"\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=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022db43a618a5aa4c808f7e96372807ada7\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 11 APRIL 2018\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220e1ed7b20e9946b5aea4748f7b80d3ac\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 11 APRIL 2018\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000002\u0022\u003EThe Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00220f0ce9d1ed894ca88cac3bb8c764b0d7\u0022\u003EVisitors\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002264aa5be5473a486d96652e90af83943f\u0022\u003EWales\u2014National Assembly for Wales, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs and Delegation\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002232231eba9bd7414d80a67479474b0a96\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002232231eba9bd7414d80a67479474b0a96\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sure that members would wish to welcome Ms Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, and her delegation from the National Assembly for Wales, who are present in the gallery.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EBusiness of the house\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022ca3e7eec5894492390e1871901061bd6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ca3e7eec5894492390e1871901061bd6\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E In accordance with the decision made by the Business Committee yesterday, I seek leave for the notice of motion for the appointment of the Controller and Auditor-General to be set down as Government order of the day No. 1 tomorrow. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022fc7b37f4a48f4094a269547d3fec0b61\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fc7b37f4a48f4094a269547d3fec0b61\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none. It will be. We come now to oral\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cba77327b26747dd827c048e2e936caa\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: You missed it. There was objection to that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022960c28521d764cf494284d71190c6d3f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, there was objection? Sorry, I thought it was the unanimous decision of the Business Committee, including the member\u2019s colleagues, yesterday. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225762d00026df4fafa8b2afbbd02275c6\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022054a296f88fb407481b493633bf6f580\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It wasn\u2019t? Well\u2014[Interruption] Order! Any member has the right to object, notwithstanding it being the unanimous decision of the Business Committee yesterday. [Interruption] Order! \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cb3f54a98881460d899d2b8ba6849e5f\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022083dc735068447569fa4ad2790bd4962\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d3ee28ec6486410193f65102b3374c96\u0022\u003EPrime Minister\u2014Government Actions and Policies\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u00223cf0116e41384ebcb667f8117e2c59c2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223cf0116e41384ebcb667f8117e2c59c2\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government\u2019s policies and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u0022f3719b0d2c8544128535eeb4f0214a17\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f3719b0d2c8544128535eeb4f0214a17\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227303cf54f27b4283ae635952fdb5fd28\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: On what date did she conclude that things were going so badly for the Government that the only option was to manufacture a crisis that standards of public service delivery really don\u2019t reflect?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f95f7c287057419cbfdadc97e81632af\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Actually, that was before the election, when the last Government was in, and I saw the deficits they were leaving.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dbf0aeef6e8242388a42a96b61513505\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: When will she stop blaming the former Government and use the healthy finances that she\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002257df888b2ec140858d1f800568cecc5c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c10eca1b2184af283de0e95ed57f42c\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014has been left to get on with delivering the many promises that she campaigned on?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1ccf7f20d764f1cbdb632a7af55aa9c\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: When I stop learning about issues like Middlemore Hospital and Dunedin Hospital, where they periodically cancel surgeries because there\u2019s water in the operating theatres. We did anticipate this issue; we absolutely did. We knew there was a deficit in health spending, and district health boards are now confirming that it could be to the tune of $200 million. That is why we said no to the tax cuts. That is why we put aside an operating allowance of $2.6 billion, when the last Government put away $1.7 billion, and we\u2019re putting more away for capital. We knew that problems existed, and we have a plan for them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022596a2969699648b5a0355fe735cb7e55\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: How can her Government justify no new money for nurses when, amongst other things, she\u2019s thrown $2.8 billion at a fees freeze for students?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002224a7e2d17f0f480d86cc003a2c3a4dba\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I reject the premise of that question. That\u2019s a negotiation that\u2019s currently under way. The idea that there\u2019s no new money for that negotiation is just a fallacy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227002caf6665c4e7f8f8eefa6edf36000\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And I possibly should have ruled it out because there was an assertion in the question which I\u2019ve certainly not seen the evidence for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cbece5efa3044ed59671c9410d7235e6\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: How will her Government pay for the tram down Dominion Road when the focus groups start telling her that hitting regional New Zealand with higher fuel taxes isn\u2019t an acceptable way of funding it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf5f7ff281ea4633b69d1fc1c53f086f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I\u2019m going to ask the Leader of the Opposition to rephrase the question. The Prime Minister does not have responsibility for those groups.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224004d10ca34b4a7dac3f0bd3dabfeb87\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: How will her Government pay for a tram down Dominion Road when it\u2019s quite clear that regional New Zealand rejects having to pay for it with higher fuel taxes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022faf4256ec81a410fa8814dccaa2e8032\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: That is why we are not asking regional New Zealand to pay for it; we\u2019ve asked Aucklanders to pay for it. We were very explicit before the election that Auckland\u2019s transport issues were significant. They suffered from neglect. We did make the decision around a regional fuel tax to reinvest, and there\u2019s acceptance from Aucklanders that that is what\u2019s required. When it comes to the regions, I think they\u2019ll be pleased to see that, instead of spending 25 percent of that fund on roads they don\u2019t use, we\u2019ll be doubling the money going into regional roads and increasing the number into local roads.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223a6d76df91cf4302854bf02dadd04612\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: When she gets back from her friendly town hall meeting with Justin Trudeau in London next week\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222ea8f599bcc544d2bc724b8b2b89f84e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member will resume his seat. The member will start his question with a question and will not have any irony in it, or he will start losing them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227934dddfc28c412daf39d2aa15a95f79\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Will she front to the people of Levin and tell them why they probably won\u2019t get their expressway when she gets back from her town hall meeting with Justin Trudeau in London next week?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c20f51299e704b71b0b6c890ac02ffb1\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Is the member willing to attend the meeting with me, because the circumstances under which \u014Ctaki is being considered are the same today as they were before. The New Zealand Transport Agency is still making route selection. It\u2019s then up to them to consult on that with the public, and so it\u2019s still ongoing. Yes, there is a new Government policy statement in place, but all we\u2019re asking them to consider is cost-benefit analysis, and who could argue with that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b41b4b12d7d40cfb7601f072c2ed2cf\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: How\u2019s Phil Twyford getting on with building all those new houses?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd73c5e989c34d218dd32161eaccde90\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Much better than the last Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d3c2f2eea2f44f39a7928ba249cfe999\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: How will it work to have an acting Prime Minister when the actual Prime Minister is still in the country?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f67c052c31244401a2383ddde8836f08\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: There is precedent for this; it\u2019s not new. If anyone has an illness or needs, for any purpose, to have an acting Prime Minister in place, then there is Cabinet guidance to deal with that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221bd22e995b20422bb5613b73a7ba1d27\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is she concerned that the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research\u2019s (NZIER) quarterly survey of business opinion, released yesterday, has found that business confidence \u201Cdropped sharply in the wake of the new Labour-led Government taking office\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225048faa9534d456284ddf6f7c6db15e7\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: The member will well know that the most important indicator is business confidence in activity for themselves, because that is what then tells us the way that growth is going, and the member will well know\u05AB that, on average, we\u2019re looking at a healthy 3 percent. We will continue to work on boosting business confidence, but in terms of economic indicators, they\u2019re all healthy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225075846d3f8242dda34f488949f1ba7e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition made two out of order interjections during that reply. She will withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ddd1f544d5d4120917d30c943914c03\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b9a693163474897bd26660f4d6adc0e\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Prime Minister intend to adopt a local council\u2019s ruling this morning that all dangerous dogs will be muzzled?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cba01e896de34695b486ef5e99c79b7b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m accepting the Deputy Prime Minister\u2019s word that there was such a ruling made this morning. If there was, like all of these other matters, it is a responsibility of the Prime Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226056b7a3079d4d26bbfd089a42244e62\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: On the basis that that decision was made by Christchurch Council, I recommend the Leader of the Opposition doesn\u2019t go there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224737eae4a91b4929a569a6405e0d4f4b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The Prime Minister will now stand, withdraw, and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229175c1581d3d43f9b66a15ee220a057b\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f8a15d227264acca72a176c7424a806\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s the Prime Minister\u2019s response to Liam Dann\u2019s commentary today that poor business confidence is partly due to \u201Clingering dissatisfaction with the election result and policies of the new government\u201D, and ANZ, which highlighted an \u201Cuncertain policy environment\u201D as a real cause for concern?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d422dab8d874e0783fb76e75942c504\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: The uncertainty, I would argue, is created, unfortunately, more often by the Opposition than anything else. [Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022acb9c20a6d534c14a4a3155efcce24f1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f664855e864466784910ffa4f75a15e\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I absolutely acknowledge that in the past we\u2019ve had similar situations. The last time I\u2019ve seen this kind of pattern\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d585834e59741eaa0358a3521a611cf\u0022\u003EHon David Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, last time Labour was in.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d24a2fbf7f14a738469d7e357f8348b\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: It was indeed, when Labour produced the strongest continuous economic growth since World War II, some of the lowest unemployment in the OECD, and got net core Crown debt near to zero. So if those are indications of a healthy economy, then that\u2019s where we should all be aspiring to be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227ab4d06c727145a48715b4838256e269\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: What then is her response to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022af85137d4d9444c0a1f99d9d61f00af5\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Start again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f59486b311e5433d8d11b3b867be683e\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: What is her response to the NZIER, which yesterday said, \u201CEmployment law changes announced by the new Government, including the abolition of the 90-day trial period for new employees, are likely to have contributed to all the pessimism.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d631e56602d348e1b454497b1e33dc82\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Of course, I would reject that. Everyone will have their own perspective on those policies, but ultimately, what we reached, collaboratively, was a compromise across our three parties when it came to 90 days, one which took into account the view of small businesses, but, ultimately, my expectation is that, as we continue to see growth improve, wages increase, and a healthy economy, we\u2019ll see that optimism increase.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d3f7eeda5ac545b284d8f35dfa33701e\u0022\u003EBudget Policy Statement\u2014Capital Allowances and Health Funding\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022 data-id=\u0022aa22c5bc21434d2880c6eb2ed1750eeb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aa22c5bc21434d2880c6eb2ed1750eeb\u0022\u003EKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What does the Government\u2019s Budget Policy Statement (BPS) say about capital allowances, and how does it compare with previous periods?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u00220cb084e2073d415991e80dd735ac422f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220cb084e2073d415991e80dd735ac422f\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Capital allowances represent the amount a Government is setting aside for future targeted investments and capital infrastructure that the Government is responsible for, like hospitals and classrooms. The Budget Policy Statement shows a forecast capital allowance of $3.4 billion in Budget 2018, another $3.4 billion in Budget 2019, and $3.1 billion in Budget 2020, over the three years totalling $9.9 billion of new capital investments to be made by this Government. The previous forecast for capital allowances over these three years was contained in Budget 2017, showing a forecast of $2 billion for Budget 2018, and then $2.5 billion for each of 2019 and 2020, totalling $7 billion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222bfad7f291f74358b0aeb13c83002cb5\u0022\u003EKiritapu Allan\u003C/span\u003E: Why do the Government\u2019s capital allowances need to be larger than in previous periods?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221dbf78beca9b4982937cedf83fea1a7d\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Capital pressures have built up consistently over the past years. I have been advised that one of the key drivers of these capital pressures was the policy settings of the previous Government, notably operating expenditure constraints. What that means in practice is that the underfunding of operating costs has meant that money that would have been allocated to capital expenditure has had to be used for the day-to-day running of our public services. This is particularly evident in the health sector, where work by the Ministry of Health reveals that District Health Boards would require $14 billion of capital expenditure spread over the next 10 years, with nearly $10 billion of that being new capital from the Crown.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002223561ec5a33d4c03954dfcdcbbceca74\u0022\u003EKiritapu Allan\u003C/span\u003E: What commitment will the Government make to increase investment in health?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236671ccaaf84426ba1d38dbf98a650ab\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: The Government is committed to making necessary and important investments in our public services. We have a plan that includes increased funding for health, starting in Budget 2018 and continuing over a sustained period of time. This isn\u2019t just about big numbers on a spreadsheet; it\u2019s about New Zealanders who should be able to access our public healthcare system without fear of being treated in hospitals with sewerage leaking in the walls or water pipes bursting and flooding wards. It will take more than one Budget to make up for nine years of neglect, but one of our top priorities as a Government is a health system that delivers to New Zealanders the levels of care they expect and deserve.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022bf54a591b92645328b07cbff39ab0098\u0022\u003EHousing\u2014Unitec Development\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u0022f6a995c083524681b84274e90c4947c2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f6a995c083524681b84274e90c4947c2\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (National\u2014Papakura)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: What discussions has he had with the Member of Parliament for Mt Albert in relation to the proposed Unitec development for up to 4,000 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=\u00225d7f31e4c3e94385961731a7bda22ce3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225d7f31e4c3e94385961731a7bda22ce3\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development):\u003C/span\u003E I have had many discussions with the Prime Minister about both the Unitec development and our\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226005bb75912a4da49bcc7e772f948a7c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member will resume his seat. I\u2019m going to ask the member now to address the question, which is not the question that he started addressing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002244e7d1fcdd954d008a301dcdcfc255d3\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have had many discussions with the member for Mt Albert about both the Unitec development and our work to build affordable homes for Kiwi families. The member for Mt Albert has relayed to me how excited her constituents are about this investment in their community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e17a3c3c57174c56a3e04a203e3f7f67\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: How does he anticipate addressing the concerns raised by the member of Parliament for Mt Albert, who has said, in relation to the Unitec development, \u201CThere are questions around what kind of urban design will that project have, will it have an effect on traffic; will it overflow our schools \u2026\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f7883587e83a443fab16b438efd4e72e\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: There is much discussion going on about what kind of urban design we\u2019re going to have, and it\u2019s going to be a very high quality of urban design. Our Government is going to invest in the infrastructure and amenities that the new community at Unitec needs, because this Government believes that when population grows, you invest in the infrastructure to support that population.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229975f1dcaf0540c78b081a7713175d10\u0022\u003ERt Hon Jacinda Ardern\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister confirm that the member for Mt Albert has been continually supportive of the proposal at Unitec but, under its first iteration, when the member was in Opposition, raised the fact that, at that time, the Ministry of Education seemed unwilling to make sure that there was\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ba782470c384f0c891447d6f900dde3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! This Minister has no responsibility for what the member for Mt Albert said when she was in Opposition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271aa6e43db7b4aa99ce2e044fd460ae8\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: When he announced that there would be now up to 4,000 houses built on the Unitec site, had he considered the concerns of the MP for Mt Albert regarding the effect on traffic and local school capabilities?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228dcd2ab153384a73ba23623eb985b1cd\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: I consider those concerns every day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ecc6165fc1724cb789d8740c25486010\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: How would he address the reported concerns, and published concerns, of the MP for Mt Albert by increasing the number of homes built on the site from 2,600 to now almost 4,000 separate homes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd3569618cd14636b08eeb6fbd97e2cb\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re going to address those concerns by bringing the best of urban design to bear and investing in the infrastructure, open spaces, amenities, schools, and all the things that strong communities need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e746325b2d248d7b83e9852a22f9db0\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table a document which is available on a pay basis but is unavailable to some members of Parliament. It is called \u201CChasing Labour votes in Middle Auckland\u201D and it is\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022844018dd4c3549188a8165f22b574ec8\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Describe the source of the document.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b7b999ed8e74d1b88b39c8f822bb5fd\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s a Politik document.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b4c37f6bef1a465ea52f6ca9e90ce469\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I am going to put it, but I think I know what the response is going to be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002253315747c01c43ea995f89ef81c15e25\u0022\u003EHon Grant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s available to all of us for free.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e602911012bf438fb88d4c5b3cfa7654\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a8704676c5904d6db4697cc974e8e544\u0022\u003EHon Grant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s available to all of us for free.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222209c08bf6d74ffe9115080a177491ce\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: No, it\u2019s not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022386449c6cb9c4a96ae36a8cc918ea387\u0022\u003EHon Grant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: The Parliamentary Library has a subscription.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002213bf36fee54440a19853977535b1cbf9\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Parliamentary Library might have a subscription but it is a paid thing. I know that most members get it. I think the member has probably just cut Mr Harman\u2019s income, because some members have subscribed to it otherwise. But I am, in this case, going to put it to the House. Is there any objection to that document being tabled? [Interruption] There appears to be none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271ea029a331a48b1b3e416163de3fe5f\u0022\u003EHon Tracey Martin\u003C/span\u003E: Actually, there was.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d75c8de7bea84b7289f0d4166b55db7e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: There was? OK. Can I just ask people, when they\u2019re objecting, on both sides, to do it in a forceful and confident manner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002200e37ef13d1840599345cfde5db6d459\u0022\u003ETransport Infrastructure\u2014Local and Regional Roading and Prime Minister\u2019s Answers to Oral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022 data-id=\u00221f7ad416349343149054abbbf57c0509\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221f7ad416349343149054abbbf57c0509\u0022\u003EJAMI-LEE ROSS (National\u2014Botany)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Transport: How much is funding increasing by, in dollar terms, for the Local Road Improvements and Regional Improvements activity classes for the first three years of the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u0022eaa0b4dd3241412a82e463859ca8428a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eaa0b4dd3241412a82e463859ca8428a\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Local road improvements increase to $1.03 billion over three years, from Government policy statement (GPS) 2015\u2019s funding of $720 million. That is an increase of $310 million over the next three years, or 43 percent. Regional improvements increase under the draft GPS to $530 million over three years, from GPS 2015\u2019s funding of $270 million. That is an increase of $260 million over the next three years, or nearly double.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a4055d3fc1d74b21b6a77586dd1ffb8b\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: Was the Prime Minister accurate when she said in question time yesterday that over the three-year period, quote, \u201Cregional and local road improvements increase by $1.2 billion.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f097d6e4e654e18a66c53b631b669d6\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e1a26300f1a4b7dbb4a798a5b3f24c1\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: How can he say that local and regional improvements have increased by $1.2 billion when he just told us that those categories increased by $310 million and $260 million, which combined does not come to $1.2 billion?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa9369fc37814158b1aafdb6327cbf8c\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: The Prime Minister was including local roading improvements as well, and local road maintenance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d6c6659d4ec43fea4339b86740ecfc8\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll ask again. How can he say that the Prime Minister is accurate with her $1.2 billion figure when the figures he just gave us add up to $570 million?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203643c24fd304220ba2e593a7164e238\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: The figures include local road maintenance, local road improvements, and regional improvements.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef8ebd90400741d6a1c750ade4b6f4f5\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: Will he be advising the Prime Minister that her answer in the House yesterday was inaccurate and she should perhaps consider correcting it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd3b80fba82d4970a95adaf242d3fd6b\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: I will not be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f31eb37137c0481eb990728c9fbf9924\u0022\u003EIrrigation\u2014Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd and Provincial Growth Fund\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022 data-id=\u0022e191fa39599849bb8bdb017f8f42120d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e191fa39599849bb8bdb017f8f42120d\u0022\u003EMARK PATTERSON (NZ First)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: What assurances can he give the provinces in the wake of the announcement to the wind-down of public funding through Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd for large-scale irrigation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022 data-id=\u00224043715688cb41f4bad86a01227f5ba5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224043715688cb41f4bad86a01227f5ba5\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES (Minister for Regional Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E The provinces deserve assurances, and I, as their first citizen, wish them to be heartened by the fact that we understand how important water is. As we move through the transition economy, we don\u2019t want economies that are not futureproofed, but, at the same time, we don\u2019t want to acquiesce with the historical pattern of water degradation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281c861c5c4d248d0983187f6a10b82ae\u0022\u003EMark Patterson\u003C/span\u003E: What role will the provincial growth fund play in terms of water and the growth of our provinces?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2b743a1055548e9ba721f02bdc3b5c8\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: All allocations via the provincial growth fund meet a very sturdy test. Anything below $20 million requires the sign-off of the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Transport, the Minister for the Environment, and my good self. To that end, environmentally robust sustainable water storage initiatives and water management\u2014the road to the provincial growth fund for such matters is not unlike a primrose path.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022629cdb0b747c4ce2a3a6539f56b62810\u0022\u003EMark Patterson\u003C/span\u003E: Is the irrigation announcement an example of the Government turning its back on the regions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228463532f0a234bbe904d5bd4eeea3d89\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: I stand as the champion of the provinces to strongly refute\u2014refute\u2014that allegation. We are committed not only to growing jobs in the provinces, enabling the transition to take place that moves us away from historic disrupted industries, but, on a regular basis, with suitable partnerships either by dint of grant, equity, or other arrangements, continue to spread the fiscal elixir. Thank you very much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223112059c6d54459185f91d5338495cda\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: When he told a Rotorua audience last week, do not delay in applying to the fund because \u201CPoliticians live in time cycles and there are 29-odd months to the next election.\u201D, did he accept that some people would see that as confirmation that this is a political fund?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022faaac7b2026145e0bcb75ac4750fbe43\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: I think most people would see that as the reflection of someone who believes in democracy and someone who is telling the civic leaders of the Bay of Plenty, \u201CDo not wait aimlessly in line, as you suffered under the last regime.\u201D\u2014lots of rhetoric, no mahi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac0da56e17214c19ae2585cbad689d63\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister seen Mark Patterson\u2019s comments in the local Southland paper, in his recent column, where he said that irrigation equals more cows and more pollution; and how would the Minister respond to those comments from one of his caucus members?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c20cdfd5f5b4104b0f12a2fc018331e\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: As a lad who was born on a farm, as someone who grew up milking cows, the inevitability of more water in an indiscriminate fashion down in the South Island has led to not only more cows but a gross degradation of water in some areas, which is why the Hurunui irrigation scheme was hopelessly divided between people who wanted it and people who did not want it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222c81e9d8a6f046508d633d396dab8553\u0022\u003EAttorney-General\u2014New Zealand Bill of Rights Act Vetting of Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u0022d0a0845cb6974aedaf6a8d7ed4d7105a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d0a0845cb6974aedaf6a8d7ed4d7105a\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Attorney-General: Does he stand by all his statements and actions regarding New Zealand Bill of Rights vetting?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u002276252fbe07654455921d5d3c5b917730\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002276252fbe07654455921d5d3c5b917730\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Attorney-General):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context in which they were given.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a8eec866a4284ba190023cf290db8486\u0022\u003EHon Christopher Finlayson\u003C/span\u003E: Does he accept that his responsibility as Attorney-General in vetting the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act was as senior law officer of the Crown, not a Minister; and, if so, how can he possibly have concluded that political proportionality is more important than freedom of speech and association protected under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc97768aa96e4cf09dc13c262b67570c\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and in the same way in which the Solicitors-General, in 1999 and 2005, under the then process, reached the same conclusion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228768c8662fa848688cdb637756941a72\u0022\u003EHon Christopher Finlayson\u003C/span\u003E: When vetting the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill, did he obtain advice from the Attorneys-General of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, on any Bill of Rights - consistent interpretations they may have adopted regarding their own laws which allow a party leader to dismiss an MP?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a89c5bf17d449c2a9916172ba4dec73\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, before the member answers, I\u2019m just going to consider whether\u2014I just want to check that there are Attorneys-General in those countries in a similar form. I\u2019m sure that the member will be able to assure me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002242137c6123c84f3daf4091178bbdeedf\u0022\u003EHon Christopher Finlayson\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, well, so far as I am aware, the answer is yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e271753fcc844a439736b3f6451d3a8f\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I did not, but I am aware that Japan and Portugal have similar laws, and I do remain of the view that as important as freedom of expression and association are, preserving the balance of representation in accordance with the wishes of the electorate is sufficiently strong democratic purpose to justify the limitations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022add1ae718e15473d810daaec0875071c\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister seen the Human Rights Review Tribunal decision of 26 March, the last, and the scathing comments they had to do with the former Attorney-General and the way he behaved? It\u2019s all here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb0e72d6b58642ac9aa57ce6a73b9ecc\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! The Human Rights Review Tribunal is a step away from New Zealand Bill of Rights Act vettings on the part of this Attorney-General. I\u2019m ruling the question out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e5fbdd75e3c246419407d7072d298b43\u0022\u003EHon Christopher Finlayson\u003C/span\u003E: Why doesn\u2019t he simply follow the example of his immediate predecessor, who always stood up to his ministerial colleagues and issued section 7 reports where necessary, rather than allowing political considerations and the needs of Mr Peters to trump the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eacc3ba878324f4fb62c6c342c2738ac\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: There are two points I\u2019d make in response to that. The first is that on occasions where determinations such as this are finely balanced as to whether a section 7 report should be provided, I\u2019m advised by officials that it\u2019s the judgment of the Attorney-General that is required, which the prior Attorney-General exercised when dealing with the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill. Secondly, I would also note that when his Government abolished Environment Canterbury in 2010\u2014now close to a decade\u2014it was that member\u2019s independent judgment that that was proportionate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220c7641ed9e0b4336aad8476c05e9365a\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002269be171cfe0749baa1266fa8f84c9af2\u0022\u003EHon Christopher Finlayson\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229cf6808258bb4993b6c92279c220acd1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A supplementary question\u2014the Rt Hon Winston Peters\u2014a point\u2014sorry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214c61252b9384bb0b91e0794a58d7fce\u0022\u003EHon Christopher Finlayson\u003C/span\u003E: Very serious issue of misrepresentation\u2014I had no role in vetting the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fbde90e94b6448449b8d7e9eb447111f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member I think is experienced enough to know that if he disagrees with an answer, disagreeing by way of point of order is not appropriate. The member may, if he wishes, at the end of the question, seek the leave of the House for a personal explanation to set the record straight, and if the member really wants to, I suggest that he take that approach.