f51b91ea4edc8102f28f5528916e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a9c0f51b91ea4edc8102f28f5528916e\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Employment: Does he agree with the comments on newsroom.co.nz that \u201Chaving not kept a close eye on the unemployment rate he was surprised to be told by officials after becoming Minister that it was at its lowest rate in a decade\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022 data-id=\u0022f288a8c9c0d14993a7c2468272e73cab\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f288a8c9c0d14993a7c2468272e73cab\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I agree with my full statement provided to Newsroom. What is surprising is that the national unemployment rate doesn\u2019t reflect the high M\u0101ori and Pasifika unemployment or the high unemployment in the regions and amongst young people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022931cf9d55a154e0d8ec81e76a8c8e041\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: If he didn\u2019t know what the unemployment rate is, if he didn\u2019t know what the average wage is, if he thinks the free market has\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002245bee7cce0ab4642b0f58232fc4c1765\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The question?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c47ba9d69c284ffdbc4a565deaae99a6\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014I\u2019m coming to it\u2014if it failed in this country at a time when 245,000 jobs had been created in the past two years, how can the people of New Zealand have any confidence that the Minister of Employment knows what he\u2019s talking about?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002235937ddb59d943fa9f72df51724bd91e\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. A question cannot be asked with a preface; it needs to be direct.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bcb80e6689be4b54bd4c924f69ce938d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And I did warn the member part-way through it. It\u2019s only in the spirit of Christmas that I let the member attempt to answer it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002234195a5c5d3248639ad43f01733e2142\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m not quite sure what the question was, but I do\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214cee10bf76745ec9b32e15bff386ee9\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228564112b9f974a40b36fdadaa67ecec0\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker, if I could just address \u201CCorin Dann\u201D on the other side there. In terms of the New Zealand public, they should feel very confident that, as a Minister of Employment, I\u2019m going to address the mess that has been left by the previous Government. And we\u2019re going to get to people who have been ignored in the regions and particularly in South and west Auckland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b93924fe75ac42ff9fc8da242284c21b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Before I take either of the supplementaries, I am going to ask Mr Jackson to withdraw that comment. I think he managed to insult both a member of the House and a member of the gallery at the same time. He will withdraw.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227525f2f5e86e443ebcfa51ad11df4c8b\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dce66392be3f435fb624e9a6a0082eed\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister tell the House how he thinks most jobs are created in New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a764b47806d64373989d0d2e9ff6290e\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: Well, that\u2019s a wide-ranging question, but it\u2019s a good question. Probably through innovativeness and creativity, and this Government has that in abundance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022af34569ddbc54f368584acfe578567de\u0022\u003EJo Luxton\u003C/span\u003E: How does the unemployment rate for young people and M\u0101ori compare to the national rate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d1fc30ba7c6458a9681dd3d2c978c8a\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, that\u2019s a terrific question. I\u2019m advised that the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds is 13 percent and for M\u0101ori 20.4 percent, compared with a national rate, as we know, of 4.6 percent. It\u2019s important to note that the gap between the M\u0101ori rate and the national rate persists and is sizable, nearly double, and that the same trend is observed for Pasifika people\u2014and I want to mention disabled people here, today, too. So I think that we need to take note of this, unlike the previous Government, who, I think, should take full responsibility for the negative statistics that we have right now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238ea36af020149db8fa8cc9b24938032\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: When he wrote in the Manukau Courier that it might be time to set up another commission to, amongst other things, \u201Cunderstand \u2026 the current blockages to full employment\u201D and that it should \u201Creflect Government\u2019s tripartite responsibilities under ILO conventions and responsibilities to Maori under the Treaty of Waitangi.\u201D, what did he mean?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc31e3a783534e1f9fb642f0201a8b8d\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: What I meant\u2014thank you for the question\u2014is that the Labour Party has actually got a history in terms of these commissions set up. We had a great Labour and Future of Work Commission that was run by the Hon Grant Robertson and the Hon Andrew Little. I wanted to set up something along that vein and form partnerships with unions, M\u0101ori, and community groups\u2014and maybe a task force also\u2014so that we can come up with a proper employment strategy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d64e91c282d94d55844b5d5a5a3198b7\u0022\u003ELocal Government\u2014M\u0101ori Participation and Representation\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022 data-id=\u0022e5133c40c73e455db12e19ca9b63bd03\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e5133c40c73e455db12e19ca9b63bd03\u0022\u003EJAMI-LEE ROSS (National\u2014Botany)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Local Government: What will she do to build support and acceptance for M\u0101ori participation in local government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u0022c409833056a846d99886c44bf50af3cb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c409833056a846d99886c44bf50af3cb\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Local Government):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, Merry Christmas. It may come as a complete surprise to that member, but I look forward to working alongside local government to increase civic participation and, importantly, their efforts to engage M\u0101ori in local planning and decision-making.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a30a270fdfdd4a049f9b57f6ace03a75\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: Does she agree that there are hugely destructive consequences of division, separatism, parallel representation, and parallel laws within the local government sector?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224b39e20651dc46d5bd2926c07fb27674\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: What I do acknowledge is that there are many councils who are meeting the challenge of increasing engagement and participation with M\u0101ori and iwi. They are doing some very good work at a number of levels. Much of this is arising from the Treaty settlement space, and I want to applaud those councils who have made a decision to move towards M\u0101ori wards. It\u2019s their decision and we should support them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb28956a46da498c90169075ac9587c7\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: Does she feel she has an obligation to stand up for M\u0101ori New Zealanders and condemn anti-M\u0101ori statements, such as that we have political separatism\u2014\u201Ca pathway to purgatory\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a147289dea014222b072fe2cc158e88d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! As the Minister of Local Government she has no responsibility in that area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ecee1eb93cc46599724cc9cfe827be9\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002253e7edaeca954cecbbbf1722d5c2b663\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the beginning of the question was: does she have responsibility to stand up for M\u0101ori New Zealanders? There are certainly members of Cabinet who have that responsibility; not that member in this portfolio.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e9205407fa624ecbbb16b9b9155e4480\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: Can I rephrase the question then, Mr Speaker?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022229a617f8f3a4e8bac7ee3383a5b0db8\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll be generous, and you can have another go.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e7958ce5f7794a7bb675f5479e46d49b\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: OK. As the Minister of Local Government does she feel she has an obligation to stand up for M\u0101ori New Zealanders and condemn anti-M\u0101ori statements about the practices within the local government sector, such as that we have political separatism\u2014\u201Ca pathway to purgatory\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002278d077c9f83d4335ade6cdbc9ebe53c1\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: I thank that M\u0101ori member for that question and acknowledge that the views of others, while I don\u2019t hold them, are the views of others. By and large, local government is working constructively to meet the challenge of increasing civic participation. There has been continual low turnout at local government elections. They want to do something about it. They are taking leadership in some areas to increase the participation of specific groups.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002279e7f7086aec4441a6d440777560da50\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: What will she say then, as Minister, to the prominent political leader who said to Local Government New Zealand recently, \u201Cin local government as in central government there has been a pandering to division, separatism, parallel representation and parallel laws without any regard to the hugely destructive consequences.\u201D\u2014that quote being from the Rt Hon Winston Peters?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f025e07f89724b36848ed82a9af2a8db\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re a coalition Government that recognises and understands the many challenges within our communities. While that member wants to kick the tyres, what I can say is that we do believe that by working together\u2014[Interruption] You may not like it, but we do believe that by working together for the benefit of all New Zealanders, many boats can rise, and we\u2019re making some good inroads, and the 100-day plan is just the beginning.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223490cb749d494e50a81236672c2f1bc3\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Minister confirm that as far as the M\u0101ori people are concerned, where it impacts on her portfolio, she and this Government are interested in equality based on not pigeonholing people but by judging them on their performance and their commitment and their skills, and not discovering that they are M\u0101ori in the same way Columbus discovered America, purely by accident?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b12c80af9ee34cc8ba5e3668bef98a93\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. We were, earlier on, pulled up for having a number of parts in our questions. That had several parts and is clearly out of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ceeae2b7397b4540b98c0b46072a5383\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And what I will do, as I did earlier, is allow the Minister to answer any of the questions that were asked.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220d5d78b0540747b19c1d9784dc5b97ab\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: In so far as my portfolio of responsibility is concerned\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb72f9a1a9dc485095b102031f095fa4\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b018bbeb68c4c40a5d39a9b73e4525b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order. The member will resume her seat. A point of order, the Hon Gerry Brownlee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223b4a94b245d64c19b48c2cbdccd553fd\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Well, noting the content of that extensive question, and its rather pointed aspects, I wonder if you might consider, sir, also allowing Willie Jackson to answer that question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002208b567be0f7d4db2bbf4bd5230bcb573\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker, in so far\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228fc01cccfdd943bcab765554534cba10\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, no. I\u2019m just sort of considering how trifling that was and whether it deserves anything else but, again, I\u2019ll be kind to the member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f8e3c210eabb42ab95e415d727a7b797\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: In so far as my portfolio is concerned, I can assure many members in this House, as they will know, that representation on councils is first and foremost based on merit and a will and willingness to serve their community and the interests that are there. They do recognise there is an overall challenge about increasing civic participation, and I am engaging with them on that matter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229963b23587764e9c99eaf390939df0b8\u0022\u003EKiritapu Allan\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister advocate for separate M\u0101ori representation in every local authority?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe26111ac82746bc947b866490d6a19c\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: I support local democracy and I want to acknowledge and applaud those councils who believe that M\u0101ori wards is one of many ways to ensure that valuable contributions can be made to the decision-making and planning processes in their district. Their leadership will make a difference. They want to ensure that that reflects the will of their local community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a738b667be64a71b76c4c6020a87706\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table a document prepared by the Parliamentary Library for my office, which is a compilation of quotes from the Rt Hon Winston Peters about this very issue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d9f3e10c12e64c169bdd163f53f2f8ed\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Have those quotes been previously published?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223795b60d16c743a3a419df0a371e8af0\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s a compilation, sir, from the library. The library document has not\u2014it\u2019s from the library.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3bba54e7ed94a78aa18e25d768c7926\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll put it in the hands of the House. I think it\u2019s a marginal call if all it is is a republication. Is there any objection to that book being tabled? There appears to be none; it can be tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E Document by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227ec7b4d6c91548b5b22a2d98ee4f8f6b\u0022\u003EGovernment Tree-planting Programme\u2014Crown Forestry\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022 data-id=\u0022c2fe778a27b149f38c7438fbdab61697\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c2fe778a27b149f38c7438fbdab61697\u0022\u003ECLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Forestry: What announcements has he made today about Crown forestry?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022 data-id=\u0022ba9ddc63338f4db0913a3421a1b9d71d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ba9ddc63338f4db0913a3421a1b9d71d\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES (Minister of Forestry):\u003C/span\u003E In characteristically modest form, I have announced a renewed mandate for Crown Forestry, to enable it to kick-start the Government\u2019s ambitious one-billion-tree tree-planting programme. Crown Forestry has been given the green light, and Government will hand on $14 million to this agency to support the planting of trees during the winter planting season.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277fdd83bc9ae4c95b149b34d6888aa50\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: What feedback has he received from the forestry sector about the tree-planting programme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a37bde0720d4c408d11cd9eb0a2be03\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: There has been an enormous amount of positive feedback ever since my good self was made the Minister of Forestry. This has caused people to acknowledge that, at long last, there is a genuine and a well-resourced Minister of Forestry. They support the clear direction reflected for forestry in the mix of policies driving our Overseas Investment Office approach, and, more importantly, people from the regions are approaching me with land to begin the tree-planting programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b1e86bbf8774449582a86bfa5417d21c\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: What work will Crown Forestry do with natives? [Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c1e7565ca114582b856ed9a35d049fe\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019d like to seek leave of the House to make a personal explanation: I\u2019m both M\u0101ori, Dalmatian, and Welsh. In so far as the native nephews go, boots will be laced, spades will be handed out, and they will stride across the landscape, planting as they go. In so far as the native trees, there will be a significant improvement so that we don\u2019t suffer the further political pathogens from the other side of the House as kauris die before our eyes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de7bafa1184544eab6f5ab9330319286\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister still proposing to count the 15,000 million planted every year for the last decade for restocking as part of his \u201Cnew\u201D planting programme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e40d18e79a94480183031a57ab712cbe\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: In the Prime Minister\u2019s speech, the term that was used in relation to our one-billion-tree strategy was \u201Cprogramme\u201D. The programme comprises efforts that the industry is already engaged in. It includes improvements to the emissions trading scheme, and, hopefully, with the acquiescence of the Minister of Finance, improvements to the tax system. In so far as that particular member is concerned, I hope that someone plants hemlock.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022488ff886232f435cb7edda85e8600501\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d5ea4d589e04cedb8e50c26789656f0\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I\u2019m going to deal with that one first. That was an unparliamentary comment and will be withdrawn and apologised for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022481967796a874631b4a46b4cadd0b6bc\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022324da4da6a1b46dba55df036ffb33036\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: How does the tree-planting programme that Crown Forestry will kick-start contribute to New Zealand\u2019s climate change targets?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247a873bf3a5a419ea497a7696e173db4\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: In 2030, as a consequence of the last Government\u2019s inattention, we are likely to face an expense of $34 billion due to the 200-million-tonne carbon deficit. By planting trees, we believe that an expanded size of the nation\u2019s lungs will reduce that cost and decrease our reliance on having to go to the international market and buy international credits. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00221047afd4c71c4546b05dacd1e410bcaa\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2 to Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u00229d69e42dd3cd4e2e9d8267609f62ee2c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229d69e42dd3cd4e2e9d8267609f62ee2c\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (National):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I wish to raise a point of order as I believe information has just been delivered to me that suggests the finance Minister may have misled the House, and he may wish\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00228e363bd1002945d88dbf4061f1f88b52\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228e363bd1002945d88dbf4061f1f88b52\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member will resume his seat, and he will consult with members on either side of him who can tell him the appropriate course of action to take if he believes that is the case. The member is out of order, but I don\u2019t want to spend an extended time now coaching him on the appropriate approach.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222a7a8d9130104742bc54fa148117e3cc\u0022\u003EUnemployment\u2014Measurement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u00229a9cd8ee7a264d9497c8bed0fca09e9b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229a9cd8ee7a264d9497c8bed0fca09e9b\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National\u2014Hutt South)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Statistics: Can he confirm it is Government policy to review the official measures for unemployment to ensure they accurately reflect the workforce of the 21st century; if so, when does he expect that review to commence?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022 data-id=\u0022d93b55c0cb7849178bb676da8c52ae6d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d93b55c0cb7849178bb676da8c52ae6d\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW (Minister of Statistics):\u003C/span\u003E In answer to the first part of the question, yes; in answer to the second part of the question, no decision has been taken in respect to the timing of that review.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022787d48ff77d94817864936c2e1565e71\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: How does he reconcile the Labour - New Zealand First coalition Government policy to review the official measures of unemployment with section 15(1) of the Statistics Act 1975, which says, \u201CThe Statistician shall have the sole responsibility for deciding the procedures and methods employed in the provision of any statistics produced or to be produced by the Statistician,\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ccc0e96a712347d3b7413e6359a3dcae\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: The Government can ask for a review. It is up to the Government Statistician to define the terms of that review and the methods to conduct it. So we can ask for a review, but we can have absolutely no influence over Statistics New Zealand or the chief statistician in terms of what it is that they look at.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf738c56ce954973a630d35b83d7aa96\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Well, given that, what is the purpose of doing a review if the department can ignore it and the independence and the credibility of the department are to be guaranteed, as he\u2019s just said?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aaeffb6225c1412192acbff4687b47f9\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: I think it is extremely important that we continue to maintain the independence and credibility of Statistics New Zealand. It is a vital Government function, and its independence is completely important to its ongoing function in Government and public trust.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250328908230646f48e57ebb5ae69772c\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was: what is the purpose of the review? He just talked about the independence of the department. What\u2019s the purpose of the review?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a906d90d2c964e13bed023023b2288e5\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think between that and previous answers it had been approached. Do you have a further supplementary?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022831114d736024e77affc9e77b509375c\u0022\u003EHealth and Safety\u2014Injury Prevention\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022 data-id=\u00228a26383e8a8d4fc98d3bfeeb2070492c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228a26383e8a8d4fc98d3bfeeb2070492c\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for ACC: What advice does he have for New Zealanders about staying safe and healthy over the holiday season?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022 data-id=\u00225db53b0850bc4488970ea02a6419a054\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225db53b0850bc4488970ea02a6419a054\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Minister for ACC):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. First, I wish all New Zealand families a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy holiday break, but I do ask them, please, to take extra care at work and on the roads. I\u2019m sad to report that there have been five workplace fatalities in the last week and four road deaths in the last 24 hours. We extend our condolences to all of the families who are grieving the loss of a loved one this Christmas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b43c3662b2634a219c5d9279501cbbac\u0022\u003EJamie Strange\u003C/span\u003E: How will the Government ensure that more workers come home safe and healthy at Christmas?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e14d9655a0a34409914b7a7f5bf8bb14\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: I want New Zealand to be among the safest countries to work in in the world. We\u2019re making good progress on that but we still have a long way to go. Early next year, the Government will consult on the workplace health and safety strategy, our 10-year plan to lift New Zealand\u2019s health and safety performance. Alongside this, I\u2019m expecting ACC to continue to focus on effective injury prevention, particularly in high-risk industries such as farming and forestry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022edd82c6590724086a0faa82c82e0eff1\u0022\u003EJamie Strange\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister have any particular injury prevention advice for Christmas Day?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f6fafb9460f4fecad5398de9f3a6f4e\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I do. In particular, be careful while decorating the Christmas tree. Last year there were 137 ACC claims related to tree decoration. There were also claims related to hanging lights, opening Christmas presents, carving the dinner\u2014and even popping the champagne cork resulted in eight claims alone. Stay safe, have fun, and please make sure you come back in 2018, because under this Government it\u2019s going to be a cracker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022eb304eee7ff3415bbf03fd4aca57d5cb\u0022\u003EDigital Services\u2014Chief Technology Officer\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u0022a73118ae46fe48c2bc4998b1a77f9d4a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a73118ae46fe48c2bc4998b1a77f9d4a\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National):\u003C/span\u003E My question is to the Minister for Government Digital Services, and asks: what is the difference between the Government Chief Technology Officer, the Government Chief Information Officer, and the new Chief Technology Officer role that she is creating?