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223121d8be30ee4853be0f5be56734aba0\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to the point of order, if I can assist, I didn\u2019t mean to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc1b53eac3c34dc1aee9dac106d16a7e\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: It wasn\u2019t a point of order, obviously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db61d3625e3a4d259cf3ccf53439f101\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, no, I\u2019m happy to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e00b0c7f3578403a83adb55ae77a4a28\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! If the member wants to sort out his position, I think he has to seek the leave to correct his answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a8e923f4017d478e80299bf6e2ebf0bb\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to make it clear that the Attorney-General delegated it to someone else. [Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227727793cc46840119f90b70fd2d92d07\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to the Attorney-General making such a statement? Right, well\u2014have we finished?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220523c185eea24b1383c7887c83a503ad\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I just make that point: the Attorney-General delegated\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e2af80200fb543a5b944ed6e182d22e6\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, no, no. The member did not get leave to do it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238b2902098144a43885469f6e069a421\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: I thought I\u2019d been granted leave. Sorry, sir.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002287565c5fa1584caeb97f5108bcc3fc1e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No. Well, I will take the member\u2019s word, but I am saying that he is an experienced enough member to know that he needs to be called for something like that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222628bd1cac484e6da7ca7f9992592b63\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister seen the legal cases surrounding the 26 March hearing which described the former Attorney-General\u2019s behaviour with respect to rationale and reasoning for the decision as being non-existent?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002273a33d70ed77470588a584c0874cd4e5\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. You\u2019ve already ruled that question out of order, so why was it allowed to be asked at such length?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227ba7585bd5ee43aca1641a344c4b9fbf\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb600aea384246648a0cf778d233b446\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to the point of order\u2014and I say to the right honourable gentleman that I much prefer him doing it this way than from his seat.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022367983e584a248adbebeff83becd2944\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2014the objections, you mean?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c81431d087304f399a594fa0bccfaba3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: For you, speaking to the point of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200a7e69576c14f10a7d062307e33ff76\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: The difference between the first question and the second question related not to the tribunal but to the surrounding court cases, which would make the Attorney-General relevant in that situation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220cd4382cd04e418d8308361386120389\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And unless I\u2019m convinced that there\u2019s a matter of vetting involved, then I\u2019m not going to allow the question. Are there any further supplementaries?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022132a5c3dfb9a401992e692c55ee4aa14\u0022\u003EIrrigation\u2014Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022 data-id=\u00221ecd481e15f7421d9b2ac8f2436bd40f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221ecd481e15f7421d9b2ac8f2436bd40f\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY (National\u2014\u014Ctaki)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Agriculture: Does he stand by all his statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022 data-id=\u0022bb69fc11849246b6950143a6645d0510\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bb69fc11849246b6950143a6645d0510\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR (Minister of Agriculture):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022608b069ba1e4471685b07d18656a5eb1\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: How does the Minister justify winding down support for some irrigation projects without even meeting or consulting Crown Irrigation officials ever since becoming Minister?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e6ac6aba67ff4cb1a8ac699e40c59311\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: Officials from my office have been in regular contact with Crown Irrigation Ltd. They never sought to have a meeting with myself as Minister, and I have been in a number of meetings where I have met and spoken informally with officials from Crown\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1468fd1c0ae441e8729544549da3a7b\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: Oh!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002274b10dc2778e49b28dc7f8a9d0975602\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014Irrigation Investment Ltd.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281211d1d80ab424a85159c995bd01561\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister consider Hunter Downs being offered an investment term sheet to be a legal or moral obligation for the Crown to continue to back this scheme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f2d8a84cc5e4438da491b6a9967138ba\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: A judgment call was made on where\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a1ebeb615afc4cada1d04699a0b6ba26\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: Ah!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f78d68159c0428ead125b4865532851\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014there were obligations from the Crown\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa9b0372af03452382ed971f41da59ed\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: Yep.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002226a2b8d1b0f043e3ab25e58a24be8d6c\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014to irrigation schemes that were\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7911374dc8745ab83d7541ea7d29ff1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I\u2019m just going to ask Mr Guy\u2014there\u2019s a very serious matter and I want to hear it without his constant loud interjections through his open mike.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228dff23cebfd041b8a5f0820f76e9ff8b\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223987c822e17746d3b59b60032366854c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Starting again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220717cc93022343078c71d06a53bd864e\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: Judgments were made on which irrigation schemes had progressed far enough to warrant ongoing Government support. In announcing our policy, we had always said we would honour existing agreements. These irrigation schemes were at different levels of commitment. The judgment was that term sheets signed by the two schemes plus the scheme that was under construction were worthy of ongoing Government support. Hunter Downs was not at that stage. I believe that the scheme will proceed regardless of Government\u2019s decision in this area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f4a3de29b36748238830f3af8ebc153a\u0022\u003EEarly Childhood Education\u2014Funding\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022 data-id=\u00227e06145fcfcc4abca7c20e872dcecfc4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227e06145fcfcc4abca7c20e872dcecfc4\u0022\u003EJO LUXTON (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: How have the funding challenges for the early childhood education sector that he acknowledged to the House yesterday impacted upon ECE services?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022787e878ec446427ca33e09952e262ae9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022787e878ec446427ca33e09952e262ae9\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you. Early childhood education (ECE) is a sector under strain. Education Review Office reports have highlighted significant issues, including the number of reviews that have uncovered significant concerns to warrant another review within a year doubling within two years, and the percentage of reviews resulting in gold-star standard being achieved dropping from 14 percent to 11 percent. The early childhood sector has done an amazing job of trying to maintain quality, given a near decade of funding freezes, but it\u2019s clear that quality will be seriously compromised if that freeze continues. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e5c9e03685d447708afdbd8a8df7e9c2\u0022\u003EJo Luxton\u003C/span\u003E: What reliable information does the Government hold on the impact that lower funding for ECE has had on fees paid by New Zealand parents for their kids\u2019 ECE?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002209b256a9f538402baf4a3563785d1052\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: It would be fair to say that data held by the Ministry of Education is limited. A survey from 2013, which was released in 2015, shows that fees for parents have increased, most significantly in the kindergarten sector. The survey was repeated in 2015 but was never analysed and never published and, mysteriously, the survey was not subsequently repeated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a609521131d404ca8c333caab1f14b0\u0022\u003EJo Luxton\u003C/span\u003E: What advice has he seen about the funding pressures in early childhood education?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c07b25267d784cb4b81dd957b90b6c40\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ve seen advice from kindergarten head teacher Virginia Oakley, who said that, \u201CSome services have got rid of qualified teachers, replaced them with unqualified staff that are cheaper to pay for and we\u2019ve had to cut maintenance for our buildings \u2026\u201D. I\u2019ve also seen advice from Peter Reynolds, the chief executive of the Early Childhood Council, who said that, \u201CThe average childcare service is losing around about $105,000 since 2011 by our calculation \u2026 it\u2019s not a rosy picture for childcare centres.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002284ebce6b5e124309be6fdb11bb753bc3\u0022\u003EChildren\u2014Children\u2019s Convention Monitoring Group Report and Implementation of Building Blocks\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022 data-id=\u00222552ace0448e4e37b810d9ae49ea1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222552ace0448e4e37b810d9ae49ea1fb3\u0022\u003EHon ALFRED NGARO (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Children: What work does she have under way in her portfolio?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022 data-id=\u002286c097ef2748404ea1ad5c14ecb7537c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002286c097ef2748404ea1ad5c14ecb7537c\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN (Minister for Children):\u003C/span\u003E Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Children, as a team and together, we have a large body of work under way, which includes continuing our social worker recruitment drive, developing new ways to recruit kin carers by working in partnership with iwi and our Pasifika community, piloting a 24/7 caregiver support and inquiry line and improving inductions for caregivers, increasing the number of safe and loving places available for children when home isn\u2019t working, and including specific placements for high- and complex-needs children and for children in crisis. We\u2019ve rolled out a practice framework for all social workers, and we\u2019ll be evaluating this framework. We are also developing new trauma-informed practice guidelines for front-line staff. We now have more than 70 percent of our contract funding, and in multiple-year contracts we are working with partners, including iwi and NGOs, to build and commission stronger services for children. We are working with iwi to enable them to lead family group conferences. We are working to implement the new legislative changes, including care standards, information sharing, transition to independence, and the increase in age for both\u2014[Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0786b3f074548c4a20e6bb9b8c92270\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I\u2019m going to ask the member to stop. This is an Opposition question, it is a very broad question, and it is an area that most members of the House think is important. I\u2019m going to ask members on my left to stop their interjecting, and I\u2019m going to ask members on my right to stop encouraging them. Complete the answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022779f50b79ac54b04a91e27f88be3a347\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: Do you want me to start from the beginning?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243d33099bbd445848ff5978ed48fc77a\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4aadf93416c4894ad5ed8dc0544c5fc\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: So, picking up where I left off, we are working to implement the new legislative changes including care standards, information sharing, transition to independence, and the increase in age for both care and protection in youth justice children and young people. We are testing a remand option investigation tool that helps agencies provide better information to the Youth Court. We are working with the Pasifika panel to develop the Pasifika strategy around practice, placements, and partnerships. We are also working, between my role in Minister for Children and Associate Minister of Education, around the support for children with high learning needs that are often also Oranga Tamariki children, and, as Minister for Children, I am also co-lead of the child well-being strategy. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5c69b321a5047628beca446a04d65a5\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022601c28b8d99847baae5f9c73a8f4345a\u0022\u003EHon Alfred Ngaro\u003C/span\u003E: Which of the 10 building blocks in the Children\u2019s Convention Monitoring Group report released today does she intend to implement?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bef68b9b6a34b83aa5e1d3dd2222ffd\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: We have, actually, with the child well-being strategy, started to implement, or will be implementing, one of the major building blocks that has been required of this Government after the last 25 years of being a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). This Government is also committed to making major progress on children\u2019s well-being and reducing child poverty; our Child Poverty Reduction Bill addresses this. We have also established a royal commission to investigate historic abuse and violence towards children in State care, and our Families Package will bump up the incomes of many families. We want New Zealand to be the best place in the world to be a child and we take our commitment to UNCROC seriously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f94c815fe8c14c168ca89f74dba2fcba\u0022\u003EHon Alfred Ngaro\u003C/span\u003E: Does that include recommendation No. 5, which says in 5.1, to \u201CDevelop a child rights and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-compliant data infrastructure that generates high quality disaggregated data which is used to inform policies, legislation, and practices.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022edc4e146f9134d09b4050f2bc8783888\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: This Government is actually working in a large area around how Government departments use, monitor, collect, and interact with each other around the use of data. We are breaking down silos for the betterment of our children.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222556686cbf1a46c48f8457761da0828c\u0022\u003EHon Alfred Ngaro\u003C/span\u003E: How disappointed is she that, to date, there has been no work in progressing the social investment agency under this new Government which is vital to implementing recommendation No. 5? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226a661fe8f90c46a8a1092ca41db2d609\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: I think that\u2019s a matter of perspective as to whether there\u2019s only one way to implement that particular goal, but I would say I am disappointed that after nine years, this Government in only five months has probably done more for our children. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b91abc6c6bdb430192911338729dbd31\u0022\u003EHon Alfred Ngaro\u003C/span\u003E: How does she expect to handle the increase in the number of children and young people in care and protection without implementing recommendation No. 5 and also recommendation No. 6, which focuses on budgeting? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e6b0576a15c4f87bb4c7fa1e4a49fb5\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: The member suggests, and has questioned, that we are not addressing those recommendations. We just may not be addressing them in the way he may want us to do so. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022447b783659fa4de887a2d8b7d36afa52\u0022\u003EBroadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Minister\u2014Carol Hirschfeld, Commonwealth Games, and Radio New Zealand\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u002233e7b4cd7de54ad78a08194206e5e3bf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002233e7b4cd7de54ad78a08194206e5e3bf\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022 data-id=\u002211cf7de05c5c4793be5f2f78c1cab450\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002211cf7de05c5c4793be5f2f78c1cab450\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN (Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context that they were made and taken. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224fd53a458bea4c989c9b9909420e55b5\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Why did she not disclose the full nature of a meeting with Carol Hirschfeld when Richard Griffin asked her, back on 28 February, whether \u201Cthere is anything she is concerned about or would like to raise in relation to the select committee meeting\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f9302f511265443ebb03dc745fb3c25f\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: I have given an account of that meeting to this House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6423d520974411481b695c4c9fed908\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Why did she not at any point make contact with the chair of the economic development select committee, the clerk of the committee, the Clerk of the House, or the Speaker to inform them that they may have been misled by Radio New Zealand (RNZ)? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a75a48befec74ea689a13713446785f0\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. A Minister is not responsible for contacting the chair of a select committee, or the Speaker or the Clerk or any of the others who have been contacted, if somebody else has supplied false information to a select committee. That is a matter for the person or the organisation that has supplied false information. It is not a matter that the Minister has ministerial responsibility for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b005f41524e42c8bece2bbbe5a5ba80\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s an interesting comment from the Leader of the House, except in this case the organisation was, effectively, misrepresenting the Minister. So for a Minister to say that it\u2019s not their responsibility, or they have no responsibility for correcting their own department\u2019s misrepresentation of them is a complete obfuscation of political responsibility. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8e4b10d200942ee9d23ad035e19526a\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: All right. I accept that, in fact, no member has responsibility for informing a select committee that they\u2019ve been told something in error by a third person. That is not a direct responsibility, either ministerial or otherwise. There is still a question, though\u2014it is still a possibility that a Minister could have chosen to take that action, and I\u2019m taking this question as why the Minister chose not to do so. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c07d39fd6684d9994434e3affc80abb\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: My office made contact with RNZ on two occasions to correct\u2014to inform them that the information provided at select committee was incorrect. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275b7c7537c6c4cbe980e6b5873c49fe9\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was why she did not actually contact the clerk of the committee, the chairman of the committee, the Clerk of the House, or the Speaker, not RNZ. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3316acfc69d4e0683aa59cbc0e7ffc1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and I am going to ask the Minister to address that question, with just the minor correction that we\u2019ll deal with \u201Cclerks\u201D, not \u201Cclurks\u201D, thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022299c749f0fa343a1b3dd5640637427fd\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: I believed it was appropriate that my office contacted RNZ on two occasions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227096aa2e4fcd45dd8bc92d0d6bc26eec\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: In the interests of openness and transparency, will she ask Richard Griffin to release the voice mail she left on his phone; if not, why not? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229b111e3dc4cf47ae8a2b8f43741ce327\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s a matter for Mr Griffin and the select committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216cfdbd1953f44bca513742181c6f29b\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Does she believe that taxpayers received value for money from having the broadcasting Minister attend the Commonwealth Games, given the criticism of the coverage of gold medal events following her attendance? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002249eaf7125362424f840f057dbea6d91f\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: Thanks for that question. I visited the Commonwealth Games to gain a hands-on insight into how a mega sports event is broadcast across multiple platforms. I visited the International Broadcast Centre to see first-hand the operations of games broadcasters, including TVNZ, Channel 7, and BBC Sport. That trip also provided the opportunity to meet with key portfolio stakeholders, including discussions with TVNZ\u2019s leadership, a dinner with the CEOs of local New Zealand production companies, and a visit to Optus\u2019 live showcase. I attended at the invitation\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ff52265a12149358064f1af327fcccc\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I think we\u2019re all convinced that the Minister was busy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022676b7de6f22a4b1aa34ebbf09659dfaa\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I believe that the question was \u201CDoes she believe that the taxpayers received value for money?\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a6d82cd66bfa4a5da015e17a1ea52222\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And my view was that anyone who listened carefully got an answer from that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cea6de62f49485d9e4bc9b5820e47a2\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Is she satisfied that the taxpayer is getting value for money out of TVNZ broadcast coverage of events when New Zealand has won gold, like in the lawn bowls, squash, and hammer throw?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222134aba845c443de961495ef701f14f6\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! That now gets to a straight editorial matter, for which there is not responsibility.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fdd0683d3462409da1c9957c52bfc17e\u0022\u003EHealth Services\u2014Building Improvements and Funding Gap\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u0022329392010a064892a6911659498fae70\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022329392010a064892a6911659498fae70\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: What major capital projects are being progressed in health?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022 data-id=\u00227fa3ad294baa43eb952a65fdaadba844\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227fa3ad294baa43eb952a65fdaadba844\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E We have inherited a long list of building problems that require attention. Among the immediate priorities is work on Middlemore\u2019s Scott building and the rebuild of the Dunedin Hospital, where, because of asbestos, staff are having to recover patient records in hazmat suits. The upcoming Budget will include a significant injection of capital funding to tackle the most urgent issues and start addressing the under-investment of the last nine years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022169f6a07b2d54eb19e79cfc67377e777\u0022\u003ERino Tirikatene\u003C/span\u003E: Why is there such a backlog of building issues in health?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277c64f24ae0949f7a051859167f8de74\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: I think it\u2019s clear to New Zealanders that the public health service has been neglected over the last nine years in pursuit of surpluses and tax cuts\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b4f2565424645cfb626c5556086333f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member will resume his seat. To give that sort of answer, he\u2019s got to hang it on something he has responsibility for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022935cb584b2cf4befb47645ca1fd0c4a8\u0022\u003ERino Tirikatene\u003C/span\u003E: What planning is under way to avoid the mould, rot, and sewage issues experienced at Middlemore Hospital?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022860d82c50e424d88914ecd4529527574\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: There are clear processes in place for district health boards to put forward capital projects for funding. However, I am concerned that there is no comprehensive assessment of the state of our health assets, and I have work under way to address this. We need a proper national asset management plan so we can make sure New Zealanders get treated in quality facilities and we don\u2019t have to see, routinely, asbestos hazards signs up in our public hospitals. I have with me a photo of some recent visitors to Dunedin Hospital making their way past asbestos hazard signs, including the current and former Opposition health spokespersons.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b5f498d7b344c7f9cb57bb7bb951b39\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister prepared to release the advice on a $14 billion funding gap that he has mentioned today and that the Minister of Finance mentioned today and in his post-Cabinet press conference?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fdf4d08218f34679ae7eeb8568b55208\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: [Holds up photograph] I will consider that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228fab47b6044245678d67e45d854bf4e3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Yes, and the member had finished using the visual aid and should not have used it again. For that reason, if Mr Woodhouse wants to have another question, he may.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227735a36a2b594bfbaa29b00598358618\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Apart from Middlemore Hospital\u2019s leaky buildings issue and the Dunedin Hospital situation, can the Minister name any other asset issues that were not previously made public by his or the previous Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205cf40f00b1e4d6b93b3c134a0495a77\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: I have encountered many, many issues in my time as Minister. Just to name one, in Nelson/Marlborough, their buildings clearly need replacing with the fullness of time. There are plenty of buildings around the country, and we need to understand better and have a baseline so that we can have a comprehensive assessment. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve asked for a national asset management plan, because there is no comprehensive assessment of which buildings are at what standard, and that is an absolute shame and a sign of the neglect of the last nine years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022731428523e4045ddba30033eb065a291\u0022\u003EBuilding and Construction Industry\u2014Fire Safety in New Buildings\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022 data-id=\u0022dd37347bf0c140ef8129543babb2b0ac\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dd37347bf0c140ef8129543babb2b0ac\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY (National\u2014Hunua)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Building and Construction: Can she confirm that there are no buildings under construction in New Zealand that have or are proposing to install aluminium composite panel cladding?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022 data-id=\u0022ffe5b9e0bdd24c9ba73a26cc8d1bb64c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ffe5b9e0bdd24c9ba73a26cc8d1bb64c\u0022\u003EHon JENNY SALESA (Minister for Building and Construction):\u003C/span\u003E Day-to-day decisions on whether proposed building work complies with the building code are made by building consent authorities and held by territorial local authorities. I\u2019m advised that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) does not hold this information.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cbab999593974962bb41d73346fda683\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: Isn\u2019t fire safety in multi-storey buildings an important safety issue, following the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy in London last year; and, if so, why has she not suspended the use of aluminium composite panels?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224563e6e65d084e6c80d00add9d99f128\u0022\u003EHon JENNY SALESA\u003C/span\u003E: Fire safety is indeed very important to this Government, but can I just say to the member that the circumstances around the Grenfell fire tragedy are very different to the New Zealand regulatory environment. So, unlike the UK, a building similar to Grenfell Tower constructed in New Zealand would have smoke detection, it would have a building-wide fire alarm, it would have an automatic sprinkler system, and an all-out evacuation plan. Grenfell Tower did not have all of these features.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002270fa4b377af74f8ba03f72476ddbfb4b\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: Why has she ignored the recommendations she received, as Minister, four months ago from expert fire engineer Dr Tony Enright to suspend the use and installation of aluminium composite panels on multi-storey buildings?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002233b3f62717304a66adf8ff435677f6e4\u0022\u003EHon JENNY SALESA\u003C/span\u003E: MBIE advice is that the report the member is referring to did not have sufficient supporting material to justify further action. Officials have sought an independent peer review, which is expected in the next few weeks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002204d0c1ebd00e40f697c3077fc37a6b9e\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: Why is she still refusing to even publish Dr Enright\u2019s four-month-old report, so apartment and commercial property owners can read for themselves about the use of aluminium composite panels on their buildings?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e3383cb920f4463db54628f2ebf6e200\u0022\u003EHon JENNY SALESA\u003C/span\u003E: The report that the member is referring to is currently being peer reviewed. But can I also state that we are very confident that the appropriate fair and robust process is currently being followed. Suspending code mark certificates without adequate evidence would have a considerable consequence, and so MBIE is going through the right process. We\u2019re making sure that this report the member\u2019s referring to is peer reviewed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223b9c8635cf574c2697ed46936b098eca\u0022\u003EQuestions to Members\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002237a1ba62ea60450081f2025e577a9be8\u0022\u003ERadio New Zealand\u2014Annual Review 2016/17\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022504445646eea45fd8c6ff33f1e0bf69f\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Chairperson of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee: Has the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Select Committee had any further discussions about the briefing from Radio New Zealand Ltd about the 2016/17 annual review?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022 data-id=\u0022b968e58ed3c04816a99629fa4ac3cbe4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b968e58ed3c04816a99629fa4ac3cbe4\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG (Chairperson of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, the item of business was on the agenda in today\u2019s extraordinary meeting held by the committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c98441876f554884904ba64f3a83aa84\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: What was the primary purpose of this morning\u2019s meeting?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c95683ebf1cc44369b15275a863f53b4\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member\u2019s not responsible for that. It\u2019s not a matter of responsibility for the chair of the committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002235fff6b3de824bbdb1868d70a509c117\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Who sets the agenda for the meetings? Do members of Parliament now not do that, and it\u2019s entirely up to the clerks to decide what we talk about?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce0bb0b2c91140608baa1818eacf6b39\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The calling of the meeting is the responsibility of the chair. The requesting of a person or a paper is the responsibility of the chair. The examination of a witness is the responsibility of the chair. What actually happens within a meeting before it\u2019s reported back, when it is not public\u2014for him to report that would be a breach of privilege, and I\u2019m not going to let him do it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec9dad490ee74ca282c08084dab3a5e4\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: The question was: what was the purpose? How can that be something that should be withheld from the public?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223571d5d487b04bb296faf27febf42837\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: We have had a system, for much longer than either of us has been here, of the consideration parts\u2014and this was not a public hearing of the committee\u2014that business which occurs in that phase, not being available for the public until the committee reports. I\u2019m not going to help the member design a system which allows or encourages\u2014because the member, of course, would himself be responsible\u2014the member to breach the confidentiality of the committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000244\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    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c8684d126fbf48fba24251ee128c3807\u0022\u003EGeneral Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220e53186accf647a0a3875c4a35cde234\u0022\u003EGeneral Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022e67cdd907c094c5eb16b03340ed07b29\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e67cdd907c094c5eb16b03340ed07b29\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the House take note of miscellaneous business.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EYou can\u2019t claim success about a surplus if you haven\u2019t paid the bills, and that is the legacy of the last nine years. We wouldn\u2019t ever do it at home. You could make your bank balance look fantastic if you didn\u2019t pay the rates, if you didn\u2019t pay your power bill, if you didn\u2019t fix the washing machine. Your bank balance could grow, so that\u2019s exactly what the previous Government has done, and we have seen the impact of that in so many areas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EWe have seen the impact in health, and we know on this side of the House that if you underfund the health sector by $2.4 billion over nine years, that\u2019s going to have some effect. It\u2019s going to see leaking hospitals. It\u2019s going to see sewage in the walls of our hospitals. It\u2019s going to see frustrated health professionals, who we owe an awful lot to in New Zealand\u2014the professionals who work in our health system, who have been stretched beyond belief by that underfunding. But you know what? Simon Bridges\u2014do you know what he calls those issues? He says they\u2019re an accounting issue. Simon Bridges says that sewage in the walls of our hospitals is an accounting issue. Well, you know what they say about accountants, with due respect to them: accountants know the cost of everything and the value of nothing, and that is the legacy of the previous Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve also seen that in Christchurch, with the blowout in Earthquake Commission repairs. Gerry Brownlee called that \u201Can unquantified liability\u201D. It\u2019s a little bit like going to the doctor and being told that you won\u2019t be able to run a marathon tomorrow. Yep, it\u2019s unquantified, but you kind of know what it is, don\u2019t you. Christchurch knows all about a quantified liability\u2014it\u2019s called Gerry Brownlee. That\u2019s what they know about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EWe can see it right across all of the social sector. In early childhood education (ECE), we heard from Chris Hipkins today about ECE centres losing $105,000 since 2011, of parents being asked to pay more and more\u2014the cost of basic public services shifting on to parents because the previous Government wasn\u2019t prepared to invest the money that they needed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EOn this side of the House, we have a very different set of priorities. That party wanted to manufacture a surplus and give tax cuts that favoured the wealthy. On this side of the House, we want to invest in critical public services that New Zealanders deserve. We want to give every New Zealander a fair shot at success, and we have a plan to do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EMuch of what has been discussed this week we already knew, but there\u2019s no way that a bland set of Government accounts can show just how badly rundown our public services are. The $2.4 billion underfunding of health will take time to turn around, but we have a plan to do it: a six-year plan to invest in health. We knew about the education gap and we will reinvest in education. In our mini-Budget, we have already reversed those tax cuts. We have a Families Package that will deliver, on average, $75 per week to 385,000 families. We made sure that there was room for an investment in our future, and that means making sure that we invest in giving people the skills that they will need for tomorrow\u2014the ability to train and retrain.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EIt means restarting contributions to the Superannuation Fund. We hear about the great economic management on the other side of the House, and they didn\u2019t put one cent into the Superannuation Fund from 2009 onwards. This side of the House is proud that we are investing in a future that is sustainable for all New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EIn the Budget in May, we will begin to address the social and infrastructure deficits that have been left to us by the previous Government. Our priorities are around health and education and housing and giving New Zealanders the public services that they have come to rely on in the past and that we will rebuild again. I have said it once and I will say it many times again: it will take more than one Budget to undo nine years of neglect. But on this side of the House we have a determination that we will invest in the future of New Zealanders. We have the allowances in the Budget to do that, and we balance those with being fiscally responsible. This is a Government that is committed to making sure that every New Zealander enjoys prosperity and success, unlike the previous Government, who were prepared to sit there like accountants, feeling good about the numbers on their spreadsheets but failing entirely to deliver to New Zealanders. That now changes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022 data-id=\u0022a70788deaa7c498394d610cd1eb08e7a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a70788deaa7c498394d610cd1eb08e7a\u0022\u003EHon TODD McCLAY (National\u2014Rotorua):\u003C/span\u003E Well, there you have it: Grant Robertson is more red-faced and moving faster than the last time he was in a hot yoga class, spinning. Because that\u2019s exactly what you just heard from him\u2014it\u2019s from a confused Government that is still surprised that they\u2019re in Government. They\u2019re doing what they did every day in Opposition, which is to manufacture a crisis. But the difference here is Grant Robertson has stood before this House today and he has started to rewrite history. Well, the thing that Mr Robertson can\u2019t get over is that he\u2019s now in charge, and he needs to step up and stop making excuses and actually show some leadership\u2014and he might share that with the Prime Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EBecause, you see, the reality is starting to sink in. They promised everything during the election campaign, and now they cannot deliver. That\u2019s why they\u2019re resetting expectations. That\u2019s why they\u2019re starting to spin. That\u2019s why we\u2019re starting to see fake news all over the place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EToday, you\u2019re going to hear from some of our spokespeople who were Ministers, who actually know what was going on, and who are actually the authority here about the record of the last Government. They\u2019re going to peel back the covers of the rewriting of history that we just heard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EJacinda Ardern stood on the platform in front of the television and she said she would be a different type of Prime Minister. I\u2019ll give her this: she is already, after six months. She\u2019s taken a new Government of six months and she\u2019s turned it into one that looks like it\u2019s been there for three terms. The reason for this is she can\u2019t control Winston Peters, she is actually taking the Greens for granted, and Kiwis are starting to see the cracks. There are distractions everywhere, and Grant Robertson is trying to fix them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003ESo what have we seen over the last five weeks? This Government has just had five weeks of terrible news where they\u2019ve been off message, just six months in. We had the Russian debacle, where we\u2019re still waiting for the Foreign Minister to actually say it was the Russians. We had the Labour study camp issue. We had Clare Curran, who\u2019s the gift that keeps on giving for everybody but the Prime Minister and her leadership. Then we have Jenny Marcroft and Tracey Martin, who were threatening a local MP over local problems\u2014and, actually, they\u2019ve been avoiding the media every single day. We had, last week, a decision that the Greens like, that every single New Zealander is going to have to pay at least $15 extra each time they fill up their pumps, just so Aucklanders cannot use a tram. You\u2019ve got Shane Jones threatening commercial entities. And then, last week, we had a new MP, Paul Eagle, who\u2019s either swearing at a panel beater or a constituent, but either one of those actually doesn\u2019t work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EYou see, there is no crisis other than leadership in Government. Grant Robertson realised they\u2019ve overpromised, they\u2019ve already spent it all, and now there\u2019s none left. You see, they gave Shane Jones $3 billion during the negotiations to form the Government\u2014a regional slush fund. They\u2019ve just delivered $2.8 billion so that students can study for free in their first year, and the universities and others are saying there are no extra students coming. You\u2019ve got Winston Peters, who said there\u2019s a lot more money coming for Pacific aid, and then you\u2019ve got the Greens, who have made the Government rip $5 billion out of the regions for those Auckland trams.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003ESo when they say there\u2019s a crisis, it\u2019s because there\u2019s no money left and Grant Robertson can\u2019t deliver on those promises. There will be nothing for the teachers or the nurses or the midwives or the others they promised before the election, because they just didn\u2019t think that they were going to be in charge. So Grant Robertson\u2019s spinning as fast as he can. He\u2019s dampening down expectations. It just won\u2019t wash and it won\u2019t stick.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003ENikki Kaye, today, will speak about the great record that we have in education, where we went from $8 billion to $11 billion a year\u2014an increase\u2014and great results for Kiwis up and down the country, young New Zealanders who now have a better chance. In health\u2014an extra $5 billion a year in spending, 50,000 more operations per year, 800,000 children are getting free doctors visits. That was a hard-working Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EWhat I want to say is that a competent Government deals with issues when they come up. This Government needs to stop making excuses, stop manufacturing crises, stop spinning, stop lowering expectations, and just do their 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=\u00226b1740d0e859414ba9b8f5bf107677c6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226b1740d0e859414ba9b8f5bf107677c6\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader\u2014NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much. We have seen the polls. I want to make it very clear to the National Party that all the bombast in the world and all the effort without essence doesn\u2019t cut it any more. Their leader\u2019s in trouble. That speech from Todd McClay was probably an audition for a future challenge very soon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ECan I just say, I picked up a tribunal report from the Human Rights Review Tribunal on 26 March and, I\u2019ll tell you what, it\u2019s an absolute disgrace. They found, of all people, Kim Dotcom to be a sincere and honest witness\u2014traits which were not common when it came to the Government and their senior law officer. It\u2019s all in this report. It\u2019s a disgrace.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f18d1127c304b79be5708d94269fbd9\u0022\u003EChris Penk\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re a disgrace.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298f305d7d927443293a78c746824b772\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s no use junior shouting out there\u2014nobody gives a rat\u2019s derri\u00E8re about what you think.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EWe know from court decisions that illegal activities were used to assist attempts at extraditing Mr Kim Dotcom. Astoundingly, though, activities were coordinated and sanctioned by the former Attorney-General, Mr Finlayson, the man who poses as the Blackstone of the Antipodes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EThere was a raid, you remember, on 20 January 2012, and later that year, Justice Winkelmann found that the warrants used were invalid. This proved to be just the first of a series of poorly orchestrated examples of Government malfeasance. Time and again under the National Party they demonstrated malice and an incompetence in those raids, and they couldn\u2019t even handle the fallout after it. Now, in 2015, Attorney-General Finlayson accepted a transfer for Mr Dotcom\u2019s request for information\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a160111e25d4d9dbb9d9e733627f321\u0022\u003EHon Maggie Barry\u003C/span\u003E: Not true.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cde1709bf80f48fa9caf2455061f1c1a\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014ostensibly pursuant to a Privacy Act. Here comes the gardener who\u2019s now the lawyer\u2014ostensibly pursuant to the Privacy Act 1993.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c2e1b6b8d05548d1af1c531bd4518576\u0022\u003EHon Maggie Barry\u003C/span\u003E: Say it outside the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ae43e3a4c134defa3914abec94e1125\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m saying it anywhere.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220e9a53ac4e124196aeb142168c52e5ef\u0022\u003EHon Maggie Barry\u003C/span\u003E: Say it outside.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022602944adb2914823ad1a225624c5856e\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll say it outside. I\u2019ve got the report. It\u2019s from a QC, not some junior weedeater. As expressed by the Human Rights Review Tribunal, this is what they say\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223b45996c3b1f49d58785266f5e16082c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No. I am going to ask the Deputy Prime Minister to withdraw that description of the member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d469b39eb14f4372b6722fc07e15b766\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw that description. The rationale, they said, of the Attorney-General was non-existent. So what was the real reason? Mr Finlayson, as a law officer representing the Crown, was the person responsible for litigation with Mr Dotcom. Thus, as discerned by the Human Rights Review Tribunal, Mr Finlayson\u2019s motivations were likely\u2014and listen to these words\u2014\u201Cfor the purpose of coordinating the response to the request with the Crown\u2019s litigation strategy.\u201D So he had a duplicitous purpose from the word go. This dodgy governance is unbecoming of an Attorney-General, the Crown\u2019s chief law officer, and, as stated by the tribunal, \u201CSight must not be lost of the principle that those who seek to uphold the law must themselves obey it.\u201D It appears the most basic constitutional duties were not followed. It\u2019s unacceptable behaviour. It was blatant, and he got found out very badly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EYou know something? This is the same member of Parliament and Attorney-General who, when he got a bill in front of him saying we should move the age from 10 years to 25 years to qualify, gave a certificate saying it was against the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b30acc2176194856897de830ced038d7\u0022\u003EChris Penk\u003C/span\u003E: You can\u2019t fill out your own forms correctly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002241f57cdf85604aa6a17387b2dec9cb82\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: And then he stood, and then, junior\u2014then, junior\u2014he stood by while that member and others campaigned on 20 years. So if 25 years was against the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, how come 20 years wasn\u2019t?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022388e14b0db8c46e1a7c49f409ed33e68\u0022\u003EChris Penk\u003C/span\u003E: You can\u2019t fill out your own forms.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223799847359ea4899a3b638ea9f3c3bad\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: There you go\u2014he\u2019s marvellous. I can see why they got you. Obviously all the rest of the sheep were busy. Everyone might as well have got\u2014see, shouting like that, that\u2019s so typical of these neo-liberal twits they bring in in a certain political party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed84e68f67ac4d3f98da5878c36d0e20\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec46de9e85dd406c961f8b4a8dbe667e\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: I didn\u2019t use his name.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c4ad1fa920e5479493076cbac99f0475\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I know, but members might be neo-liberal, but they\u2019re honourable members and not twits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002229dd69980ace4ff9b9c7aa5a9763cadf\u0022\u003EHon Tracey Martin\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I was going to wait until the Rt Hon Winston Peters had resumed his seat so as not to interrupt, but you yourself have interrupted. The member we\u2019re talking about has shouted out on three occasions around dishonesty, suggesting dishonesty of a member of this House. That is unparliamentary language.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c22cf54e3d24118a8b5188436152e04\u0022\u003EChris Penk\u003C/span\u003E: I pointed out that the member who was speaking had not correctly filled out his own forms, so shouldn\u2019t be casting aspersions on others\u2019 ability. It was nothing to do with dishonesty. The people of New Zealand may regard him as dishonest, but that was not something that I was saying in the House today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221101b930014b405c8b1a6026193ead93\u0022\u003EHon Tracey Martin\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to the point of order\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228fb919a92ce4478b935f30fbda4e58ed\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! No, no. The member has misused the point of order process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef3af54a746a4042aec7a0d8d47d669d\u0022\u003EChris Penk\u003C/span\u003E: She has?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e477ba8343bf4d699db3d81070cb2b6c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, the member has misused the point of order process, which has a much higher standard than the debating standard, to make an allegation against a member, one which those of us who know the record and have followed it\u2014and if the member had followed it, he would have known that his allegation was incorrect. But in any case, whether or not he knew it was incorrect, he misused the point of order process and will withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002288b7896e5a6247b5b875fb83010e34b1\u0022\u003EChris Penk\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Will you be requiring that member to withdraw and apologise for having used the word \u201Ctwit\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a7a187569d84851b221c88b2f250703\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have dealt with that matter\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d7cb203145da41599f2891522dcf58e8\u0022\u003EHon Shane Jones\u003C/span\u003E: Hear, hear!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c45ef8388c32453aa8f965fff81620d0\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014already, and if it wasn\u2019t for the support and advice of Mr Jones there might have been more serious consequences for bringing up a matter after the Speaker had dealt with it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e8d953d844c4f23b22ecba9024f9935\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Finlayson is a man who famously commanded his staff not to use the Oxford comma, and I suggest that he focus on developing an ethical compass before he starts dabbling in intricacies of grammar. In the case that he will return to practice as he leaves this Parliament by the end of this year, retaking a university legal ethics course should be a prerequisite, rather than posing around here as someone who knew the law when this report is a damning indictment of his misbehaviour in the highest office that this Parliament has where law officers are concerned. It was an abject disgrace, and he should be apologising to this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022 data-id=\u00228750ed77216f4904900e796660da0158\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228750ed77216f4904900e796660da0158\u0022\u003EHon NIKKI KAYE (National\u2014Auckland Central):\u003C/span\u003E I am very pleased to speak in this general debate. If that speech from Winston Peters wasn\u2019t an example of a distracted Government focused on conspiracy theories, attacking the backbench instead of talking about the issues that matter to New Zealand, I don\u2019t know what was. This is a Government that was an accidental Government and already, within six months, is engaging in spin because they don\u2019t have an agenda and because they promised far too much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003ELet me take my colleague Mr Hipkins\u2014or shall I call him \u201CTrumpkins\u201D\u2014engaging in fake news. The facts are under our Government the education budget went from $8 billion to $11 billion. In early childhood education (ECE) it doubled\u2014it went from $900 million to $1.8 billion. And school property\u2014does Mr Hipkins remember the fact that when we came in, we had no idea of the state of school property or of condition assessments across every school in New Zealand? The Auditor-General report shows that. We then went and invested a third more. We went from $3 billion to $5 billion. That member can start to release lists like unusable buildings, but until he provides the detail he is just engaging in spin.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EBut let\u2019s talk about the other issues that we know that this Government is focused on, and what they say and what it actually means. Here are my top five Labour lines of spin. The first one: \u201CIt\u2019s not a tax; it\u2019s an excise.\u201D You try and tell the families in west Auckland that it doesn\u2019t mean increased costs for them. You try and tell families in South Auckland that their food isn\u2019t going to go up. Tell the people of Great Barrier Island, who have $3 at the moment for their fuel, that that doesn\u2019t mean increases.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EThen we heard about the billion trees: \u201CWe are going to plant a billion trees\u2014but, actually, we haven\u2019t planted any, because it\u2019s winter. It\u2019s winter, so we haven\u2019t planted any trees yet. And half of them are going to be delivered by the private sector.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u201CWe\u2019re going to deliver 100,000 houses\u2014but, actually, we haven\u2019t built any houses yet. And half of them are going to be delivered by the private sector.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u201CWe had the numbers for the Speaker.\u201D\u2014we had the numbers for the Speaker. On the first vote of this Parliament, to show their amateurishness, their inability to run this joint, we saw them fail on that first vote. And what did they do? They then handed us most of the chairs of our select committees and numbers of select committee places.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EAgain, this Government is totally focused on spin. They don\u2019t have an agenda. They realise that they promised far too much, and they have now got Treasury and a whole lot of public servants\u2014we know; they talk to us, also\u2014in Wellington saying to them that you promised too much\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022850c19e5e9f34d11b4e580b472de914e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282e0373f52794568ada38fb475158ed1\u0022\u003EHon NIKKI KAYE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014that the Government promised too much. The numbers don\u2019t add up, so what they\u2019re having to do is engage in spin. They\u2019re having to create fake news. They\u2019re having to rewrite history. They\u2019re having to ignore the fact that we had the Canterbury earthquakes, ignore the fact that we had a decade of deficits, ignore the fact that we increased the education budget every single year that we\u2019ve been in office, and create these stories to make up for the fact that they have to manage expectations in the Budget, that they can\u2019t deliver on their promises.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a Government of broken promises. It\u2019s a Government of spin. If you wanted to leave yourself with one final line which, again, many New Zealanders are saying, \u201CWhat are going to be the costs to my family as a result of this Government?\u201D\u2014because we know that they are looking at increasing taxes across the board. They said there would be no new taxes, but the reality is that when they said no new taxes, what they actually meant is no new additional taxes. The reality is that they are going to increase a range of existing taxes that are going to hurt people in their back pockets.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve heard, in terms of business confidence, that business confidence is slumping. What businesses are saying in Auckland Central and Waiheke and other parts of New Zealand is that between the minimum wage going up, between the 90-day trial period going for businesses with over 20 employees, and the additional costs in terms of fuel, people can\u2019t cope. So this Government has to front up, deal with the problems, accept that they overpromised, and stop spinning to New Zealanders, because they deserve better.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u002279e21b69110f4639be1fd464bc559839\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002279e21b69110f4639be1fd464bc559839\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development):\u003C/span\u003E I had a whole speech written out, but I\u2019ve just thrown that out the door after listening to that speech. Can I just go to what the last speaker, Nikki Kaye, referred to, and that was a reference to five political spin lines from this side. Well, if that member wants to play that game, let\u2019s play it back. Five political spin lines from that side\u2014very easy to identify, just from the two speakers that have already stood in this debate today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s start with number one that they like to spin, and they\u2019ve been spinning in this House already, that we\u2019re an accidental Government\u2014an accidental Government. Clearly, the Opposition has still not worked out how MMP works. People did not go to the polling booths and accidentally forget to tick National. This is not an accident. We did not accidentally get the majority of votes. The public is not silly. They knew who they were voting for. They were voting for change, Nikki Kaye\u2014that\u2019s what they were voting for. They\u2019ve got that change. They\u2019re not thinking it\u2019s an accident. It\u2019s exactly what the majority of New Zealanders asked for, and that, Nikki Kaye, is how MMP works.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003ENumber two political spin line: fake news. This side of the House is spreading fake news! Trumpeting the fake news line! Well, it\u2019s not fake news. Everything we come to this House with is based on evidence. Fortunately, we have more access to information now that we are in Government, and so, actually, the picture looks bleaker than what we could have even imagined when we were in Opposition. Fortunately, though, we\u2019re ready, because it\u2019s not an accident that we\u2019re in Government. We are prepared. We\u2019ve had nine years to think about this. We\u2019ve got policies ready to go. But the reality is we\u2019ve got a lot of fixing up to do first because, unlike what the Opposition is saying\u2014which is their third political spin line, where they\u2019re saying there is no crisis\u2014actually, everyone in New Zealand is increasingly seeing the fact that there are crises in far too many areas; in fact, more than what they had originally thought.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EDon\u2019t tell us on this side of the House, or the general public, that sewage going through the walls of Middlemore Hospital is not a crisis, don\u2019t tell us on this side of the House that homeless New Zealanders and a lack of housing for New Zealanders is not a crisis, and please don\u2019t try and tell us on this side of the House that the fact that we have an overwhelming number of children still living in poverty is not a crisis. The Opposition needs to own up to the fact that they did nothing to address these issues, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re at crisis point now. Fortunately, it\u2019s not an accident that we\u2019re in Government, and we are ready to fix these situations. They are our reality.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EThe fourth political spin line that I want to throw out there is that we\u2019ve overpromised. Well, actually, there\u2019s no such thing, because we put on paper what we could do. We have fiscal responsibility guidelines that all of the political parties that are in Government now agreed to. We didn\u2019t do the irresponsible thing that that side of the House was proposing when they were in Government, which was offering up $400 million of tax cuts to the top 10 percent of income earners in this country. In fact, we\u2019re doing the responsible thing and we are re-diverting that money to where the need is: health, housing, and education\u2014areas that were incredibly underfunded by the previous Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EWe can see that by the fact that we have situations\u2014which that previous education Minister should take some responsibility for\u2014where we have schools falling down around us, or we have schools that don\u2019t have the capacity to take the population of children that live in those areas, because not enough of an investment was made where it should\u2019ve been. Instead, we had the previous Government trying to offer $400 million of tax cuts to the top 10 percent of income earners in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EThe fifth political spin line that they are still rolling out, that they tried to roll out to win the election\u2014before the 2017 election\u2014is that we are the tax demons that the public should be worried about. Well, actually, it\u2019s not the case at all. There is nothing that has been proposed by this side of the House in the last five months, nor will there be moving forward, that we did not put on the table before we went into that election. It\u2019s about honesty. It\u2019s about being honest with the public. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EThere have been nine years of neglect\u2014and that\u2019s the truth\u2014under the previous Government. Thank goodness we are here. Thank goodness we have a plan. Thank goodness we are in a place to fix this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u0022c2caf91f09944893a2d3d6a4f5971621\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c2caf91f09944893a2d3d6a4f5971621\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National):\u003C/span\u003E The member has cleared something up. They\u2019re not the tax demons; they\u2019re the excise demons, because that\u2019s what they\u2019re calling it now. Apparently, it matters to the Government. Well, as Nikki Kaye said, it certainly doesn\u2019t matter to the people of Auckland, who have to pay 25c a litre more for their fuel\u2014and wait, it\u2019s coming to a region near everybody\u2014because that\u2019s what the Government wants to change. But it\u2019s not tax; it\u2019s an excise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EI want to start by stating that the issues at Middlemore Hospital are very concerning. But any doubt that the Government was manufacturing a crisis to cover the panic that they have over the promises was removed emphatically by the Prime Minister in question time today when, in answer to a question about why she didn\u2019t use the very healthy surpluses left by the previous Government, it was because, apparently, of Middlemore Hospital and Dunedin Hospital. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EWell, here\u2019s the thing. We know about Dunedin Hospital, because the previous Government committed unambiguously to a $1.4 billion rebuild. If it\u2019s a crisis, it\u2019s a crisis entirely of the Government\u2019s making, because they chose to put that money back into the Government\u2019s balance sheet by\u2014and Mr Peters will be very interested in this\u2014borrowing from overseas banks, instead of using the very good equity interests that were coming from people like the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund, iwi, and others. ACC, potentially, could have invested in Dunedin Hospital as part of a public-private partnership. Their crisis is entirely of their own making, because they decided that that was ideologically flawed. But the only quantum of the extra money that we\u2019ve now heard\u2014and I think it\u2019s highly exaggerated, but even if it wasn\u2019t\u2014is $200 million for Middlemore Hospital.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003ENow, they campaigned on adding $8 billion more into the health sector alone than a National Government would have over the next four years\u2014$8 billion. They\u2019ve got it in their fiscal responsibility statement. They know how they\u2019re going to spend it, and, apparently, new revelations so far totalling $200 million are completely upsetting the applecart. I want to know, actually, what this extra $10 billion of capital spending is. So I asked the Minister, who is a member of what they purport to be the most open and transparent Government in parliamentary history, whether he will release the details of the advice given to him and the Minister of Finance, and the answer was \u201CWe\u2019ll consider it.\u201D\u2014we\u2019ll consider it. Apparently, there\u2019s a crisis, they\u2019ve got advice, but they don\u2019t want to release the information.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003ESo I asked: give us one example\u2014one example\u2014of something that was unexpected, and the answer was Nelson Hospital. Well, newsflash for the Government: we knew about Nelson Hospital, because we asked for the work to be done. There are serious seismic issues at Nelson Hospital, and they need to be remedied\u2014hardly unexpected, hardly a crisis. That\u2019s what Governments do. They replace things, they invest in things, and they fix things\u2014and we did. Waikato Hospital, Wellington Regional Hospital, Burwood Hospital, and Christchurch Hospital were all rebuilt in the term of the previous Government as part of the multibillion-dollar investment in the asset stock that we made and the $5 billion extra\u2014more than that, actually\u2014that we put in to Vote Health for operational spending.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EAnd what did we get out of it? Did we get the crisis that they\u2019ve just manufactured? No, we got 50,000 more surgeries. We got no gurneys in the emergency departments. We got no cancer patients being flown to Australia. We got record levels of immunisation rates. We got 323,000 homes insulated under Warm Up New Zealand. We got results and, apparently, that\u2019s a crisis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EWell, I suggest that it\u2019s a manufactured crisis, and I\u2019ll stand very proudly on that record. The Government needs to understand that when one is managing a nearly $17 billion vote in health, there will be issues like Middlemore Hospital. There will be things to deal with on a day-to-day basis, but that is not an excuse to repudiate the promises that they made to the nurses, to the midwives, to the allied health professionals, to the doctors, but most of all to the patients, that they would do something better. Because I can see what comes after a manufactured crisis. It\u2019s those other two words we\u2019re going to hear a lot of over the next few months: broken promises.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022 data-id=\u0022e9f95daecdf14cdd8719bdf813c2a8b7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e9f95daecdf14cdd8719bdf813c2a8b7\u0022\u003EMARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. So I just sat and listened through Michael Woodhouse\u2019s debate speech about all the hospitals that the previous Government\u2014his Government\u2014apparently fixed and ran so that they are functional. What else are we here for if it is not to ensure that our hospitals are running and functional? So all of the hospitals that are running and functional in this country\u2014and they know this, and that\u2019s why they\u2019re spinning off the list of the hospitals that are running and functional\u2014cannot ever take away from the sewage and mould in Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland, in my community, where I gave birth to my babies, where my community families go to to be healed, to be cared for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ESo that\u2019s why they know this. That\u2019s why they\u2019re spending this debate time talking about how they managed to keep some hospitals afloat\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bacde997466e4617b24c2190a31b1f44\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I apologise for interrupting the member. Interjections are meant to be rare, reasonable, and, preferably, funny, not a constant, mindless barrage, Mr King.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228392bc22338a4240a19654e04db0302a\u0022\u003EMARAMA DAVIDSON\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s all right. I wasn\u2019t listening to him anyway.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ESo it is indicative that this previous Government are very aware of the mess that they have caused, and it is exactly what I am thinking about in my first general debate speech as the newly elected co-leader for the party\u2014the particular crises that we have facing us, and the reason why it is going to be so important that we turn our country in a new direction, because the one that the nine years of the previous National Government put us on has resulted in and has worsened the very crises of inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation. They are the result of a flawed and broken economic system which concentrates the wealth and power into the hands of the few, while everyone else is left scrambling for the rest of the crumbs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EHaving grown up in South Auckland and in the country communities of my whakapapa in the North and on the East Coast, I saw first-hand the devastating effect that the economic model that is currently operating had on those communities, including intergenerational poverty and the tragic and lasting effect of suffering and suicide in our regions also and in our urban centres. That is the impact that we are feeling here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EAnd that was the worsened situation, that very economic model that the previous Government pushed hard and drove hard and ended up in worsening impacts for people every day, to the point where in Aotearoa right now, two men\u2014just two men\u2014own more wealth than the 30 percent who are the poorest, the lowest-income New Zealanders in this country. That\u2019s totally unacceptable in this country and it is also not sustainable. It is not economically sustainable. It is not morally sustainable. Half the nation\u2019s wealth is concentrated into the hands of the richest 10 percent, and the whole other half of the nation\u2019s wealth is fought over by the rest of the 90 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EWe are losing our indigenous biodiversity at an alarming rate. We\u2019ve got to understand the connections. We have got the highest rates of homelessness, child poverty, domestic violence, suicide among young people, and incarceration in the developed world. This is unacceptable, and what we need to do here in Parliament is turn our faces to the streets. We never do that. We hardly ever do that in this place. We need to turn our faces to the streets and be honest about the struggles and the challenges that New Zealanders, up and down our country, are facing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EIt is in our confidence and supply agreement with Labour that the Green Party committed to working towards a transformational Government that would truly address the systemic causes of those crises of climate change, inequality, and environmental degradation. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to stand as co-leader, to be working with my Labour and New Zealand First colleagues towards that transformation, alongside my co-leader James Shaw. It is particularly exciting that between the two of us we are able to reach a broad cross-section of New Zealanders in this work\u2014in this work of exciting New Zealanders that there is a way that we can be different, that we can change the direction that we have been heading in, so that all of our children can grow up in livable cities with enough to be able to live dignified lives with their families\u2014where we can swim in our rivers and not even have to think about the safety of the water that is coming from our taps.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EThis is what we have set out to do. This is what inspired me to put my hat in the ring to become the co-leader of the Green Party. This is what I\u2019m proud of working towards with the Government. 