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002282a5fb922ff34e6faeae7014f8550a76\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002282a5fb922ff34e6faeae7014f8550a76\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Now, I think what we\u2019ll do is we\u2019ll just get the last bit of the question asked as per the yellow sheet, thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u0022dda6bb6668b240acb1f259fc73460145\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dda6bb6668b240acb1f259fc73460145\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Government Digital Services: What is the difference between the Government Chief Technology Officer, the Government Chief Information Officer, and the new Chief Technology Officer role that she has created?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022 data-id=\u00224520cac4e98840c29cad51ed44242beb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224520cac4e98840c29cad51ed44242beb\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN (Minister for Government Digital Services):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, happy Christmas to you and to my colleagues across the House, to the Hansard staff, the Clerk\u2019s Office, the messengers\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002299f4b3e146564f2189c42052a7d3f6f3\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No\u2014no speeches, please. Get on with it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e2a775d1be894cc1b29fb60ac4901de8\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: The member may be confused by these roles because the job titles changed under her Government. The Government Chief Information Officer changed to the Government Chief Digital Officer in June this year. The Government Chief Technology Officer reports to him. The new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) position announced yesterday is a ministerial appointment, and will have a broader advisory focus, going across the economy, society, and the Government. The other roles are held by senior officials and focus on digital transformation across Government and its implementation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ec6297f8dbf4b719f47a7fdc1f3b097\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Why has she announced this new role, when this position already exists and is delivering support for the Government and the communities of New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022576b5579fa394d2787564d7ee0de3afe\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: I don\u2019t think the member was listening to the answer to the last question. These roles are not the same. The Chief Technology Officer appointment is a ministerial appointment, and will have a broader advisory focus, going across the economy, society, and Government. It\u2019s an outward-facing role. The other roles are held by senior officials and focus on digital transformation across Government. Unlike her Government, this Government is investing in this space, rather than cutting funding.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218d5aabcc8f94d1bb19ab7e8eec1b113\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: How can she justify spending an estimated half a million dollars a year on this unnecessary role, when the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update indicated the Budget was tight and her Government can\u2019t even find $350,000 for a worthy cause like KidsCan?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b72e84bda5c43e991bdabe7dcc20d9c\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: Because, unlike the previous Government, which paid lip service to the digital economy, which paid lip service to digital inclusion, which paid lip service to digital rights and data governance, this Government takes this seriously and this is a strong step in creating a digital strategy for New Zealand, which the previous Government never did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224463d3ea03784c6690fbb65350d01b99\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Aside from the salary and expenses and travelling totalling $500,000 per annum, what other costs does she expect the creation of the role will incur?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224c9be1f16d974f8cbf8e434d06b8b2a2\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: Those figures are estimates. I would expect that the CTO will be prudent and careful with any taxpayer money. We have gone through the appropriate checks to ensure that that salary is in line with a role of this type, and this is an important area of priority for this new Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228abe6e761d7f4cf48bbcb031363083bd\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: What support is she aware of for a Chief Technology Officer?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022246f837800814ea19563ca10d8f4b590\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: What a good question. On 21 September, the former Minister Simon Bridges said he was \u201Cconsidering the establishment of a chief technology officer-led think tank.\u201D Given that statement, I would have thought there would have been more excitement about my announcement from the members sitting opposite me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\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=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d2a385313d3c4f96a16f520f3e7c18e1\u0022\u003EChrist Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002282c92a80f057451490830ca9424e2d21\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000238\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 19 December.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ca8984d9f079423f8ecf2095defc5063\u0022\u003EParts 1 and 2, schedules 1 to 3, and clauses 1 and 2 (continued)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022 data-id=\u00223a8b1e1f5beb4c21b6196cddfc2ff959\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223a8b1e1f5beb4c21b6196cddfc2ff959\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Chairperson Williams. As we were interrupted last night, I was addressing the very sensible question that Dr Smith had put to the committee and put to me as Minister in the chair around the intentions in respect of the Building Act and exemptions that are provided for under this legislation. Well, as we know, the reinstatement of the cathedral is a complex engineering task and the design will be undertaken in stages over many years. At this stage, there\u2019s not enough information to assess the kind of Building Act exemptions that would be required. This will be a task for the joint venture\u2014that is, between the Church Property Trustees and the independent trust that will manage the project. The joint venture will provide the necessary detail to the responsible Minister to advise if any exemptions to the Building Act are required as engineering and design work becomes more developed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EWhat I can confirm to that member at this stage is that the Church Property Trustees have received advice that under the building code, the tower will require the addition of a lift and secondary stairwell. That will increase the scale of the tower by 50 percent and it has significant implications for the design of the whole base isolation system. Addressing this problem may require the use of an Order in Council provision seeking exemption from the Building Act. However, detailed information from the proponent, which will be required under clause 8(4), would be needed to justify and support such an order, and then the robust checks and balances of the legislation would come into play. For example, there would be the role of the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Review Panel to use their expert skills to analyse the Order in Council, the role of the Regulations Review Committee to also examine that Order in Council, and the Minister consulting the Minister responsible for the administration of the Building Act, subject to the Order in Council. There would also, of course, be engagement with local authorities, other appropriate people, and the general public. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003ERelated to that question, the Hon Nick Smith asked me whether or not there was a benchmark of new code or expectations for the new building standard that I would want the strengthened Christ Church Cathedral to have, and would I give an assurance that this wouldn\u2019t be a standard less than the Building Act required. I\u2019d like to reassure that member that I appreciate the need for safety. I think that as we\u2019re rebuilding a building in Christchurch, that has to be appreciated, and, again, this will be a matter for the joint venture as it undertakes the detailed design and engineering work. But I would expect the joint venture to recognise the importance of the Cathedral Working Group report, and that report recommended a solution that included seismic strengthening and base isolation that achieves \u201CAn Importance Level 3 Design in accordance with New Zealand Standard for Structural Design; 100 percent of the current building code for seismic performance; Improved life safety and contents protection; Minimal damage to heritage features/fabric; Minimal visual impact and intrusion; and Improved usability.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003ESo they are all good considerations to have, and I would expect that the Cathedral Working Group report will inform the joint venture\u2019s final design of the building. However, ultimately, that is a decision for the joint venture to make. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u00228bbde436b56449e78c5050cdc820c477\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228bbde436b56449e78c5050cdc820c477\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (National\u2014Nelson):\u003C/span\u003E I appreciate the Minister in the chair\u2019s response, but she has not addressed the fundamental question that is critical to the powers that she is seeking from this Parliament around the Building Act. The very simple question I put to Minister Woods\u2014and I\u2019ll put it to her again\u2014is that Parliament, post - Christchurch earthquakes, has put an enormous amount of work into setting a minimum standard for earthquake-prone buildings, and that is that any building has to meet a minimum of 34 percent of the new-build standard. Now, while I\u2019m supportive of this bill before the Parliament giving the Minister the power to use Orders in Council\u2014and I\u2019m sure the member is aware of the concern of the Regulations Review Committee, which is that we\u2019re giving you very wide powers\u2014I want a reassurance that you are not going to use those powers to go to less than the 34 percent that Parliament has deemed and the royal commission has recommended. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003ENow, it may be that the Minister wants to use these powers to exempt the cathedral spire from having to have a lift as well as the historical staircase. I\u2019m quite relaxed about that, but I do not think this Parliament should be relaxed about walking away from that 34 percent minimum standard recommended by the royal commission and imposed in the Building Act amendments passed two years ago. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThis bill could give the Minister the power to undermine those standards, and I just simply seek a reassurance. Given that the Christ Church Cathedral has faced six earthquakes with significant damage, I simply seek a simple reassurance that those Building Act amendments for earthquake-prone buildings will not be bypassed through these Order in Council powers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022 data-id=\u0022ff8848c5718d4e7eb3cd7afca9fe5750\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ff8848c5718d4e7eb3cd7afca9fe5750\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY (National\u2014North Shore):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Chairperson Williams\u2014I\u2019m sitting behind you, so thank you for noticing me here. Picking up where my colleagues left off last night, which is around the examination of Parts 1 and 2 of this bill, the Hon Nicky Wagner has gone through and talked about the Cathedral Working Group\u2019s recommendation and the desire for that document and that hard work to be acknowledged and recognised within the legislation, which is what we have put in. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EThe elements that emerged, I suppose, through the select committee process was when the Christchurch City Council people came up and wanted to be more involved than they have been\u2014they had read in the media about some of the aspects of this. As we know, yesterday morning, the Christchurch City Council formally ratified the $10 million of their contribution, which is a great relief to everybody. I think that given the amount of skin in the game that they have put in, there was a discussion\u2014I\u2019d like to hear the Minister\u2019s view on this\u2014as to whether the city council should be represented at any stage. Whether it is in the expert panel, or whether it\u2014and that may not be the right place for it because it is very much a skills-based group. But when it comes to perhaps acknowledging some of the heritage values, or some of the wider concerns of the importance of this symbol of Christchurch\u2014this extraordinary cathedral\u2014to the people of Christchurch, the Minister might be interested to explore how the Christchurch City Council can really make a very meaningful contribution to whatever happens in the future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ESo the reinstatement review panel has been covered, and the skill sets, and we discussed this quite widely at the select committee and following on from the procedures. Some of the other aspects around the application of the legislation, and particularly some of the anachronisms, really, that have been sitting in the law for a period of time around the restrictions and conditions relating to cathedral land, we were able to cancel as a result of examining them. The Minister will be aware that the Cathedral Square Ordinance 1872 law around the erection of buildings on part of the land formally held was not helpful to the restoration process, and so that particular piece of legislation\u2014and section 8 of the Mining Act 1971, which also posed another restriction\u2014was something that we talked about and felt was not going to be helpful for the ongoing work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EBut one of the questions I would like the Minister to address, if she would, is the length of time that this Act will be in existence. As with many Acts that have been before this Parliament over the last two years, some of them have a sunset clause. They have a termination time attached to them. This one has around 15 years to run, and some of the regulations that underpin the law also have 15 years. So that is spelt out carefully, and I acknowledge the work of the officials in ensuring that it is appropriately recognised within the various clauses of the bill. But I wonder if the Minister has formed a view at this stage, early on in the piece, whether the 15 years is going to be\u2014if the goals that have been set through this restoration project, or reinstatement project, are coming close to being achieved, I wonder whether any thought would be given to stopping this legislation at that time. I mean, when the cathedral is rebuilt\u2014and it will be rebuilt. Perhaps when the money is raised and the spire is also erected, there may well be a time that it\u2019s finished\u2014quite quickly, we would hope\u2014and at that time, the Minister, or subsequent Ministers, may feel that the Act could finish at that stage, or, with the repeal of the Act, just carry on for the 15 years, beginning with the date of the commencement of the Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI\u2019d be interested in the Minister\u2019s views, because, along with all of us on the select committee and all of us who are interested in what is going on with this legislation, and for the sake of the people of Christchurch, the progress we feel, and the goodwill behind it\u2014and now with the financial backing of both the Crown and the council and, it would appear, a very enthusiastic group of private stakeholders raising money\u2014I think that this is a project that could actually progress at a great rate. So, having got rid of some anachronisms, which are laws that continue on well past their use-by date\u2014I would hate to see that this particular piece of legislation does that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ESo those are a couple of issues. If the Minister would like to comment on them, I would be very interested to hear what she would have to say on those subjects. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022 data-id=\u0022ae8bb30e1c3f46e996c091a5bf60c830\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ae8bb30e1c3f46e996c091a5bf60c830\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD (National\u2014East Coast Bays):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair Williams. I would just like to address, in particular, clause 9(1)(a)(i) in Part 2 and our changes to this clause around engagement with the Christchurch City Council. I just want to give the Minister in the chair, Megan Woods, a little bit more information on this and why we came to this decision, and perhaps ask her a couple of questions following on from what Maggie Barry has said.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe Christchurch City Council came to see us in person and they gave us a really informative submission in Christchurch. Their view was in full support of the bill to facilitate this reinstatement. They agreed with the approach of using the Order in Council mechanism to provide this streamlined consenting process. However, the issues that were raised by the council were, for the most part, around consultation. I just wanted to bring it to the Minister\u2019s attention that they did bring up the fact that they were somewhat upset by the short, truncated process of the select committee and that they didn\u2019t have much time to come and speak to us. As you can imagine, what followed on from that was the fact that they put to us that they are one of the bodies that are involved in the regulatory process required for this project. They were concerned with their level of involvement and engagement in the Order in Council process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EAs the bill stood, prior to any changes, the council was involved in the process only if the Minister considered it appropriate to make information related to the draft order available under clause 9(1)(a)(i), but after extensive discussions in the select committee, in recognition of their regulatory involvement in this project, the Christchurch City Council\u2014we identified them as a body that we should make reference to in this clause 9 on engagement. So we therefore changed that clause to state that \u201Cthe Minister must\u2014(a) make available a document referred to in subsection (2) to\u2014(i) the relevant local authorities and the persons or representatives \u2026\u201D, and it carries on as it did before. So we inserted that clause there, particularly after we\u2019d heard from the Christchurch City Council and their concerns around involvement and engagement in this process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EI wanted to bring this to the Minister\u2019s attention because they also, as the Hon Maggie Barry said, talked to us about their need and desire to be involved in the review panel. We did talk about this in great detail as well with the officials, who actually did say that there will most likely be people on that panel who will be experts in local council, but it was the council\u2019s intention that they did want someone on there, and that was the level of engagement that they wanted. We felt that it was appropriate to mention them in clause 9(1)(a)(i) but not to push any further on the review panel.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe second thing that I wanted to bring to the Minister\u2019s attention was the fact that we had many submitters, including the Christchurch City Council, tell us that there should be various other Acts included in schedule 2, including the Building Act, the Local Government Act, the Local Government Act 2002, the Public Works Act, the Land Transfer Act, the Reserves Act, and also the Land Transport Act. Now, we deliberated for some time over the Land Transport Act, but on the advice from officials we decided not to include that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EBut I want to let the Minister know that we did have quite a long discussion about the fact that we are adding a significant amount of extra Acts to schedule 2, and that was a concern for us. The current Minister certainly doesn\u2019t fall into this category, but what we were imagining was the worst possible Minister, and certainly that is not this Minister. [Interruption] Ha, ha! Not at all. But what we were thinking was if in future there is this fictitious, awful Minister, we did want to limit their powers as much as we could, but we did feel that by putting in these additional Acts, it will give this Minister flexibility to allow the reinstatement of the Christ Church Cathedral to go ahead in a timely and cost-effective measure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003ESo I just wanted to bring those things to the Minister\u2019s attention, but, in particular, that engagement with the Christchurch City Council\u2014they were very forthright about their need to be engaged, and we did agree with them. I would encourage the Minister to bear that in mind when she is going through the process, that we specifically listed them under clause 9(1)(a)(i), and I hope that she keeps that in mind.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022 data-id=\u002271ede7ac7d244e45adb2bcb035a85997\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002271ede7ac7d244e45adb2bcb035a85997\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair Williams. I just want to take the chance to respond to a few more of the questions that have been put. I want to return and give Dr Smith the reassurance and reiterate that while it is not the role of the Minister to do the detailed design and engineering work, what I\u2019ve indicated is that I think the working party report will have a huge influence over what is decided, and that safety was one of the key things that was signalled in that report. So I can give that member a reassurance that it is well over the 34 percent of code. It is, in fact, 100 percent of seismic strength, along with base isolation, that was recommended in that report, so I hope that gives that member the level of comfort that he requires.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EThe Hon Maggie Barry asked about the Cathedral Working Group report and where that was referenced within the Act and why it wasn\u2019t referenced in clause 10\u2014and this was also an issue that Matt Doocey brought up in his contribution last evening in a question, so I get to answer both these questions with one call. The importance of the Cathedral Working Group report is referenced in many parts of the bill. It is there\u2014it is in new background clause 2A, and there are amendments to clause 3 where that document is referenced. It was felt that that was sufficient to make sure that that important document was given the weighting it was due in terms of the decision-making powers, and it very much will be part of the criteria that the responsible Minister needs to use for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EIn regards to the Hon Maggie Barry\u2019s question around the role of the local authority, I think, actually, her colleague answered that with her next contribution, of course, with clause 9(1)(a)(i) in terms of the Christchurch City Council being put there. As a Minister, I fully appreciate the role of the council in this process. In fact, it is an issue, and the cathedral being an issue, that I discussed early and often with both the mayor and the full Christchurch City Council, both of whom I met with within my first month of being Minister and discussed the issue of how we were going to work together in terms of the cathedral\u2019s reinstatement. I see this very much part of the enduring partnership that we as a Government will build with the Christchurch City Council to ensure that we can get the kind of momentum that we need for the future of our city.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EI think a further question was then put by the last speaker, Erica Stanford, asking about the role of the council on the review panel. I think, actually, her colleague the Hon Maggie Barry had addressed that in her earlier contribution\u2014that the review panel is not a representative body; it is a body of experts, and there are other ways, which are covered off in the bill, in which it is absolutely critical that the Christchurch City Council has input into those decisions. But it is not through the expert review panel; it is as part of the consultation that the responsible Minister must do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EThe final point that was raised by the previous speaker was around ensuring we are protecting against the fact that we have extraordinary powers in this bill, and I am confident that we have struck the right balance between the need for momentum and a broad sweep of checks and balances, which will ensure that good decisions are being made. These go through from the need to consult across this House and to continue the collegial, cross-party approach that we need on Orders in Council, which, indeed, has been the practice on many Orders in Council and extraordinary powers that have been exercised in regard to Canterbury over the last six years, right through to the regulations review panel and an independent review panel. So I am confident that we have the necessary checks and balances on what are extraordinary ministerial powers. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022 data-id=\u002229255424992e4deaa73ec66deb9b471f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002229255424992e4deaa73ec66deb9b471f\u0022\u003EHon NICKY WAGNER (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much. I think the Minister gave us a good summary of what\u2019s happening in this bill, and I just want to reflect on a couple of things that were in Part 2. Obviously, the Orders in Council\u2014we think that that mechanism works well. The only change that we made was to limit the time from 20 working days down to 15 working days. We felt that that gave a balance. Of course, 15 working days is a full three weeks, and we thought that that gave balance for people to have a say but also not to hold up the process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EDefinitely, the reinstatement review panel that was detailed right in this part\u2014and I think we were happy with the rules around that. The ability to introduce new Acts\u2014well, of course, with the submitters, we ended up introducing quite a lot of Acts that were important to the submitters: the Building Act 2004; the Land Transfer Act 2017; two local government Acts, 1974 and 2002\u2014that was at the request of the Christchurch City Council\u2014the Public Works Act 1981; and the Reserves Act 1977. So, of course, the Minister has an enormous amount of power with these Acts in the legislation. Although the mechanism for the clause to introduce new Acts is in this bill, we are pretty sure that we\u2019ve covered the lot of them, and we\u2019re not expecting any more Acts to be introduced.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EFinally, of course, to keep a balance here, we do have the 15-year sunset clause, and I think that is appropriate. It also means that we need to get this job up and on the way and the reinstatement completed. We are happy. The Environment Committee worked very well together. We are happy that we have got a balance in this bill. We are very aware that it\u2019s extraordinary legislation under extraordinary circumstances, but we believe it\u2019s an enormously important bill to the people of Christchurch, Canterbury, and beyond, and we hope that by writing this carefully and thoughtfully it will empower the people to come together and to make this reinstatement work smoothly in a streamlined, efficient, and effective way. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022 data-id=\u0022f0708c8510d84e20afa58d351da29652\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f0708c8510d84e20afa58d351da29652\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E I really just wanted to say a couple of words about the issue of reinstatement in committee, because I think it\u2019s worth noting those discussions\u2014in particular, the addition to the definition of \u201Creinstatement\u201D of the Cathedral Working Group paper and, in particular, the fact that anything set out in the Cathedral Working Group paper or contemplated by it as reinstatement will fall into that definition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EI think it\u2019s important to note that, because what became apparent was that although there were some differences in language, all submitters were fundamentally at one in respect of the definition of \u201Creinstatement\u201D and what it actually meant, and the additional clarification in the definition there that, indeed, although something need not be exactly replaced, the fact that it\u2019s not exact replacement, exact reinstatement, or restoration doesn\u2019t mean that it doesn\u2019t fit within that definition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EI just really wanted to take a moment to inform the Minister of those discussions so that she was aware when she came to look at those questions in terms of making any orders. That\u2019s really all I wanted to add to this debate today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u0022213c5f2a741a49cba1ce7f73bbb0db3e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022213c5f2a741a49cba1ce7f73bbb0db3e\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair Williams. I\u2019m pleased to make a short contribution in this committee stage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EI also just have a couple of questions for the Minister in relation to the definition of \u201Creinstatement\u201D. The new paragraph (fa), \u201Cuse of any new materials:\u201D\u2014I note that that doesn\u2019t sort of link to any part of the cathedral. They are the addition of new materials, and I\u2019m wondering if there\u2019s any intention behind that, because every other element to that definition is linked to the cathedral in some way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EAlso, I\u2019m just wondering why the bill also\u2014and I may be wrong here, but when I look at clause 8(4), there\u2019s reference to the \u201Cjoint venture or entity that\u2019s managing the reinstatement of the Cathedral\u201D. But I note that that\u2019s not included in the actual\u2014it seems to me there\u2019s no reference to that, and I\u2019m assuming that that links back to the document, but there\u2019s actually no sort of definition or further elaboration of the actual joint venture or of the entity that\u2019s managing the actual reinstatement of the cathedral, and I\u2019m just wondering if that\u2019s intentional, or is it all implicit by virtue of the Cathedral Working Group report? Thanks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EParts 1 and 2, schedules 1 to 3, and clauses 1 and 2 agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EHouse resumed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EBill reported without amendment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EReport adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00223e1857bfb30d465ba30cc3480c22f54e\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022 data-id=\u0022b743c2a35850423ba6b7e1ac6229b208\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b743c2a35850423ba6b7e1ac6229b208\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill be now read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EI would like to acknowledge the organisations and members of the public who took the opportunity to make submissions to the Environment Committee, and those who did take the time to appear before that committee in both Christchurch and Wellington, especially with such a truncated time frame. I\u2019d also like to thank the chair of that committee, Deborah Russell, and members of the Environment Committee for their consideration of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EI do also want to acknowledge what an extraordinary piece of legislation this is. This is a bill that confers on a Minister extraordinary powers, but with a good balance of checks and balances on those extraordinary powers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EI\u2019d also like to take the time to acknowledge the officials who have worked so hard in getting this legislation to the House, getting this bill passed by Christmas so that Christchurch can have the hope that the centre of our city can start regenerating and that that building that sits at the heart of our city, as we enter into this Christmas period\u2014people in Canterbury can have faith that our city is on the road forward, that we are marching towards having regeneration, and that there is a positive future for us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EWe are committed to providing an enabling environment to facilitate the reinstatement of this most significant of Christchurch buildings. This commitment is crucial for the people of Christchurch, for nearby businesses and landowners, for investors in the city, and, of course, for the potential donors to the reinstatement project itself. I\u2019d like to reiterate that\u2014the potential donors to the reinstatement project itself.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EThrough this legislation, we are ensuring that certainty about the delivery of the cathedral can be provided, and that is critical for our city. We are recognising the cathedral\u2019s contribution to the cultural, social, and economic well-being of our city. It\u2019s important to Christchurch\u2019s regeneration and, importantly, its heritage value. This will support the regeneration of not only Cathedral Square but the wider central city.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EBut I want to take a moment to discuss the work that is occurring alongside this bill to facilitate the reinstatement. This legislation is a critical building block in getting our cathedral reinstated, but there are others that we also need to consider. The Christchurch City Council yesterday, of course, made the vital decision to also fund this project, and I would like to congratulate the council on coming to that conclusion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EAlso, as set out in the offer of support, I am in the process of establishing a trust that will raise funds for the reinstatement and enter into a joint venture with the Church Property Trustees, who are the owners of the cathedral, to undertake the delivery of this cathedral project. In November, I appointed Mr Peter Guthrey as the chair of the trust, and I hope to make further appointment announcements prior to Christmas. We are intent on getting the momentum needed to make sure that our cathedral can be reinstated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EThe bill and the establishment of the trust are another step forward on this road to reinstatement, but there are many more that we need to take. Reinstating the cathedral is a task that will take time. Fund-raising for the cathedral will be a significant undertaking, and I am confident that the people of Christchurch, New Zealand, and the world will come together to support this reinstatement. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f3f7c3f98dbf4469a89a4c40562f7bdb\u0022\u003EAmended Answers to Oral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223a488fd4bc2641ac8db82fa222777389\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3 to Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022325937b26d394486b52be14b81da7279\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022325937b26d394486b52be14b81da7279\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I seek leave of the House to correct an answer I gave to a supplementary question to question No. 3 today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eae7e90287574e099ad398985b219894\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is set\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022076d539301804be8b3a0a89e8eab68eb\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Sought.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002204a2f598357946e288f978ee8e061616\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014sought for that. Is there any objection to that being taken? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022510db233c473432db6306c6f2d0caf57\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to part of question No. 3 today, I read a quote from the ANZ in response to the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update. I don\u2019t believe I offered the full context, so the full quote was: \u201CIn our view, while we are constructive about prospects going forward, this economy has already picked the low-hanging fruit.\u201D I read an edited version of that statement: \u201CIn our view, we are constructive about prospects going forward\u201D. I don\u2019t believe that was accurate, so that\u2019s why I need to correct it.\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=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022eb84452d39a54cf5815ae73a511679dd\u0022\u003EChrist Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e6d04af34b214f1cbd6a664b1d9a582e\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000298\u0022\u003EDebate resumed.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022 data-id=\u0022c8fbfec4ab1a4da198f317ac5112666e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c8fbfec4ab1a4da198f317ac5112666e\u0022\u003EHon NICKY WAGNER (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Assistant Speaker. I am enormously pleased that we\u2019ve got to this stage with this bill before Christmas. It is really something to celebrate that we now have this enabling legislation almost in place and that, with the Christchurch City Council\u2019s commitment to their grant, it means that all the last bits of the plan are in place for this cathedral to be reinstated. That\u2019s something that we can celebrate pre-Christmas. I am particularly pleased because when I went to the synod and talked to them about this, I promised that we would have action by Christmas. So I\u2019m delighted that I can stand here and take some credit for getting some of that done, but also give credit to the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThis is such an important building to Christchurch. It is an important part of our history. It\u2019s an important part of our culture. As we\u2019ve already talked about, every Christchurch person, Canterbury person, and most visitors that come to Christchurch have some kind of relation to this building. But it\u2019s also bigger than that. This is much more than just a building, much more than a church, much more than a cathedral\u2014it is a significant heritage building that has been the symbol of our city for over 100 years. The thing that strikes me about this building is that, yes, the reinstatement is going to be a huge project, but when they decided to build this cathedral, there were only 5,000 people living in Christchurch and yet they built a cathedral that seated 1,500. So it was an enormous undertaking for a very small population to create a neo-Gothic building of this kind of stature. So a reinstatement is a big challenge, and I know it\u2019s going to take up to 10 years, but in terms of the challenge of building it in the first place, I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll be able to do it very successfully.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EOf course, the fact that the earthquakes damaged it so badly that it sat in the centre of our city, neglected and decaying, for the last seven years has meant that even though there\u2019s been so much debate over the future of this building, even though lots of people had different ideas and not everybody supported a reinstatement, everybody has got to the stage that we need a decision, we need to go forward, and we now have a decision in place. I\u2019m very hopeful that the community will come behind this decision and take pleasure in the rebuild, the reinstatement, and take pride as this building evolves once again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EI just want to make a short statement of thanks to everybody who\u2019s been involved in this project. As we know, it\u2019s been seven years. It started off by purely getting people out of it and looking after people who were injured and looking for the dead bodies, which luckily weren\u2019t there. So it started seven years ago, and, from that time, the passion and the commitment of the people who cared about the cathedral and cared about the centre of the city has meant that there\u2019s been lots of debate. I would just like to pay my respects to the Church Property Trustees, who are responsible for this building, who are the owners of the building, and Bishop Victoria Matthews, who is, obviously, the bishop of the diocese. They have worked long and hard to try and get a good solution.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EI would also like to pay respects to the heritage people, particularly the Great Christchurch Building Trust, and the leaders of that group, of course, are the Hon Jim Anderton and the Hon Philip Burdon. They both lead a very large team of people who were absolutely committed to getting the best possible outcome for Christchurch. And then, of course, I\u2019d like to pay credit to the Hon Gerry Brownlee, who, when we were absolutely at a situation that we weren\u2019t sure about the objective facts about this building, managed to have two reports. The first was the Miriam Dean report, which was an engineering report that confirmed that the cathedral could be reinstated for about $100 million, and then, of course, the Cathedral Working Group, which has detailed the plan to go forward. We appreciate that work, because that\u2019s led to the Government package, it\u2019s led to the funding options, and it\u2019s led to this legislation. So I think it\u2019s a very satisfactory way through this process. It has been blood, sweat, and tears, but we are here and now we can get together, get behind it, and make sure that this reinstatement goes as smoothly, as efficiently, and as effectively as possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003ESo, just in conclusion, I would like to celebrate with everyone here that we have got to this point in the project, that this legislation will empower and fast track the reinstatement of the building, that the Christchurch City Council\u2019s grant is the last bit of monetary funding that we need for it to happen, and now I think we can just get on with it. This is a significant heritage building. It is the symbol of our city, and I hope every Christchurch person, Cantabrian, and visitor to our city will be proud of the reinstatement. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022 data-id=\u0022f5b0ae22793f48e8832ff90c968c44e1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f5b0ae22793f48e8832ff90c968c44e1\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E As this cathedral rises again in the next few years, I think it\u2019s going to express many things: a rebirth, a regrowth, a new hope in Christchurch, and a real symbol of the community. I think one of the things that it can symbolise as it grows again is actually the process of our robust democracy in Christchurch and in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThis bill has come about through a really robust democratic practice that has come from right through the community. It came about in some part because of the operation of our legal system, with litigation. People might not regard that as part of our democratic practice, but it\u2019s actually a really important way that we discuss how things ought to go. I know that that litigation was long and hard fought, but eventually it brought us to a conclusion and brought some ideas out and brought people to a place where they could gather and actually talk to each other about how to go ahead from there. That was the first part of the democratic practice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThe next part was their reports, and in particular the Cathedral Working Group report\u2014again, a really robust discussion where people tried to gather together and come to a conclusion, and that is the basis on which the cathedral will be rebuilt. There was a real gathering of voices around that particular report of people who mattered, from Heritage New Zealand to the Christchurch City Council to the people who own the church, the Church Property Trustees\u2014so that kind of democratic process happened as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThen there was leadership from members of this House in the previous Parliament. Here I think particular tribute needs to be paid, and deservedly so, to the Hon Nicky Wagner, who fought really hard to get a solution across the Cabinet table in the previous Cabinet. So, in large part, the growing of this cathedral again will be due to her, but also to the current Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, the Hon Megan Woods, who has got this bill to the stage where it is getting through the House today when the actual solution is in place. So there are people from right across the House who have worked on this bill to bring it together to the stage where the cathedral can start to grow again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThen there was the robust select committee process, where we drew on knowledge from people who live in Christchurch: from Dr Duncan Webb; from yourself, Madam Assistant Speaker, as a member of the Environment Committee; from Matt Doocey, who is based down that way; from Maggie Barry, who has a particular heritage knowledge to bring to it\u2014every single member of that committee had something to contribute as part of our process. Of course, we had the expert assistance of officials, people who brought their knowledge and expertise: from the select committee officials; the clerk of the committee and her assistant, who helped us to get this process completed so quickly and, really, so very, very smoothly; to the officials in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, who brought their particular expertise to it, and the people drafting the law. This was all part of our robust system of Government, and it\u2019s all expressed in this bill\u2014this bill that will help to reinstate the cathedral. So I think that, as the cathedral regrows, it not only symbolises the community gathering together again in the heart of the community of Christchurch but also expresses what Government, richly understood, can do. So that\u2019s what I\u2019ve been thinking about in terms of this particular bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EBut I just wish to add a final reflection about the cathedral itself. I\u2019ve visited many great cathedrals. I\u2019ve been very lucky to be able to do so. As I was thinking about some of the great cathedrals I\u2019ve visited, I\u2019ve realised that, in some ways, they all merge into one\u2014they\u2019re very similar in many ways\u2014but there is something very special I remember about each one, and it tends to be something to do with words. So, from Salisbury, I remember one of the four extant 1215 copies of the Magna Carta sitting there in the Salisbury Cathedral. In the Winchester Cathedral, it\u2019s Jane Austen\u2019s grave that really sticks in my mind. In Durham Cathedral, it\u2019s the tomb of the Venerable Bede\u2014all wordy things.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI first visited Christ Church Cathedral just before my 17th birthday, on a family trip around the South Island. Because I was brought up in a very P\u0101keh\u0101 household, in a middle-class, white household, I didn\u2019t know much Te Reo, but there was a plaque on the wall there with those words that we all know now: he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. [It is people, it is people, it is people.] That\u2019s what I remember from Christ Church Cathedral, and I hope that in years to come, when I visit that cathedral again as it is reinstated, I hope to see that plaque again with those words about the people\u2014the people that it is all about. That\u2019s why it is important that this cathedral is reinstated, and that\u2019s why I commend this bill to this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022 data-id=\u002224dd4b5e695c4a7cb2ad491efc99ec17\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002224dd4b5e695c4a7cb2ad491efc99ec17\u0022\u003EMATT DOOCEY (National\u2014Waimakariri):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s a great pleasure to rise in support of the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill. I must say, what a fantastic Christmas present to Cantabrians a week or so out from Christmas, as we pass this bill in its third reading.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EI\u2019m going to be as bold as to predict that I feel Cantabrians are going to fall in love with the cathedral again. We\u2019ve had years of division, years of argument, and I feel that, over the course of the next 10 or 15 years, Cantabrians, and especially the people of greater Christchurch or Christchurch, are going to reconnect with the cathedral. But I feel it\u2019s not only going to be the cathedral but the area of Cathedral Square as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EI mean, it\u2019s interesting, as Cantabrians, we look back at Christchurch pre-earthquakes with a bit of rose-tinted glasses, and in fact there were a lot of areas, including Cathedral Square, that were pretty dated. People weren\u2019t actually happy with the functionality of it, but I think we\u2019ve got a real opportunity now not only with the cathedral but the whole city, as we rebuild the best small city in the world, to actually make Cathedral Square a regeneration area. And the cathedral will be the gem of that regeneration area because, of course, there\u2019s wider regeneration going on with the future use of the red zone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s an exciting time, and I really hope that people come together, get excited, and who knows? Maybe in a few years\u2019 time we\u2019ll be back to the old days where we\u2019ll be having New Year\u2019s Eve concerts in Cathedral Square. Maybe the Dance Exponents will not be playing their final concert until the next year, and then maybe the next year after that\u2014but all the good stuff that we remember about Christchurch and about Canterbury.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EWhat\u2019s really important about this legislation is that, yes, time is a factor in our rebuild. Yes, things could be done quicker, and when you talk to people on the street, quite rightly, they want anchor projects like the cathedral done quicker. But, actually, when you talk to the people on the ground, their first criteria is they want things to be done right, and they want it to be done to high quality. That\u2019s exactly where I feel this bill has landed. It\u2019s enabling legislation that will actually allow a design to unfold\u2014because, of course, the design will unfold over the years, very much like the city. No city is ever built; it\u2019s always building. It\u2019s going to be quite exciting to see where we end up in 10 years\u2019 time with this new cathedral.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EJust to conclude, I do hope that all the stakeholders involved in this reinstatement play nicely and play well over the coming years. I just encourage any prospective donors out there: now is the time to come forward in the Christmas spirit as we look to rattle the tin and get the money together to build a cathedral at the centre of Christchurch. Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022 data-id=\u00229ff1ba86d67b43baa1e6a2ce2c965d10\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229ff1ba86d67b43baa1e6a2ce2c965d10\u0022\u003EMARK PATTERSON (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. I too have great pleasure in rising to support the passing of the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill. Today, we have come together as a House to enshrine this important piece of legislation to allow the reinstatement of the Christ Church Cathedral in the heart of Christchurch, where one has been since 1864. I do note the extraordinary powers granted to the Minister\u2014particularly, the Orders in Council provision\u2014and we in New Zealand First have looked at this, but we are sufficiently satisfied with them being subject to judicial review\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022199f7742b7d345439e5ee15e2fced999\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, Denis wouldn\u2019t have said that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238e55cd11ba44b3fb56cb29709f26e40\u0022\u003EMARK PATTERSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and having a defined scope, and a time frame and a sunset clause of 15 years. We are satisfied, post-Denis, that all the checks and balances are in place. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EI would like to acknowledge that this bill had its genesis in the work done by the Hon Gerry Brownlee and the Hon Nicky Wagner. The honourable member may be saddened that she didn\u2019t get to put her name on the final legislation, but her contribution is well noted and well-known. I congratulate the Hon Dr Megan Woods for having shepherded this bill through the House. Of course, as the local member in Wigram and as the former Opposition spokesperson on earthquake recovery, she has also played a full role. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EI note the contribution of the Christchurch City Council yesterday. It would have been somewhat unconscionable for this House to support this project without the council also having put their money where their mouth is and shown their support. So we welcome that as we all come together. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EAlso, I acknowledge the local notable leadership\u2014as has already been discussed\u2014by the past members of this House Philip Burdon and Jim Anderton, who have shown wise heads when wise heads have been needed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EI acknowledge the officials for their work in this truncated process. I think what we have seen is the House working at its best, with a degree of purpose and solidarity around this, and it was this signal that we needed to send to the people of Christchurch from this House. They have our full support, and they have certainly seen that. I also think that we need to acknowledge the submitters and, from what I\u2019ve seen and read, the very pragmatic and sound contributions that we got through that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EImportantly, we\u2019re also committed to funding, in the form of the $10 million we have granted and the $15 million loan towards the $104 million estimated cost. There has been some resistance to this. Some of the submitters asserted that this was private property, it was a religious institution, and it was the responsibility of the Church. However, this is a narrow view. This is not just bricks and mortar. This is not just a church. This is a significant and historic building that is intrinsically linked to the city of Christchurch, and anything less than a reinstatement would not have done. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EI also note the tourism sector. Christchurch Airport has 8.5 million transactions, or passenger arrivals, every year, with many of them local and international tourists. You have to have a tourism portfolio. Without the cathedral, the Arts Centre, and those great buildings, you become a bigger version of Ashburton without the airport or the university. Tourists are looking to the great tourism paradise of Otago and Southland\u2014to the great lakes down there\u2014and to the emerging powerhouses of Gore and Invercargill as they come on to the tourism maps. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EI would also like to just salute those people that pushed back on the original decision to demolish this cathedral. It is vindication for their tenacity, really. While it was messy and litigious, the right decision has been arrived at, and now the ball is back in the court of the local trust to finish the job that we are giving it the opportunity here to do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EWith the passing of this bill, we facilitate the reinstatement of the Christ Church Cathedral to the heart of Cathedral Square, where one belongs. Future generations of New Zealanders will thank us. On behalf of New Zealand First, I commend the passing of this bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022 data-id=\u00223afce564fc614e3494bbe5ec5c2d96f7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223afce564fc614e3494bbe5ec5c2d96f7\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY (National\u2014North Shore):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Assistant Speaker. Well, \u2019tis the week before Christmas, and the present is wrapped. We have as a Parliament come together. We have seen Christchurch as a city come together. We have seen the generosity of spirit that has led to the solution that is the basis of this enabling legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI would like to personally acknowledge\u2014and, again, I think it probably points to the divide that has been bridged by this project\u2014Philip Burdon and Jim Anderton. They are not men that were alongside each other politically but are ardent Christchurch and Canterbury people who understood what needed to be done to get to the stage where we are at today. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ETo the Hon Nicky Wagner, who did extraordinary work\u2014I don\u2019t know if people realise it, but most Sundays she went to Mass to be able to meet with the Bishop Victoria Matthews afterwards, to enable the right level of relationship and communication and trust to be there. I would have to say that Nicky is one of the most thorough and hard-working members of Parliament and Ministers sticking up for a cause that I have ever worked with, so I would like to give a special shout-out to her. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ETo the current Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Dr Megan Woods, thank you for taking the patience to explain and articulate some of the issues that lay behind the questions that we were asking. The select committee process was serene, and, again, I commend our chair of the Environment Committee, Dr Deborah Russell, for that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EIn fact, one of the things that Dr Russell said a few moments ago got me thinking. We\u2019ve all visited cathedrals around the world. Christ Church Cathedral I remember going to as a youngster, and, in a previous life, we filmed there. I know that the flower carpet that was done through the cathedral\u2014up the main part of the aisle of the cathedral\u2014was truly wondrous. I\u2019ve hardly ever seen a cameraman cry, but our one did that day. He was absolutely moved by the beauty of it and by the context of having the flowers from the Garden City, home-grown in people\u2019s gardens, laid out in the elaborate French tradition of trompe l\u2019\u0153il, with the trickery of the eye but also the parterre\u2014the embroidery on the ground. So this main big carpet was designed to be seen from above, and, to me, that\u2019s what a great cathedral does. It inspires you to go beyond the prosaic and to look up, to contemplate, and to think about things other than everyday life. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EOther cathedrals around the world have stories to tell. Something that I think will one day be part of the rich tapestry of the Christ Church Cathedral story is that it did have this terrible episode. Along with Chartres Cathedral in England, which was razed to the ground, it was rebuilt. For those of you who will have been to Monte Cassino, you will know of the big cathedral on top of the mountain there, where so many lost their lives in terrible conditions. The Allied forces bombed it, but it was fully and totally restored, with a level of integrity to heritage values that I think we can all learn from. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EAgain, as I said in my speech yesterday, I think that the world is, in many ways, a smaller place. We can learn from what is happening in real time in Japan, and from what is happening at la Sagrada Familia in Spain, where, in fact, a New Zealander\u2014a New Zealand engineer\u2014is leading the charge to build this cathedral and finish it for the first time. It was Gaudi\u2019s masterpiece, but he got run over by a tram, and they thought he was a vagrant. He died penniless in the paupers\u2019 hospital and his plans were not found, so for a long time it stood there\u2014in perhaps a similar way to the way that the Christ Church Cathedral has\u2014as a testimony to potential and to what might happen one day. With the help of an international team with a New Zealander at the heart, it is now nearing completion. It is a remarkable design. It has lost nothing of its power and its strength through the years that it has sat mouldering quietly before the right people, the right ideas, the right vision, and the right determination came along, and that is similar, I think, to what has happened with Christ Church Cathedral. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI think it is marvellous that it\u2019s going to be reinstated. I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing what will happen with the spire. The cathedral itself probably deserves one, and it needs one, given the style of the building. The heritage people have been paying a lot of attention to those aspects, and I hope, as my colleague Matt Doocey has indicated, that in the spirit of generosity in the festive season, people will see this as an opportunity to contribute something to the building of that spire and to complete the work that has been started by the Crown, with the $10 million and the $15 million as a non-repayable loan\u2014a suspensory loan\u2014and then, of course, the $10 million from the council. It\u2019s not quite enough, but it\u2019s certainly a starter for 10, and I think that the public of Christchurch, and New Zealanders generally, can have confidence that the project will go ahead in a way that reflects the wairua of the original cathedral but with more. So this is with add-ons, and they will accentuate its charm and its capacity to enthral people for generations to come. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ESo, from my perspective, the reinstatement is very much a part of this bill that we\u2019ve been working on. The spirit of collaboration and cooperation is, as many have remarked, an endangered and threatened species in this House. It seldom happens that people cooperate to quite this extent, but it is possible for everybody to pull together. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EAnd I hope that the people of Christchurch who have been detractors and who have, as other speakers have noted, been reluctant to see public money go into a church\u2014so, we\u2019re a secular society is one of the arguments. We shouldn\u2019t be putting money into these sorts of things, it should be the responsibility of a church, and so forth\u2014I disagree with that. I think there are probably about 50 buildings in New Zealand that transcend mere local or ownership issues, and the cathedral of Christchurch is one of them. From the time I saw it topple on that awful day of the earthquake in 2011, I hoped it would be reinstated. I kept my counsel on that to myself because, as the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage at the time, I felt it would be unhelpful if I waded in. But I think the right decision has been made. I would hope that, in the spirit of harmony that has seen this bill arrive in this House in this state, it will enable all of the good work that\u2019s been put together by the cathedral working party and others to reach a satisfactory conclusion. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI would especially like to note and acknowledge Jim Anderton, who, I know, is not well, and who, I know, has given an enormous amount of his time and prodigious energy to ensuring that this project has not been forgotten\u2014that the demolition did not occur. Philip Burdon is another who has given a lot of his time. I think that when you look at that spirit of willingness, it is to put aside all differences\u2014as the parliamentary prayer used to say\u2014and to be able to join together for a common cause and make it happen, because no one would have done it if we all hadn\u2019t done it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EThat is why this piece of legislation is so special, and the fact that it happens just before Christmas is, I think, serendipitous. It is perhaps coincidental, but it certainly deserves to be happening at a time when celebration, harmony, and goodwill to all people and all buildings should prevail. So that is why I fully support and commend this bill to the House. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022 data-id=\u002275fcb3e090bc42599c9a0e129c611623\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002275fcb3e090bc42599c9a0e129c611623\u0022\u003EHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E E Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. Meri Kirihimete. I\u2019m very pleased to support this bill on behalf of the Green Party and thank the Hon Maggie Barry for reminding me and bringing to my mind\u2019s eye that beautiful vision of the floral carpet in the cathedral. It was an incredible feat of organisation, getting all the flowers and then the design on the floor of the cathedral.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EI guess that is why the cathedral is more than just a church building, because it has been used for a lot of community events, a lot of secular activities as well, and because it draws people in who are not necessarily religious. It is part of inspiring buildings that they create that sense of place, which the cathedral certainly does at the heart of Christchurch city, and that they create memories for the community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EI will be delighted when this bill goes through, because walking down Armagh Street last weekend, past the Canterbury Provincial Council Chambers, which was very soon after the earthquakes\u2014it was very badly damaged, but there were efforts made to weatherproof it, so that it could be restored over time as funds, skills, and skilled craftspeople permitted. It has been an absolute tragedy that the Christ Church Cathedral has remained open to the weather, to the pigeons, and to the elements. That will have compromised the building further. What this bill going through will mean is that, as a very first step, the building can be weatherproofed and action taken to do that to ensure that we don\u2019t allow it to deteriorate further.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EThis bill\u2019s also significant because it continues and creates that sense of momentum and energy that has seen groups like the Great Christchurch Buildings Trust work so hard to put before the public, to encourage the Church Property Trustees and others, that, in their vision, this magnificent building can be reinstated and restored. I pay tribute to the former Minister, the Hon Nicky Wagner, for all of the work that she did with the Church Property Trustees, working with the bishop, so that the General Synod made that great decision that they did to accept the Crown offer and to go forward with reinstatement. I congratulate all of the members of the Environment Committee, under Deborah Russell\u2019s chair, and the Hon Megan Woods for continuing the initiative that had built up around the cathedral after so many years of letting it really fall into disrepair because of the substantial difference of views within the Christchurch community over its future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EBut I think that is a function and just a sort of aspect of the Christchurch character\u2014that there are these extraordinary arguments around sometimes new buildings, around public spaces like Victoria Square, around the Arts Centre when there was a proposal for a music conservatory there that went to the Environment Court. People in Christchurch really care about what happens in public spaces, so there has been enormous debate about the cathedral. Now, with this bill, there\u2019s a coming together so that everybody is working for that common purpose of reinstatement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003ELike others, I pay tribute to the enormous efforts of the Hon Jim Anderton with his work with Philip Burdon and other members of the trust to make sure, in those early days, that the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority didn\u2019t issue that section 38 demolition notice that some had wanted. I also commend Minister Brownlee because I think he was involved too in those days to ensure that that notice didn\u2019t go through, as it did with so many other Christchurch buildings to the detriment of the city\u2019s character and built heritage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EThis bill, as others have mentioned, does override other legislation with these powers that the Minister has to recommend Orders in Council, but the Green Party is satisfied that there are sufficient checks and balances on that power through things like the expert panel, which will review draft Orders in Council and make recommendations on them to the Minister; the fact that the Orders in Council are made public and that local authorities, as a result of the amendments made by the select committee, also have to be made aware and invited to comment; and the fact that there is a report to the House on Orders in Council and that they have a 15-year life before falling into disuse if they are not revoked before that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003ESo I think the bill shows, once again, the value of legislation going to select committees, even though there was a very truncated and short select committee process. There were a number of submissions that did result in some quite significant changes to the bill, with the changes to the purpose to recognise the contribution that the cathedral makes to the cultural, social, and economic well-being of the city and that its reinstatement will contribute to that well-being, as well as those existing aspects of the purpose around providing greater certainty for both the Christchurch community and the Church Property Trustees.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EI think the addition of a map to the bill, making it very clear what the cathedral area involved, was a good addition. The select committee, I think, has done an excellent job, and I join with others in commending this bill to the House and the fact that it marks a significant step forward in the future of our city, given that the cathedral is such a potent symbol for Christchurch, and thinking of what has been achieved at the Christchurch Arts Centre: the huge craftsmanship that has been demonstrated with the restoration of those buildings and how now they ring with a lot of visitors and residents enjoying once more that important aspect of the city\u2019s heritage and the beautiful combination of stone, wood, and large quadrangles that these heritage buildings represent. So it is a very good day for Christ Church Cathedral, and I\u2019m very pleased that this bill is going forward. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022a237fed687764615bf494863f13f945f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a237fed687764615bf494863f13f945f\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sorry. Stanford\u2014Miss Stanford. Erica\u2014sorry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022 data-id=\u002294569830407c4517a060045f41c8fa09\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002294569830407c4517a060045f41c8fa09\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD (National\u2014East Coast Bays):\u003C/span\u003E That\u2019s fine. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I\u2019m really happy and proud to take a call on this third reading of the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill. Can I just say that although I\u2019ve only just started to be involved in this, it really does just feel like the beginning\u2014the beginning of, hopefully, what is the end of the reinstatement of this historic and beautiful cathedral.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EI\u2019m going to keep this short because I\u2019ve said most of what I want to say in the second reading of this bill, but I did want to say that my perspective is somewhat of an outsider. I\u2019m not from Christchurch. I did live there for a while, but my perspective is of an Aucklander, and what I learnt through this process was that this cathedral is so very important to the people of Christchurch. In fact, three days after the earthquake, I flew down to Christchurch and spent some time in Lyttelton shooting a documentary as part of my previous career. Amongst all of the stories, the personal stories that we heard, one of the things that came through from everyone that we spoke to was their feelings of despair at losing their beautiful cathedral. That is what I bring to these procedures.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EI have to say that one of the highlights for me from being involved in this was the collaborative process that we had in the Environment Committee\u2014the shared purpose that we had of working together collaboratively to come up with a bill that was fit for purpose and that we felt was going to achieve the purpose of this bill, which is to reinstate this cathedral in a timely manner and a cost-effective manner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EIt was really important, as a newbie, to understand the context of this bill and all of the work that went in to getting to the point of where we were at select committee, and that meant understanding, in particular, the Cathedral Working Group\u2019s report and the history of that, and the good-faith negotiations that all of those groups went into to come to agreeing to that really important document, which is why it\u2019s so important that that document is now referred to in this bill. That was the work of the select committee\u2014that we felt that that was such an integral and important document that it needed to be referenced in this bill. I think that will give many parties on all sides of this debate who have vested interests and a great deal of passion around the cathedral some comfort.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EI was also really pleased in this bill that we also included the Christchurch City Council in the engagement clause, clause 9. As a regulatory body that will be involved in this process of reinstating the cathedral, the bill beforehand really didn\u2019t require them to be consulted with unless the Minister thought that it was right. The fact that we\u2019ve now put them in there is, I think, a really important step because they are such an important partner in the reinstatement of the Christ Church Cathedral.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EI want to thank all the submitters that we heard from. We heard from nine; in between Christchurch and Wellington, we heard from nine. They were all fantastic. They gave us some really constructive criticism, which we listened to very, very carefully and took on board, and I feel that we ended up with a bill that balanced some of those competing views, and we came up with a bill that really is fit for purpose. In fact, those submitters brought forward some ideas that we hadn\u2019t thought of and were particularly insightful. We considered them very, very carefully.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EWe also, while deliberating, were very conscious of the fact that we were giving incredible powers to a Minister. We knew, through that whole process, that we needed to make sure that there were the appropriate checks and balances, and that was on our minds the entire time, but given that it is such a small geographical space, we felt that the powers that we were giving to the Minister\u2014everything would be fine.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe last thing that I wanted to say\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb9c74323196447d897ea8d03a7f74bd\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: She\u2019s not the worst Minister. Who\u2019s the worst Minister, again?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d1763de87284378bb59ee7809839a8a\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, the worst Minister? We didn\u2019t have a particular Minister in mind; we were imagining one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EI just want to finish by saying that this is indeed a Christmas present for the people of Christchurch, although the kind of Christmas present you get that you open up and find is actually a kitset and it\u2019s going to take 10 years. But I jest. This really is a monumental occasion. It\u2019s fantastic for the people of Christchurch. I cannot wait for the day that I take my children down to Christchurch to show them the new, reinstated cathedral, and I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022 data-id=\u002264104c026fd444ea996551cf9aabb0c6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002264104c026fd444ea996551cf9aabb0c6\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E It gives me great pleasure to speak to this bill about the cathedral that is in the heart of my electorate, and I look forward in some years to taking Ms Stanford and her children through the cathedral. I\u2019ll happily host her and any of her colleagues at any time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EThis building is and will be a magnificent monument in the middle of Christchurch, and I do remember myself looking at it with awe and wonder as a young man, and then taking my own children there and seeing them have the same sense of awe, looking at this Gothic architecture, these huge vaults, and the perhaps somewhat dim but awe-inspiring interior. I remember taking them to the area where one lights candles and, not being particularly religious, having to explain to them what was going on. I thought we would light a candle, explaining to them that it was a prayer candle and what one was supposed to do was to think of someone in need and say a prayer as you light the candle in a symbolic sense. This is a symbol of Christchurch, because it really has represented not only the physical destruction that has blighted Christchurch but also the dissension that has blighted Christchurch. What we\u2019ve seen here is an example of how not to do things, and then a real change in how things can be done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EIt is clear that arguing from separate corners gets us nowhere, and trying to solve problems by recourse to the courts alone won\u2019t get us any further. So it\u2019s with a great deal of joy that I see that we\u2019ve managed to move past that, and I do commend all of those involved. Most recently, it\u2019s been the Christchurch City Council, who have made good on their promise, as they must, to contribute to the restoration. I recognise the ratepayers of Christchurch, some of whom won\u2019t like bearing that burden but who will bear the burden of an increased rate to do that. I also recognise the change of direction of the Great Christchurch Buildings Trust, and their willingness to engage in the processes that have been put before them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003ESpecial mention does need to be made of the Church, because it is the Church, or the Church Property Trustees, who own the land, and they have changed their view. They have agreed to do something that was not their first choice, and they have had their property rights altered. I know the synod, and members of it, considered this very, very carefully indeed, and I thank the members of the synod for the considerable time that they spent on this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EJim Anderton has already been mentioned; our thoughts are with him and the work he\u2019s done on this job, and with the bishop, as well, who has led the Church through this time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EProbably lastly, I recognise the politicians. Nicky Wagner, the former Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, has been instrumental in bringing these people together, and I recognise that, and I recognise that she\u2019s a close neighbour and that she also will enjoy this cathedral. I recognise Megan Woods for her bringing this bill to the House, and also my colleague Deborah Russell, a new MP, who showed real wisdom and care in chairing the Environment Committee. I was very proud to work with her on that\u2014a special mention there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EOne thing that will be important is the continued engagement and consultation, because, as has been mentioned, these are special powers, but they will get engagement only if they are carefully consulted on. But, really, what has to happen now is the process itself\u2014the engagement of architects and builders and engineers, but also real artisans. This is a worldwide, exciting project. Stonemasons from around the world want to come here and do this. This will be a magnificent building. I really look forward\u2014this will be much more than just a monument; it will be a meeting place. It will be a marae for Christchurch. It will also be a refuge, a place of silence and solitude, for some. It will also, of course, be a church and place of worship. It won\u2019t happen overnight, but when it does happen, it will become what it once was\u2014a jewel.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022 data-id=\u0022e04f42ba4cdd48de9f5608678bf08102\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e04f42ba4cdd48de9f5608678bf08102\u0022\u003EJO HAYES (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I stand to take a call in the third reading of the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill. I just want to congratulate again the select committee, the Minister Megan Woods, and the former Minister Nicky Wagner for the work that they\u2019ve done to actually get this bill here today and to get it through for the people of Christchurch.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003ERegardless of all of the submissions that came in through the Stuff media and people saying they didn\u2019t want it\u2014some wanted it but didn\u2019t want to pay for it etc., etc.