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=\u0022edeb26b5b1ee47ba8fc00e7d8a5d5fd9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022edeb26b5b1ee47ba8fc00e7d8a5d5fd9\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD (National\u2014East Coast Bays):\u003C/span\u003E There has been a not so subtle change in tune from this Government of late, because the tune of relentless positivity has been swapped out for something far more downbeat: relentless excuse-making. In less than six months, we see a vulnerable Government who are desperately trying to cover up their own shortcomings by lashing out, by deflecting attention away from problems of their own making, by turning to the classic but totally predictable manoeuvre of negative trash talk and manufacturing of crises. It was completely predictable because it\u2019s a problem that they find themselves in of their own making: their massive over-promises to their support partners, their raising of expectations, their utterly ridiculous spend of $2.8 billion on free tertiary education, and their billion-dollar per year slush fund to Mr Jones. And despite finding themselves $700 million better off because of the fantastic economy that we delivered them, they simply have to dampen down the expectations of the public of their upcoming Budget because they simply can\u2019t deliver on their promises.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EOver the last nine years in the National Government, New Zealand developed into somewhat of a global star. When our leaders went on tour they were lauded for our rock star economy\u2014our ability to raise social spending, to raise infrastructure spending, and to spread the tax burden more fairly, all while paying down debt. New Zealand\u2019s record under our stewardship of nine years is not just a great record; it is a greatest hits record: 10,000 jobs created every month, putting unemployment well under 5 percent by the time we left office; 60,000 fewer children living in benefit-dependent households, the first time a Government has raised benefits in over 40 years; an education budget that went from $8 billion to $11 billion, with 85 percent of 18-year-olds now achieving NCEA level 2; early childhood education participation at 97 percent; $5 billion invested into school property; and the health budget increased to $17 billion, with 11 percent per head of population increase in funding, with 50,000 more operations per year, 800,000 children under 13 receiving free healthcare, with 97 percent of our children immunised, and with 6,900 more doctors and nurses. Hit after hit after hit single, and through it all, we brought back the fans. In 2007, a 747-load of people were leaving this country every week for better opportunities, and now they\u2019re coming home because the opportunities are here. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EIn a shock move prior to the election, Labour took a break from their inherent negativity to swap out their grumpy old leader for a house DJ to play a hit they called \u201CRelentless Positivity\u201D. Well, to be fair, no one saw it coming, and on the back of this they cobbled together a line-up including a veteran one-man band on his farewell tour, playing the greatest hits from the 1970s, to act as producer, and an experimental, new-age, alt-indie, somewhat implosive act who almost missed the tour bus to play support. \u201CRelentless Positivity\u201D did OK. People got on board\u2014well, 35 percent of people got on board\u2014and now this new Government, they rode this wave of success with this somewhat short-lived single. They smiled. They enjoyed the sun on their backs. People were buying what they were selling. They were confident. They felt they had the wind at their backs. Their shoulders were back. Their heads were held high. Their posture was great\u2014because if there is one thing that this Labour Government is good at, it\u2019s posturing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EWe can see from the formulation of this second album already, named \u201CRelentless Posturing\u201D, featuring the emo single \u201CBut you had nine years\u201D. Well, while we had a greatest hits album of hit single after hit single, all they have is something that is sounding more like a broken record of complaining, working groups, broken promises, and raising taxes. This is an album that this country will pay for over and over again. So their second album is already looking like a flop. They\u2019re sounding like a very different group because this PM\u2019s bandmates are all playing from a different playbook. I don\u2019t think they\u2019re going to be getting much airtime on Radio New Zealand, but perhaps a tour in Russia may go down quite well. It turns out that this new Government is very much a one-term wonder.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u0022fe36fc6a435340bc90247dec0026164b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fe36fc6a435340bc90247dec0026164b\u0022\u003ETAMATI COFFEY (Labour\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E I would like to, first of all, thank my cheery friend Erica Stanford on the other side of the House there. We recently took a trip over to the United States of America together on a political exchange, and what we did was that we went around and we saw one of the most impoverished neighbourhoods that they have in America. There were people lining the streets. They had no homes but also they had no hope, and, unfortunately, we have communities like that here in New Zealand. Unless we do something really real to turn it around, we will be going down the same track that that Government had been on for the last nine years, which was allowing the homelessness to happen, allowing the lack of hope to continue, and growing a problem instead of facing up to the problem and trying to do something about it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ESo, to my friend over there on the Opposition benches, I say cheer up, my friend, because Labour is here and we are going to sort things out. And we\u2019re going to do such a good job in our first term that we will be elected to a second term, and maybe even a third term as well. So you\u2019d best get comfortable over there on the Opposition benches. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EI echo the sentiments of our Minister of Finance when he said that it was easy for the previous Government to run a surplus because they didn\u2019t pay the bills. They didn\u2019t pay the bills. So, unfortunately, when they talk about all of the promises that we\u2019ve made, yes, we have made promises, but, no, we didn\u2019t realise that we would have to take 10 steps back to be able to get to what we need, and that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s gone and happened. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ESlowly, the wheels have started falling off the National Party bus\u2014that\u2019s right. What\u2019s happened is that the bright blue that we\u2019ve seen for the last nine years has started to become a very, very dull grey, and that\u2019s something that we\u2019re going to step up to. Labour are here. We\u2019re in a coalition Government with our friends over here in New Zealand First and also our friends over here in the Green Party, and we are here to help solve some of the social problems that this previous Government has absolutely neglected. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThe previous speaker also talked about education, and she was talking about how much of a mistake it was that Labour stumped up for free post-secondary education in the first year for those people that are going on to do vocational training, or even go to university as well. Now I know she doesn\u2019t fully believe that because, in fact, we went to university together, and she was just as much of a fighter for rights\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ccf1682ed4ab4b0f9acc5f896cb4d521\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I am going to ask\u2014when I stand up, the member resumes his seat. Members cannot say that members do not believe what they say in the House\u2014all right\u2014for very obvious reasons, because when you make that accusation, you are making an accusation which is much more serious. If a member has said something that they do not believe, then they are misleading the House, or even lying. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222d065baabb9f414b984a36d762addb04\u0022\u003ETAMATI COFFEY\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you for that clarification. What I meant to say was that our tertiary policy is sound. There are plenty of ex-student politicians in this House right now that believe in the prospect of young people going on to further themselves\u2014and their families\u2014to be game-changers by accessing higher education. That was what I was getting at. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s talk about housing, because, as I travel around\u2014and I\u2019ve done quite a bit of travelling in the six months that I\u2019ve been in this job\u2014what I hear, time and time again, is the issue of housing and how much the last Government dropped the ball completely on housing. So as I travel around the rohe of the Waiariki, which includes Tauranga\u2014which is absolutely bursting at the seams and in real need of some solutions\u2014then I feel sorry for them because, unfortunately, they weren\u2019t served well by the last Government. They spent a lot of money on a very big road, and that was good, but all these years later, and after that big investment, Tauranga is still gridlocked. In fact, if we don\u2019t start sorting out the transport woes of Tauranga, very soon they\u2019re going to be the Auckland\u2014the gridlocked Auckland\u2014of the future. So we, as a Government, have to step in there, and I\u2019m glad that we\u2019ve got initiatives on the table to make sure that we\u2019re looking after some of our local roads and also looking after the safety of our people on our roads, as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EI also want to just talk about some of the work that we are getting on with, right? It\u2019s not been easy, but we in our select committee have been sitting there talking about how we\u2019re going to make sure that if you\u2019re a New Zealand citizen and you want to buy a New Zealand house, you have the right to. We have been committed to banning overseas speculators, and that\u2019s not been an easy task. We have had to sit there and go through submission after submission, but we\u2019ve come to a very good point where we\u2019re ready to, very soon, report back to the House about that one goal of banning overseas speculators, and the reason that we want to do that is so that we can create opportunities for New Zealanders to get themselves on the property ladder. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re hoping that we can create opportunities for getting more State houses into New Zealand and to also help to fix up the homelessness problem, which has become terrible in my electorate. As those members are not able to stand here and say this in the House, I\u2019m going to stand here and say it: we are going to fix this problem together. Ka pai. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022 data-id=\u0022bf7e5b3f85884e8d932a703216e5a539\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bf7e5b3f85884e8d932a703216e5a539\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH (National\u2014Kaik\u014Dura):\u003C/span\u003E Well, I think we had a revelation from the previous speaker, Tamati Coffey. We now understand why there\u2019s a manufactured crisis, because we\u2019ve learnt the name of the new tagline for the Budget that\u2019s coming up: the \u201C10-step-back Budget\u201D. I think that\u2019s a fantastic name, and it actually explains why we\u2019ve got these manufactured crises and this fake news coming out. It\u2019s quite astounding, really, when you consider that it\u2019s just recently been announced that a half-billion-dollar tax windfall has come up, because the economy is doing extremely well, mainly through the tail of the management of the National Government, and companies pay more tax when the economy is doing well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s half a billion dollars more available for the Budget that Labour have been working on than when they started, so there\u2019s a considerable amount more money to spend than they think or than they realise or will admit. I think that\u2019s quite interesting. When we\u2019re talking about the education budget, as has been pointed out already, under National it went from $8 billion per annum up to $11 billion\u2014a significant increase in education funding through that period.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EAlso set aside was $4.85 billion dollars for infrastructure funding in the education sector. That\u2019s a phenomenal amount of money. And actually the Auditor-General last year was quoted as saying that under the time of the National Government, management of school property strengthened significantly, yet the rhetoric we\u2019re hearing from the other side doesn\u2019t match up to that at all. In fact, the Minister said the other day that $200 million of school buildings are not fit for purpose. Well, according to the ministry, a school building has a life of 50 years\u201450 years\u2014so you would expect, given the number of school buildings around the country, that they will roll out of their lifespan during that time and that would be a regular occurrence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EI can tell them about some school buildings in particular. In the Marlborough colleges, where there has just been announced the $63 million co-location of those colleges, Marlborough Boys\u2019 College and Marlborough Girls\u2019 College, on to one site, the Minister has put that on hold.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223568bf8178604c458d61b79242fdeb86\u0022\u003EErica Stanford\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002274f18f7a943a46a9be15c0f5f39445fd\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: He\u2019s going to do a review. Yes, he has. I know, it\u2019s unbelievable. He\u2019s put it on hold. He\u2019s going to do a review and it\u2019s going to take five weeks and then he\u2019s going to consult the community. Well, the community\u2019s already been consulted. A plan was made and the overwhelming public view was to relocate two schools on to one new site for better education outcomes for those students. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EMarlborough Boys\u2019 College was originally Marlborough College, built in 1920. To put that in context, there are two stairwells in the old part of the school because in those days they had a stairwell for the boys and a stairwell for the girls. I mean, that\u2019s strange, but that\u2019s the way they did it. In 1963, they shifted and built another school because they\u2019d outgrown the property, and put the girls\u2019 college on the other side of town. Why they put the boys on one side and girls on the other, who knows, but that\u2019s what they did. And now we have the girls\u2019 college\u2014a much newer school, but it has leaky buildings. Leaky buildings. We know about this; we planned for it. In Marlborough Boys\u2019 College we have earthquake issues and plumbing that is outdated and will cost a fortune to fix. Also, it doesn\u2019t have the flexibility to put modern learning environments in, if that is the case. So it would be a waste of time to fix those schools, so the right education outcome was to build two schools on one site, giving the opportunity for more flexible outcomes, so that\u2014particularly in the arts and languages\u2014you can offer more choices for students, because it wouldn\u2019t really be viable to do otherwise because of the small number of students on that site. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EThey are also looking at putting in a tertiary aspect. This year, Marlborough boys\u2019 and girls\u2019 colleges have a school of wine that they\u2019ve started, which will take students through level 2 and level 3 NCEA, getting all the credits that they need but with a focus on wine. So, for example, their literacy credits are gained through doing geography on the geography of wine. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003ESo I\u2019m calling on the Minister to actually man up and do his job. When you\u2019re a Minister of the Crown, you are there to make decisions and move things forward. The community expects an outcome. They don\u2019t want to be left hanging, they don\u2019t want another review\u2014there\u2019s already a decision been made. They\u2019re only in this position because they have a philosophical hatred of public-private partnerships and they\u2019re going to pay for it themselves, and now they\u2019ve found out a massive hole that they were warned would be in their budget. They were warned well ahead of time, and now they\u2019re back-pedalling and trying to find a way out of it. So, Mr Hipkins, man up and do your job.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022 data-id=\u002217e2045e8d1a4bc48b9085d0bc0153a8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002217e2045e8d1a4bc48b9085d0bc0153a8\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Speaker. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. Well, my colleague David Clark used to say \u201CNine long years\u201D but he actually should have said \u201CNine long years of neglect and underfunding by the then National Government.\u201D Neglect\u2014what is neglect? It\u2019s a failure to care properly for something. What neglect has been highlighted recently? The neglect of Middlemore Hospital\u2014the neglect of the assets of Counties Manukau District Health Board. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a shame that I had to hear about the Stachybotrys, the black mould that is in KidzFirst, from the media. I think it\u2019s absolutely abhorrent that the last Government did not know that there were seven buildings within the asset management of Counties Manukau District Health Board that were not fit for purpose. I think it\u2019s absolutely outrageous that the Ministry of Health and the previous Minister can say that they had no idea these issues existed. How can you deliver health services when your hospitals are compromised and when, actually, the state of the asset where we deliver our services can hurt, if not kill, our people? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003ESo I was absolutely horrified to get a ring from Phil Pennington\u2014and I want to acknowledge him and Radio New Zealand, actually, for following through and finding out that this black mould existed in my buildings, my facilities, as a member of Parliament in South Auckland. He asked me: am I happy that these things have happened? Am I happy? Of course I\u2019m not happy. None of us should be happy that our district health board (DHB) assets are so not fit for purpose that patients, including children and including people at surgical wards and the burns units, have been in a building that if one of those walls was exposed, they would be at risk. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EYou go to hospital to get better; you do not go to hospital to get sick, and I think that typifies the lack of investment by the last Government in the health sector. Congratulations to my colleague the Hon Grant Robertson, who progressively and consistently highlighted the underfunding in the health sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EWhy has this happened? Because those DHBs\u2019 chairs, boards, and members were held accountable by the Minister for returning surpluses, and so they neglected to repair and maintain those buildings because they chose to deliver services to people. Now, we all know that people are the most important, so the fact that our DHBs chose to focus the money they got from the Government on delivering services is something that we should applaud. But, at the same time, there were obviously barriers, and that National Government, through their Minister of Health, didn\u2019t enable those DHB board representatives to communicate\u2014based on what they\u2019ve told us\u2014that they had problems with an asset that was not fit for purpose. It\u2019s an absolute scandal, and I think, over a period of time, we will know when the Ministry of Health told their Minister about what was happening. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI also want to focus on the issue of homelessness. I went to a forum earlier this week hosted by a group called LinkPeople, who are part of the Housing First initiative. LinkPeople have been working with homeless people living on the streets. We have this misconception that homeless people like living on the streets. Well, can I tell people, they don\u2019t. Homeless people want homes. Homeless people want to be treated with respect and dignity. When you work alongside people who are living on our streets, talk to them, and find out the circumstances that have driven them to be on the streets\u2014what you need is a responsive housing sector delivered through Housing New Zealand that can provide those houses to our most vulnerable New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EAt this morning tea the other day, I was with Shiloh and Lewis. Shiloh and Lewis have been living on the streets for seven months. They\u2019ve engaged proactively with Housing First. They\u2019ve been to the Ministry of Social Development. They\u2019ve wanted a house and been patient. They got notified that they had a house\u2014fantastic news. But there\u2019s over 30 other homeless people in Manurewa and over 250 families in Manurewa waiting for a house to be built, and that\u2019s the neglect of this National Government in not taking responsibility for providing houses to those most in need. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI, again, think that if we want to measure the success of a Government, it\u2019s whether or not they can house every single New Zealander who\u2019s in a vulnerable situation. Kia ora. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u002224cdd45f253e47e7a5077bc51ab92214\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002224cdd45f253e47e7a5077bc51ab92214\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D):\u003C/span\u003E I\u2019m very pleased to round off this general debate today for the National caucus, and what we\u2019ve heard is a party, or, actually, a combination of parties, that started with big promises that have now moved into backing down on their promises and have quickly moved into broken promises. So what do they do? They manufacture a crisis to distract the New Zealand public from their lack of action, their lack of ability to govern New Zealand, and that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happened.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EOne of the things I guess they\u2019ve realised in the last six months is that it takes more than talk to lead a country. It takes more than talk to respond to whatever challenges come a Government\u2019s way. I\u2019m interested in the member that spoke before me, Louisa Wall. If she was the member of Parliament responsible in the area of Middlemore Hospital, why didn\u2019t anyone at Middlemore raise it with her? And, if she did know, why is it only coming to the attention of this Parliament in the last month? That would be a question I would ask.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EOne of the other comments that was made by an earlier speaker was about delivering for New Zealanders. Well, actually, that speaker suggested that the last Government focused on the top 10 percent, so I want to focus my time on what our Government did for low and middle income New Zealanders. One of the first things that that Government did when they came into office was to scrap the pay equity legislation which would have increased incomes for lowly paid women workers. We delivered $2 billion for women on low incomes. They scrapped it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThe other thing that members opposite have wanted you to focus on, or wanted the public to focus on, is anything other than what the Government did for low and middle income New Zealanders. So I want to go through some of those things, because that side just wants to leave some fake news out, whether it\u2019s in education, where we actually increased early childhood funding\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f42386f49d624cbba0b534259e7478b6\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I know I may be making a fool of myself up here, but I\u2019m struggling to understand how one of our members was told that they can\u2019t suggest or imply that one member is making something up, and then in this House it\u2019s OK, it seems, to accuse the Labour side of giving fake news. The connotations of fake news are pretty serious.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c38e6a1d56c44a9bb90e9c5b123d5c6\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: OK, the member can resume his seat. I\u2019m listening carefully to the member. She\u2019s skirting up to the line, but not going over it like members did on this side.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002267f55678ef1148ce8ab0708f4b8e087b\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker, thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002223e853cd39704d9db94159164a174141\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: One\u2019s true; the other\u2019s not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002231029bacd14f48978f6792b0694a894d\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s interesting. They want facts\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a4be48cbd90b4f4e83ca3d3d655db370\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a42c33f4830c4347bc3732bc50bee47c\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014so I\u2019ll give them facts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228665ac5b4b544d7f82e14443bc4db79a\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member will resume her seat. Mr Brownlee, you are well aware that you don\u2019t comment on my rulings from your seat after I\u2019ve made them. The member will stand, withdraw, and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228be8c2a20c0b4c0299ec8dc5cad3c406\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214050b22354a42b39dd283a85df8cf7b\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: So in the areas of income, what\u2019s important is the delivery of new jobs. We delivered 180 a day\u201410,000 new jobs a month\u2014which provides families with incomes. Reducing the number of people who live on benefits\u201460,000 fewer children are living in benefit-dependent homes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo what does that side do for low-income families? Oh, they don\u2019t give them the winter energy payment\u2014\u201COh no, no, we won\u2019t give it to them. They don\u2019t deserve that.\u201D\u2014whereas if it had been a National Government, they would have got to have kept more of what they earned.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EWhat else do they do? Oh, they\u2019re not going to put any taxes in\u2014definitely not before they go back to the 2020 election. What\u2019s one of the first things they do? Increase the petrol tax. Who does that hit the hardest? Some of the low-income families that you purport to represent\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ea173c737a0464e8cf363c383bd2e48\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222891740f9a3b48a8872dc295bf1b2a82\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and you hit them hard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200eb1843b0144554bf83e5cf414c6b37\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a1c2616d687147e4b3aba7c517bc0cc4\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, Mr Speaker\u2014that the Government purports to represent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThis side of the House increased benefits for the first time in 43 years. I\u2019m sorry if that side of the House don\u2019t like to hear the truth of the results that this side of the House delivered for low and middle income families, whether it was free GP visits, whether it was focusing on rheumatic fever, whether it\u2019s lifting educational achievement and increasing early childhood education participation, whether it was reducing the number of youth crime across the country, or whether it was reducing the number of victims of crime\u201438,000 fewer victims of crime\u2014and reducing the number of assaults on children.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EBut what that Government is priming this country for are cuts, and I want to give the House one example: the rescue helicopters in Rotorua and Taup\u014D. That Government is proposing to cut a vital, vital service because they\u2019ve finally figured out they haven\u2019t got enough money to deliver the big promises that they started off with. So they\u2019re just getting the territory right to cut services and to cut programmes, and it\u2019s a myth that that side of the House is delivering.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThe debate having concluded, the motion lapsed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022586dcc7ffde240948907de79f92b654e\u0022\u003EBusiness of the House\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b6bf05ca3df742d794a80a65791109d2\u0022\u003EBusiness of the House\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022512bb8a6831a4b70afe8f4d70b019ad7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022512bb8a6831a4b70afe8f4d70b019ad7\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E In accordance with a decision of the Business Committee and following further conversation with the shadow Leader of the House, I seek leave for the notice of motion for the appointment of the Controller and Auditor-General to be set down as Government order of the day No. 1 tomorrow. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00223e824fdf555d496d92b619da4d7dd913\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223e824fdf555d496d92b619da4d7dd913\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none. It will be so set down. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002223e1e95b6c574182bc30609a84875d4f\u0022\u003EAnnual Review Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229c51baa1fc714d389f2e34b58552ef88\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000394\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 10 April on the Appropriation (2016/17 Confirmation and Validation) Bill.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ddae08b28dff450f921dcb92a5c14231\u0022\u003EJustice Sector (continued)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u002278636d9681df424b94e0ab045342f9a6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002278636d9681df424b94e0ab045342f9a6\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, the House in committee for further consideration of the Appropriation (2016/17 Confirmation and Validation) Bill. I remind members that this is the debate on the annual reviews of departments, Officers of Parliament, Crown entities, public organisations, and State enterprises as reported on by select committees. The time remaining in this debate is three hours and 56 minutes. When we were last considering this bill, we were debating the question that the reports of the committees relevant to the justice sector be noted. The Hon Ruth Dyson moved that progress be reported, and the call is now available to her or any other member. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u0022fbcf3e55c69a4f2798f4c859f13c30d8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fbcf3e55c69a4f2798f4c859f13c30d8\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E Oh, thank you very much, Mr Chair. It\u2019s a pleasure to take a call on the justice\u2014I don\u2019t want to say Estimates. It\u2019s not the Estimates; it\u2019s the annual review. Look, we had a very interesting conversation with the Commissioner of Police at the Justice Committee, and I do just want to canvass for the House the conversations we had and the discussions we had in that select committee. One of the issues this Government is going to confront is the issue of the cost of the extra 1,800 police, and I see the Minister of Police in the chair there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s fair to say the cost estimates of this grand promise of an extra 1,800 police\u2014you know, almost a thousand extra police on top of what the previous National Government promised in Budget 2017\u2014are going to be expensive. It\u2019s particularly apposite, I think, in light of the scaremongering we\u2019ve heard from Government members in the last few days and in the last few hours about how there is no money and the cost to social services and to the State sector is so vast.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EWell, we had the Prime Minister, in October last year, talking about the cost of an extra 1,800 police being about $100 million. The same day, interestingly, she also said it would be $80 million, and, of course, we\u2019ve also had an estimate from the Prime Minister of $40 million. Now, that\u2019s all down at the bottom end of the scale. You could make, I think, legitimate criticism about how it\u2019s a bit strange to have three different estimates all for the same number of police officers, but it\u2019s certainly down at the bottom end of the scale. But what we heard in the select committee was that the actual cost is going to be far higher than that\u2014at least $250 million; possibly, I would venture to suggest, probably nearer the $300 million over the next three years. So let\u2019s wait and see where we come. The police Minister has been noticeable by his reticence to give any numbers whatsoever. We\u2019ll wait and see. We\u2019ll have to wait till the Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThe second issue I want to canvass is the very important issue of standards, because we had an interesting conversation with the police commissioner where he assured the Justice Committee that standards in the police will be maintained. That\u2019s what he said. He said to us that standards will remain high\u2014they will remain high\u2014and they will be maintained.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EBut what we see is standards already changing. The physical appraisal test\u2014it\u2019s easier to pass. They don\u2019t have to have a swimming certificate any more. My fear is that the Government\u2019s desire to meet their very, very ambitious goal of 1,800 extra police, sworn officers, over the next three years\u2014my worry is that that will lead to a diminution in standards, and that will be to the detriment of the public of New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003ESo I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s going to happen, but I am very concerned it will happen, just because of that political pressure they\u2019re going to come under. I mean, this is a promise\u2014it\u2019s a commitment\u2014in the Labour - New Zealand First coalition agreement. It\u2019s a very, very significant commitment, and my worry is that those standards will be lowered, to the detriment of the safety of the New Zealand public. And we canvassed that in the annual review hearing with the police commissioner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThe other issue I want to cover is, of course, the issue of Better Public Services, because we haven\u2019t heard a lot about Better Public Services from the new Government in recent weeks and months, and I think there\u2019s a very good reason for that. It is that they are embarrassed by their popgun decision, basically, to abolish the Better Public Services targets that the previous Government had set in place. If I was a Minister in the Government, I would be embarrassed by that as well, because it was actually just simple spite. It was very churlish of the Prime Minister to say, \u201CWe\u2019re getting rid of these Better Public Services targets\u2014we\u2019ll have our own ones, but we\u2019re just going to get rid of the previous Government\u2019s ones.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002268985236fe7f4c8a98e1f132e4618ce0\u0022\u003EHon Maggie Barry\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s not very positive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022969a30b6538548b480ffcb5b19901272\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP\u003C/span\u003E: And I just want to quote to the House\u2014exactly; not very positive, my colleague Maggie Barry says\u2014what I asked the police commissioner and what he said. I said to him, \u201CWhy are targets important?\u201D, and this is what he said: \u201CBecause they drive performance. The right targets drive the right performance.\u201D He\u2019s exactly right, and that\u2019s why the police have their own nine targets, that the Government, to their credit, is keeping in place\u2014so far.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003ESo my question, really, for the Government and for the Minister and for the House is: if the police commissioner himself says that the right targets drive the right performance, why would you want to get rid of a target like having 10,000 fewer serious crimes by 2021? Who could possibly object to having that as a target? This wasn\u2019t just whipped up willy-nilly; this was a target set by the Government, in consultation with the police\u2014one that is achievable and realistic, and, of course, once you set that target in place, the police and the officials driving it put in place the systems and the plans and the mechanisms to get to that target. So why, if the police themselves back these targets and back setting performance targets in place for their own organisation, would you want to have a Prime Minister who stands up and, on a whim, in response to a question, gets rid of Better Public Services targets? I think it\u2019s disgraceful, Mr Chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022 data-id=\u00227ed33efbbaea4c378e49237e7cf68c6f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227ed33efbbaea4c378e49237e7cf68c6f\u0022\u003EDARROCH BALL (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you for the call, Mr Chair. Well, what an absolute hospital pass of a hand grenade that this Government got within the justice sector. We have got an outrageously high prisoner number\u2014outrageously high prisoner number\u2014and climbing, and climbing. What we\u2019ve heard from Mr Bishop just now is an example about perhaps why that\u2019s occurred. He talked about the cost of the extra 1,800 police, and what\u2019s been brought up, at least this week, is highlighting how the National Party always knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing\u2014the cost of everything and the value of nothing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EYou know, we heard Matt King last night, when he was speaking on this sector as well, and, apparently, the police force are all hunky-dory\u2014they\u2019re all happy. He spent five minutes patting them on the back saying how hard working they are\u2014because they are\u2014but what he didn\u2019t recognise was how much harder they\u2019ve had to work under the National Government just to get their heads above water. How can the police force be happy and hunky-dory when we\u2019ve got stats like this? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003ERiddle me this, Mr King\u2014riddle me this. From 2012 to 2017, there\u2019s been a net loss of 16 sworn police officers\u2014a net loss. At the same time, over that same period, there\u2019s been an increase of 400,000 in the New Zealand population. Negative\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002294c19318cfa44d73bac427e8c191e792\u0022\u003EMatt King\u003C/span\u003E: Fake news. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002212b6b7516ea34551b2f7bc4d0bece99c\u0022\u003EDARROCH BALL\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, it\u2019s fake news\u2014there was a member that said, \u201CFake news.