\u2014the arguments were debated in many ways within those newspaper articles. So I am really pleased that we\u2019ve got to this point. As the speaker before me, Duncan Webb, just mentioned, we are now ready to move through to the next stage: the hiring of architects. I am sure that, after today, once this bill reaches its Royal assent through the Governor-General\u2019s signature, that side of things will actually start to roll fairly quickly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EI want to extend my thanks to the Christchurch City Council. They have done an amazing job to get to their decision, which they announced last night. Also, to the ratepayers: I mean, it is a little bit more in your rates but everybody\u2014not just yourselves in Christchurch but everybody in Aotearoa New Zealand\u2014is going to enjoy the results of this new church and what it will bring to the city of Christchurch. I for one will be pleased to actually see something go up in that square. After a while, you get a bit sick of driving around just a pile of dirt sitting in the middle. I think it will be in memory of all of those people who did lose their lives. This is a resurrection for the centre of the city.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EI won\u2019t take up any more of the House\u2019s time. The committee has done a great job. The contributions here have been very good, and I commend the bill to the House. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u0022ba09ee54686c4c169cf989be13854006\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ba09ee54686c4c169cf989be13854006\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (National\u2014Nelson):\u003C/span\u003E There are three points that I wish to make in the important third reading of the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill. The first of those is that I cannot think, in New Zealand, of a more iconic heritage building than the Christ Church Cathedral. It is a building that has stood over the Canterbury Plains for over 140 years as a symbol of Canterbury\u2019s both pride and also prosperity. I think we also need to acknowledge that those crippling photos of the Christ Church Cathedral became symbolic of the tragedy of the 22 February earthquake in 2011. And I think, if we\u2019re honest, its image would have been repeated millions of times around the world as symbolic of that major disaster for New Zealand. That is why the reinstatement of that cathedral is such an important part of the rebuild and the recovery of Christchurch.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EFor those of us that have travelled to Europe, and you\u2019d go to some of the cathedrals and buildings that were restored after World War II, I do not think any one of those cities would regret either the time or the money that they spent on the repair of those buildings, and I\u2019m sure future generations of both Cantabrians and New Zealanders will feel exactly the same way in future years when the Christ Church Cathedral is reinstated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThe second point I wish to make is about the quite wide-ranging powers that are in this bill that are being vested with Megan Woods as the Minister in charge of the recovery in Christchurch. We on this side of the House are pragmatic. Yes, they allow a Minister to issue Orders in Council that override the Resource Management Act, the Building Act, our Historic Places Act, and many other laws. The only point I would make to members opposite is that I sat in this Parliament and heard my colleague Gerry Brownlee accused of being a Henry VIII, accused of all sorts of sins for identical law, actually, under far more pressing circumstances in the immediate recovery of Christchurch and Canterbury. I am actually proud that Nicky Wagner and the team on this side of the House has not played that game of saying one thing in Government and doing the opposite in Opposition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1f4f3a342d848b0a53abf27497742cc\u0022\u003EHon Tim Macindoe\u003C/span\u003E: Doing the Maharey rule.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002283db97b322804cd8a6aa291b1cd56cc3\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: We have consistently\u2014as my colleague refers to it as the sort of Steve Maharey rule. Actually, National has been consistently\u2014both in Government and in Opposition\u2014pragmatic so as to be as supportive as possible of Christchurch in doing everything possible to recover it. And I do challenge members opposite to reflect on some of the speeches that they gave and the hard time that they gave my colleague Gerry Brownlee when he was doing the right thing for Christchurch in the recovery of that city.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThe third point I want to make is actually one of tribute. That is a tribute to the work of actually both Nicky Wagner and Megan Woods for rising above the normal argy-bargy of Parliament and working hard on this outcome. It\u2019s actually really hard to get all the ducks in a row to be able to reinstate the Christ Church Cathedral. There is no magic formula as to how much the church trust itself should pay, how much the ratepayer should pay, and how much the taxpayer should contribute. The pragmatic deal that sits behind this bill, in my view, has occurred only because\u2014whether it has been the diocese property trust, whether it has been the synod of the cathedral, as well as both the former and current Ministers applying pragmatically and being focused on a solution. Yes, there will be those that are frustrated that it\u2019s taken six years to be able to get to this point, to enable a clear plan for the reinstatement of the Christ Church Cathedral, but Parliament should reflect on the fact that it took over 35 years to build the original cathedral and, in the same way, we will get there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI have one last little plea: there is another gorgeous, beautiful Christ Church Cathedral in New Zealand. It\u2019s actually the second-most visited\u2014prior to the Christchurch cathedral\u2014tourism cathedral in New Zealand and it is in the city of Nelson, which I\u2019m privileged to represent. I do say to the Government that, actually, rather than waiting for the next earthquake and for the next one of our cathedrals to come down, it is far more economic to strengthen our heritage buildings now than to wait for the next quake and the sort of dilemma that we\u2019ve had over the Christ Church Cathedral.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI was pleased to work with my colleague Maggie Barry in establishing a Government fund to assist with the strengthening of those heritage-type buildings. I\u2019d encourage the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Finance, in the House, to support that fund and to ensure that we get ahead of the risk, and that for those iconic sorts of buildings like the Christ Church Cathedral, we work with the communities and strengthen them before we get the next earthquake, so that we don\u2019t again face the sort of dilemma that we faced over the cathedral. Again, I commend the Ministers that have been responsible for this bill. We should celebrate this plan to reinstate Christchurch\u2019s cathedral.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EBill read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e558d6fae21b475eb2aecb6217d32d30\u0022\u003EAdjournment\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e9cd2e90fc42410081495d5f3e054717\u0022\u003ESittings of the House\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228948a5ddc2cb4459a69b14a33fe9a0e7\u0022\u003EStanding Orders\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002203b75f814f084bec95143a545e664a51\u0022\u003ESessional\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u0022581161bacfa445e087964982d16a19b8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022581161bacfa445e087964982d16a19b8\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the House do now adjourn until 2.00 pm on Tuesday, 30 January 2018, and that the sitting programme for 2018 be: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EJanuary 30 and 31; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EFebruary 1, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 27, and 28; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EMarch 1, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EApril 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EMay 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EJune 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EJuly 3, 4, 5, 24, 25, 26, and 31; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EAugust 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003ESeptember 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, and 27; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EOctober 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30, and 31; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003ENovember 1, 6, 7, 8, 27, 28, and 29; \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EDecember 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI also move, on behalf of the Hon Chris Hipkins, That the following sessional orders be adopted:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EStanding Order 47 is suspended, and the following order is adopted in its place:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E47\tAppointment of Monday, Friday or Saturday as sitting day\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(1)\tThe House may order that a sitting day be held on a Monday, Friday or Saturday.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(2)\tThe Business Committee may\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(a)\tinclude a Monday or a Friday in a recommended sitting programme:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(b)\tdetermine that a Monday or a Friday is to be a sitting day when determining a variation of the sitting programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(3)\tOn a sitting day held on a Monday, a Friday or a Saturday, the sitting hours are as for a Tuesday, unless the House or the Business Committee decides otherwise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EStanding Order 75 applies to any other day appointed by the Business Committee to be a sitting day, unless the Business Committee decides otherwise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EStanding Order 79(a) is suspended, and the following subparagraph is adopted in its place:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(a)\tthat the hours of a specified sitting day be adjusted:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EStanding Order 81(4) is suspended, and the following paragraphs are adopted in its place:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(4)\tAfter being adopted by the House, the sitting programme operates subject to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(a)\tany decision by the House to the contrary:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(b)\tany variation of the sitting programme determined by the Business Committee under paragraph (5).\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E(5)\tThe Business Committee may determine that the sitting programme is to be varied by the addition or omission of one or more sitting days.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThis is the second adjournment debate this year, but those who keep this place running all year round, let\u2019s be honest, deserve our thanks every single day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI will start, Mr Speaker, with you. There has been no doubt that there has been a change of tone in this House since your arrival. I\u2019ll admit that there are days where it feels like a tennis match, with the exception that the referee can actually deduct points as they go. But you, Mr Speaker, have chosen to, literally, make this a family-friendly House. That is something to be applauded, and we acknowledge you for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe, as a Government, wish to thank and acknowledge the Clerk\u2019s Office, the Hansard Office, the Bills Office, the Table Office, the catering staff, the security team, the messengers, and the Library and IT teams for their tireless patience and for their endless smiles in the face of adversity. I thank all of them, on behalf of this team, for the service that they continue to give this place, and for, quite frankly, the joy that they bring this place when we sometimes lower the tone. I wish, on behalf of our team, that they all have a restful break, free from politics and free from politicians. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI wish to briefly indulge and thank my team: the newly established team in the Prime Minister\u2019s office. This has been a huge transition and they have worked so hard, and I am incredibly grateful for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EFinally, we are all representatives that sit here from Tuesdays through Thursdays, and while we are here, there are individuals who work in our electorate offices on our behalf on a daily basis. They are us when we are not there. They are the face of our representation when we are not there. Their work is hard, sometimes difficult, and we all, I am sure, owe them a debt of gratitude. I personally wish to thank the team in my office: Barbara and Therese\u2014Therese is on to her second Prime Minister in her service\u2014and I am very, very grateful for the work that they do. I cannot imagine being represented by anyone better.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI can say, from a personal perspective, that I have learnt many, many things in 2017. I have learnt the difference, when plumbing a toilet, between an S trap and a P trap, and why I personally should install neither. I learnt that elections, in this day and age, can be a good, clean contest of ideas, with the exception of a few holes. And I\u2019ve learnt that, in amongst election periods, they are still periods where we are all, ultimately, human. They\u2019re periods that are full of love and hope, and sometimes grief.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI learnt that if you\u2019re ever a deputy to someone like Andrew Little, you should prepare for the unexpected, and possibly run for the hills. And, if you\u2019re a deputy to someone like Andrew Little, you too will get the opportunity to see what an extraordinary man and politician he is\u2014and one of a kind. I acknowledge him.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI learnt that 100 days is not as long as you think. But most of all, I have learnt that, with an amazing team, with a genuine belief that things can and should be better, that with support parties who agree that things in New Zealand can, and should, be better, and with an annoying dose of relentless positivity, when you say \u201CLet\u2019s do this.\u201D, you actually can.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003ESo, what have we done? What have we done over this short period of time since 26 October? What have we managed to do alongside our coalition partner, New Zealand First, and with the support of our confidence and supply partner, the Greens, in that short space of time?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe have increased paid parental leave so that we will see families get 26 weeks with their families to spend more time with baby at the most crucial time in a child\u2019s life. That is something we should all be proud of. We passed the Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill (No 2), which makes sure that Kiwis live in a warm, dry home, and what could be more fundamental and more important than that? Again, Andrew Little\u2014I thank him for the work he did getting that bill ready. We\u2019ve increased student allowances, because it was time to acknowledge that those who are investing in their education deserve the ability to be able to afford to live, and in places like Wellington and Auckland and, in fact, everywhere, it simply wasn\u2019t acceptable to say that roughly $170, on average, was sufficient to do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe made the first year of post-secondary education free, and as much as I heard rhetoric from the other side of the House with unambitious statements around why someone who worked in a supermarket wouldn\u2019t be interested in this\u2014well, I can tell you, I worked in a supermarket, and this is exactly the kind of policy I would have wanted a caring, thoughtful Government who invests in its future to think about. This is what this Government has done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThe people who are most likely to access this policy aren\u2019t just school leavers; they\u2019re people who are already in the workforce who may need to retrain. I met one of them not that long ago. I was at a cafe when a woman said to me that next year she was going to go and train to be a primary school teacher, and I thanked her because of the need that we have. I asked her a little bit about her plans: \u201CHave you ever been to university before?\u201D She said, \u201CNo.\u201D She said, \u201COne of the reasons I\u2019m going is because of you and your Government.\u201D That is the kind of difference that we want to make. We want this to be a productive economy where we train and invest in our people, and that is what this policy is all about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EAlongside that, we\u2019ve established the Pike River Recovery Agency, because we\u2019ve always believed there was more to be done to support families to see a manned re-entry of Pike River. That is this Government\u2019s ambition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe started work on addressing our commitments and obligations when it comes to climate change, and Minister James Shaw has done an enormous amount of work to get the Climate Commission, a transition body, ready to go, as well as the consultation on what will be, eventually, our Zero Carbon Act. I implore all members of this House: we\u2019ve given that a long lead time because we hope that that will be legislation that will be supported by every member in this place. I have that same ambition for our child poverty legislation. This is a Government that hopes that we will one day be a country that is world leading because of the standards we set ourselves and measure ourselves against, and report against, to tell New Zealanders how we are progressing. Yes, that means a living standards framework, it means tracking our progress on environmental degradation, and it means reporting on child poverty, and when we do all of those things, I believe we will be the envy of the world.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe delivered the Families Package\u2014384,000 families who will see, on average, an increase in their incomes of $75 a week. That amounts to one of the most significant things, in my mind, that we\u2019ve done in these past weeks: a 48 percent decrease in child poverty once that Families Package is fully in place. Nothing makes me more proud than to see us investing in those who carry our future, and those are our children.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe managed, of course, to today reiterate our plans to ban the mass sale of Housing New Zealand properties. That felt particularly special to me as the leader of the Labour Party, as I stood on the lawn of the home that was built 80 years ago by a Government who knew that housing was the cornerstone, the foundation, of a future for families in their community. While we are dealing with the other side of the House\u2019s legacy\u2014which means we have 5,000 fewer Housing New Zealand houses than when they started\u2014we will turn that around.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve also kicked off a ban of overseas buyers. We\u2019ve kicked off medicinal cannabis legislation and have dumped national standards. We\u2019ve also restarted contributions to the Superannuation Fund. We have done this in 56 days\u201456 days.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI want to wish everyone in this House a merry Christmas. I want particularly to wish everyone on this side of the House a restful break, because we\u2019ve got a lot of work to do. But to the people of New Zealand: merry, merry Christmas, and I can assure you there\u2019s a lot more to come in the new year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u002241e73ea202dd4905b71145224db11894\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002241e73ea202dd4905b71145224db11894\u0022\u003ERt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, it\u2019s a pleasure to take part in this adjournment debate\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a0f3d22b5f094e44a4ba7ef377fa9d9e\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: The collar\u2019s away already.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e601acea0a5047ddac1fcb43142b24e2\u0022\u003ERt Hon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, yeah, sorry. I\u2019ve got to look the part. But isn\u2019t it good that we can go into Christmas without consultation or a \u201CChristmas commission\u201D. It\u2019s just one of those things that happen, and it\u2019s hard to believe, after listening to this Government, that it\u2019s allowed to happen without the new Labour Government somehow taking credit for it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ECan I thank all of those, though, who have carried us through this year, starting with yourself, Mr Speaker. It\u2019s a welcome change that you\u2019ve decided not to participate in every ruck and stick to reffing. Can I also thank the staff of the Chamber and the messengers, who these days are a great deal younger than they used to be, I\u2019ve noticed, but just as interesting to talk to. All the parliamentary staff who helped with the big shift\u2014the end of a Government and the beginning of a new one is a ruthless process; it all has to happen very quickly, and people who are probably going to lose their jobs are often making the shift. I want to offer them our sincere appreciation for carrying that out with professionalism and so effectively.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ECan I, from my former capacity, thank the Diplomatic Protection Squad (DPS). I found myself, actually, on the way to the Chamber here, outside the door without my fob to swipe, and I saw one of the DPS staff over there and I was waiting for him to come and do it for me, but he didn\u2019t do it. But I can let out a secret: I invented the walk-run so that DPS could keep up with me when I went out on exercise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ECan I also thank the cleaners and the security staff, one of whom today was so happy; I said, \u201CHow\u2019s it going?\u201D, and he said to me, \u201CI\u2019m living the dream.\u201D How much more positive and enthusiastic can you be than that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ECan I thank all the Parliamentary Service staff and National Party staff who worked so hard and still do, because, much as we\u2019ve moved to Opposition, our MPs continue with their role of representing the community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ECan I also acknowledge our public servants. We\u2019ve come to the end of nine years of competent and successful Government\u2014they\u2019re about to get a taste of the other version\u2014but through that time, and particularly through this election year, there was total professionalism and focus while we as a Government continued energetically and competently up to the day that we lost office.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ECan I thank my colleagues and our volunteers for their focus. There hasn\u2019t been a political party who, after nine years of office, has campaigned so vigorously with so many new ideas and such a strong sense of direction about where the country could go, and that is what we carry over into Opposition. And in Opposition, of course, we believe that New Zealand is going in a good direction. It\u2019s confident in the world, it\u2019s got a strong economy, and it\u2019s got strong Government surpluses, and we intend to use our influence to ensure that the Government builds on that strength rather than squandering the opportunity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EI must say, it has been a bit rich sitting here listening to the moral awesomeness and self-congratulation of the Labour Government over the Family Incomes Package when they opposed every single measure that it took to generate the surpluses that they are handing out. That is why they won\u2019t get the credit they expect from the New Zealand public, because the New Zealand public know it\u2019s a bunch of people who found the lolly bag and ran the lolly scramble without having any idea where it came from.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EThat is the significance of cancelling the tax cuts. It\u2019s not so much the thousand dollars, although that would have made a difference to people on the average wage; and I suppose if we\u2019ve come to Christmas thankyous, thank you to the Labour Government for taking away the thousand dollars, I think, that I was meant to get, and handing our household $6,000, which we didn\u2019t expect, we don\u2019t deserve, and which should be going to other, much more important investment in New Zealand than to the free tertiary year of education, which is soaking up staff out of McDonald\u2019s, which has got 18-year-olds planning their holiday\u2014I\u2019ve heard these conversations myself\u2014and the sheer dumbness of paying for 80,000 people to get it free, and to attract another 2,000 into the tertiary system. But I will say thank you. I will say thank you to the Government for that unexpected gift.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EWe are in some kind of an alternative universe now, where a billion is half a billion when it comes to trees. When the Minister of Forestry said he thought his relatives should get off the couch, I thought: why is he talking about Kelvin Davis like that? Actually, it is apparent he is spending more time on the couch than his nephews, and when he goes to count the trees he has to subtract all the Christmas trees that I\u2019ve seen around the country. He can\u2019t count those, even if he\u2019s going to count every other tree that everyone else was going to plant anyway.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EBut Christmas is a time for kindness and generosity. You know, the test of a Government is a small thing. I asked the Prime Minister today whether she would have the kindness and generosity to go and talk to the students of the partnership schools. If you really think young people are at the heart of what you do\u2014you know what I found with young people? You talk to them. Don\u2019t talk to the unions of the adults who look after them. In fact, when talking to their parents you\u2019ll only get half the story. Talk to them. That\u2019s what kindness would be\u2014showing them respect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EAnd then we hear, \u201CBut it\u2019s only 1,000.\u201D\u2014it\u2019s only 1,000 out of the 700,000. Well, I want to say to those young people, I want to wish them the best for Christmas. They were looking forward to the new year with hope and aspiration about the wonderful changes going on in their lives. But what they are now feeling is the lack of kindness, the lack of generosity, the lack of respect from a Government who won\u2019t even address them in the direct way that Kiwis always do when they\u2019ve got something important to say.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EI have to say, for me, that has been such a disappointment\u2014to be lectured by Labour about not caring, and then having a Labour Government say, \u201CWe won\u2019t talk to the kids.\u201D Well, there\u2019s still an opportunity in the new year. There\u2019s still an opportunity for the Labour Government to identify, and the Prime Minister to identify, with some of the most disadvantaged young people in our country, to turn up and ask them what they think. Let\u2019s not have the media there. Well, they won\u2019t turn up if there\u2019s no media there\u2014photo opportunity. It is just a bit unfortunate that, as we head into Christmas, this Government was unable to find within itself the kindness of reaching out to people who are now confused and disappointed about the policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EAs we head into Christmas, we look forward to 2018. It sure is a big change from being in Government. There\u2019s no doubt about that. We had so much going on that was so positive. In fact, quite a bit of it\u2014the new Government, despite criticising it, is going to pick it up, such as big chunks of the housing policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bfe448c485da4ccb834a4726debbc285\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re just renaming it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aea975b150a34c799792d4fef9385357\u0022\u003ERt Hon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: Renaming the housing policy. It\u2019s going to have to use the water quality system and it\u2019s going to have to use social investment, just because these are things that work, including in the areas where the Labour Party thinks they own everything. But, of course, actually, they don\u2019t, because 2018 will be more of exploring what has now become a chasm between intention and reality. We\u2019re finding out, day by day, just how big that gap is. In fact, the gap between intention and reality is almost as big as the gap between New Zealand First and the Greens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ESo can I wish everyone in the Chamber a merry Christmas, including the members of the Government. It was one of the most intense campaigns we\u2019ve had, with the greatest public interest I can recall in the nine campaigns that I have been in. It\u2019s actually good for New Zealand that the politicians, for once, showed the public we could debate these things intensely and have a democratic transition and the country can get on with the job.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022 data-id=\u0022ed76c97d3a2b477187afbc23acd3e787\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ed76c97d3a2b477187afbc23acd3e787\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E As Elvis would say, \u201CThank you very much.\u201D What a tragedy\u2014that in Mr English\u2019s valedictory speech, he found he has a heart and that he actually cares for New Zealanders. But we want to begin, Mr Speaker, by wishing you the very best for Christmas and the new year, all the parliamentary staff wherever they may work, from Hansard all the way through to the cleaners, the caterers, security, drivers\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222bad294ecdeb4b82ad92cb8186bc0755\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Speak clearly, you old fool.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022852f0bbec57749e29ca712bfb2cec74d\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Speak clearly? Oh, I say. Who said that? The doozy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286cea4c150f54d51bb57b979c7c7731d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s a member who I would advise not to come back in this year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e043b1f3073c43f293d5f51c4edf373e\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: To colleagues in New Zealand First, inside and outside of Parliament, we had a really tough year, where the prospects were fantastic and then, all of a sudden, one day they changed and we were fighting for our political lives. Such is politics. But then, after all the votes were counted and negotiations were completed, our party, in the end, decided that the country needed to change course. So thank you for your efforts to make this country a better place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ENow, this is the season of goodwill\u2014lest we forget. [Interruption] I would have thought that Mr Bridges would be the last guy to open his mouth today\u2014the very last guy. Congratulations on being a father for the second time\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252bbba9b532f4aef9cf203163b22db0d\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002204da2f6b392e49c8908c9acb1f28f2f1\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, third time. The rest of us were out campaigning too hard. We couldn\u2019t leave off for things like that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EIn the last election, the National Party made countless promises. As the polls started to change, they got desperate and nearly everything they promised was going to be financed by public-private partnerships. They had no idea about the Dunedin Hospital or Whangarei Boys High School or motorways everywhere. [Interruption] The man that just opened his mouth, the fellow with the $11 billion hole, was probably the biggest cause of National\u2019s demise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228426fa4d488f46198f4158256b5da27e\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Oh rubbish!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e18fc298def746f8a617a46ffcd2e0b9\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, not rubbish. There were shortages in the police of 1,000. There were multimillion dollars of debt in the district health boards. Everywhere you looked, there were shortages, and they were making the claim that they were responsible, good fiscal managers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da5cbbc9a57f40f0b3deeba64dfe3e7b\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: We were.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a6406b6b9f3401983ce4712ade3ffba\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh no, they weren\u2019t. Oh no, they weren\u2019t. They borrowed like there was no tomorrow and they tossed money around, like an eight-armed octopus, to their mates. They borrowed to have tax cuts, and, boy, they\u2019re embittered now that they\u2019re not going to happen next April, because we have better causes, in the interests of equity and fairness, to finance that desperately need our support right now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ECould I just say\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e83e730da0a34c8d8c109c5dace66a0f\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Why don\u2019t you take it off the pensioners?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223625468c7c1b43e78aa9883db1afbbde\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: No, we\u2019re not taking it off the pensioners. Every pensioner out there knows that there\u2019s one Government, this one, that will look after them. Oh yes, they do. I can tell you, I get so much correspondence from people saying to me, \u201CThank God you guys are back.\u201D Oh, they do. They say it to me everywhere I go. They even want photographs, and autographs, and everything else. I say to them, \u201CLook, we\u2019re just doing what should be done for the people of this country who we respect because they\u2019ve created New Zealand the way it currently is.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ECan I just say that the defence budget, for example, was $20 billion over 20 years, and not one cent ascribed in the last Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002201881872e6894799abe9b75c739322e3\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Rubbish!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd21aa0e4a094f4c9d00d662d1aa0c36\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh yes, it\u2019s rubbish. That\u2019s your specialty. It is rubbish. It appears as a fiscal risk. That is not budgeting. Sorry, didn\u2019t put any money in. There was a blowout of $154 million on this latest frigate upgrade\u2014$154 million. Did they tell anybody? Not a word. Not a mutter, not a murmur\u2014didn\u2019t say a thing about it. So they deserve to be where they are.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ECan I just say this: you know, in foreign affairs, it was chronically underfunded, rundown, aid underfunded, and, when it comes to the racing industry, a report came out today that was a disgrace for a country like ours. Nine years of doing nothing and then emerges case after case of what looks like animal cruelty. They had four Ministers. Not one of them knew the back end of a horse. They knew what came out of it, but they didn\u2019t know how to deal with the problem. It was a shocking report out today, and we\u2019ll fix it up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EThey claim to be prudent managers, but, you know, the ASB report out this week says the growth rate was falling to 2.6, the population growth is 2.2, and even this foreign-owned bank is pointing out just how pathetic National were as economic managers\u2014just pathetic.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e244c3fd2a39477ea5647ee292c5a4eb\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Give it up, Winston. Nobody believes you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4966d9f98844968950af635e2da5cb9\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: No, I\u2019m not giving it up; I\u2019m giving it over. Their only answer was to go into further and further overseas ownership, and thank God that\u2019s stopped.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EA collapse of National\u2019s marketing spin leaves its leader hopelessly exposed. The very worst place to be today is on the front bench of the National Party. Oh, yes. Oh, I can hear the grindstone now. I can see the sparks from the knives being sharpened as we speak\u2014[Interruption] You\u2019d better stay and listen to this. It includes you\u2014probably for the last time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cac917461fa463fb9fc33c8bc6096c1\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! I\u2019m not going anywhere.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002262207d95d7a44de78da8c76e8589c60c\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: It would be very remiss of me, as the Minister for Racing, not to offer some odds on the likely leadership of the National Party. So can I start with the first one, that Selwyn MP Amy Adams. She is playing such a long game that it will be all over before she starts. She\u2019s sitting at 30:1. Then we\u2019ve got the favourite from Papakura, Judith Collins. She\u2019s been playing a short game for a long time, so I\u2019ve got her odds at 5:1. Then you\u2019ve got an outsider from T\u0101maki, Simon O\u2019Connor, the oldest young man in New Zealand politics. He\u2019s 50:1. Then you\u2019ve got the $154 million deficit Coleman man from Northcote. He has in the past not got out of the gate\u2014the district health board gates, that is\u2014so he\u2019s 100:1. Another outsider is Nick Smith, the member for Nelson, who at least has the virtue of perfectly embodying how old and tired National looks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228be3ad6926a54b758e55ad4d0ede4cb7\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Twenty years younger than you, mate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002241d887c768b14c7e9d5905cfaf59691c\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: I love having Nick Smith in this House, because he makes me look young.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EThat only leaves three pretenders. Steven Joyce\u2014won\u2019t make it to the start. His form is terrible. He\u2019s the $11.7 billion fiscal hole. It was all fake news. The election campaign was worse for it, and his leaders were diminished in their deceit for the country, and he will instead follow General Omar Bradley\u2019s advice to turn in his tongue along with his suit and to mothball his opinions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EThat leaves just two. That leaves just two. George Eliot once said that there were men whose very presence imbues in others deep trust and reverence. The member for Tauranga is not such a man. He is most definitely not such a man. He is a one-lane bridge blocking a highway full of caucus ambition that will particularly run him down if he gets in their road. And you know who\u2019s in his road over there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EWhich leaves only one. Given how much the National Party leaves in the tank to the Chinese interests, there\u2019s a real chance that National\u2019s Manchurian candidate, Yang, will steal the leadership odds. I\u2019ve got him up 2:1 to be the next leader of the National Party. [Holds up newspaper] It\u2019s all there, and the reason why, and they won\u2019t respond. It\u2019s sad about that, because a once great party called itself \u201CNational\u201D when they understood.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d5ce245b0f504606bdb42e1fe593598e\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Asian bashing is your specialty.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223597c8c77c1d457f899e473ef32b2a69\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, no, it\u2019s not. He who pays the piper calls the tune, and we know what tune National\u2019s calling these days.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c79903b9bbe44179a57dcb7ae8fb36d9\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, and who calls your tune, Winnie? Who\u2019s calling your tune?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fd764deecadd40f49dec77c1d947fd81\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Well, have a look at the electoral returns.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da9e5573e74d4349897ff6de0cd3cc79\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I am going to interrupt the member and make it clear that he\u2019s got to take particular care when he\u2019s coming close to making suggestions about the responses as a result of financing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f484e399fdb24b2b82001551ba37d8fd\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: I was being asked a question, Mr Speaker. If you have a look at the annual returns, which you\u2019ll see very shortly, you\u2019ll see for every dollar we spent on the campaign, the National Party spent 10\u2014spent 10 per vote. That\u2019s my answer, Ms Adams. We don\u2019t get funded like the National Party, and that\u2019s why we are the longest new surviving party since 1916. [Interruption] Aren\u2019t you proud of that? I am.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EI want to close\u2014with all the shouting and attention, they\u2019re all buoyed now\u2014but I know deep in their hearts that being on the front bench there is the most dangerous place to be in New Zealand. We\u2019ve got to be safe on our roads, we\u2019ve got to be safe in our beaches and on our land these holidays, but the most dangerous place to be right now is the National Party front bench, because over there they know they can\u2019t win ever with them. Thank you very much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022de12b16bd35b4d59a8ee734ba9ed1e29\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022de12b16bd35b4d59a8ee734ba9ed1e29\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National\u2014Ilam):\u003C/span\u003E Well, Mr Speaker, I\u2019ll obviously want to say some things about the commentary just offered to the House by the Rt Hon Winston Peters, but can I begin by wishing you Christmas greetings; all the best for 2018. I\u2019m sure that your early form is going to\u2014I was going to say improve; that\u2019d be inappropriate for me say that\u2014develop over the next year, and, alongside that, our understanding of how you choose for the House to operate, I\u2019m sure, will also develop.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003ECan I thank the attendants in the House, the Clerk\u2019s Office, and others who make this place work. Can I thank all of those who make the building a pleasant place to work in. Our own staff, some of whom were with us in Government\u2014to all those who were with us when were in the Beehive, thank you and best wishes for the season to them. To those who have come with us over to this side and the new people who have joined us, we also thank you for your effort as well and look forward to working with you throughout the next couple of years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EI think it\u2019s interesting when a Government steps up at a time of an adjournment debate and wants to outline the record that they\u2019ve had, albeit in their short time\u2014in this case\u2014in Government, but can\u2019t do it without being sort of overtly nasty about the way in which they present it. In the end, if you think about the last speech that was just given, not a single mention of a single achievement by that gentleman\u2019s party in coalition Government\u2014not a mention. Not a mention about what is going to happen in the next 12 months, not a mention about anything that has happened in the last three months. That leads us, of course, to the conclusion that it\u2019s all in that secret 33-page document that only he knows about and the Prime Minister knows about and Grant Robertson knows about and any number of other Ministers including Phil Twyford know about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThis is a Government that has a brilliant way of saying to New Zealanders, \u201CWe are open, we are transparent, we are listening, we are caring,\u201D and then being absolutely none of those things at all. As you heard outlined by the Rt Hon Bill English, even a simple thing\u2014a simple thing\u2014like talking to children whose opportunity is about to be taken away from them is something the Prime Minister can\u2019t find a few minutes to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EIt was interesting to hear this new term\u2014I think it\u2019s new; we haven\u2019t heard it in the House before\u2014\u201Cthe living standards framework\u201D. Well, what is a living standards framework going to look like? What do you expect they would measure for those things? Well, is it going to be employment? We heard today that the employment Minister doesn\u2019t even seem to realise that we have the lowest unemployment\u2014the highest level of employment\u2014that this country has seen. No understanding of where the 245,000 jobs came from in the last two years. He said, \u201CWell, it\u2019s through innovation and entrepreneurship and the Government.\u201D Well, it was this side of the House who were in Government, and the entrepreneurship and innovation is not something that we\u2019re seeing the other side of the House demonstrate at all. Every one of the policies that have been brought in so far are old\u2014most of them from last century.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EI just want to make the point, when it comes to child poverty, that had that package not gone through this week, on 1 April next year 50,000 young New Zealanders would have been above what is known as the poverty level\u201450,000 of them. And alongside that, all those working New Zealanders, who contribute to the well-being of this country, would have been $1,000 a year better off. Further, had we gone through with the promise from this side of the House\u2014and everyone knows it could have been delivered\u2014in 2020 another 50,000 young people would have been lifted above that low level. Those are the sorts of things that matter in people\u2019s lives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EBut what we got from the Government was this bold claim of 88,000 young people being moved above the poverty line from about 2021\u2014a year after National would have delivered 100,000. But, worse than that, they\u2019ve been told by the officials, who look at all these things, that the actual number is only 12,000 more than what would have happened on 1 April next year\u2014a lousy 12,000 more, three years later than it could have happened. And it won\u2019t take long before that sort of spin that the Government put on it is well exposed by people who are interested in it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002259e6c96ed3ea476aa633cf9277b352bd\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: This is not a leadership bid.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d75482b92654d588c434fd6ffc35861\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: And when we\u2014well, you see, there we have it. The gentleman over there on the far side of the House is calling out, \u201CThis is not interesting.\u201D I\u2019ve got to say that when you\u2019re in your advanced years and you are looking at a holiday, and you\u2019re poring through the brochure to work out what you can get off your revised SuperGold card, probably a speech in Parliament isn\u2019t that interesting. But, most certainly, it\u2019s a lot more factually condensed than anything the member offered today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003ESo, since he\u2019s engaging\u2014since he\u2019s engaging\u2014let\u2019s look at some of what he had to say. Firstly, there was that ridiculous comment about defence being underfunded. The first thing is that if the member likes to look at it, that was, as he said, a 15-year programme. We assume now it\u2019s gone\u2014it\u2019s not going to happen. It was a 15-year programme to replace important assets that the New Zealand Defence Force have on a case by case, business case basis, which is perfectly reasonable. So here\u2019s the question\u2014just give me a nod\u2014will the P-8s be purchased by the Government in the decision next March? [Interruption] No. Ron Mark said, \u201CNo.\u201D Ron Mark just said, \u201CNo.\u201D They\u2019re gone, because he wants to buy some shonky piece of equipment that\u2019s probably on the second-hand market to ensure that the New Zealand Defence Force remains in the sort of dreadful condition that it\u2019s been in through all the years of previous Governments\u2014mainly, Labour Governments.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThen there is the question\u2014here\u2019s the question: will we be getting the replacements for the armoured vehicles? Doesn\u2019t even know about it\u2014doesn\u2019t even know about it. Doesn\u2019t even know about it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EOh well, here\u2019s another one. Here\u2019s another one: will we be getting military personnel transport capable of getting people to the Antarctic? [Interruption] What? \u201CWhere\u2019s that?\u201D\u2014\u201CWhere\u2019s that?\u201D I can\u2019t believe it. The member just asked, \u201CWhere is that?\u201D Well, it\u2019s a little distance south from here, but it\u2019s a place New Zealand has huge responsibilities for. That is even more unbelievable than I had thought.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003ESo that whole defence programme\u2014that\u2019s absolutely gone. It\u2019s staggering, because I heard the Rt Hon Winston Peters quoting Omar Bradley. Well, General Omar Bradley was a great soldier. He really was, I suppose, the second in command to Eisenhower during the Second World War in Europe. I wasn\u2019t there at the time; the gentleman probably was. And I\u2019ve got to say\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d96a3936226f41e08ab1669e1adbc45a\u0022\u003EHon Ron Mark\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019d never pass the fitness test, Gerry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ca4dfbb9b54478a87dfa6baf868881b\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, I see\u2014I see. I see. So now Mr Mark wants to tell me I\u2019m not going to pass the fitness test, but we know he\u2019s got the Defence Force taking him through parachuting\u2014yes?\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f76b7144e2a422881ded9ad3447533c\u0022\u003EHon Ron Mark\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ve done that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227770a28a7caf4241bef0539ea6860dbb\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014or they haven\u2019t told you. Well, just make sure they put a pack on your back when you go out the door. The second thing is they want to take him through the obstacle course. They wanted to take him to the rifle range out at\u2014where is it?\u2014the SAS training thing. Unfortunately, when they handed him the gun, he picked it up the wrong way and they had to take it off him in a hurry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EBut, getting back to Omar Bradley, he was one of the great leaders, and he would not have countenanced anything that Mr Mark is doing. He will be the first defence Minister to preside over the serious deterioration of New Zealand\u2019s defence capability. I have no doubt about that, and it\u2019s pretty clear from today\u2019s performance in the House that he himself knows that\u2019s going to happen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EWe also, of course, look at this programme put together by the Government, and it\u2019s extraordinary that they sort of come in here and say, \u201COh look what we\u2019ve been able to do after all this time. Look what you guys didn\u2019t do. Aren\u2019t we wonderful for doing it?\u201D Well, where do they think the cash came from? Where do they think the capacity came from?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThen we look at these extraordinary claims, like from Phil Twyford over here. Let me tell everyone in New Zealand that when this House resumes in February, there will not be one\u2014not one\u2014of the 100,000 houses that Labour intends to build. I don\u2019t doubt we\u2019ll go through most of next year and still not see one of them. The other thing is, when he was saying, \u201CWell, there were 5,000 houses sold.\u201D, he\u2019s got no idea of how many of those houses were put into social housing organisations, which are far more capable of looking after people than the institution that he\u2019s now become the great protector of.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThis has been a great year. It\u2019s been a fantastic year. I agree with the Rt Hon Bill English when he said that the transition of Government\u2014while, of course, difficult for this side of the House\u2014was conducted well. It shows what a great country we are. We should all be very proud of that. I wish everybody a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022 data-id=\u002215b2b5a250f04097a98c213b50474428\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002215b2b5a250f04097a98c213b50474428\u0022\u003EGOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, I wish you and all in this House season\u2019s greetings. For making our work possible in this House, a huge and undying thanks goes to parliamentary staff. To those who clean, who cook, and who keep us safe, and to the librarians, the clerks, and our Green staff, our volunteers, and our champions, I wish you all the joy over these holidays, because that is well earnt.