\u201D I can table this document if he wants. That\u2019s just sworn police officers, but that member knows, being an ex-police officer, that there\u2019s non-sworn police officers\u2014the backroom people, right? So if you add them all up, the total police number, including the sworn and non-sworn, was 12,109 in 2012. That went down, by the time it got to 2017, by 269 in total. That\u2019s the level of underfunding, which has been quite the topic this week and, I\u2019m guessing, since the election, really, when this Government has looked at the books and looked at the infrastructure, but especially over the last couple of weeks\u2014the total underfunding of basic services in this country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003ENow, one thing that John Key promised when he came in, in 2008, was to ensure that the police numbers didn\u2019t go down below the ratio of 1:500 sworn police officers per number of people. That was 498 in 2012, and it\u2019s gone skyrocketing to 542\u20141:542\u2014in 2017. That\u2019s the highest it\u2019s been\u2014the highest it\u2019s been. But, according to the National Party, who\u2019ve been taking speeches on this justice sector, it\u2019s been hunky-dory. It\u2019s been fine! The justice system is fine! Oh, and what did we hear as well? Crime\u2019s down, apparently. Crime\u2019s down! The youth justice system is working quite well!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EIf crime was down, why have we got overflowing prisons? Think about it in a very logical sense. Why would we have to be spending an extra billion dollars on another prison if the crime was down? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002258b4b73f4a424a2193bdde352e05ed99\u0022\u003EMatt King\u003C/span\u003E: It is. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db65fd9c128d492ba7518148b9ba0dad\u0022\u003EDARROCH BALL\u003C/span\u003E: See, this is the fake news. They just don\u2019t get it. They just don\u2019t get it. They just can\u2019t understand the basic equation. How can it be down if the prison numbers are going up\u2014skyrocketing? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EThe other thing that Mr Bishop was talking about was Better Public Services targets. Well, I\u2019m pretty certain that he has forgotten that just recently, when the National Party was in Government, they got rid of a certain Better Public Services target because they didn\u2019t achieve it\u2014because they didn\u2019t achieve it. The target I\u2019m referring to is the target to reduce reoffending. Was that the one that we were talking about, Minister? The target to reduce reoffending by 25 percent\u2014the National Party, when in Government, didn\u2019t even achieve 5 percent. They didn\u2019t even achieve a 5 percent reoffending reduction. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EWhat did the National Party want to do? What did the National Party want to do? We just got lectured by that member, Mr Bishop, who said, \u201CWhy would anyone want to get rid of targets? Why would anyone want to get rid of Better Public Services targets?\u201D So National didn\u2019t readjust the target or explain why they couldn\u2019t and say, \u201CLet\u2019s put more resources in.\u201D They got rid of it. They just got rid of it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003ENational also had a target to reduce violent offending. What happened with violent offending? It went skyrocketing. It went up. So what happened to those targets, Mr Bishop? You got rid of them. The National Government, in the last year, has underfunded this sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022 data-id=\u0022a09f0145669d4d9d8ccc3d3bf42e89d0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a09f0145669d4d9d8ccc3d3bf42e89d0\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL (National\u2014Rodney):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. The thing that amazes me at the moment is that I\u2019m waiting for a Government member to stand up and tell us what you\u2019re doing. Actually be positive; be aspirational. Tell us what you\u2019re doing, because all I\u2019m hearing at the moment\u2014all of you, you\u2019re acting like the Opposition; not like the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EIf I can, firstly, acknowledge that it\u2019s good to have the Minister of Police here in the debating chamber and also\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7c6bce51f5f4fafa899d59a99867fc3\u0022\u003EHon Todd McClay\u003C/span\u003E: Rather than in the gym.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f3f3f9c6c9a744ecb750465cae579abf\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right. And can I acknowledge Greg O\u2019Connor too, who sits on the Justice Committee and, of course, has got a big background in terms of public service with our police service and with our association.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EI want to just very quickly raise an issue. Mr Ball just got up and made a huge issue about\u2014his last point that he was trying to drive home was around the prison population. And yet, a fortnight ago, he voted down a bill that was in this Parliament that would have actually stopped people and helped prevent people from going back into prison.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002257e019df49dd48f180f6f1a01e30977b\u0022\u003EDarroch Ball\u003C/span\u003E: No, it wouldn\u2019t have.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226689a9d737d742bf82318812957448a0\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, it would have; yes it would have. Let me explain the bill to you. The bill was quite simply this: anyone that\u2019s been convicted and, as part of their sentencing, they\u2019ve got the opportunity to do community service\u2014right? So they go out and they\u2019ve got an opportunity to put something back into the community, and they\u2019re collecting a Government payment of some sort, and they refuse, after three warnings, to turn up and actually engage in their community service, then they can start to have some of that taxpayer-funded payment reduced\u2014right?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003ENow, the reason for that was to give them another chance and stop them going back into the prison system. So what did Mr Ball do? What did Mr Ball do to try and support that bill and stop people going back into the prison system\u2014the one that he just stood up and made a big deal about? How do we stop people going back into prison? What did he do? He voted the bill down. He wouldn\u2019t support it. So don\u2019t stand up there preaching to us and lecturing us, Mr Ball, that you\u2019re worried about the numbers in our corrections system when you didn\u2019t support a bill that actually would have stopped those numbers from growing. You\u2019re talking out of both sides of your mouth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s one issue that I do want to raise, and that Mr Bishop raised, while I\u2019ve got the Minister of Police here and while Greg\u2019s in the debating chamber also. This is a genuine concern. The 1,800 new police officers\u2014that\u2019s great. We\u2019ve invested heavily in technology. We recognise that technology is working and our front-line staff, especially, have been huge beneficiaries of that. It\u2019s actually got front-line police officers out of the police stations and back out on the roads and in amongst the public, where the people like to see them and where they do their best work. So that\u2019s great. Chris has highlighted the issues around the funding. I\u2019d like someone\u2014I know that Greg\u2019s probably going to take a call\u2014to stand and actually tell us what the real funding for this policy is going to be. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EThe other really important issue that he raises is around standards, and this is one that I personally am very worried about. It is the lowering of standards. He raised just one simple standard that may be removed and that\u2019s the requirement to be a proficient swimmer or to be confident in the water. In my experience, in the history of the police service, a lot of the bravery awards that have been handed out relate specifically, normally, to police officers turning up to a scene where a vehicle has gone into a river and the occupants are trapped, or someone, for whatever reason, has got into difficulty in a rip. Police officers will often respond to that. They\u2019re the first responders, they\u2019re the first ones there, and they have to have a basic ability to be able to actually enter the water and recover and bring that person back to safety.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EIf we\u2019re talking about starting to remove standards and remove those requirements, I\u2019m going to be the first one to stand up and say that I\u2019m deeply concerned about that. If Greg\u2019s taking a call, then I\u2019d like you to talk to that and give us some comfort around the fact that there\u2019s not going to be a reduction in standards\u2014they are important\u2014and how much the policy is actually going to cost. These are fundamentally very important things.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EI just want to very quickly acknowledge the staff in the justice sector. It\u2019s huge\u201470 percent of them are front-line workers. They do a tremendous job. I know this through personal experience when I was the Associate Minister of Justice. We were having these terrible dairy robberies and assaults. We went out and did public meetings, and I felt fully supported with officials\u2014as high as the deputy secretary\u2014in those meetings, to hear what the genuine concerns were and then to develop a very robust set of policies and how we were going to address those. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EI am going to run out of time, but I was going to talk about our young serious offenders policy that we rolled out just before the last election. It was going to take some serious steps towards addressing what was a serious issue overall. Youth crime has reduced. But we did have those 150 young people that were committing top-end violent-type crimes. We had a very good policy in place to deal with that. I\u2019d like to know whereabouts that\u2019s going. Thank you, Mr Chairman.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022 data-id=\u00223fd88c624164452cb2cc8f1a451630a5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223fd88c624164452cb2cc8f1a451630a5\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH (Minister of Police):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Chair. I feel very privileged to say that I\u2019m the Minister of Police\u2014one of the best police services in the world, one of the least-corrupt police services in the world.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EWe love coalition politics, because, under the Labour - New Zealand First coalition agreement, we have promised to deliver 1,800 more police into our communities. Let me know where this has come from\u2014let me know where this has come from. It\u2019s from a whole lot of conversations that Darroch Ball, New Zealand First MPs, and Labour MPs have had in our communities with people who are concerned about law and order in our neighbourhoods, in our communities. We decided we needed to do something about this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003ELet me tell you something about the New Zealand police force and the latest workplace survey. Over 80 percent of the men and women who serve in our service said that they were totally committed to the New Zealand police service and they value and love the communities they serve. But over 60 percent of those men and women who filled out the survey said that they experience undue workplace stress and that they weren\u2019t delivering on the promises they were making to their communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EIn a nutshell, what we\u2019ve got is some very committed men and women who value the job, value the communities, but just know they\u2019re not resourced to do the job that needs to be done. This is why Labour and New Zealand First have said, \u201CWe\u2019ve got to deal with this.\u201D So we are putting more police on the streets in our communities than has ever been done before\u2014about 20 percent more police into our neighbourhoods. This is the biggest increase in the history of the New Zealand Police.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003ELet me tell you a couple of things about the New Zealand Police. They have a Prevention First operating model. It is absolutely fantastic. It is a sea change to the way that they do things out there. They\u2019re about preventing crime. Mr Bishop, the target you talk about\u2014a reduction in serious crime\u2014still exists. It is still there. We are not removing that whatsoever. What we are doing is we\u2019re going out there. We\u2019re working with our communities to prevent crime. The last thing the police want to do is put people in jail. What they do want to be doing is working with our communities, with the agencies, making sure that people don\u2019t end up in jail. There are some fantastic programmes that our police service is running to ensure this happens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003ELet me tell you a couple of things about our police service as well. In the last 10 years, they have implemented 47 specific recommendations for change. There has been a sea change in the culture of New Zealand\u2019s police service. Mr Bishop is worried about the new recruits coming through. I can assure him that I have been to all but one graduation since I have been the Minister, and the new recruits are first class. In fact, the number of people we\u2019re getting into the service who have university degrees, who have worked overseas, and who have wide experience has increased substantially. One thing that we\u2019re working incredibly hard on is ensuring that our police service represents the diverse communities that it serves. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003ELast year, we celebrated 75 years of women in the police. Now, we\u2019re not where we want to be\u2014ideally, we want to be at 50 percent\u2014but the New Zealand police service is working incredibly hard to get those figures up. This is an organisation which, I believe, is incredibly well run. The commissioner has a vision for where the New Zealand Police wants to be, and we buy into it 100 percent. I am forever grateful, and I think, as New Zealanders, we should be grateful for the men and women who are out there doing the sorts of jobs that we wouldn\u2019t want to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003ELast year, there were 27,000 general mental health call outs that the police had to respond to. There were 20,300 attempted suicide events that they had to attend; so they\u2019ve changed the programme. In the past, they had three hours on how to deal with mental health; now, in the Police College, there are 50 hours on how to deal with mental health call outs. This is a service that\u2019s responding to the needs of our community. Last year, $300 million worth of assets were restrained, $168 million forfeited. Last year, the New Zealand police service dismantled 10 significant transnational crime groups operating in New Zealand and preying on our communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThe last thing I would like to say is that we are rolling out 1,800 police because we think this is the right thing to do and it needs to be done. Mr Bishop talked about the cost; well, this is coming in the Budget, but let me tell you that we believe the New Zealand Police service disrupted about $1.6 billion worth of harm in our communities. So when the member says, \u201CHow much does it cost?\u201D, I say, \u201CNot enough.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022 data-id=\u0022e96c65d25d7c41abb62946dcab66b5b6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e96c65d25d7c41abb62946dcab66b5b6\u0022\u003EMATT KING (National\u2014Northland):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s a pleasure to take a second call on this. I\u2019d like to acknowledge the Hon Stuart Nash. I\u2019m actually quite heartened to hear some of his language about the police, being an ex-police officer. I think he\u2019s going to be almost as good as the Hon Judith Collins in the role. He talks about having an extra 1,800 police, and I hope\u2014I hope and I pray\u2014that that\u2019s what\u2019s going to happen. During the election campaign, they promised 1,800, and the language has changed now to \u201Cstrive towards\u201D. I really do hope that that\u2019s the number they get to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003EI want to talk about what Darroch Ball talked about earlier. Previously, I talked about the police in a good light because I wanted to acknowledge them, much like Stuart Nash did, and the good job that they do. I never put forward that they were doing a brilliant job; I\u2019m just saying that they don\u2019t get the acknowledgment, and I was praising them because that\u2019s what I felt was the right thing to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003ESo the language has changed, and it\u2019s now \u201Cstrive towards\u201D. I see that\u2019s in the document. Well, what\u2019s going to happen when you get 1,800 new police\u2014you actually have to have 3,000 new recruits to account for the natural attrition, and 3,000 new recruits is one hell of an ask over three or four years, whichever Government\u2019s in.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003EIf you talk about funding and resourcing, they\u2019ve got to have vehicles, they\u2019ve got to have radios, they\u2019ve got to have laptops\u2014they\u2019ve got to have everything that comes; it\u2019s not just a bum on a seat. So there\u2019s a hell of a lot of cost. I make no apologies, on our side, for looking at the dollars and actually being realistic about how much it\u2019s going to cost. It\u2019s going to cost a lot more than what you\u2019re allowing for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003EI remember, as a hard-working detective in Kaikohe, in the mid-2000s, under a Labour Government, I had a stack of serious crime files on my desk. There were four detectives in our office and we had one car with 180,000 kilometres on the clock.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002246d77852fc6b45bfa1fdb6257d3243f2\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: And a few king-hits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c74b22c207c74bf3b42dcbbe32a7d370\u0022\u003EMATT KING\u003C/span\u003E: Ha! Talk about under-resourcing; we were begging for resources\u2014four qualified detectives doing their best, in one car. You\u2019ve got to have bums on seats, but you\u2019ve got to have the resourcing to go with it. So, like I say, I hope the Hon Stuart Nash delivers on his promise; I really do. I genuinely believe that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003EIn terms of lowering standards, I see the physical competence test has changed, in that if you\u2019re weak in one area and you\u2019re strong in another, they can carry across, like carrying across credits. That is a lowering of standards by another name; it absolutely is. You don\u2019t get to choose, when you\u2019re chasing an offender, whether you\u2019ve got to climb a fence or swim through a river. You don\u2019t get to say, \u201COh well, I\u2019m good at one but I can\u2019t do the other.\u201D You\u2019ve got to do it all. So, like I say, I hope that they get where they want to. I also recall that just having a bum on a seat\u2014it needs the back up of resourcing, but I would have forgone a pay rise in my day to have an extra one or two people to share the load. So 1,800 police\u2014I wish you all the best.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003ENow, I\u2019d like to acknowledge the men and women that work in the New Zealand Police. They do a great job. It\u2019s a hard job, and I say to them that as long as I\u2019m in Parliament, they have a friend in this House. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022 data-id=\u0022c7f2e1cc429042769a618249dd1004d5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c7f2e1cc429042769a618249dd1004d5\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR (Labour\u2014\u014Ch\u0101riu):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. I want to start by acknowledging my two ex-colleagues here, the Hon Mark Mitchell and Matt King. It\u2019s interesting listening to them, and, gentlemen, I do share your concerns around the way that the crime rate has gone and where we are now. But I can assure you that you did join the police many years ago\u2014I\u2019m sorry, Mr Chair; the honourable gentlemen did join the police many years ago. I will ask you to remember that when you did join, those who went before you said, \u201CYou\u2019re not as good as we were.\u201D That tends to be a generational refrain. I suspect that when those two gentlemen joined, police officers had to be 5 foot 8 and couldn\u2019t wear glasses, and there were about 2 percent female in the job. So, to those gentlemen, I can absolutely reassure them that times have changed, and they will continue to change\u2014in the same way that the types of activities that the police carry out also need to change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EAlso, one of the speakers previously mentioned Better Public Services and how, applied, they were some sort of panacea\u2014that the whole Government service was going to be a better place; cure everything, perhaps, from the common cold to the latest disease to come out of the Third World. However, those Better Public Services actually became cheaper public services.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EJust to give an example of how they did fail, in choosing Better Public Services and very specific targets, often\u2014and I found it in the police\u2014it\u2019s about a five-year lead in. You can get a strategy in place and things are working well, and often when you change strategies, when you change emphasis, it\u2019s about five years before you really start to see the results of those changes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EA very good example of that is methamphetamine in gangs. Through the period of about 2008 to 2011, at a time when all the emphasis was going on to areas where the surveys were showing the public were most concerned, what wasn\u2019t coming up was gangs and methamphetamine. Now, the police officers in those situations, whether it be the district commanders, right down to the police on the ground, knew that they had a major burgeoning problem with gangs and methamphetamine. There was a methamphetamine strategy introduced, which did have some effect in the early days, but, ultimately\u2014and as I, in my previous position, went around the countryside, I was being regaled, being lobbied hard, by district commanders and area commanders saying, \u201CWe\u2019ve got to get the right to police our gangs, because if we don\u2019t, they are going to grow out of control.\u201D But, again, because those gangs weren\u2019t showing up as a problem in the surveys, the work wasn\u2019t being done. In fact, I can tell you now that there were people being told they weren\u2019t to police, they weren\u2019t to do search warrants on methamphetamine; they were to leave the gangs alone. The emphases were in other areas, and we are now paying the price for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EAs we sat through the Government departments\u2014and I have to say that, as a new member, it was pleasing to see the emphasis and the examination we can put our Government departments through\u2014I think anyone who\u2019s worried about where their taxpayers\u2019 money goes should see the hard work that\u2019s done by these organisations, particularly emphasising or focusing on the area of corrections and on police. It was summed up, I think, as we spoke to the Department of Corrections, who talked about, and I can quote: \u201CPrisoners with gang connections are nearly twice as likely to reoffend as those without gang affiliations. In 2016-17, gang-affiliated prisoners made up about one third of the prison population but were responsible for two thirds of the prison assaults. Gang levels in prison have nearly doubled in the last decade. Corrections strategy is spreading the gang population around the prison so no clusters occur.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003ESo there\u2019s a clear problem of gangs in prisons. Also, when we talked to the New Zealand Police, the commissioner pointed out the very clear problem that gangs\u2014current, home grown\u2014are exacerbated by the returning prisoners from Australia. We now have a situation where over half the people in prisons are either gang or gang associates.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022 data-id=\u0022203be7ea0ea146318bb537e76ab19e43\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022203be7ea0ea146318bb537e76ab19e43\u0022\u003EGOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN (Green):\u003C/span\u003E The annual review reports for the Ministry of Justice, Department of Corrections, and New Zealand Police make for sobering reading. This is an expensive sector. It\u2019s an expensive sector to fail in. It\u2019s expensive in real terms\u2014in terms of harm to victims, to their wh\u0101nau, and to communities, and in the broader harm to our society of having crime on the rise, having more and more of our population locked up in prison\u2014and it\u2019s also expensive in terms of the bottom line.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EThis round of annual reviews confirms, sadly, that New Zealand continues to imprison people at record rates, while doing that does nothing to reduce crime\u2014in fact, it does the opposite. So we have learnt that spending billions of dollars imprisoning, essentially, people from certain demographics\u2014M\u0101ori and Pasifika young men\u2014convictions have gone up for serious crime. Convictions for serious violence and sexual offending have gone up by 5 percent. Convictions for illicit drug offending have gone up by 15 percent\u2014and we know that that\u2019s in the most serious types of drug offending. We know that, in terms of offending relating to the supply, manufacture, or importation of methamphetamine, those types of offences are about to overtake the prevalence of cannabis-type offences in our justice system. No wonder our courts are overburdened and hardly functioning. Offences relating to robbery and theft are up by 11 percent, and, incredibly, offences relating to weapons are up by an astounding 20 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EWe keep hearing that the justice policy under the previous nine years was somehow effective, but the numbers are there in black and white in these annual reviews. The backlogs are up. Prison numbers are up. Nine years of policies being adopted to make politicians look tough whilst we knew that they were making our communities less safe and costing us billions of dollars that we could have invested in policies that we knew could have reduced crime\u2014that was callous. It\u2019s unacceptable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s also horrifying to note that whilst we were imprisoning record numbers of people and crime was on the rise, National contracted Serco, a multinational corporation, to run some of our busiest prisons. At Mt Eden prison, this resulted\u2014and most people will remember this, because New Zealand was horrified. That correctional facility saw the rise of things like fight clubs, contraband, and corruption. That contract had to be terminated\u2014a failure. But we\u2019re still under a 25-year contract for Auckland South Corrections Facility with Serco.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EThose types of problems didn\u2019t exist at this kind of level in New Zealand before that so-called public-private agreement to privatise our prisons\u2014let\u2019s call a spade a spade. Our prisons are now at capacity, and, incredibly, this report, in this previous period, shows that some 49 percent of people that we imprison are going to be imprisoned again within the next five years after their release\u2014horrifying. That means\u2014as anyone who\u2019s been at the front lines of our justice system, like I\u2019ve been, and anyone who\u2019s working in corrections, knows\u2014our prisons no longer have the staffing capacity or resource to provide proper rehabilitative programmes for the people that we do detain.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EWe don\u2019t have programmes sufficient to provide drug and alcohol treatment, mental health care, anger management treatment, or literacy programmes. So people aren\u2019t getting paroled, because they can\u2019t do their courses, and we\u2019re holding them for longer, but then we\u2019re releasing them without actually helping them to be rehabilitated, fit to join society, at a low-risk of reoffending. That is ineffective, and it is a failure, and these reports show it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003ESo, instead of actually providing for services out in the community that we know actually stop crime, like mental health care before people offend, like drug and alcohol treatment before people reoffending, that Government\u2014[Time expired]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EReports relevant to the Justice Sector noted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022add1bd5ca9a8425a84ea42abdcfe5381\u0022\u003EM\u0101ori, Other Populations, and Cultural Sector\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u0022eba2e6449393434c9f73d1c913541231\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eba2e6449393434c9f73d1c913541231\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Chairperson of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Chair. I\u2019m very pleased to open up the speeches speaking on the M\u0101ori sector for the annual review of 2016-17, as the chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee. We conducted three reviews which are automatically referred to us from Crown entities, which are Te Puni K\u014Dkiri, Te Taura Whiri i te Re M\u0101ori, and Te M\u0101ngai P\u0101ho, but we embarked on a bit of a wider approach this year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EIn light of the fact of the recent passing of Te Ture m\u014D Te Reo M\u0101ori / M\u0101ori Language Act, we wanted to conduct equivalent reviews of other entities that are now operating in the Te Reo M\u0101ori space. So we had a briefing from Te M\u0101t\u0101wai, which is an independent statutory entity created under that Act. As well we also invited in Te Whakaruruhau o Ng\u0101 Reo Irirangi M\u0101ori, which is the M\u0101ori broadcasting radio station network. This was the first time that they had an opportunity to come before our committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EUnfortunately, we weren\u2019t able to conduct a review of M\u0101ori Television, as we understand that their annual report hasn\u2019t been tabled in the House yet, but we will definitely follow that up expeditiously when that happens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EI really want to just focus, primarily, on Te Puni K\u014Dkiri as it is the lead agency for the Crown in terms of being responsible for M\u0101ori policy and on advising on the Crown - M\u0101ori relationship. Can I acknowledge the new Minister, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, and I must commend her for the leadership that she\u2019s shown since taking on this important portfolio to provide some sound leadership over what is a very vast and broad area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EIf we just look at the vote for Te Puni K\u014Dkiri, I guess one of the main matters that came to our attention was the increase in non-departmental expenditure\u2014a whole bunch of programmes that have been delegated or given to Te Puni K\u014Dkiri as a result of the previous administration. These non-departmental programmes can range anything from M\u0101ori housing, to suicide prevention, to ICT, to Wh\u0101nau Ora. It\u2019s such a broad landscape that Te Puni K\u014Dkiri is charged with producing, delivering upon the appropriations which are given to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EOne of the matters that came to our attention was the use of contractors. Te Puni K\u014Dkiri spends 37 percent of its expenditure on contractors. We just found that astounding. It was an increase from $5 million the year prior, to over $11 million in the year which we\u2019re reviewing. That is a huge increase on contractors, but also we could understand the rationale, given the diversity and the range of all of these new programmes which were given to Te Puni K\u014Dkiri. They had to upskill very quickly and devise how they were going to deliver on them. But, certainly, that is one area that we, as a committee, would hope to see an improvement upon, so we could see, I guess, Te Puni K\u014Dkiri settle down\u2014settle into, you know, its core business; settle into delivering consistently across the regions, with some certainty across those very important areas of housing and of M\u0101ori development in general, as well as its other responsibilities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ESo there is so much that Te Puni K\u014Dkiri is charged with. By and large they\u2019re doing a good job, but I\u2019m excited that under the leadership of the Hon Nanaia Mahuta there will be an increased sense of focus and direction for Te Puni K\u014Dkiri. That\u2019s already being evidenced not only through the Hon Nanaia Mahuta but through her Associate Ministers as well, with the Hon Peeni Henare, and right across this Government. So there is a lot of work going on in the M\u0101ori development space, and I believe some fine-tuning does need to happen. I believe that will be taking place under the direction of the new Minister, and I\u2019m very pleased to be able to commend this section. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022 data-id=\u00226a6cfc3bd3654e1ab3599e1690875faa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226a6cfc3bd3654e1ab3599e1690875faa\u0022\u003ENUK KORAKO (National):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te Kaiwhakahaere. Can I first of all start by acknowledging the previous speaker, Rino Tirikatene, our new chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee? It\u2019s nice to see that it\u2019s stayed under the Ng\u0101i Tahu watch, anyway. I\u2019d also acknowledge the new Minister for M\u0101ori Development, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, and also Minister Peeni Henare.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EI just want to pick up on one point that the previous speaker actually covered, which is that there are actually a number of new innovations and projects that have been undertaken by Te Puni K\u014Dkiri. I think that, if you look at that, reflect back to the extra funding, actually, that was given back in 2016-17 for that year, it went up, actually, by 23 percent\u2014so from $184 million to $226 million. That was actually new money that was given to support those new programmes. I think the other part of it, too, in what the previous speaker was talking about is that there were actually some real concerns back in that 2015-16 financial year, and under that review there were things like risk management, contract management, performance reporting, and also employee severance payments and all of that. I think the report that we got back from the auditor was the fact that it had improved immensely. I just want to acknowledge those things that I\u2019ve just said, because that was on the National Government watch, and those were the things that we actually put in place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EI think moving forward, though, particularly on one other important bill\u2014it was a major bill during our time in Government\u2014and that was, as you said, Te Pire m\u014D Te Reo M\u0101ori / M\u0101ori Language Bill. The actual journey, the h\u012Bkoi, of that, is, I think, really continuing on, but I think there\u2019s just one thing that we need to actually raise a flag on, and that is the fact that we did actually have Te Maihi M\u0101ori, Te M\u0101t\u0101wai, in there, actually talking about the really important things that they were doing. They were already up and running, but I think what we should be, actually, also flagging is that we still haven\u2019t got Te Maihi Karauna part of that strategy up and running yet. I believe it\u2019s coming out shortly. But, you know, these two need to work in Kota hitaka. They need to work in unison. So I think it\u2019s important that we flag that, and hopefully that is actually going to happen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003ELook, finally, there was, as you say, Te M\u0101ngai P\u0101ho, which actually came to our committee. I think one of the things I want to talk about is M\u0101ori broadcasting. One thing, particularly, when you look at M\u0101ori broadcasting\u2014when it comes under Vote M\u0101ori Development, there\u2019s the administration of M\u0101ori broadcasting, M\u0101ori television, and M\u0101ori radio broadcasting, with appropriations in the last review of about $112 million. But one thing is that M\u0101ori media platforms are really one of the few avenues that M\u0101ori have to communicate their views. National acknowledges that kaupapa that M\u0101ori don\u2019t speak in one voice. It\u2019s actually multiple types of voices needing multiple platforms. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EWhat I\u2019m greatly concerned about is that M\u0101ori are being used as scapegoats now because of the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media\u2019s train wreck at the moment, which is actually through lack of openness. We\u2019ve already seen no M\u0101ori put on the public media funding ministerial advisory group. We\u2019ve already seen our own M\u0101ori broadcaster, Carol Hirschfeld, sacrificed because of the broadcasting Minister\u2019s lack of openness and transparency. I struggle to believe, though, that Te Puni K\u014Dkiri and the Minister for M\u0101ori Development would have agreed to either of these two outcomes for M\u0101ori. I think the important thing, looking forward, is we need clarification, because we know that in that whole thing about the Labour manifesto originally\u2014$38 million promised each year to public broadcasting. There it is, and yet we\u2019ve got no M\u0101ori actually sitting on that advisory group. That there is a travesty, and that is something that we actually need to address. The fact is this broadcasting Minister is actually working to the detriment of M\u0101ori, and that\u2019s one thing that we actually need to address, because, at the end of the day, there may be one single platform.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u00226d6b2bdfc4fe4bdfb15f38a3b76f7b60\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226d6b2bdfc4fe4bdfb15f38a3b76f7b60\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister for M\u0101ori Development):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to take a call in this appropriations debate, and there are a number of things that have been mentioned that I will want to comment on. Firstly, if we start with the last contribution, from Nuk Korako, on the issue of M\u0101ori broadcasting, let\u2019s be very clear: the Minister for M\u0101ori Development is responsible for M\u0101ori broadcasting, which, by and large, relates to Te M\u0101ngai P\u0101ho and M\u0101ori Television (M\u0101ori TV). But here\u2019s the thing: we are now at a point where M\u0101ori TV themselves recognise that they have to move significantly in the way that they deliver on their broadcasting aspiration in the M\u0101ori space to move from a terrestrial platform to a digital platform. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003ENow, the conversation that has to be had firstly, prior to any consideration of public broadcasting, is: how is M\u0101ori TV as an entity reorienting its strategy to be able to look towards the future? That was the first priority, and I believe, as the new Minister coming into this portfolio, that focusing and supporting M\u0101ori TV on that vision for the future was a worthwhile thing to do, albeit recognising that this Government has ambitious plans in the public broadcasting space. But why that\u2019s important is that if there\u2019s going to end up being a greater focus within the M\u0101ori broadcasting sector on Reo revitalisation, then it is easy to track across in the public broadcasting space what the relationship will be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EMy colleague Rino Tirikatene, the chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, pointed to the concerns that the select committee had in relation to the issue of the amount of funding spent on contractors. That is not ideal for a Government department, and, in fact, that doesn\u2019t build the capability and expertise of a ministry like Te Puni K\u014Dkiri. It contracts out the responsibility in key areas, like policy development, somewhere else. We will see a shift under this Government, because we believe in the integrity of a M\u0101ori development ministry that retains capability and is able to contribute to other key areas of policy development where we are lifting outcomes for M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe other thing, in relation to the comments with regard to Te Ture Whenua M\u0101ori Bill, is it is true: prior to becoming the Government, coalition parties and confidence and supply parties of this coalition Government did not see the benefit of investing, for example, in the M\u0101ori Land Service. Prior to confirming legislative reform, it made no sense. A huge amount of funding had been spent in that space when the Government knew that there was no political mandate to support the legislative reform. We continue to be concerned about this. We signalled clearly prior to Christmas that we would drop the proposed legislative reforms and reorient the focus to support M\u0101ori land owners, but let\u2019s be very clear. As the select committee knew when they looked at the appropriations, funding in the area of the M\u0101ori Land Service was significant, without tying down the political reality of whether or not there was support for the direction that the previous Government, of which that member of the Opposition was a part, were going down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe point on Te Pire m\u014D Te Reo M\u0101ori / M\u0101ori Language Bill\u2014yes, it is true that the Maihi M\u0101ori was established. In fact, it was established prior to the election\u2014very early. Around this House, everybody agreed that Te Whare Mauri Ora, as a way of working to deliver on the Reo revitalisation, was a way of doing something differently. But the Maihi Karauna was delayed even before we became the Government. So let\u2019s call a spade a spade and say that the delay was not a result of our new Government actually wanting to ensure that we had a Maihi Karauna which could work with the Maihi M\u0101ori; there was a delay before I even became the Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EI am encouraged by the work that has been undertaken by the relevant entities: Te Taura Whiri, M\u0101ori Television, Te M\u0101ngai P\u0101ho, Te Puni K\u014Dkiri, and other relevant Government agencies, who have pulled together a draft Maihi Karauna for us to be able to confirm. We want it to be workable. We want it to work. I look forward to members of the Opposition actually endorsing the Maihi Karauna so that we can deliver on its real intent, which is to lift the utilisation of Te Reo for all people in Aotearoa so that we can move forward. I also look forward to the reorientation of the way in which Te Puni K\u014Dkiri will support M\u0101ori development.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u0022eb6f154a91054286ae4ca4160332422d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eb6f154a91054286ae4ca4160332422d\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, sir. I was going to say something about the report on the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, but the cultural sector is in such an excellent condition after nine years of a National Government\u2014six of which I was the Minister\u2014I didn\u2019t want to spend five minutes simply praising myself. So what I thought I would do is focus instead on Te Puni K\u014Dkiri and this unbelievably missed opportunity of the development of the M\u0101ori Land Service. Of the many things this Government has done since they assumed office toward the end of October, the most stupid, the most wasteful, the most disappointing thing they have done was ditch the reforms of Te Ture Whenua Maori Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThis was a massive project, and they were opposing it for purely political reasons, even though the Labour Party, in their manifesto over a number of elections, promised to reform Te Ture Whenua Maori Act. The 1993 Act is not fit for purpose, and the development of a new piece of legislation, and within it the development of the M\u0101ori Land Service, was so pro wh\u0101nau, hap\u016B, and iwi, and that opportunity has been lost.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThis National Opposition\u2014and I\u2019m sure I speak on behalf of the temporarily absent M\u0101ori Party\u2014would say that the work done on the M\u0101ori Land Service was an important concomitant of the reform of Te Ture Whenua Maori Act. As envisaged by the architects of the legislation, the M\u0101ori Land Service would serve three functions. First, it would provide top-quality registration services for M\u0101ori land, and why shouldn\u2019t M\u0101ori have exactly the same 21st century registration system that general land has? Why should they have to put up with this antediluvian nonsense that happens under the 1993 legislation? So that was the first point.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe second point was a dispute resolution service so that wh\u0101nau who had difficulties could get speedy and inexpensive justice through a system governed by the M\u0101ori Land Service that would facilitate mediation and, as I say, the inexpensive and expeditious resolution of disputes, because the current system is simply not working. It takes months to get before the court, and many people just can\u2019t be bothered going to court because the system is so run down. The kinds of reforms that we were proposing for the M\u0101ori Land Court were introduced in the general court system in 1984. So it\u2019s simply unbelievable that these sorts of reforms, which were overdue, couldn\u2019t proceed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThe third aspect of the M\u0101ori Land Service was the development of a land advisory system so that people were able to get advice to develop their land. It\u2019s one of the tragedies of New Zealand that 11 percent of the North Island is governed by Te Ture Whenua Maori Act and 80 percent of that land is undeveloped or underdeveloped. There are massive problems with landlocked land. I recall a fellow from M\u014Dkai P\u0101tea who came and saw me and said he tried to get access to his land, which is landlocked, and the farmer said, \u201CYou\u2019re more than welcome to walk in any time you want.\u201D, and he said, \u201CWell, actually, I need vehicular access.\u201D, and he was told to go and see a taxidermist.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EThese are the kinds of issues that need to be grappled with. Treaty settlements, at the end of the day, will probably be worth about $3 billion to $4 billion in 2018 dollars, but if the nettle had been grasped on this particular issue, it is worth billions and billions of dollars to M\u0101ori. So it\u2019s a massive disappointment that all the good work that was done on Te Ture Whenua M\u0101ori Bill, all the thinking, the hard work, and policy thinking that had been done on the M\u0101ori Land Service, has gone up in smoke. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EI\u2019m very fond of the Minister in the chair, Nanaia Mahuta, but I have to say she made an egregious error, and I largely blame the Minister of Customs, Meka Whaitiri, who I think had some rather unsavoury people who were persuading her to this point of view. But at the end of the day, the opposition to Te Ture Whenua Maori Act reforms was largely political.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022 data-id=\u00220f10baeb660648fabc68f324f4ee333f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220f10baeb660648fabc68f324f4ee333f\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE (Minister for Wh\u0101nau Ora):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te Heamana. Tuatahi m\u0101ku e tukuna atu i ng\u0101 mihi ki a koe e te p\u0101p\u0101, e Te Ururoa kua hoki mai koe ki Te Korokoro o Te Parata n\u0101u i hoki mai ki t\u014D whare, otir\u0101 ki a t\u0101tou i Te Whare e whakak\u0101hui nei ki runga i ng\u0101 kaupapa nui o te w\u0101.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E[Good afternoon, Mr Chairman. May I firstly acknowledge your presence, Te Ururoa. You have returned to Te Korokoro o Te Parata, you have returned to this House where we are gathered to address important matters of the day.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EI would much rather have heard from the speaker who just resumed his seat, Chris Finlayson, around arts, culture, and heritage. However, it is left to me to address many of the issues that he raised in his contribution and, of course, make some comments of my own with regard to the performance of Te Puni K\u014Dkiri. In order to do so, and to do it with great effect\u2014and, if we are true about the Maihi Karauna being able to lead Te Reo M\u0101ori alongside Te M\u0101ihi M\u0101ori in Te Whare Mauri Ora, to make sure that Te Reo M\u0101ori revitalisation is taken seriously\u2014I\u2019m going to do the rest of my speech in Te Reo M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EK\u0101ti ake r\u0101, ka kite atu ahau i t\u0113tahi o ng\u0101 \u0101huatanga kei roto i t\u0113nei r\u012Bpoata e p\u0101 ana ki te kaupapa e ng\u0101kaunuitia ana e t\u0101tou Te Iwi M\u0101ori, otir\u0101, t\u0101tou te motu wh\u0101nui. Ko taua kaupapa e k\u014Drerohia ake nei, ar\u0101 ko te kaupapa o Wh\u0101nau Ora. T\u0101 te mea ko au te Minita m\u014D te take m\u014D te kaupapa o Wh\u0101nau Ora, ka kite atu ahau i ng\u0101 mahi nunui i oti i ng\u0101 kaimahi o Te Puni K\u014Dkiri ki roto i ng\u0101 tau kua pahure ake nei. I \u0101ia tonu nei ka kite atu ahau i te tini o ng\u0101 tari K\u0101wanatanga, i te tini o ng\u0101 hapori e tiro mai ana ki t\u0113nei kaupapa\u2014ar\u0101 ko Wh\u0101nau Ora. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ET\u0101 te mea e kaha tautoko ana au i te kaupapa nei, ko te mate k\u0113 ki a au, i \u0101ia nei n\u0101 ko te hiahia o ng\u0101 tari K\u0101wanatanga n\u0101 ko te t\u0101hae i te kaupapa nei; ki te r\u0101wekeweke i te kaupapa nei; ko t\u0101ku e kite atu ai ki roto i te r\u012Bpoata, ko te kaha o Te Puni K\u014Dkiri ki te \u016B tonu ki ng\u0101 uar\u0101 e p\u0101 ana ki t\u0113nei kaupapa whakahirahira o Te Wh\u0101nau Ora; n\u014D reira e mihi atu ana au ki ng\u0101 kaimahi o Te Puni K\u014Dkiri. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EE m\u014Dhio ana koe e Te Heamana i \u0101ia tonu nei e whakahaerehia ana m\u0101tou o Te K\u0101wanatanga i t\u0113tahi mahi arohaehae i t\u0113nei kaupapa o Wh\u0101nau Ora. Ko te take o te mahi arohaehae i te kaupapa, ko te whakapakari ake i te kaupapa o Wh\u0101nau Ora kia kite atu kei hea ng\u0101 k\u014Dhao kei roto i te kaupapa nei, me te hiahia kia whakapakari ake m\u014D te oranga o te wh\u0101nau te take. N\u014D reira i ng\u0101 rangi kua pahure ake nei i mea, i whakaae mai Te K\u0101wanatanga, ar\u0101 ko ng\u0101 k\u0101hui Minita, ki te mahi arohaehae i t\u0113nei kaupapa o Wh\u0101nau Ora; ko te hiahia kia tukuna atu te poari arohaehae i \u0101 r\u0101tou mahi; n\u0101 runga i te rangim\u0101rie me te hiahia kia kite atu i te mahi motuhake me te t\u016B motuhake o te r\u014Dp\u016B arohaehae i taua kaupapa o Wh\u0101nau Ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAa k\u0101ti ka waiho n\u0101 atu te kaupapa o Wh\u0101nau Ora ki te taha m\u014D te w\u0101 nei, ko te kaupapa i \u0101ia nei n\u0101 ki a au nei n\u0101, ko Te Reo M\u0101ori. I rongo atu ahau i roto i ng\u0101 totohe a Te Whare o te p\u014D nei ko \u0113tahi o ng\u0101 \u0101huatanga e p\u0101 ana ki Te Maihi Karauna me Te Maihi M\u0101ori. E mihi atu ana ahau ki a Te Puni K\u014Dkiri e tautoko atu ana i Te M\u0101t\u0101wai i a r\u0101tou e huri haere ana ki te motu wh\u0101nui me te kawe ake i t\u0113nei kaupapa o Te Reo M\u0101ori. I \u0101ia tonu nei n\u0101 ko te mahi nunui kei mua i te aroaro o Te Puni K\u014Dkiri me t\u0113nei Whare kia piki an\u014D te ora, kia piki an\u014D te kaha o Te Reo M\u0101ori ki roto i ng\u0101 hapori, ki roto i ng\u0101 tari K\u0101wanatanga, ki roto hoki an\u014D i ng\u0101 k\u0101inga me ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau puta noa. M\u0101 Te K\u0101wanatanga t\u0113tahi mahi uaua\u2014ehara i te mea hei tohutohu i Te Iwi M\u0101ori, kahore, engari ko te mahi nunui ko te tautoko ake i Te Maihi M\u0101ori e whakahaerehia nei e \u014D t\u0101tou Iwi M\u0101ori puta noa i te motu wh\u0101nui.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EK\u0101ti ki roto i ng\u0101 h\u0113kona whakamutunga ki a au nei, he nui ng\u0101 mahi i oti i a Te Puni K\u014Dkiri, ki roto i ng\u0101 tau kua pahure ake nei. Ko te manako, me te \u012Bnoi, kia tau tonu mai te kaha o Te Atua ki runga i Te Minita hou e kawea nei ng\u0101 kaupapa o Te Ao M\u0101ori, kia kaua e \u0101ta w\u0101w\u0101hi nei i ng\u0101 kaupapa whai aronga, whai oranga an\u014D hoki m\u014D Te Iwi M\u0101ori kahore, engari kia \u016B tonu Te Puni K\u014Dkiri me t\u014D t\u0101tou Minita ki ng\u0101 take motuhake e p\u0101 ana ki a t\u0101tou Te Iwi M\u0101ori. K\u0101ti ki konei e Te Heamana, ka nui t\u0113nei m\u0101ku, t\u0113n\u0101 koe, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E[Indeed, I note amongst matters in this report a subject that is dear to the hearts of the M\u0101ori people, and indeed to our nation. That subject is Wh\u0101nau Ora. In my role as Minister for Wh\u0101nau Ora, I am aware of the enormous amount of work that has been undertaken by the staff of Te Puni K\u014Dkiri in recent years. I note that currently this initiative is under close scrutiny by various Government departments and community groups\u2014that is, Wh\u0101nau Ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EBecause I am an avid supporter of this initiative, the actual problem to me is that there are Government departments that would like to abscond with this initiative and to tamper with it; what I glean from this report is the determination of Te Puni K\u014Dkiri to remain faithful to the values pertaining to this important initiative of Wh\u0101nau Ora. Therefore, I salute the staff of Te Puni K\u014Dkiri.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EYou will be aware, Mr Chairman, that the Government is currently arranging to undertake a review of Wh\u0101nau Ora. The reason that this review is being undertaken is to identify any areas for improvement and to strengthen the initiative for the betterment of families. Therefore, just recently, this Government\u2014that is to say, Cabinet\u2014has agreed that the panel for the review of Wh\u0101nau Ora should proceed; we say that in the spirit of helpfulness and hope that the independent work and independent standing of the review panel of the Wh\u0101nau Ora initiative will be apparent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ELet me set aside the subject of Wh\u0101nau Ora for the time being and turn instead to the matter of the M\u0101ori language. I have heard the evening debates, which canvassed opinions regarding the Maihi Karauna and the Maihi M\u0101ori. Once again I congratulate Te Puni K\u014Dkiri, which supported Te M\u0101t\u0101wai in their peregrinations around the country to inform people about this M\u0101ori language initiative. A great deal of work remains to be done now by Te Puni K\u014Dkiri and by this House to ensure the health and strength of the M\u0101ori language in communities, in Government departments, and indeed in homes and within families throughout the land. The Government has a difficult task\u2014not to instruct M\u0101ori, no indeed; the real work is to support the Maihi M\u0101ori, which is managed by M\u0101ori tribes across the nation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ETherefore, in the few seconds remaining to me, I do acknowledge Te Puni K\u014Dkiri for their many accomplishments in recent years. I hope, indeed I pray, that the Almighty will bestow strength on our new Minister who bears the responsibility of matters M\u0101ori, that initiatives of great benefit to the M\u0101ori people are not diminished, but instead that they are strengthened and developed by Te Puni K\u014Dkiri and our Minister. That brings my contribution to an end, Mr Chairman; greetings to you, greetings to us all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022 data-id=\u002258dcb9e8231649bf898bc50cca205fe3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002258dcb9e8231649bf898bc50cca205fe3\u0022\u003ETODD MULLER (National\u2014Bay of Plenty):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. Great to be able to take a few minutes to talk on the reviews that we sat through in the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee. I just want to acknowledge the chair. I don\u2019t sit on that committee any more. I was there for a few months but have now moved on to the Environment Committee, but the time that I did have there, I was impressed with the chairmanship of Rino and also just the general approach that all members had in debating and discussing and reflecting on the ambition of M\u0101ori and what is the appropriate policy response to assist in that ambition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EI do want to add my voice in support of my colleague Chris Finlayson, who I thought gave a very robust account of the lost opportunity that we all reflected on in the committee, particularly when we had Te Puni K\u014Dkiri in front of us and asked them to reflect on the significant work that had been under way through the review period to establish the M\u0101ori Land Service that was envisaged as being necessary when Te Ture Whenua M\u0101ori Bill was passed. The Minister for M\u0101ori Development, when she stood up earlier and made her contribution, suggested that that was inappropriate from a policy perspective, that that work would go concurrently as we worked through the finer details of Te Ture Whenua. I fundamentally disagree with that approach.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EIt is too pedestrian to hold a view that as you are progressing a particular policy initiative the ministry that will be accountable for giving life to that when it passes should sit on their hands and wait for it to pass and then begin the planning to make sure that it gets operationalised. It might reflect the way this Government does business\u2014as in pedestrian, and we\u2019ll do a lot of working groups, and eventually we\u2019ll come round to finalising a policy, and then hoping that it finds its way through to being operationalised\u2014but it doesn\u2019t reflect the way the National Government, with its support parties, ran the Government. We had a particular view that Te Ture Whenua would be a fantastic benefit to M\u0101ori and, particularly, release the productive potential of that land, which so much of it\u2014as Chris Finlayson was so articulate in outlining\u2014currently lies relatively dormant from a productive perspective. That\u2019s why we wanted it to proceed, and I think putting money aside and getting the business of the M\u0101ori Land Service up and running concurrently were entirely defendable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EI think it is worth it, sir\u2014oh, madam, sorry; the Chair\u2019s changed in the meantime\u2014to just repeat those three key reasons why we saw this as being critical: (1) top-quality registration, (2) a dispute resolution service, and (3) development of a land advisory system. Huge lost opportunity and one that we think will be a blight on this Government. It is much easier to destroy momentum than actually build it up, and that will now be the test for those on the other side who have accountability for delivering against this aspiration.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EThe chair, Rino Tirikatene, earlier referenced the fact that, as a committee, we heard from a number of agencies that are involved in ensuring that the M\u0101ori language is promoted and used by greater numbers. In particular, we had the M\u0101ori broadcasting radio network. They turned up and spoke at one of the committee sessions that I was at. I was particularly struck by the efforts that that organisation, or that network of radio stations, are applying themselves to, to ensure that at a community level, at a grassroots level, at a wh\u0101nau level, this avenue, in terms of iwi radio, is actually meeting their needs and that people are actually engaging with it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EI spoke to them about the example that I saw in my area of Tauranga. I was at the R\u0101 Whakangahau, the kapa haka festival. Moana Radio was there, with the incredible opportunity that their presence provided to showcase phenomenal M\u0101ori talent in our local area and actually enable, through Moana Radio, the opportunity for people who weren\u2019t able to be there to participate. I think this is an area that should continue to have focus and resources, and I look forward to when the Government puts their money behind it, because there\u2019s a whole lot of support for that to happen. It\u2019ll be interesting to see whether that makes one of the 55,000 Budget requests that are currently being considered. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022 data-id=\u0022a570f8163ea74355bfadb369f3b21992\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a570f8163ea74355bfadb369f3b21992\u0022\u003EHon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO (Minister for Pacific Peoples):\u003C/span\u003E I just want make a few remarks\u2014firstly, that this debate is about the 2016-2017 appropriations, so, by necessity, we\u2019ve got to look back to that year and what the previous Government did whilst they had the reins of power.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EThe second point I want to make is that whoever it was that decided we should theme these debates around particular themes, I want to acknowledge and thank them, because having the theme of M\u0101ori and Pasifika and other populations and cultures is actually a really great opportunity for this committee to start debating issues that pertain to particular sectors of our society who, by and large, have not received the full benefits of the economy that the previous Government used to talk about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EI draw attention to the previous speaker, the Hon Chris Finlayson, and the remarks blaming my colleague the Hon Meka Whaitiri about the dumping of Te Ture Whenua M\u0101ori Bill and his desire that that bill should have continued. The fact of the matter is that the fact that the M\u0101ori Party is no longer in this House is strong evidence\u2014is strong evidence\u2014that M\u0101ori, by and large, as represented by Meka, did not believe that that bill was going to benefit M\u0101ori in the long run, particularly when it pertains to land. That was about land reform and not necessarily for this discussion about how M\u0101ori as a group in Aotearoa New Zealand would benefit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EI want to say that in my travels around the Pacific region, but, from time to time, elsewhere, those overseas opportunities bring to home the fact that in no other country is there M\u0101ori other than Aotearoa New Zealand. That is something that this country needs to really be proud of, and we need to continue whatever work this Government is now embarking on. It is work that this House needs to back and get behind, because for the last nine years of the previous Government, we\u2019ve found\u2014and all I\u2019ve got to do is pick up this paper and look at M\u0101ori life expectancy: low. Unemployment: low. Prison population: low. Homeownership: low.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EWhen I heard one of the Opposition members talk about how this Government was using M\u0101ori as a scapegoat, I just find that offensive, because the previous Government had nine long years in power and nothing has improved, or very little has improved, when it comes to the social and economic well-being of M\u0101ori generally.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EFollowing that, close behind, is the Pacific population. I know that the Pacific population\u2014according to the Social Services and Community Committee\u2019s report that\u2019s tabled for discussion, it acknowledges that the Ministry for Pacific Peoples is the single ministry that is charged with providing direction and leadership to the rest of the Government departments. But we found that in the last year the continuation of low housing ownership continued under that Government to the point where homeownership for Pacific peoples is at about 16 percent. Now, once upon a time, in the 1970s it was close to 40 percent. But in the last decade very little was improved, and I can quote a number of figures in terms of unemployment figures, in terms of life expectancy, and in terms of income levels. That\u2019s the legacy of that particular Government: that for M\u0101ori and Pacific very little was improved. I would challenge that previous Government to hold up the evidence of their last nine years, in particular the last year, to show that there has been some improvement. If members of this committee were to get down, on the streets, and talk to the people in South Auckland, talk to the people in Porirua, talk to people in Christchurch, you would find by and large the feeling amongst the M\u0101ori population and the Pacific population is that the previous Government neglected them. The previous Government was so bloody focused on\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022235fe30fd76e47868d14c95fe0ce91da\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f76a3bb99d3f4842b4b695f40e8c224b\u0022\u003EHon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO\u003C/span\u003E: They were so focused on tax cuts that they didn\u2019t recognise the value of M\u0101ori and Pasifika peoples.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022 data-id=\u0022b0f80ce59cc94e839e0e3fab365de535\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b0f80ce59cc94e839e0e3fab365de535\u0022\u003EJO HAYES (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, to start with, I just want to say to that previous speaker, Aupito William Sio, that\u2019s not how M\u0101ori feel about the previous Government, the National-led Government. That is not how M\u0101ori feel about them. M\u0101ori know that it\u2019s been through the National-led Government that so many Treaty bills have actually gone through this House. So I refute the words of that previous speaker, the Minister, speaking in a supposedly authoritarian way about what M\u0101ori think about the previous National-led Government. It\u2019s a load of rubbish. So I refute that, what he said.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EThe previous speaker talked about these speeches being around the 2016-2017 annual reviews, and I get that. Unfortunately, for that Minister, the previous Minister that sat in the chair where he is now actually opened the way. She was the one, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, who talked about dropping legislative reform, which was Te Ture Whenua M\u0101ori Bill, and looking at other things around what the Government is going to do over supporting landowners as M\u0101ori land owners. So as soon as she said that, she opened the way. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EWhen the Minister for Wh\u0101nau Ora got up and started speaking about some of the things that he is doing in the Wh\u0101nau Ora space, he too opened up the ability for us to be able to include those in our speeches. So I don\u2019t think that we should be limited to the annual review as such, when the Ministers in the chair actually open up the avenue for us to speak on broader-based topics\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f3584999bd304b0dbef7fa44cb0c6ac3\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! That\u2019s a very useful discussion, but I will ask you to come back to the annual review, thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228cc4a628d52d4d858168067546330e02\u0022\u003EJO HAYES\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, I\u2019m going to do that very shortly, Madam Chair. I just wanted to get my point across. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EI just want to focus on, under the M\u0101ori development portfolio, the Wh\u0101nau Ora section of M\u0101ori development. We all know it\u2019s been a very great success for the M\u0101ori Party. This was their policy, and with the partnership with National they managed to get this particular policy through, and it has gone on, and thousands and thousands of wh\u0101nau, both M\u0101ori and Pacific Island, have actually benefited from Wh\u0101nau Ora within the Wh\u0101nau Ora space. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EAs soon as the Government changed, one of the first questions I wanted to ask the new Minister was: what was his plan for Wh\u0101nau Ora? So I\u2019ve had to wait over 150 days to actually get that response from him. I\u2019m really pleased that the Minister has been able to appoint a group of reviewers for the Wh\u0101nau Ora review\u2014a promise that the Labour Party had in their manifesto in 2014 and again in 2017, but it was more around the terms of reference, of what was that review going to look like. However, I want to congratulate the Minister. He\u2019s managed to put an all-women review panel in there, which does beggar belief as, as you know, wh\u0101nau is not just about women. We must have some men in there too, because that\u2019s what makes up a wholesome wh\u0101nau, male and female. So a couple of things around that: where are the men positioned in Wh\u0101nau Ora?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EThe next area I want to talk about is when he spoke about\u2014and in the annual review it talked about that some of the Government agencies that are picking up Wh\u0101nau Ora. And it\u2019s really great. We know about what the police are doing. They\u2019ve got a very strong process in implementing Wh\u0101nau Ora right across their ranks and right across all their police stations, and that\u2019s really good, because they have to deal with M\u0101ori at the coalface. They\u2019re on the streets. They are the ones that are brought in for all incidents and they must understand where M\u0101ori and Pasifika are actually coming from, when it comes to Wh\u0101nau Ora and the way that they think within that whole sphere of wh\u0101nau and hap\u016B and whanaungatanga and their cultural beliefs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EThe other area which I also want to talk about, which the Minister alluded to as part of the other ministries, is the M\u0101ori strategy He Korowai Oranga. He Korowai Oranga was brought in, in 2000. It is not a new thing. It\u2019s always been with the Ministry of Health, based under Wh\u0101nau Ora from the Hon Tariana Turia. I just want to say that that will keep on growing. What we need actually\u2014I want to see into the future, as He Korowai Oranga goes across all of the Government agencies eventually. I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s going to happen over this review. We don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen in the review. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003ESo, in closing, all I ask into the future around Wh\u0101nau Ora is that that Government try and get it right. Because, on this side, I\u2019ll be watching and I will be putting in my two cents\u2019 worth around Wh\u0101nau Ora and where it should go to. So, without any further ado, I will be ending my contribution. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022 data-id=\u002227679b0e5b50436d9ed202279eccc348\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002227679b0e5b50436d9ed202279eccc348\u0022\u003EHon JENNY SALESA (Minister for Ethnic Communities):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair. I\u2019d like to acknowledge the honourable Minister for Pacific Peoples, the Hon Aupatu William Sio. I agree with what he had to say. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EIn terms of what Jo Hayes, the speaker that has just taken her seat, said, one of the legacies of the previous National Government is the fact that so many of our M\u0101ori families, so many of our M\u0101ori wh\u0101nau, now are homeless. They don\u2019t even have a roof over their heads. It is actually something that the previous National Government should be ashamed of. The fact that we have the highest rate of homelessness in the OECD today and so many of our M\u0101ori wh\u0101nau do not have a roof over their heads is definitely not something that I would be proud of, but that happened under the last National Government over the last nine years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EI am speaking today on behalf of the ethnic communities. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in terms of its annual review\u2014when you look at the report, at page 276, it states that one of the responsibilities of DIA is \u201Cinforming, resourcing and advising communities, including working to ensure that ethnic communities develop and maintain a positive sense of belonging to New Zealand;\u201D. It is essential that we support our ethnic communities to develop a sense of belonging, a sense of inclusion, and social cohesion, and that we help to empower and to ensure that they actively and fully participate in our New Zealand society. One of the ways that the Office of Ethnic Communities does this is by supporting a wide range of parliamentary and community events that promote inclusion and social cohesion. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EBut just looking overall at Aotearoa New Zealand, a couple of the questions I have are these. Do we live in an inclusive society? Is our society as inclusive as it should be? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003ELet me give you a couple of examples, and I take this from Manukau East, from Papatoetoe. One of the things I asked the MP that I replaced, Ross Robertson, when he was still the MP for Manukau East\u2014when he first came in he was representing Papatoetoe. I wanted to see what the population of Papatoetoe looked like, and what he told me was that 27 years prior\u2014because he was an MP for 27 years\u201480 percent of Papatoetoe were P\u0101keh\u0101 and 20 percent were ethnic minority, but within less than 30 years, that had flipped. Now, 80 percent of Papatoetoe are ethnic minority and 20 percent are P\u0101keh\u0101. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll give you another example of this question: do we live in an inclusive society? When we look at our schools, some of our schools in South Auckland are 90 percent to 100 percent M\u0101ori, Pacific, and ethnic minorities, but when you look across the other side of Auckland, over at North Shore, there are schools over there that are the other way round\u201490 to 100 percent P\u0101keh\u0101. So then the question is: do we live in a society where we live next door to each other and where different ethnicities are inclusive in how we live, and do our children all attend the same schools, regardless of our ethnicities, regardless of our socio-economic status, and regardless of the area that we live in? I think that the answer to that is, unfortunately, in the negative. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EOne of the things that the Office of Ethnic Communities does\u2014and it is covered in page 280 of the report\u2014is it builds stronger, more resilient communities, and one of the ways it does this is via the Ethnic Communities Development Fund that the Office of Ethnic Communities administers, via the DIA. I\u2019ll give you a few examples of how this fund is utilised. Over in Canterbury, with the Canterbury Community Trust, they have a cultural radio for Sri Lankan, for Vietnamese, and for Persian communities in Canterbury, and they do this because they would like to increase social cohesion. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EAnother example of how this fund is utilised is the Tangata Tiriti - Treaty People Project in Auckland, where members of the ethnic communities applied to DIA, and they were funded because they wanted ethnic communities to understand the Treaty better. They wanted to promote and celebrate the Treaty of Waitangi. They wanted to have a more inclusive way of looking at the Treaty. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003ELast, but not the least, they also focus on leadership development for ethnic communities. Thank you so much for this opportunity to talk about the work of the ethnic communities department. Thanks. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022 data-id=\u0022ded761000b0148459030adef109e5436\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ded761000b0148459030adef109e5436\u0022\u003EHARETE HIPANGO (National\u2014Whanganui):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Chair, thank you for the opportunity to address the committee, as I speak for the first time as a first-term MP on the Appropriation (2016/17 Confirmation and Validation) Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EI speak from the perspective of a member sitting on the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee. So I acknowledge my colleague across the Chamber, Rino Tirikatene, as our chairman. I share with members of this committee that there is a very collegial approach that we do take as members sitting around the table on the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, but, in regard to that collegiality too, that doesn\u2019t mean to say we dispense with scrutiny, as is necessary and required from the perspective that we speak from and to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003ESo speaking for the first time as a first-term MP, I\u2019ve been surveying the landscape, the language- and the legislative-scape, the people- and personalities-scape, and appropriating all that is necessary to contribute in a purposeful, meaningful way. So \u201Cto appropriate\u201D\u2014what does that mean? The definition is \u201CA devotion to a special purpose.\u201D, and, in speaking to this bill this afternoon, it\u2019s the devotion of the appropriation of funds for the specific purpose of those matters that have come before the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee around the annual reviews.