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EThe adjournment speech is about reflecting on the parliamentary year that\u2019s passed, and for me, that\u2019s about seven weeks long, so I\u2019ll zoom out as I look back to the campaign. It was tough\u2014it was tough for every one of us in it, but undoubtedly also tough for everyone out there. But it was also exhilarating. It was a defining moment for our democracy, which we learnt is alive and well. Then we stopped and learnt about MMP. We learnt to count. We realised we have a beautiful system where every vote counts, and we get to have diversity within our Government. It turns out that if you have a lot of friends in here because you like diversity of thought in your politics, you get to win, and that is how we changed the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EThen the real business of MP-ing began, and for me that was quite a gauntlet. It hit me that my portfolios like trade, foreign affairs, and defence meant that I might be in opposition a lot of times in this House, even from inside the Government, and even when everyone else in the House agrees, like on that little issue, that little trade agreement\u2014don\u2019t call it the TPPA. The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreement\u2014a rose by any other name\u2014came up for negotiations right around the time I took up the mantle of Green Party trade spokesperson. It got a wee bit lonely in the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee when we questioned the ministry on that one\u2014the Hon Gerry Brownlee asking how wonderful the trade agreement was before the change of Government, my Labour Party friends asking how wonderful it had become since, and me asking, \u201CBut foreign investors can still sue us for law change, right?\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EBut that is what diversity in Government looks like. That\u2019s what we are proud of on this side of the House. Our identity, each as representatives of different schools of thought, different constituents, makes us stronger.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EThe CPTPP wasn\u2019t even the first splash of cold water that actually woke me up to this mad world of politics, because the other big global issue that hit New Zealand around the time that I took office was the humanitarian crisis on Manus Island. I got hundreds of messages from people on the island, family members, and activists from around the world, and the full weight of being the refugee MP hit me. The panic hit when I realised that these were our kinds of people. They were political cartoonists, they were activists who had criticised their Governments, and they were members of the rainbow community\u2014gay men running away from the likes of ISIS. Our Government put this on the agenda for talks across the Ditch because friends don\u2019t let friends torture refugees. I got a huge platform to criticise our friends across the Tasman and it felt great.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EApart from these portfolios making me a political minority, I realised that they were also ones that women have rarely held in New Zealand politics. I checked with the Parliamentary Library today and it turns out that women have never been Ministers for trade, for foreign affairs, or for defence here. Only two women have ever been full spokespersons for trade; only two associates for foreign affairs. Never has a woman been defence spokesperson, and now a greenie gets to do it. We need a voice of protest. We need a watchful eye. We need a voice for peace and disarmament with a human rights perspective at that decision-making table. I want to give full credit to the Minister of Defence, the Hon Ron Mark, for taking such an inclusive approach with me on this. With our wildly different, but weirdly similar, experiences of Middle Eastern war, I think those meetings are going to be very interesting.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EI think in global terms, and I see us in New Zealand as standing as a counterpoint this election to the rise of populism around the world. We got to stand for inclusion, for diversity, for nature, and for fairness this election and I am so proud to represent the Green Party in taking those lines forward on behalf of New Zealand. Those are our values that I\u2019ll be proud to represent going forward. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022 data-id=\u0022b6e5a131c1dd4a7c9356c2b2294e85db\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b6e5a131c1dd4a7c9356c2b2294e85db\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK (Green):\u003C/span\u003E E Te M\u0101ngai, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. So, I\u2019ve heard that these things are supposed to be funny, but the problem is that I\u2019m not. Ha, ha! It doesn\u2019t bode well for my backup dream career of stand-up comedian, but I hadn\u2019t thought that this was something that was incredibly well known until, this morning, I discovered that there was cross-party consensus on the issue at my Education and Workforce Committee, where Marja Lubeck offered to have a secret signal in order to ask my colleagues to laugh at my jokes. But I think that I will leave the puns and humour to the \u201CMinister for Dad Jokes\u201D and co-leader of the Green Party, the Hon James Shaw.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EIt is a pleasure to rise to speak at this adjournment debate, and it is actually a genuine pleasure to be in the highly privileged position of doing this job. I want to thank voters for turning out and voting for a change of Government. I want to thank everyone and anyone who\u2019s had anything to do with putting the Greens in the position of a Government support partner, and from the bottom of my heart I want to thank the staff who work behind the scenes to make this place function, who work tirelessly to feed us, to organise us, to help us in here look good: the cleaners, the clerks, the cooks, the librarians, security staff, buildings, IT, and the parliamentary tour guides. And I want to shout out as well to the Chamber officers, who have been carefully carting around the babies, who now call this House home, in and out of the place at a compassionate and considered arm\u2019s length. We in the Green Party recognise the mahi of all who work in this House to make it function and we are stoked that it will be recognised with a living wage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI learnt very quickly that becoming a politician is much like becoming an adult. As a kid, you look at adults and you think that they know the meaning of life, that they have a clue. Then you grow up and you realise that nobody really knows what the heck is going on. I found that becoming a politician is much like that. We\u2019re all simply doing the best that we can with the resources available to us, with both the baggage and the insight that our life experience gives us that we bring to this place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s exactly five weeks since I spoke in this House for the first time, giving my maiden speech. In that time I have inherited a weighty handful of portfolios, debated several times, had my name minted on a little name placard for select committees, and aged what I feel is about a decade. I\u2019ve come to notice that there are a few things that make my party and my colleagues pretty special. Being in the Green Party, it\u2019s frequent to catch oneself doing notoriously Green Party things. Just last week a few members of caucus were in the Hon Julie Anne Genter\u2019s office over the dinner break. We found ourselves eating carrots and hummus and vegan bliss balls\u2014leftovers from the Minister\u2019s meeting with officials that, obviously, we could not let go to waste.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b7f3662d2a6422eb45253f7bfc1a3c5\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, righty-o. What sort of luxury\u2019s this? Largesse, already?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022017fd698064d467894a93a84e47e5afb\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK\u003C/span\u003E: Just as Julie Anne Genter wheeled out a brand-new prized possession.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1c905815c284a3ca8569ec1dfa200b2\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s Julie Anne doing?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7439ae9f7824bbba75c761f0a28ff7a\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK\u003C/span\u003E: It was, of course\u2014I\u2019ll let you know, Chris Bishop\u2014a Shakti acupuncture mat, which we all promptly tried and tested. Another evening, after the House had risen, myself and one Kiritapu Allan found our way to a particular fast food outlet, one of the only things obviously open about 10.30 p.m. on a Tuesday. Where upon my meek order for a side of fries all by themselves, Kiri laughed and discovered, whilst eating her Big Mac, that I was a seemingly very on-brand vegetarian\u2014those East Coasters, Mr Speaker, I\u2019ll tell you. Ha! Then during a poorly timed politics 101 radio segment, with my colleague from the National Party, Hamish Walker, the country overheard the upcoming stops going through my bus\u2019s loudspeaker, offering me the opportunity to extol the virtues and values of a well-resourced, well-connected public transport system. I\u2019ve learnt some EAs manage correspondence, organise diaries, and book travel arrangements. But at noon yesterday, mine could be found in the Bowen House bathrooms meticulously repotting my plants. I could go on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EAll of this is the colour and the happiness and the pretty darned unique moments that my friends and wh\u0101nau in the Greens and in this Parliament give. These kinds of things, I think, are what the spirit of the holidays should be: sharing our humanity and our flaws, building our communities, and having a laugh. It\u2019s not the big stuff or the hard stuff but that transformational change. Ending poverty, serious action on climate change, and cleaning up our rivers, is now not only on the agenda but being legislated, planned for, and worked towards under the instruction of this great new Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022 data-id=\u0022ac60e4d7ba7a4befafbdc86ce0c10712\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ac60e4d7ba7a4befafbdc86ce0c10712\u0022\u003EBRETT HUDSON (National):\u003C/span\u003E Astounding forbearance, Mr Speaker. It\u2019s a pleasure to stand and take a call in this adjournment debate\u2014a time to thank all the people that work so hard for us and enable us to do what we do. Before we get there, let\u2019s reflect on a year, and what a year it was\u2014a year full of ups and downs, twists and turns, and campaigns of two halves, both in the nation and, indeed, in that small burg of \u014Ch\u0101riu, just north of where we sit. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EBut, you know, coming through the campaign in the last few weeks in particular reminded me of just how glorious Wellington is. We\u2019ve treated MPs from around the country to the very best that New Zealand / Godzone has to offer\u2014the bright blue skies, the sun, the bearing heat. Then, late this morning, as I returned from select committee duty in Auckland, I was reminded of the gentle zephyrs that Wellington has to offer\u2014something like 60 knots from the south. The plane was bucking all over the place\u2014up, down, left and right\u2014and all I could think of was that it\u2019s an absolute joy to live in a city with no air pollution. Of course, Mr Speaker, you would know well from cycling to and from Wainui\u014Dmata that you get a whole lot of extra bang for your workout with those Wellington zephyrs, and the one today will give you a bit of trouble on the way home, I would imagine. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EBut in reflecting on that campaign, at the national level, we had a campaign of two halves. The second half went fairly well for National. We ended with just under 45 percent of the vote\u2014the largest party in Parliament. Alas, MMP doesn\u2019t quite work that way, so we find ourselves on this side. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EIn \u014Ch\u0101riu, it was a campaign of two halves. The first half went the way of MMP campaigns in \u014Ch\u0101riu for the last 21 years. The second half was a little bit different. I didn\u2019t quite get the result I was looking for, but it was possibly the most exciting 4\u00BD weeks of the three years or so that I\u2019ve been fortunate to be in Parliament. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EWhile going through that campaign and in the weeks since, I have been reminded as I work within the communities of \u014Ch\u0101riu, dealing with our people, of just the diversity of the people and their backgrounds, their aspirations, their jobs, and their challenges. We have an electorate that is a microcosm of all that New Zealand has to offer. It is, without question, an absolute joy to work with the people in our community and to help, where one can, to support them in whatever their ventures are and what they\u2019re doing, and it serves to remind constantly of the reason we are all here. For if we are here for one thing, it is to do what we can to make the lives of those people better\u2014the people in \u014Ch\u0101riu, who are just like the people across New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EWhatever we do, what policies we have, the positions we take, the things we advocate for, the occasional heated arguments that take place in this Chamber\u2014they all serve in the quest to deliver for the people of New Zealand, to support their aspirations, and to give them all hope in their brighter future that there is potential for them, and certainly potential for their children. Every day\u2014every day\u2014in \u014Ch\u0101riu I\u2019m reminded that that is what I and we are all here for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s an absolute pleasure to serve in this House, and I want to take a moment now to thank all of the people that serve on the precinct to help us do what we do. Whether it\u2019s our office staff, such as my new executive assistant, Sue Locke\u2014a woman of great experience around the business of Parliament. The first thing I did after the election was drive to Tawa and employ Peter Dunne\u2019s long-serving electorate agent Sue Locke, and she\u2019s an absolute godsend of information and connections with our communities. She does a great job for me in my role, just as Gay Ballance does for me in my Johnsonville office. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EBut they are also supported indirectly by so many other people on the precinct. Whether it\u2019s our security team, which is helping to keep us safe here but also to keep our staff safe in our electorates; our gallery and Chamber staff, who help to make sure that our business is facilitated in this Chamber; the people in Hansard, who are dutifully recording and making sure that we capture accurately what we do; the people across the Parliamentary Service in IT and facilities; human resources\u2014across all of the elements that enable this place to function and enable us to do our jobs, I wish them all a very merry Christmas and give them my very hearty thanks. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003ETo you, Mr Speaker, congratulations, and I look forward to perhaps being told off once or twice. I look forward to our return in late January for another round of this. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022ef2a18ea185d406389548d28d53ed614\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ef2a18ea185d406389548d28d53ed614\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Well, thank you very much, Mr Speaker. On the night of 1 August, I sat in my office upstairs here in Parliament House in a complete state of shock and some sense of terror. It was the day on which Andrew Little had resigned as the leader of the Labour Party and Jacinda Ardern had been elected. I want to say, as Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister, did earlier today, what I think was one of the most courageous acts in politics that I have seen, which was Andrew Little deciding to step aside as the leader. It was an extremely difficult decision for him, one I know that he anguished over, and I just want to reiterate what I\u2019ve said before in public, again, that I regard that as one of the most selfless things I\u2019ve seen, and I know that Andrew is going to be a magnificent Cabinet Minister and will show leadership in a way that others haven\u2019t, from that role, in what he did then.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EIt was also not all that long that night after Jacinda Ardern had given her first press conference in the Legislative Council Chamber, which I think, if anyone ever on any side of the House in politics wants to look at how you handle a pretty difficult situation, Jacinda did a magnificent job that day. As the Prime Minister of New Zealand she has shown what many of us knew for a long time: this was a person of character, of intelligence, of humour, and of deep empathy. To me, they are the characteristics of what makes a great leader in politics, and we are seeing that every single day. I, as someone who has known her as a friend for many, many years, want to say that I am so proud of that and so proud that she is leading our country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EWhen I was sitting in the office that night on 1 August, I read an article by a journalist that said it was complete madness that the Labour Party had decided to change leaders seven weeks out from the election and it would not be possible for us to win the election from that position, but maybe we might save the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022606ef884cac045f0a1c6bc5c92489d76\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: You didn\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247420cd66d0a4eb88570b5a5a0177440\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014I\u2019ll come to that\u2014we might save the furniture. It got me thinking about a song that I knew, which I like very much, which was Tim Finn\u2019s song \u201CIt Couldn\u2019t Be Done\u201D. I played it in the office, and while I was sitting listening to it the Hon Chris Hipkins came into my office and I turned the sound up. There\u2019s a line in the song that says \u201CThey said it couldn\u2019t be done, and we had no idea that it couldn\u2019t be done and we needed to find a like-minded someone who had no idea that it couldn\u2019t be done.\u201D Well, the Labour Party was lucky to find two like-minded someones who didn\u2019t believe that it couldn\u2019t be done, and that was the New Zealand First Party and the Green Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge both of those parties for joining in a coalition agreement that does not believe that we should be satisfied with the status quo and does not believe that it can\u2019t be done. In fact, we believe the opposite. We believe that there is so much more that New Zealand can do and that we can do that together. We come from different traditions, but we have a shared belief that this country is a great place and it can be better still. So I want to acknowledge the Rt Hon Winston Peters and all of the members of the New Zealand First caucus for the decision that they made to join in this Government and to the Green Party of Aotearoa for joining along in a confidence and supply agreement to make the big changes that we\u2019ve already heard spoken about by the leaders of both New Zealand First and the Labour Party today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003ESomeone on the other side interjected just before and said \u201CYou didn\u2019t win\u2014you didn\u2019t win the election.\u201D There was, in my mind, the greatest civics education exercise of New Zealand\u2019s life on Facebook: the steak and cheese pie post. I will run through it briefly because I think it\u2019s important to get it on the record of Hansard, and I\u2019m a person who likes the odd steak and cheese pie\u2014too many, I know you think that, Mr Speaker. But the steak and cheese pie theory goes a little bit like this: Bill goes to the shop and there\u2019s one pie left in the shop\u2014steak and cheese\u2014and it costs $5.00. Bill\u2019s got $4.40, so not quite enough to buy the pie. Then Jacinda walks into the shop and she\u2019s got $3.70. She looks around and there\u2019s Winston Peters and he\u2019s got 90c, and he says \u201CI\u2019m going to add that to go towards $4.60.\u201D Then James Shaw arrives and he says, \u201CWell, I\u2019ve got 80c.\u201D, and suddenly Jacinda\u2019s got enough money to buy the steak and cheese pie. Now, Bill\u2019s still in the shop and he looks around and he sees David, but David\u2019s only got 5c, so he can\u2019t help.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f86f2a22930f4318af26f5941e64cda9\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: He hasn\u2019t got that much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f396b2dd301e497f803c169215e183b5\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s true, Simon Bridges. He hasn\u2019t even got 5c, but that\u2019s right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e2707689ec1d41bda56339044a071545\u0022\u003EHon Phil Twyford\u003C/span\u003E: He\u2019s got no sense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221177a6f7b6ce48c9a0a09d625e744bcb\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: He has no sense at all. So at that point Jacinda and Winston and James can buy the pie. That\u2019s MMP, because you\u2019ve got to work together and you\u2019ve got to have friends.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022febaa648292b48d28711ab13cdc69073\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Why did I know Grant Robertson would have a pie analogy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a4fee4285a834dab9a3247c4269b3c56\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: And of course I am going to talk about pies, Simon Bridges. What do you expect? So New Zealanders actually get MMP. They actually understand that it requires to have a majority of the seats in this House, and I am extremely proud as a person who campaigned for MMP in the early 1990s to see a genuinely MMP Government that is working together and cooperating together.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EI want to wish everybody who works in this complex a very, very merry Christmas. Every single part of the operation that makes Parliament work is incredible. There are selfless people who work overtime to make sure that we as politicians and MPs can do our jobs. I want to mention just one particular part of that organisation. It\u2019s not one I\u2019ve always been favourable about, and that is the people who work in Copperfields, in the cafeteria. The people themselves are great; the food\u2019s not fantastic.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227974d5283b124d2eae7804a7524807b8\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: He\u2019s back on food again\u2014he\u2019s back on food again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6e144047af24f72a325aff6b229b057\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right. Gerry\u2019s not here, Simon. I have to do this. But I want to pay tribute, because tomorrow the staff who work there on behalf of that particular caterer will no longer work there. I want to pay tribute to them. I want to mention Mohammed, who will probably watch this speech on Facebook from Egypt, and I want to wish him all the best for this time of year. But I want to acknowledge those people who, when their job changes, when their employer changes, it\u2019s difficult, and I want to say thank you to all of those people here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EFinally, I want to thank all of the partners, spouses, and significant others, and families of MPs. They do it tough, especially now those of us who\u2019ve had the transition into Government recognise that it\u2019s even tougher for families when people become Ministers. They deserve all of our thanks, and for the next few weeks I hope all of us get to spend time with those people, tell them how much we love them, and enjoy Christmas. Merry Christmas to one and all, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u00222dc4cfc11aba4c14a372c8f3970c8f5f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222dc4cfc11aba4c14a372c8f3970c8f5f\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I should start by thanking you for your service in this House towards the end of this year, upholding the rights of minorities\u2014as I asked in the speech to congratulate you on your election. I want to thank all of your staff and the clerks supporting you but also all of the people that make this place tick\u2014the messengers; the Table Office; the Bills Office; the librarians, who are very, very good; security; the caterers, who took up a lot of the previous member\u2019s speech, it seemed; and even the IT department\u2014for keeping this place operational. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI want to thank my colleagues here in Parliament. I want to congratulate the new Government, and I have to say that Grant Robertson is right that the country has had an enormous civics lesson. You need to be able to count to 61 in this place, and it doesn\u2019t necessarily matter how you do it. MMP has been in place for 21 years now, and we have to accept that or change it. Options are there, but those are the only ones we have. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI want to thank my colleagues and erstwhile confidence and supply partners in the National Party, and I think that we should be back if we\u2019re smart, if we\u2019re collegial, and if we\u2019re strategic. Those are the questions that we have to ponder over the summer. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI particularly want to thank the people of the Epsom electorate. It\u2019s a great honour to be elected and sent to this place to represent your neighbours, especially when you have such a fine set of neighbours, as I do, in the Epsom electorate suburbs of Epsom, Mount Eden, Parnell, Remuera, Newmarket, and a lucky section of Greenlane. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI also want to thank those people that helped with the campaign. It\u2019s very humbling to lead a political party campaign. The result is well-known and not something I\u2019d like to dwell on in this stage of the proceedings, but, nevertheless, I\u2019m enormously grateful to all of those people who delivered literally hundreds of thousands of personally addressed direct mail letters up and down this country, who gave hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars, who managed our campaign, and who delivered our messages. Those people I am enormously grateful to, and I appreciate all of the confidence that you have shown me in the last few months that we can refloat and make this souffl\u00E9 rise yet again. Thank you to the board, the members, and the staff of ACT. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI want to thank the people who are in my own parliamentary offices and, in particular, Kristen, Brian, Christina, and Mitchell up in Epsom\u2014thank you very much for the outstanding work that you\u2019ve done serving our community. To my staff both before the election and after the election\u2014such is the way of parliamentary staffing\u2014who have helped me do my job down here in Wellington, thank you very much indeed for all of your help. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI couldn\u2019t help but think as I listened to Jacinda Ardern\u2019s speech that I have a pretty simple message for her: Government is basically a service industry. I hate to tell you this, but you are there to provide a basket of services to New Zealanders, as the Prime Minister said in her address when this Parliament resumed\u2014to provide services together that people can\u2019t provide alone\u2014and the question is whether or not those services are efficient. You can do the marketing\u2014or stardust, as Bill English called it\u2014but you actually have to provide services that work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s not good enough just to take 18 billion bucks\u2014which is the surplus this Government has inherited over the next four years\u2014spray it around, and hope that it\u2019ll work. It\u2019ll make the Government popular for a short period of time. But, as Margaret Thatcher once said, the problem is we eventually run out of other people\u2019s money, and when that happens, people are going to ask: \u201CDo the schools work? Does the Government have a solution to the enormous inequity between M\u0101ori and Pasifika and Pakeha and Asians in this country?