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EMy colleague our chairman of the committee has referenced that the reviews that have come before the committee are from Te Puni K\u014Dkiri, from Te M\u0101ngai P\u0101ho, which is the M\u0101ori Broadcasting Funding Agency, and from the M\u0101ori Language Commission, which is Te Taura Whiri i te Reo M\u0101ori. Further to that\u2014although they\u2019ve not yet been formally tabled but have been the subject of discussion\u2014is the recently formed, under the M\u0101ori Language Act 2016, Te M\u0101t\u0101wai, and also the M\u0101ori radio network\u2014that is, Te Whakaruruhau o Ng\u0101 Reo Irirangi M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003ENow, I share with the committee something of particular interest that I draw from in the papers that have been tabled, and I would invite everybody, if not now but in time, to turn to page 542, where Te M\u0101ngai P\u0101ho, in terms of their review\u2014that is, the M\u0101ori Broadcasting Funding Agency\u2014their particular task is one that involves supporting projects that aim to change society\u2019s attitudes towards Te Reo M\u0101ori. Te Reo M\u0101ori is an official language of this land, and also we hear it spoken with regularity within the House. So the challenge that I put to my colleagues here, as members of Parliament, is that we not just leave this as a responsibility of Te M\u0101ngai P\u0101ho; we embrace that, also, as responsible citizens of Aotearoa and in our leadership roles as members of Parliament.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe other part that Te M\u0101ngai P\u0101ho talks about is to foster the correct pronunciation of M\u0101ori words and focus on funding initiatives aimed at improving the fluency of competent speakers of Te Reo M\u0101ori. I just share with the committee that, as a woman who stands tall with the name \u201CHarete Hipango\u201D, that was given to me by my wh\u0101nau, I\u2019ve lived a lifetime of mispronunciation. So, again, I just invite members of this House, if we could give emphasis to the courtesy that\u2019s extended to each other.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003ESo coming back to the annual review, if I may\u2014I\u2019m mindful time has gone by very quickly\u2014and the scrutiny that\u2019s within that. My colleagues have spoken about Te Puni K\u014Dkiri and the particular responsibility around the M\u0101ori Land Service. I just share around the formulation of the M\u0101ori Language Strategy, Maihi Karauna, that\u2019s been spoken about. We\u2019re still awaiting the delivery of that. I heard the honourable Minister Nanaia Mahuta speak about the fact that these things do take time. But I just stress and emphasise the importance that this House and the Government gave to other policies in pushing through legislation. So let\u2019s give some priority to this. This is an official language of our nation. Let\u2019s not just leave it to Te Puni K\u014Dkiri. Te Puni K\u014Dkiri is charged with the responsibility in terms of advising other Government agencies and policies. We also can take on that level of influence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s so much that\u2019s been covered in the annual reviews and just skirting over them does not diminish in any way the significance of what is within these documents that we have. I turn to the fact that the M\u0101ori Language Commission tasked with Te Puni K\u014Dkiri has the responsibility in charging the development of the M\u0101ori Language Strategy. We are still awaiting that. I heard the honourable Minister Sepuloni in the House earlier this afternoon in the general debate saying that policies have been ready to go. I\u2019m afraid that\u2019s not the case in terms of this M\u0101ori Language Strategy. So I put that there as a challenge. We\u2019ve been awaiting this at M\u0101ori Affairs Committee. We still await it. Let\u2019s get it moving.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022 data-id=\u00222c833227072c4a98bd3a1e1ed4fa1280\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222c833227072c4a98bd3a1e1ed4fa1280\u0022\u003EDr JIAN YANG (National):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Chair, I\u2019m pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the M\u0101ori, Other Populations, and Cultural Sector of the Appropriation Bill. Previous speakers tended to focus on M\u0101ori affairs. Of course, I\u2019m not expert in that area; as an ethnic Chinese I intend to focus on other populations, particularly the Chinese community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EIn New Zealand we have over 200 ethnic groups. We speak over 150 languages. So this is a genuinely multicultural society and the Chinese community is one of the largest ethnic communities in New Zealand. According to the 2013 census, there were 170,000 ethnic Chinese in New Zealand. Of course, today our community is much bigger. Now, every year, the Parliament will celebrate the Chinese New Year. It has been so for 16 years, and the Government also partially funded Auckland\u2019s Chinese Lantern Festival celebrations. That has been so for 19 years and that celebration has become one of the largest Chinese Lantern Festival celebrations outside of China. Auckland Harbour Bridge this year was lit to mark the lantern festival for the very first time. Of course, many other cities in New Zealand are also celebrating the Chinese New Year and the lantern festival.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003ECultural diversity is particularly important to us because cultural diversity enriches our society, it strengthens our relations with other countries, and it attracts talented, high-quality immigrants from other countries. So it is important for us to continue to cherish our cultural diversity in New Zealand, and our Government agencies have been working very hard to facilitate and to encourage the public sector to accommodate cultural diversity in New Zealand. Many agencies provide language services to our communities. For example, we have Language Line. We provide services with over 40 languages, and many ethnic community people use Language Line to do their business, to communicate with the Government or Government agencies.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EAlso, the internal affairs department each year will provide funding for various sorts of ethnic community events. I understand we have about half a million dollars, which is not big funding, however, it does help. I have come across many ethnic community leaders and they appreciate the funding from the Government. Although the funding can be very small\u2014for example, $1,000\u2014a little bit of funding really does a lot for these ethnic community associations. So we, hopefully, in the future will be able to have more funding to support our community affairs and community events. Statistics New Zealand in this year\u2019s census have recruited a large number of volunteers and staff from different ethnic groups. They have also prepared printed material in different languages to help our communities. These services are crucial for New Zealand because we are such a diverse society. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003ELast year, during the campaign, the National Party had a plan to teach second languages in primary schools, which would actually facilitate cultural diversity in New Zealand. We were planning to invest heavily in this area. But, unfortunately, of course, in the end we did not come back into power and, therefore, that policy was abolished.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EHaving said that, I genuinely believe living in New Zealand is very fortunate for ethnic minority people. As I said, as a Chinese in New Zealand, we have one of the largest ethnic communities in New Zealand. We have seen the cultural diversity, we have seen the Government\u2019s support for multiculturalism, and we have seen the growth of communities, not only Chinese but also many other ethnic groups.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EThese ethnic communities are very helpful to our economic growth because cultural diversity means we\u2019ll be able to communicate with other countries through business, so that we can have economic relations. For that reason, we\u2019ll continue to support our communities. We\u2019ll continue to encourage multiculturalism.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EReports relevant to the M\u0101ori, Other Populations and Cultural Sector noted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223bfd463b74184e7992a81b5631501dd6\u0022\u003EPrimary Sector\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u00224d7474ca7d6343aab7accf93872229a5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224d7474ca7d6343aab7accf93872229a5\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT (Chairperson of the Primary Production Committee):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much. The primary sector is the key driver for the New Zealand economy, and it is crucial for New Zealand, going forward, that our primary sector actually delivers the investment and economic returns to our country going forward. We have seen in the last few months an attack on agriculture in the primary sector that has been expected with the change of Government, but the ferocity of it and the depth of it is something that is more than the sector would have expected.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EIt started with the changes around the dairy industry: the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act\u2014the DIRA legislation\u2014that should have just been a simple formality in this Parliament. But it turned into an opportunity for the Green Party to take over New Zealand First and the Labour Party and to do a\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ca70c0adcc4848cf865327bd20111a50\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! I do need to remind the chair of the Primary Production Committee that his contribution must be about the report back from the select committee. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db1cae9f99e14f7894b970c9aef0d963\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. The select committee, in its report, has looked at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and part of that is the changes that will come about in the dairy industry. The Minister of Agriculture, Damien O\u2019Connor, would be able to explain exactly why there have been those changes in the dairy sector, which will now look at areas such as land use change, environmental issues, and stocking rates, which is something that is extremely important to that industry going forward, when it could have been just a renewal of those DIRA provisions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EWe have also seen the changes in MPI\u2014a major change in the structure of that organisation\u2014and with the breakup of MPI into four units, that really takes away some of the strength of that institution that has been known as the big support for the New Zealand primary sector. There have been a large number of staff that have left as a result of that change. We are seeing now what four separate units will mean for the primary sector, and that will be less development and less support for that sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EWhen we look at that change, there\u2019s also the Primary Growth Partnership, which is the research arm of investment into research and development. That is, essentially, being raided as well by this Government to pay for its promises in other areas, especially in the changes that you\u2019re seeing in MPI.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThere have also been major changes in the irrigation sector, with the removal of support for irrigation projects throughout New Zealand, which will be detrimental to the future of New Zealand\u2019s primary sector. That may have a moral and legal obligation on the Government to fulfil some of those projects that have now been removed from the list that will be supported.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EWe also saw in m\u0101nuka honey a definition that was put to the Parliament in December that, because of legal action, was changed, and that definition should have been made on the basis of what is actually in the interests of the industry and not legal action.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003ESo those are some of the things that have been happening in the primary sector that distinguish us from other parts of the parliamentary process that you\u2019ve seen in the last few months, where there has been an attack on the processes involved.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EI just want to also pay tribute to my good friend and colleague who will be speaking soon in this House, and I see there are a large number of members in support of him from his electorate and also from parliamentary leaders of the past that have come to support the Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman. Jonathan Coleman and I came into Parliament at the same time, and over that period of time he has been a great friend to us all and a great support to the National Party and to the people of Northcote. We just want to record, before your speech here today, our support, our thanks, and our gratitude for everything you\u2019ve done for the National Party and for being such a good friend and supporter as well. I know that the health sector will be strongly rewarded by your leadership and your desire to make a difference in that area going forward, and we wish you all the best in your next endeavours in this area. We wish Sandra and the family\u2014I presume you\u2019re here, up there\u2014all the best as well. It\u2019s a great deal of time that you\u2019ve had to put in, in support of Jonathan\u2019s career in this parliamentary process, and everybody in this House will support you in the next steps. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022 data-id=\u00223774cea029e247068e2f4c2e44982b53\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223774cea029e247068e2f4c2e44982b53\u0022\u003EMARK PATTERSON (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Chair, thank you. It\u2019s a great pleasure to get up here and speak on the review of the Primary Production Committee. Despite the dire outlook that was portrayed by David Bennett, the previous speaker\u2014it seems to belie the latest Rabobank survey that showed farming confidence had increased 15 percent from the last survey, surging under this new Government. Of course, I note that the one issue that wasn\u2019t raised in that previous contribution was the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. Of course, it\u2019s a very serious situation for all those farmers involved, and our hearts go out to them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EI listened to an extraordinary speech in the House a week or two back, when the previous Minister, Nathan Guy, got up and in an address in the House attempted to eviscerate the current Minister, in complete denial of the fact that this outbreak happened under his watch. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u00221e094651404f4b378394cabe5f98a8f2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221e094651404f4b378394cabe5f98a8f2\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m very sorry to interrupt the member. According to a determination by the Business Committee, I will now report progress, and we can sit again presently. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EHouse resumed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EProgress reported.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EReport adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002240788f67c65f4c6eaf86f45b3987e49e\u0022\u003EValedictory Statements\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022517c216460014c2d8d6fc1d956c8501b\u0022\u003EValedictory Statements\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022 data-id=\u0022f178c259944b4fb1a403aee963e30a4a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f178c259944b4fb1a403aee963e30a4a\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (National\u2014Northcote):\u003C/span\u003E One of the things I\u2019ve often been asked is, \u201CWhy on earth would anyone want to go from being a doctor to becoming a politician?\u201D, and, indeed, there\u2019ve been one or two occasions over the years\u2014and, in fact, some in more recent times\u2014when I\u2019ve asked myself that very same question. But despite my job coming with a permanent open invitation to go on Radio New Zealand Checkpoint, and notwithstanding the maligned motives that some less generous citizens might attribute to politicians, the fact is that it is a very real and rare privilege to serve in this place, to represent one\u2019s community, and to be allowed into the lives of a wide range of New Zealanders as they experience the best and worst of what life has to offer in this country. That is also because if it\u2019s possible to get into Government and make it to the Cabinet table, there is the chance to effect real change to improve the lives of our fellow New Zealanders. That is the reason why we all come to this place, regardless of our political views.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ETwelve years, six months, and 29 days as a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives is a career probably longer than most but shorter than many. I\u2019ve felt honoured to serve as the member of Parliament for Northcote, with nine years as a Minister of the Crown. I\u2019m extremely thankful for the opportunities that I\u2019ve had over that period. When I look back on that time, there\u2019ve been some incredible political and life experiences, but, above all, I\u2019ve gone to work every single day determined to make a positive contribution for my electorate and for our country. I was aware that each day I spent in this place was because I\u2019d been sent here by the people of Northcote, and for that I will be for ever grateful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ESome leave this place under duress, some too early, and some too late. For me, now is the right time, and I\u2019m looking forward to the future and to the new challenges ahead. There\u2019s so much to fit into a valedictory, but, having listened to a few over time, the best have a bit of reflection, maybe a little advice, a little bit of philosophy, a whole lot of thanks, and, believe it or not, not too much politics.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EI was lucky enough to secure the nomination to contest the Northcote electorate for the 2005 election. My time as a candidate was pretty eventful, with an intense campaign of doorknocking, human hoardings, and pub canvassing. It culminated in winning the seat from the sitting Labour member, which, of course, was a massive achievement for the whole Northcote team. That turned out to be a defining point in my political as well as personal life, as Sandra and I moved into the electorate and built our family life there. And Northcote is now well and truly home. I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to represent an electorate within which the previous five generations of my family have all lived since 1846, and that has meant a huge amount to me over my career. I believe it\u2019s a pretty rare thing, especially for an urban seat.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EThat first term as an MP pretty much determines your future in this place, both in the electorate and in this Chamber. I was lucky enough to be part of a health team run by the inscrutable Tony Ryall. He was prepared to share the opportunities around, especially at question time. That certainly enabled me to build a bit of a profile, clashing with the then Minister of Health, Pete Hodgson, who would scream across the Chamber in response to naive questions from a young backbencher, which was a bit of a win as far as I was concerned. Yes, I felt like screaming at times as Minister of Health, but I never actually did it. Anyway, the point is that politics does not have to be a zero-sum game. It\u2019s often described as being that, but sharing the opportunities with colleagues, especially junior colleagues, is an approach I\u2019ve tried to follow. Yep, there was the odd career-threatening moment in that first term, but I survived to become part of the three-term National-led Government that swept to power in 2008.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve been extremely fortunate to spend nine of my 12 years here as a Minister. My ministerial career kicked off with a short phone call monologue from the new Prime Minister, who had already had to wade through party negotiations and discussions with multiple colleagues. By the time he got to me, he wasn\u2019t about to enter into any debate. He just said, \u201CYou\u2019re doing immigration, broadcasting, associate health, and associate tourism. I\u2019m the Minister of Tourism so you\u2019ll be doing all the work. Catch you Monday.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EJohn Key was a great guy to work for. Ministers agreed priorities with him, and, if he had confidence in an individual, he just let them get on with it. He was, of course, arguably the most talented politician we\u2019ll see in our lifetime, and to serve as part of that Government was at times a \u201CPinch yourself to make sure it\u2019s not a dream\u201D type of experience.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EHe could also be pretty forgiving. As his erstwhile attending physician, I was with him when as Prime Minister he tripped heavily on the stage stairs while running up to give a speech at Chinese New Year celebrations in 2009. Returning to the seat beside me, he commented that his arm was a bit sore. I advised him of a treatment plan with which members of my family are very familiar\u2014namely take a couple of Panadol, forget about it, and all would be well. However, it seems the Prime Minister did not actually follow this advice, because the next day he rang to inform me that his arm was actually broken in two places. Anyway, I already had my Cabinet warrant so that was that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EBeing the Cabinet doctor certainly gave an interesting insight into the constitutions of various colleagues, several of whom seemed to think I had an unending appetite for graphic descriptions of their symptoms. Let\u2019s just say there seemed to be a lot of very serious man flu running around.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EBill English made a remarkable contribution to New Zealand politics, and it was great working with him across my time as a Minister. Of course, his time as the Prime Minister was all too short, but he made a massive intellectual contribution both to the National Party and also to New Zealand politics.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve never been that keen on being dictated to, and that is aligned with my political philosophy\u2014namely that while it\u2019s up to the Government of the day to draw up the boundaries of the playing field, if you like, it\u2019s important to then allow New Zealanders to get on with it because they, not the Government, are the best people to determine how they live their lives, spend their money, and raise their children. And that\u2019s what has always attracted me to the National Party\u2019s philosophy. In line with this, on conscience issues that result in massive societal change, my instinct has always been that the people should decide, not the Parliament. While, thankfully, our politics in New Zealand is not as polarised as in some jurisdictions, it\u2019s still important to note that philosophical differences are certainly there. While the votes are in the centre, political parties have to be able to mark out clear territory on the electoral spectrum in order to survive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EI came to politics through a background in medicine and business, and I believe that it was the former that stood me in greater stead, because politics, in the end, is about understanding people\u2014it\u2019s about listening, it\u2019s about dealing with the full range of human nature and emotion, and it\u2019s about making decisions and charting a course of action when sometimes there is no right or wrong, obvious answer. Medicine also gave me daily contact with New Zealanders of every type and background imaginable. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EMy time working as a doctor in South Auckland remained a long-term private reference point as we sat around the Cabinet table taking policy decisions. Ten dollars to see the doctor was a lot of money for many of my patients, and I never forgot that. Later on, when faced with really tough issues like cancer patients seeking funding for lifesaving drugs, I was able to reflect on my bedside experiences.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EBut there\u2019s no blueprint for being a Minister of the Crown apart from a little-known and, I suspect, little-read tome entitled How to be a Minister by the late Gerald Kaufman, an English MP\u2014and I suggest some members of the new Government get hold of a copy pretty quickly. Considering its somewhat limited audience, the author probably didn\u2019t make a lot of money from book royalties. I withdrew it in my first week as a Minister and had it on continuous loan from the Parliamentary Library for quite some time, by which time I think two colleagues had actually been dismissed from the Cabinet. I felt a bit bad that my long-term loan of the library\u2019s only copy may have deprived them of career-saving advice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EBasically, though, new Ministers have to make their own way and it\u2019s very much a sink or swim environment. A Minister has to have a few very clear big-picture priorities if they wish to achieve anything. Understanding details is important, but it\u2019s the agenda that counts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EMy ministerial career started in immigration, which I soon discovered makes one a very popular guest at ethnic events. Some of the representations to my office were slightly unconventional, including one which arrived accompanied by a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky, which, needless to say, left the office in the custody of the owner. Right from the start, I focused on attracting migrants with the skills and capital to make a contribution to New Zealand, including a highly successful business migration programme and the introduction of the Silver Fern Job Search Visa to attract promising qualified young people who are likely to make a long-term contribution. We also drove the reconfiguration of the Immigration New Zealand network, aligning the footprint to important markets across the globe while moving processes online and eliminating as much bureaucracy as possible. It\u2019s my view that New Zealand must continue to position as an outward-looking, internationally engaged, open economy, and immigration is central to that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EHowever, that term wasn\u2019t always totally rosy. One night in September 2010, Peter Dunne offered me the generous opportunity of reading for him a bill on tax, entitled the Taxation (International Investment and Remedial Matters) Bill. Unfortunately, he sent me down with a copy of a speech he\u2019d given two years ago, on the Taxation (International Taxation, Life Insurance, and Remedial Matters) Bill. Tell me if you can tell the difference. In fact, no one in the Parliament could, until about minute seven or eight, when Stuart Nash suddenly realised there was something eerily familiar about the words that were being uttered. But in the end, of course, the bill passed its reading and, as far as I can see, hasn\u2019t been repealed yet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EMy period as Minister of Defence was extremely interesting and satisfying, and there was a lot going on. The New Zealand Defence Force had three large missions in Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste, all of which we withdrew from over those years. At the same time, there was a major review of defence capabilities required to deliver on New Zealand defence policy. We were also engaging with the US on defence matters after a considerable hiatus, and, all in all, this was a period of major change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EI came away from my time in that portfolio with a deep respect for the men and women of the New Zealand Defence Force. I\u2019ve never met a group of people more dedicated to the service of their country and with greater pride in their vocation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EThere were many poignant experiences, including three visits to Afghanistan, returning the veterans to El Alamein and Monte Cassino, and speaking at the Gallipoli Dawn Service on Anzac Day 2013. But there was none more intense and emotional than travelling the length of New Zealand twice in the space of 10 days to visit the parents and close family of young men and women who had been killed in the service of our country in Afghanistan literally two days before.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EOne of the things I\u2019m absolutely proudest of\u2014and you wouldn\u2019t have read much about it in the news at the time\u2014was getting the families of those killed and wounded in Afghanistan and Timor-Leste into this Chamber for the dedication of new plaques commemorating those deployments, and those are there, above the entrance to the Chamber. I know that recognition made a huge difference to those people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ETo maintain an active, engaged New Zealand Defence Force, operations are absolutely crucial. In that regard, present and future Governments need to think carefully about how they will maintain the important strategic capability that is the New Zealand SAS.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EMy biggest message on defence, though, is that despite what the sceptics might think, New Zealand\u2019s contribution really does count and has a huge flow-on effect in terms of our overall standing with like-minded nations. I know it definitely helped reopen doors in Washington over the last 10 years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EAs stimulating as defence might be, health is actually a much more dangerous portfolio for any Minister. It\u2019s on the front line of politics, and I was delighted to take up the challenge for my final three years as a Minister. It\u2019s certainly a great way to boost your profile, up to a certain point\u2014in fact, even beyond the point you\u2019ve announced your retirement. It\u2019s a portfolio where there is always more to do. Every day in my office, the overriding priority was to continue to increase and improve access to clinical services for all New Zealanders. I\u2019m not pretending the system is perfect, and there will always be pressures in health for any Government. But some critics do the country a disservice by their portrayal of the New Zealand health system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EWe delivered results, and the figures tell the story: increased access to surgery, increasing numbers of specialist appointments, decreased waiting times for cancer treatment, vastly improved immunisation rates, and more doctors and nurses. There was also $3 billion of new health facilities the length of New Zealand and a $5 billion lift to the health budget\u2014fully funding population growth and inflation over our time in Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EPerhaps the biggest single initiative I was involved in delivering was the $2 billion pay settlement for some of the most deserving people in New Zealand\u2014the 55,000 care and support workers, and, of course, most of those people are women. I know it made a huge difference to them and their families. If the new Government, in the end of their time, can have matched our record of delivery, they will be doing very well indeed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EApart from the focus on clinical results, my big-picture drive was on a new New Zealand Health Strategy, which lays out the blueprint for a sustainable health system. That was delivered, and its implementation will now set up the system for New Zealand for decades to come. The National Government also laid the foundations for an electronic health record, and that will make a patient\u2019s key health information available through the system. It is the only way we\u2019re ultimately going to unlock productivity in healthcare, and I sincerely hope that this is work that the current Government will prioritise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EThere were other portfolios too: State services, where I was Minister at a time of the biggest reform of the Public Service in a generation\u2014important, but it certainly seemed like work\u2014and sport, where we linked participation to better health outcomes while continuing to drive high performance results\u2014important, but it certainly did not seem like work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s so many people to thank for the past 14 years, first as a candidate and then as a member of Parliament. To colleagues across the House, it\u2019s been a pleasure, mostly, to work with you over the years. To Wayne Mapp, to Nathan Guy, to Judith Collins, to Gerry Brownlee, to Maggie Barry, to Simon O\u2019Connor, to David Bennett, and to Sam Lotu-Iiga, thank you for your friendship. We all need people we can talk to in this place, and I had that, and I\u2019m thankful for it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ETo Simon Bridges, National Party leader, and the rest of the National team here in Parliament, thank you for your support, especially since my announcement but over many years before that. Simon, I wish you and the rest of the National team all the best. You will make a great Prime Minister, and you are supported by a very talented caucus. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EI had fantastic people around me during my career here in Wellington: my senior private secretary of nine years, Melissa Turner; Oliver Thurston; Nicky Grant; James Watson; Martyn Watterson; Stephen Parker; Angela Kenealy; Michael Johnson; Kirsty Taylor-Doig; \u201CJ2\u201D\u2014Jonathan Franklin\u2014and Margaret Lawry. Former Nelson under-21s full back and political soothsayer Peter McCardle became a close friend and mentor, and I thank you, Peter, for all the excellent advice, some of which I even took.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EThank you to the huge number of Public Service secondees and various officials with whom I worked over my career. I always placed the emphasis on building a team in my office over those nine years, and we had a huge amount of fun, as well as working long hours with great intensity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EElectorate teams are special, and I had a wonderful electorate agent for a decade, Anne Lyttelton\u2014utterly loyal, a great friend, and, best of all, she never failed over the years to take the bait when I\u2019ve rung the office impersonating various demanding constituents. Gavin Cook, you\u2019ve given 43 fantastic years of service to the electorate committee, and you\u2019re like a close uncle to me. Colin and Helen Hartwell, you\u2019ve been with me from day one, and I thank you for all the times we\u2019ve had over many years. We will still all catch up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ETo electorate chairs Callum Dixon, Jason Shoebridge, Kevin Klein, and Alex Foan, thank you so much for all your work, support, and loyalty. To Angela Hare, Karen Meldrum, Valerie Taylor, Adrian Mowatt-Wison, John Palmer, Geoff Parry, Paul Lochore, Martin Cooper, John and Elly McFetridge, and Julie Fenning; to Peter Kiely; to Alastair Bell, Margaret Voyce, and the Ellis family; to Martin Gummer; and to Tim Hurdle\u2014thanks for the tremendous part you\u2019ve all played along the way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EOne of the toughest parts of being a member of Parliament\u2014a long-term member in an electorate\u2014is the people you lose along the way. I want to remember the late Bob Mitchell and the late Bill Plunkett\u2014sterling guys, who left a big hole to fill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ETo former Birkenhead and Northcote MPs Sir Jim McLay and Ian Revell, I\u2019m absolutely thrilled that you\u2019re here today. You\u2019ve been staunch supporters over many years\u2014my whole career\u2014and I thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ETo the National Party, to presidents Judy Kirk and Peter Goodfellow, thank you for the opportunities of the last 12\u00BD years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ETo the people of the Northcote electorate, representing you has been the greatest privilege. You were so loyal in your support over five elections, and I thank you. I\u2019ve been truly moved by the reaction to my resignation, and it has meant everything to me. Being an electorate MP is not a job; it\u2019s a whole life. I feel privileged to have lived it for nearly 13 years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ENorthcote is not an electorate I ever took for granted, but it will reward sheer hard work with loyalty. I wish the new National candidate and the team all the best in the upcoming by-election.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ETo personal friends, many of them from well outside politics, including the Northcote Book Club\u2014thank you for your support and forbearance over the years. It\u2019s going to be great, actually, now to be able to see a lot more people than I have been able to for quite some time in some of my favourite haunts, like the Northcote rugby club, the Northcote Tennis Club, and the Northcote Tavern. I\u2019ll be able to spend quite a bit more time there, although hopefully not too much time in the tavern. But it will be good to be back home much more often.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ETo the wider Coleman and Keaney families, thank you for being there at a personal level. To my mother, Pat, and her husband, Jack, thanks for everything, over more than just these last 13 years. To Kaye, Richard, and Matthew and families; to Judy, my mother-in-law, thank you. And I honour the memory of my late father, Ron, a Northcote boy. He would have been amazed to see how it\u2019s all turned out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EAbove all, to Madison and Jack, you\u2019ve had a taste of the political life and are just two awesome kids who have grown up thinking it\u2019s normal to see Dad on TV. Jack, you were born when I was a Minister and you\u2019re now 10, so, you know, that\u2019s a long time. I know you don\u2019t like being mentioned too much, but your name is in the Hansard now. Madison, you are the same. You\u2019ve been a fantastic inspiration to me over many years, and it\u2019s now great to see where you\u2019re going and where the next stage, when you move off to intermediate school next year, will take you. Actually, Jack is eight; Madison is ten. I\u2019ve spent so much away from home! I knew he was shaking his head for a reason, and he\u2019s pointing his finger.