\u201D It is a national shame, and to close partnership schools for purely ideological reasons without thinking about the impact that is going to have and to remove the only initiative that the Government currently has in the tool box that has been proven to close that gap\u2014that\u2019s not how you run effective services. That\u2019s not how a Government that wants to stay in power after the surplus runs out operates. That is a Government that has lots of marketing, but not enough ideas. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EOne of the tests of this Government is: can they actually come to a clear conclusion on the future of partnership schools kura hourua? There\u2019s so much contradiction right now. The Prime Minister says that they can continue so long as they teach the curriculum and have registered teachers that are funded at the same rate as State schools. Well, guess what? I can tell the Government, as the person who was involved in designing the legislation five years ago and as the person who was responsible for the policy for the last three years\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224498f12488af40dbb3b1dfa84c032ff8\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: He wasn\u2019t even here five years ago. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e02b3aab16a84b82bd682bb268a9e5b5\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014that they already do all of those things. They already do all of those things. Chris Hipkins says that I wasn\u2019t here five years ago. Well, Chris Hipkins will learn pretty quickly that if he wants to get things done as a Minister, he should respect his advisers, because they are here and they are part of the work. But maybe Chris Hipkins knows it all and doesn\u2019t need any advice. I don\u2019t know. [Interruption] He says he does. He says he does. Well, we\u2019re going to enjoy watching that particular train wreck from this side of the House. What a disaster. Maybe that explains why\u2014on a serious note\u2014he has given so many mixed messages to a group of people who have given their all to provide better educational opportunities for kids who\u2019ve been missing out. What a shame. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI would also say to members, thank you to the overwhelming majority of you who supported the End of Life Choice Bill at first reading. This is a critical issue. Someone said in the New Zealand Herald today that it is perhaps the last major human rights issue that this country has to debate. So thank you to the people who supported it to first reading. To those who didn\u2019t, I would ask you a simple question. This bill offers you a choice that you may not wish to take. Your morality can be contained in a world where this bill is law. The question is: does your morality require you to deny the choice from others who may not share your particular world view? That\u2019s the question. If members could ruminate on that over the Christmas break, that\u2019s all the present that I ask for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022144a352831be4af5b9ded961da82418a\u0022\u003EHon Phil Twyford\u003C/span\u003E: But it\u2019s not just about individual rights. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222f6fc3e799394bdaab93cbee6457645e\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR\u003C/span\u003E: But I also ask people why they do not take advantage of some of the wonderful policies that are available in the ACT manifesto. Phil Twyford there\u2014I could tell him that if he wants to get houses built, and remember he\u2019s in the service industry, it\u2019s going to involve actually removing the land use restrictions, including the Waitakere Ranges heritage protection area. I hope he\u2019s got in touch with Kathleen and Steve Vitasovich, as he promised. He\u2019s going to have to fund infrastructure better, and he can find the answers to all of that in my wonderful book, Own Your Future. I\u2019ll give it to him as a present. It\u2019s available online, and it has the answers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI wonder about the recidivism problem that the Government faces. If you\u2019d like to know how it is that you get people to learn to read in prison\u2014well, that\u2019s also in there. We know it\u2019s a good policy, because Bill English started campaigning on it three weeks before the election, so it must be a policy that works. The Government would do well to introduce the idea that if you learn to read in prison, you get out early. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe Government is facing a teacher shortage, again. The ACT manifesto tells the Government how to solve this. You\u2019ve got to make teaching more attractive by moving teachers to the kinds of contracts that most New Zealand professions have, not the kinds of contracts that most watersiders had in the 1950s, and if you do that, you\u2019ll actually find a much broader range of people are attracted to the profession. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThis Government faces educational failure and inequity on a vast scale, and I\u2019ve already spoken about it. This Government is going to have to come up with a rational answer about what to do with partnership schools kura hourua, and this Government is going to be judged, apparently, on whether or not it can reduce child poverty\u2014that\u2019s in there too. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EBut I\u2019m running out of time, so there\u2019s nothing left to do other than to thank all of my colleagues, to wish my colleagues in Parliament and their families a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and to say that I can\u2019t wait to see you all back here when the House resumes for 2018. Thank you, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022 data-id=\u002276bccb62d3d245ef875eec6ec3fadc2e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002276bccb62d3d245ef875eec6ec3fadc2e\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD (National\u2014East Coast Bays):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am so pleased to rise to speak in this adjournment debate for 2017. I\u2019d like to start by reflecting on my last two months as an MP, and to share with this House some of the learnings that I\u2019ve acquired, one of which occurred here in this very Chamber and that was to always know when you are on camera and to keep your reactions in check. Because you never know when you\u2019ll be sitting behind a member who stands up to give a speech, like the one from Kaik\u014Dura, to tell you the story about the time he shot a deer through the scrotum. Throughout my orientation period, I was led to believe that there was a certain level of decorum in this House, and maybe there still is. Or maybe, on this occasion, that member just dropped the balls.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EOne of the things that us new MPs need to get used to is that there is often very mean treatment we get on Twitter. I refer to yesterday\u2019s posts from someone\u2014it\u2019s a group called Let\u2019s meme this\u2014in which they had the gall to call me the member that no one had heard of, from the electorate that no one had heard of. That is absolutely gutting, that sort of attack on credibility and authenticity. The East Coast Bays\u2014for goodness\u2019 sake, that electorate brings you the famous QBE Albany Stadium, the home ground of the mighty Springboks. We have a history of controversy. In 1981, we famously voted in Social Credit for seven years in protest of a 5c bridge toll increase. And, speaking of controversy, and more recently, we brought you Colin Craig, political candidate, poet, and well-known philan\u2014philanthropist. Let the record state that I said \u201Cphilan-thropist\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EActually, I and the East Coast Bays got off quite lightly in this mean meme-fest yesterday. My poor colleague Andrew Falloon here was described as \u201Ca potato elected by Rangitata\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e342cfd57f384537947c2b9d4ccc2071\u0022\u003EAndrew Falloon\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m very appealing\u2014very appealing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b46f661583ac44c4a54e32a344838fdc\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD\u003C/span\u003E: He is very appealing, I can vouch for that. The member from Pakuranga was congratulated on being the first foetus elected to Parliament, so I can say that I did get off very lightly. And these are just a selection of some of the awful things that get said on social media that we have to get used to. We have to grow a thick skin and we have to just get over it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThere are some things that I cannot and I will not get over, however, and one of those things is the issue of partnership schools and the fact that this Government is committed to closing them down, despite the rhetoric around \u201Cmerging\u201D them. I had the great honour of attending a rather special graduation ceremony at Vanguard school, a partnership school in my electorate. What I want to tell you is that it was like a graduation and prize-giving ceremony that I have never been to before. These students who were receiving NCEA levels 1, 2, 3, and university entrance certificates were walking across the stage, they were high-fiving their teachers, they were hugging them and embracing them, there were yells from the crowd from their families and their supporters. It was emotional, it was inspiring, and I was proud of them\u2014they weren\u2019t even my children.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EAt this point, I would like to admit that I like to think about Kelvin Davis\u2014not all the time, just on certain occasions. In particular, I like to think about those comments that I\u2019m sure we all remember that he made on Q\u002BA about a few National Party MPs in the lead-up to the election. You will all remember those wicked zingers that he dropped\u2014something about the PM being a rock, Judith\u2019s stare, and Simon Bridges\u2019 hair. Just as an aside, who in their right mind would make a joke about Simon Bridges\u2019 hair? Look at that luscious mane; that gloriously thick dark mop with not a hair out of place, gloriously swept back for that perfectly casual look. I digress. [Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002261d2dcf515b64d1896c7b1ef5d96d450\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Keep it seemly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e2e699c0dfcb4bb3b8289ab8b274b2d5\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD\u003C/span\u003E: I digress. Back to my main point, although can I say Mr Bridges\u2019 mane is on-point.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe point that I like to think about is the process that Mr Davis had to go through to come up with these nasty comments. As much as Mr Davis is well-known for his quick wit and comedic abilities, I don\u2019t believe that these comments were off the cuff, and I like to think about the process he had to go through. He had to think about doing it, he had to find a pen and a piece of paper, he had to sit down, he had to jot down some notes, he had to practise it out loud; he had to get his timing right, the delivery perfect. He perhaps practised on a friend. Then he had to find the perfect time to use them\u2014and I reckon that\u2019s about a minimum of an hour\u2019s work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EAnd can I say that while Mr Davis was spending time doing this, what he wasn\u2019t doing was visiting Vanguard\u2014a charter school in his electorate. He\u2019s been the MP for three long years, and he has never visited them. I\u2019ve been the MP for five minutes and I\u2019ve visited all but two schools in my electorate, and I have visited Vanguard on many occasions. I would like to take this opportunity, as the MP for East Coast Bays, to invite both the Prime Minister and the MP for Te Tai Tokerau to come and visit Vanguard to speak to the students, to hear their stories, to see that these schools are changing lives. If this Government is serious about closing the gap between those students who are achieving and those students who are not, then explain to these students why they are closing their schools. It\u2019s my guess that the PM and Mr Davis will not make the time to visit Vanguard, but I will continue to visit, and I will continue to fight\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226685dfb383bd4cf5bc909b95e3df291b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Can I ask the two relatively senior members to settle down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022af72e5572ea143778ae2d8fd7a6be921\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will continue to fight for this school and for these children, who, quite frankly, deserve better than this Government\u2014and can I say: merry Christmas, Mr Hipkins.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022 data-id=\u0022ac26e3230db644dc9232e7ff4c1b23ba\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ac26e3230db644dc9232e7ff4c1b23ba\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety):\u003C/span\u003E Well, that member obviously didn\u2019t get the memo about the flight times this evening, so I will try to make this a quality rather than a quantity speech. But what we did learn from that speech, of course, is we know one person who\u2019s going to Simon Bridges\u2019 barbecue this summer. I\u2019m interested to know who else is going to Simon Bridges\u2019 barbecue. Who\u2019s going to be going to Amy Adams\u2019 barbecue, and who\u2019s going to be going to Judith Collins\u2019 dark plotting session\u2014because it couldn\u2019t possibly be a barbecue. That\u2019s the question on everybody\u2019s lips.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226da1c94ce86142a1ae10429fee1aad16\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s over the cauldron\u2014it\u2019s over the cauldron.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238527831693a4524b1c8e4fcbdc4bf9e\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s the coven\u2014the coven\u2014at Judith Collins\u2019 house. That\u2019s the question on everybody\u2019s lips\u2014the barbecue season ahead for the National Party. And, of course, we are interested to know who\u2019s going to be going to the barbecue at Simon O\u2019Connor\u2019s house. We know Simeon Brown will be the first one along to that one\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022efe95598960148c384eaafc645ca3f13\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Colin Craig.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022406c094b72724e82871bc28cc5a7d039\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and Colin Craig will probably be there as well\u2014to set up the new \u201CNational Party Friend Party\u201D\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c447b3baee2244f5b93f9a33835437b4\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Ah, the breakaway.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243788cb7994842fea943d1f47e745cb2\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014the \u201CBreakaway Party\u201D. It was so interesting that they had so many questions about the waka jumping legislation, because once that\u2019s passed they can\u2019t set up a breakaway party, so they\u2019d better get on to it fast.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003ESo a busy barbecue season is ahead for the National Party as we go into summer, and I say good on them\u2014good on them\u2014because, of course, it is time for a brighter, better leader for the National Party. Away with the walk-run, I say. The walk-run must come to an end. It\u2019s time to bring an end to spaghetti on pizza and other ham-fisted and belated and misguided attempts to convince New Zealanders that the misery they experienced after nine years under National actually was them just being in touch with the issues. No, it is definitely time, in the words of one esteemed Radio New Zealand reporter, to kill two peas with one pod. It\u2019s time to see the end of Steven Joyce, the \u201C$11 billion man\u201D, and it\u2019s time to see the end of Bill English as leader\u2014the only leader to lead his party to two successive defeats 15 years apart. So I say good luck to the National Party. Merry Christmas. Enjoy the barbecue season, because it\u2019s going to be a tough time ahead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EI say, there\u2019s been a lot of people who\u2019ve been thanked this afternoon. I want to particularly thank the officials and the ministerial staff who have allowed this Government to get up on its feet as quickly as possible. The things we have achieved in the last eight weeks put the last nine years of National Party Government to shame. It is time for us to go and enjoy a Christmas break under the Christmas coalition of Labour, the Greens, and New Zealand First. Merry Christmas, everyone, and God bless the National Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022bf488d124eac4db3ac8a4084f0cdfd1e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bf488d124eac4db3ac8a4084f0cdfd1e\u0022\u003EBARBARA KURIGER (National\u2014Taranaki - King Country):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. It\u2019s going to be just a short call. The thankyous have all been said, so from you, Mr Speaker, right the way through this precinct, I want to thank everybody, as others have. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EI also want to acknowledge the whips who sit with the other parties on the other side of the House. It\u2019s always a pleasure to do business with you in this House as we\u2019re working together. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003ENow, I just want to say it\u2019s been a bit of a year of occurrences and ups and downs and surprises, but the thing that surprised me the other day\u2014and the thing that I\u2019m so grateful for\u2014was that during the piece of legislation that we were doing around the foreign buyers, I actually saw the Green MPs stand up and want to rush this legislation through so that they could then get on and support the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership. So I say thank you to this Government for progressing with the trade agreements that are so important to our rural communities and our wider country. If that\u2019s working together, let that continue. I don\u2019t know how long that\u2019s going to last, but I\u2019m going to make the most of it while it is lasting. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EI just want to put a call out for kindness and generosity. We hear a lot\u2014particularly from over on the other side\u2014about being kinder to each other, and I think it\u2019s time that we thought about sensible policy and thought about taking the people with us. We work for the people; we don\u2019t deal it to the people. We\u2019re here at their whim, and we need to respect that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EI often hear a lot of rhetoric\u2014and James Shaw and I have had a number of conversations, and earlier in the year one of the highlights that I had was making a video with James about some of the bullying that was going on in schools around farmers\u2019 children. You know, whatever level it is, that is not OK. Whether it\u2019s in this House or whether it\u2019s at schools, for people who do a particular occupation, it\u2019s not our role to bully people. Everybody wants to do the right thing. They just want to know what the expectations are, how long have they got, what it\u2019s going to cost, and where are the tools, and they will get up and they will get on with it. So it\u2019s about doing the right thing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EI, again, want to thank our families, because they offer a huge amount of support for us in the House, as do the huge number of volunteers, not only within our parties but within our communities. I know that if the volunteers in our communities at midnight tonight switched off and said \u201CWe\u2019re not going to do anything for the next month.\u201D, we would have a real problem. So I want to put a shout-out to those people. I hope they have a merry Christmas. A lot of them will be spending their Christmas helping other people, as they do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EI hope that this Christmas spirit that we\u2019re wishing each other today will continue into 2018, because I\u2019m looking forward to it. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u00225681ec33ed66400bbc6b3931b84b17bc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225681ec33ed66400bbc6b3931b84b17bc\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES (National\u2014Tauranga):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, can I just once again congratulate you on your election as Speaker. Can I wish you a very merry Christmas. Can I wish the Clerk of the House, all of his staff\u2014who I\u2019ve learnt, I think, in Opposition, are so integral to the running of this Parliament\u2014a very wonderful Christmas and holiday break, and all of the parliamentary and Government staff across the parties, and in the National Party, for all their great work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EI want to also single out the Hon Grant Robertson, not for the $60 or $70 a week I\u2019m going to get for my newborn child but actually for the Advent calendar yesterday. I appreciate it. I hope he doesn\u2019t mind me saying that with a beard, he would resemble someone else very prominent at this time of the year, so I probably will be telling my children, this evening when I get back to Tauranga, that that Advent calendar came from Santa Claus.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s been a very interesting year. I hope the Hon Chris Hipkins doesn\u2019t mind me saying there have been a few hiccups in the House. I particularly appreciated the way so much legislation\u2014I should say, so much National Party legislation\u2014has been progressed in this House over the course of the end of this year and long may that continue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003ECan I also say we\u2019ve had a few other firsts: Ministers filibustering their own bills, and a record set, I believe, on a debatable motion, or a motion without time limit last night. The Hon David Parker, of course, kept that going much longer than necessary, and I thank him for that also.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EBut I say to this House: I wish you a wonderful Christmas, New Year, and break. Have a great rest. You\u2019re going to need it next year, and we look forward to it. Bring on 2018.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u002247023a9a330c4760843e366278e9c067\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002247023a9a330c4760843e366278e9c067\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, it is a great privilege to be the second to last speaker in this debate. I\u2019m aware that it is now down to you and me\u2014we are the only things left standing between the House and the Christmas adjournment, so I will keep this very brief, as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to thank Simon Bridges for leaving a few rats and mice on the Order Paper after the election. I think we\u2019ve done quite well in tidying up the mess that they left behind, and I can assure him that there is plenty more coming in the new year that will keep the Opposition very busy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI do want to, on a very genuine note, extend a vote of thanks to people that we often forget in this House\u2014that is, the families of all members of Parliament, and I\u2019d like to thank Barbara Kuriger for mentioning them in her speech. I think we often forget\u2014well, we don\u2019t forget, but we fail to acknowledge that when we come here to Parliament to do what we do, our families make an enormous sacrifice for that. That is across a number of levels, not just through our absence but through the things that they have to do to assist us to do our jobs. So I want to take a moment to thank all of our families for the enormous sacrifice they make, which allows us to do the jobs that we do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to thank all of the parliamentary staff, all of the ministerial staff, all of the departmental staff, and all of the people that make this place and the public sector tick and, again, allow the Government to do what it does and the Opposition to do what it does. I wish everybody a very merry Christmas. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022f3bbe0cbe02e4d1e876927fe0cf3081b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f3bbe0cbe02e4d1e876927fe0cf3081b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I want to thank members for their contributions to the debate and to put a few facts on the record before some thanks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe first is that the House has now sat this year for a little over 454 hours. There have been 71 bills introduced, and 52 have been passed. That is probably as a result of there being quite a few members\u2019 bills that haven\u2019t quite made it. There have been 844 oral questions asked. There have been 20,563 written questions asked. And I want to give a bit of a warning that next year I will be looking to the quality both of the questions and of the answers. I want to indicate to new members that their time for being able to read their speeches has passed. And I want to remind the former Ministers that they have to lose their habits of reading from prepared notes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to thank a number of people. First of all, the Rt Hon David Carter. There was an incredibly smooth transition, and I think it is a credit to our parliamentary system, but also to David, in the way that that transition occurred in our office.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to thank my fellow official presiding officers\u2014in particular, the Hon Anne Tolley, Poto Williams, and Adrian Rurawhe. It\u2019s fair to say that you\u2019ve had a bit more of a challenge than I have had, during your times in the Chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to thank the unofficial presiding officer, Roland Todd, and Carlie Bromley from my office as well. Roland, you appear to be adjusting to me\u2014or I haven\u2019t found out if you haven\u2019t. And Carlie\u2019s certainly adjusting well to the change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to thank David Wilson, Andie Lindsay, and the Clerk\u2019s extensive team, which supports us so well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ETo Parliamentary Service, who almost certainly got an unexpected big lump of work two or three months ago, I want to thank them for the enormous efforts that they have put in to what very few of us would have been expecting four or five months ago.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to thank the team in and around the House: the Serjeant-at-Arms, messengers, security, the people who staff the phones, who clean and cook for us, those who help with our travel and our research\u2014especially the people in the Library\u2014and all of the people who are employed and, in some cases, volunteer to make this place work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to wish all members a safe and merry Christmas. Have a good rest and come back here next year in good form to stand up for the things that you believe in\u2014unfortunately, it\u2019s not always the same.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMotions agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 5.58 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20171220e9c675bb2fb04afa9d5e4fb3705310e4000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"