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EAnyway, to Sandra, who never liked being known as the Mayor of Rotorua\u2019s daughter and had a very healthy sense of perspective on being the MP\u2019s wife, this has been a long and important and fun chapter for us, but I couldn\u2019t have started that chapter, I couldn\u2019t have moved through it, and I certainly couldn\u2019t have successfully finished it without you\u2014thank you. I still can\u2019t believe I didn\u2019t tell you I was contacting the National Party about being a candidate, but I guess that\u2019s a while ago now. You\u2019ve been with me every step of the way since that time, and you\u2019ve seen and done it all, from delivering pamphlets to emotional support. Yes, I am in debt to you big time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EFinally, to distil political advice into succinct verse, look no further than a poem by an old white guy called Rudyard Kipling called \u201CIf\u201D, which he wrote as advice to his son. I\u2019m not going to recite it in its entirety, but it\u2019s worth the read for any politician\u2014or, actually, for anyone at all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EIf you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EOr walk with kings\u2014nor lose the common touch;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EIf neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EIf all men count with you, but none too much;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EIf you can fill the unforgiving minute\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EWith sixty seconds\u2019 worth of distance run,\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000621\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EYours in the Earth and everything that\u2019s in it,\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000622\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EAnd\u2014which is more\u2014you\u2019ll be a Man, my son!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000623\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EThank you, and kia ora. It\u2019s been a pleasure to serve.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000624\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E[Applause]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 6.03 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00228a1d59ec029943b499f56ca07a46a644\u0022\u003EAnnual Review Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000627\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00226ced4e3accd04e3b8c75fcc0892c6179\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000628\u0022\u003EDebate resumed on the Appropriation (2016/17 Confirmation and Validation) Bill.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000629\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022038a4c266fa346d0a8ca66cd27897da7\u0022\u003EPrimary Sector (continued)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022 data-id=\u0022509bbb683fd54457ad4414ddf85daf00\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022509bbb683fd54457ad4414ddf85daf00\u0022\u003EJO LUXTON (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. I\u2019m pleased to be able to take a call on this Appropriation (2016/17 Confirmation and Validation) Bill with the theme being the primary sector. It\u2019s been an interesting process for me, being a new member of the Primary Production Committee. Having all the different entities come and present to us their annual reports was really quite an interesting exercise. We had various entities present to us. We had the Ministry for Primary Industries, Quotable Value New Zealand Ltd, Animal Control Products Ltd, AsureQuality Ltd, Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd, Land Information New Zealand, and Landcorp Farming, so we were quite a busy committee with all of our annual reports that we had presented to us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000631\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EI think it would be fair to say that the committee has worked well during this process. There was definitely some robust questioning of some of these entities. They were certainly put through their paces, shall we say, at times, and I think that taxpayers can be assured that this committee has been thorough in its review of these entities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000632\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EIn particular, I want to focus on the Ministry for Primary Industries\u2019 annual review, and the reason for that is Mycoplasma bovis is something that came up quite a lot during this review. I feel that because this is something that is quite relevant to the area where I live down in Ashburton, that\u2019s something I wanted to talk about in particular.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000633\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EMycoplasma bovis\u2014I think this just about has to be one of the most devastating diseases to hit our primary sector for many, many, many years. We know that it\u2019s a bacteria that can cause serious conditions in cattle\u2014mastitis, pneumonia, arthritis, late-term pregnancy loss\u2014and it doesn\u2019t respond to any treatment. It was July 2017 when Mycoplasma bovis was first found in cattle in \u014C\u0101maru, and we now know that approximately 22,300 animals will be culled as a result of this. This is devastating\u2014absolutely devastating\u2014for farmers all round New Zealand, but in particular Southland and Canterbury. I can\u2019t even begin to fathom as to how it has come to the point where we\u2019ve had to cull over 20,000 animals. Clearly, someone has been asleep at the wheel and has been too slow to limit cattle movement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000634\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve got a family that has contacted me, a young family. They sent me an email, and I just want to read a wee part from their email. It says, \u201CThe last three months have propelled us to an all-time low in our farming career. Having struggled through two difficult financial seasons, we\u2019d begun to finally progress with real satisfaction, only to be dealt this unfortunate blow. It is extremely hard to explain how difficult this has been for our family, our business partners, and our staff.\u201D This is a story\u2014and one of many, I\u2019m sure\u2014that many farmers who have experienced this Mycoplasma outbreak can relate to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000635\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EI think that the ball has really been dropped here, and I think it\u2019s a lot to do with our National Animal Identification and Tracing system, and certain farmers complying but some not. We can probably look to trace Mycoplasma bovis back to some of the discrepancies there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000636\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EBut we are lucky, actually, now that we have a Minister that is ready to make those hard decisions, and he has made those hard decisions about culling the animals and still working towards eradication as opposed to just managing it at this point. I just think that we\u2019re very lucky now that we have a new Government that is ready to take action on these extremely dire situations where we have biosecurity incursions, and I really hope that we don\u2019t have to be faced with something like this any time soon. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022 data-id=\u0022324c6956f23c4ccc90f047e4c25920e5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000637\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022324c6956f23c4ccc90f047e4c25920e5\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR (Minister of Agriculture):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chairman. I\u2019ll just take the opportunity to make a comment or two or three on what is, effectively, the review process of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and all the agencies. I\u2019d like to acknowledge the Primary Production Committee and all the work they\u2019ve done. I\u2019d like to acknowledge the people who might be watching this out there in rural land. And, actually, it\u2019s not conventional but I want to acknowledge\u2014my little daughter said she might watch Parliament, which is a true commitment for someone of 10 years of age, but anyway. There are people who are out there and they are interested in what is happening to the sectors that drive the vast majority of export income for this country. It is a huge a role for the select committee to oversee the process that takes place through the financial year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000638\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EWe had the first speech, unfortunately, I have to say, from Mr Bennett, who spoke about the future issues\u2014indeed, things I\u2019ll be happy to talk about next year as we move forward under the new Government. But, actually, looking back, I acknowledge the member of the committee Jo Luxton, who raised what has obviously been one of the biggest challenges facing the incoming Government. Indeed, it was notified in July of last year, under the previous Government, under the period of review, and that was the discovery of Mycoplasma bovis. It has significant financial implications for everyone through the farming sector, including Government at the top, and this Government has already had to commit tens of millions of dollars to the process of trying to round up and eradicate this disease.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000639\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003ECan I say that it possibly went back so far as 2015, and through this process\u2014I have to just challenge Ms Luxton with one of her assertions. We don\u2019t know the source of the farm, and the farm that it was first discovered on may not be the source of the infection. I have to acknowledge that and to apologise, because I think those farmers have been unfairly blamed for what might be an infection from another source. I think it is unfair, and I\u2019ll acknowledge that publicly: there has been some confusion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000640\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EThere are two sources, possibly\u2014there were thought to be\u2014and now maybe one. We\u2019re not quite sure. We\u2019re going to round that up and, hopefully, identify that accurately. But in the meantime, we\u2019ve been trying to track animals that have spread out all through New Zealand. We should have been able to actually identify and track all of those movements under NAIT\u2014the National Animal Identification and Tracing system. It was introduced by the previous Government. It was subject to the best advice from around the world, and was supposed to have been the world\u2019s best practice, but it has failed. I have to say that publicly. There\u2019s a review document that should have been out for public disclosure and discussion probably over 12 months ago, but they sat on that report, and that\u2019s been unfortunate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000641\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EOur inability to accurately identify all animal movements has meant it\u2019s really, really difficult for us to have given some assurance to the tracking and tracing programme when we\u2019ve been trying to nail down Mycoplasma bovis, and the report\u2014that farmers and people in the agribusiness sector should read\u2014puts out there about 40 recommendations on what we have to do to improve the NAIT system. It is really important we get that feedback so that when we do make the changes, as an incoming Government, they\u2019re the right changes to give effect to the best animal identification and tracing system in the world. We need it if we are going to be the producers of the finest food, the safest food, in the world for consumers and customers who will be all around the world. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000642\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003ESo let\u2019s get it right. Let\u2019s acknowledge the mistakes of the past and the fact that, I have to say, the previous Government wasn\u2019t prepared to nail down and prosecute people who didn\u2019t adhere to the system. That lax approach, I guess, has led to an attitude which has taken NAIT for granted and left us in the situation that we\u2019re in now. We\u2019ll move on from that, but it is one of perhaps the most significant things in review that we should acknowledge and then commit to change and improve, and we will do that as an incoming Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000643\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EBack to Mycoplasma bovis\u2014as I say, acknowledging perhaps some misunderstandings around one of the main farms where this was identified, but also acknowledging the challenges of those people who have been affected\u2014about 50 farms at this point are under restricted notices or have had culling. It is a really, really difficult time for those farmers, and we want to acknowledge that and offer them the support, as we have been attempting to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000644\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EIn terms of the other areas of significance\u2014others may raise that; I might want to make a few comments, but this is the most important area\u2014[Bell rung] Very briefly, Mr Chairman.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002237cfcd616d6d4b989238713aaeb3d08a\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: Are you expecting another call?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000646\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002207f8c010c1654a2a8726dc5caac14ea9\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000647\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225322b1ba624d4624a610997ae9ab2ca2\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: OK.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000648\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d49c56d6db5456c9c68ed0650ed14d4\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: Just a very brief call, Mr Chairman, to say that this is the most import area of export growth and income generation. It is important that each and every one of the members on the committee do their bit, and I look forward to hearing from them as to what happened in the previous financial year. Learning from those mistakes, we can make the changes and get on and do better under this incoming Government. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022 data-id=\u0022218116b9d59a45f485637dbacd469e97\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000649\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022218116b9d59a45f485637dbacd469e97\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH (National\u2014Kaik\u014Dura):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. I\u2019d like to start out by saying that while I\u2019m on the Primary Production Committee second time around, I wasn\u2019t there for the review, unfortunately. But I have read the papers, and I am going to focus on Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd\u2014what\u2019s in the review and ongoing matters, as is allowed under the Standing Orders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000650\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EI am a little disappointed as to how it\u2019s come out in the last few days, with Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd in the review quite clearly touching on what was within the coalition agreement around winding back irrigation investment. They didn\u2019t at that stage know what was in store, and we now do know that, and they know that, and what\u2019s come out is that, actually, the Minister didn\u2019t contact Crown Irrigations Investments Ltd himself. The Minister is better than that, and I hope he reflects on that, because, while he may not be required to do it, it\u2019s a common courtesy. Why he\u2019s done that or why that didn\u2019t happen, I don\u2019t know, but I hope he reflects on that, because, as I said, he\u2019s better than that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EI want to focus on two of the projects that have been cut as a result of this, and there were some quite erroneous things said today in the House by a member\u2014from New Zealand First, I think it was\u2014who spoke about the Hurunui Water Project. If he went down and cared to actually have a look at it, he would realise how far off the mark he was.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000652\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EThose projects, like the Hurunui Water Project, for example\u2014it\u2019s not a cheap scheme by any means. It\u2019ll be $1,000 a hectare or $10,000 a hectare\u2014that\u2019s a lot of money\u2014to put in place. What Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd, the purpose of that, and what was reported on in the report, is\u2014it funds overbuild. What that means is that instead of putting in a pipe this big, in the sure knowledge of knowing that it\u2019ll need to be bigger later, they enable the pipe to be put in a little bit bigger. That saves money in the long run.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EIrrigation schemes\u2014having been involved in getting a community irrigation scheme, and, in fact, chairing it, from scratch to up and running\u2014are in fact a real challenge. The challenge is getting over the funding hump\u2014getting enough people on board to actually get the money up and get the scheme to a bankable stage. And people say, \u201CWell, it should stand on its merits.\u201D Well, they do in the end, but the ability to get there is quite fraught. If you look at the costs for consents for a large project compared to the costs for a small project, they are, in fact, about the same. So if you can get a group together and get the scheme up and running, then you will get there because of that\u2014not you, Mr Chair, of course. Then the community will be able to get those schemes up and running, and, actually, it is an infrastructure that pays itself back.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000654\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EThe best example is the Waipara irrigation scheme, not far from the Hurunui Water Project, which was put in at $5.7 million. That\u2019s what it cost to put in. That scheme, within 10 years, was returning that much money per annum in excise tax on the wine produced off that irrigation scheme. So that irrigation scheme would have paid back the cost of the irrigation scheme, the capital cost, year on year, in excise tax alone\u2014not counting income tax, not counting GST, and not counting the return of the investment of those people and their annual returns and the money flowing through the community. We do know from studies that every dollar spent invested inside the gate returns $2 outside the gate\u2014the farm gate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000655\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003ESo these schemes pay for themselves very quickly. These schemes provide a huge community benefit, and, in the case of the Hurunui Water Project, only 10 to 15 percent of the irrigated land would be either dairy or dairy support. So the scheme is well ahead of what would be expected otherwise. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000656\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003ESo I\u2019ll leave it at that, and I might come back later, but that\u2019s a brief rundown and I do hope the Minister reflects, as I said. So thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u00220c9b22bb04b8435f82d420787a0eac41\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000657\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220c9b22bb04b8435f82d420787a0eac41\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. I\u2019m pleased to speak on this annual review debate for the primary sector. As a member of the Primary Production Committee, we definitely know how important our primary sectors are to regional New Zealand but also in terms of the export revenues that they generate for Aotearoa as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000658\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EAs we\u2019ve heard in previous contributions, we reviewed a number of entities, from ministries through to statutory boards, through to State-owned enterprises and State-owned companies. So it was the full variety of different Crown entities that came under our purview. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000659\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EJust touching on certain entities that we reviewed, I do want to focus on the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) first up. I want to acknowledge the Minister and also Martyn Dunne and the team at MPI, who gave us a thorough background into the work that has been going on\u2014the extensive work that is going on\u2014to combat the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis. It was heartening to know that everything that can be thrown at it is being thrown at it. Now, of course, we can stand here in hindsight and say, \u201CWhat happened? What went wrong? What were the failings in our biosecurity system?\u201D, and I\u2019m sure those questions will be answered in due course. But in terms of the immediate work that was going on right from the onset of that outbreak, I can only just give my commendation to MPI for the work that\u2019s going on and is still going on, albeit now to quite a drastic culling stage. Again, we need to do all that we can to make sure that we eradicate that virus from our primary sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000660\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EThat also spans other incursions. We\u2019ve got myrtle rust and we\u2019ve got\u2014I\u2019m thinking of the oysters in Southland with Bonamia ostreae. It is a fact of life that our defences are always under attack and some nasties do get through our systems. I guess, hopefully, we can ensure that our Ministry for Primary Industries, and our whole biosecurity system, learn from these incursions and better bolster our defences to ensure that we can keep as many of them at bay. I know this is dear to Minister O\u2019Connor, and I know that he\u2019ll be\u2014and is\u2014working very hard to ensure that we strengthen those p\u0101 defences, as I like to say.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000661\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EIn my remaining time, I also want to cover a couple of other entities that we reviewed. One such one is Landcorp Farming. Now, I guess Landcorp Farming doesn\u2019t really have that sort of sizzle or razzmatazz as other State-owned enterprises have. It has been doing it tough. It is in the primary sector. It has a range of a variety of farms right up and down the length and breadth of the country. It was disappointing that, yet again, whilst there was an operating profit, there were no dividends paid to the Crown. It has been, I think, some six years since a dividend has been paid, but there were other priorities, I guess, for that company on its balance sheet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000662\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EBut I do look forward, and this came out of the discussions\u2014Landcorp has been working for the past few years on developing a brand called P\u0101mu, and I\u2019ve been asking in the past couple of reviews why haven\u2019t they changed the name of Landcorp to P\u0101mu. If you are going to be going through a transformation and wanting to adopt all of these new brand names, I think they should go the full distance and make sure that that is effected. Again, names like Landcorp hearken back to the Rogernomics era of the 1980s, and certainly, I guess, if the company is intending to move with the times and to go through this transformation of being more focused on value-add, both on-farm and also through to market, the adoption of that name would be appropriate. I understand that discussions will be taking place with the relevant Ministers to give effect to that. So, yes, I do commend this debate thus far.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022 data-id=\u00224171a01df13349c6a9126994ce9f4f5a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000663\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224171a01df13349c6a9126994ce9f4f5a\u0022\u003ETIM VAN DE MOLEN (National\u2014Waikato):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. Look, it\u2019s been an interesting period going through these annual reviews, as a first-time MP, and to sit on these for the first opportunity. It was really interesting to see the work that was being done in the different entities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000664\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EI\u2019d just like to start with Crown Irrigation. There\u2019s been a lot happening in this space and a lot of project work in the pipeline. In New Zealand we are particularly fortunate to be very wealthy in terms of our freshwater resource. Now, we utilise only about 3 percent of that resource on an annual basis, so there is massive opportunity for us to continue to capture some of that potential opportunity around enhancing the economic, the social, and the environmental benefits for our rural communities through irrigation projects. That was something that was highlighted to us through the annual review\u2014the value, in particular, around some of the economic gains and the environmental aspects that can be enhanced. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000665\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003ENow, environmentally, there was a significant opportunity to improve the water quality and to maintain minimum flows, and some of those aspects were considered to be major drawcards for continuing with the irrigation projects that were on the cards. Of course, we\u2019ve heard that the new Government is not continuing with these projects and is indeed looking to pull out of some of the projects that had already moved into various stages of discussion. Of course, there is an argument that says, \u201CHey, there was no legal obligation entered into.\u201D, and that may well be the case, but we also need to consider what is the moral obligation upon us in this House to make and adhere to commitments that have been signalled well within the communities, especially where there has been significant investment already committed in good faith by members of those communities. That was something that was certainly raised with some concern from the Crown Irrigation perspective. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000666\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EOf course, then there was uncertainty also around the potential to fund some of these projects through the regional development fund, and they classified some of the smaller projects that were currently on their work programme to be considered as localised projects which had been indicated as potentially being up for funding. So really what I\u2019m getting to here is that there was a lot of uncertainty around these projects that were in the pipeline and whether or not they will indeed be continuing, and we\u2019ve been told it is unlikely that they will be. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000667\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EMoving on to the Ministry for Primary Industries, we had a range of different topics covered in that area and, again, some really interesting initiatives. There\u2019s been a lot of work happening in that space, and primary industries is a passion of mine, so it was really fascinating to hear of some of the great work that has been done over a number of years now. Some of those areas\u2014biosecurity is one that continues to be a constant challenge for New Zealand. We are lucky to be an island nation where we have no other land borders. That presents some challenges and requires a continued ongoing focus on biosecurity. There will always be risks to that, and we\u2019ve seen those over time with the Queensland fruit fly, the brown marmorated stink bug, and, more recently, Mycoplasma bovis and myrtle rust as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000668\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003ESo those challenges are something we need to fight back against and be prepared to manage when they arise. What was raised with us was there was a little bit of concern around the timing, the assets that are being put towards some of those now, and, most recently, of course, the most topical issue being Mycoplasma bovis. That has been a challenging situation to deal with, and I just want to acknowledge that for anyone involved in that, it must be a particularly difficult situation for them. But really we need a quick response. We need to have the best information we can at hand in managing that appropriately. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000669\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EOf course, likewise with the stink bug incursions\u2014and we\u2019ve had some of these in the past. They\u2019ve been dealt with and managed efficiently, and this time we had another incursion. There was concern that some of these stink bugs had travelled significant distances within our borders, and so this was really highlighting some of the challenges and the need to continue a focus with the new Government on biosecurity. I would encourage them to do just that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000670\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EOf course, we then had a reasonable discussion around dairy, the dairy industry, and where that\u2019s going. Obviously, now we\u2019re looking at a review of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act as well, which is pretty significant for this industry. It looks to incorporate aspects much wider than just dairy\u2014for example, some of the environmental considerations. Are we going to see a stocking rate cap coming in? Are we going to see limits put in place? Is Fonterra going to be required to continue to pick up all milk from suppliers? That\u2019s one where we see an ongoing focus around the environmental space, so that would be an area I would encourage prompt action on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000671\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EOf course, then we heard a bit about forestry and honey as well and the flip-flopping on some of those decisions more recently. So a lot of work happening in this space, Mr Chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022 data-id=\u0022dfd1634d2c0c48c7ae76df658863ace2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000672\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dfd1634d2c0c48c7ae76df658863ace2\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH (Minister of Fisheries):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Chair. Look, it\u2019s my pleasure to take a call on this. Let me run through a couple of things that the last member has just talked about. But, first of all, let me say it\u2019s an absolute pleasure to have a new Minister of Agriculture who understands how this country actually works. That last member actually highlighted\u2014I don\u2019t know if he did it on purpose, but he actually highlighted what was wrong with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and it\u2019s why we\u2019ve made the changes we\u2019ve made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000673\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003ESo I look through the review of MPI, OK, and what do I see? I see a whole lot of dairying. I see about two paragraphs on forestry. And where\u2019s the fisheries? There is nothing in there on MPI about fisheries at all, which is why we have said we need to change things. We need to change the way things are done, which is why we split forestry out. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000674\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EI see in the report it says that it\u2019s business as usual. They\u2019re planting 50 million trees for the 50,000 hectares that have been harvested. Well, it\u2019s not about 50,000 hectares that have been harvested; we need to plant substantially more trees not only to meet our carbon liabilities but also the environment. In Hawke\u2019s Bay alone\u2014and the former Mayor of Hastings District Council will know this\u2014we have identified 250,000 hectares in Hawke\u2019s Bay alone that needs replanting. Ten million tonnes of sediment every year goes into Hawke\u2019s Bay from land that is not suitable for farmland or that was cleared once upon the time. And MPI says it\u2019s 50,000 hectares across the country\u2014business as usual? The problem is there was no business. There was nothing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000675\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EI went to two forestry conferences during the election campaign\u2014two forestry conferences\u2014where all the industry leaders were, and at one forestry conference there was no one from MPI. At the second forestry conference there was two. There were more people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the forestry conference than there were from MPI, which is why the Minister, in his wisdom, has said, \u201CLet\u2019s split out forestry, let\u2019s split out fisheries, let\u2019s split out food safety to make sure they get the attention that they deserve.\u201D All credit to Minister Damien O\u2019Connor, because he knows how the rural sector works, and that\u2019s the irony, isn\u2019t it? That\u2019s the irony. They\u2019re supposed to be the party of farmers, and yet they completely did over the primary industries sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EAnd when I hear the member say, \u201CSurely, there\u2019s a moral obligation to build these dams\u201D\u2014surely there\u2019s a moral obligation to take $100 million of taxpayer money and build the dams\u2014well, my personal view is we\u2019ve actually got a moral obligation to invest taxpayers\u2019 money in a way that is going to add significant value. How about a hospital here? How about a hospital? How about our schools? How about our houses? How about our police officers? How about the things that are going to keep our communities safe, and health and well-being, instead of a dam? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000677\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EHawkes\u2019 Bay\u2019s a classic case. So we talked about building a dam. Crown Irrigation Investments was going to put some money into it, TrustPower walked away because the return was just terrible\u2014they couldn\u2019t make it work. So what we were going to do was ask ratepayers\u2014150,000 ratepayers\u2014to subsidise a capital gain for 150 farmers. Now, I tend to agree with the Minister of Agriculture when he said that if it can work off its own bat, then absolutely\u2014we are not a party that is against water storage, for goodness\u2019 sake! In fact, we\u2019re all for water storage if the farmers can make it work themselves. Why should we provide a whole lot of subsidy? Why should we provide subsidies when our hospitals are mouldy and our schools are falling down and we\u2019re under-resourced in the police sector?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000678\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fc90156b8ac5409fa901cf85c53143ca\u0022\u003ETim van de Molen\u003C/span\u003E: Embarrassing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000679\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022987262b29d9849499596b915740f6c0d\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: That is totally embarrassing\u2014totally embarrassing. You\u2019re dead right, sir. You\u2019re dead right. This is why, when I have a look at this\u2014I read the report on the Overseas Investment Office. Goodness me\u201418 months ago they created an enforcement team. Why didn\u2019t they do this nine years ago? We knew\u2014we knew\u2014there were foreign investors coming over here, making promises in order to get the consent to buy the land, and they were just not living up to the promises they had made. They were just not meeting the promises they were making. So they created an enforcement team 18 months ago. It\u2019s a bit late. It\u2019s a bit late. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000680\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EFinally, what we\u2019re going to do with the Overseas Investment Office is, first of all, resource it in a way that means it can make meaningful decisions and then ensure that people who come over here can meet the promises they make. I mean, thank goodness it\u2019s a whole new chapter. Thank goodness this is the last time we\u2019ll be reading about what happened under a National Government. Next time, there will be a whole lot of really good stories. I congratulate the Minister. It\u2019s fantastic.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022 data-id=\u0022d2eae1fa687e4179bb469706464d1c48\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d2eae1fa687e4179bb469706464d1c48\u0022\u003EKIRITAPU ALLAN (Assistant Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the committee report progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000682\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EHouse resumed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000683\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EProgress reported.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000684\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EReport adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000685\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227eedc0a9310d4adc98ab671bc392d05e\u0022\u003EPrivacy Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000686\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e38049826deb40d6831e94fc15c72607\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000687\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 10 April.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022 data-id=\u0022a23d3bafeb704d8f9d35ba58c9d30299\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000688\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a23d3bafeb704d8f9d35ba58c9d30299\u0022\u003ERAYMOND HUO (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I start where I finished. We have learnt from the police that cybercrime investigations at the moment may be a specialised area but in the foreseeable future they will become a generalised area, because technology is a part of everyday life. Advances in technology, such as the social media platform, e-commerce, digital economy, and new ways of collecting, saving, storing, and distributing personal information bring with them a variety of issues and challenges concerning privacy. The proposed changes under this bill act on the recommendations of the Law Commission in 2011. The bill would grant significant powers to the Privacy Commissioner and strengthen the existing privacy regime by repealing and replacing the Privacy Act 1993.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000689\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThe key changes in the Privacy Bill include mandatory reporting of privacy breaches, compliance notices\u2014that is, the Privacy Commissioner will be able to issue compliance notices that require an agency to do something or stop doing something.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000690\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EWhat is personal information, by the way? Personal information, according to the Privacy Commissioner, is any information about an individual, namely a living natural person, as long as that natural person can be identified.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000691\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003ELet me step outside this bill for a little while and talk about the issues covered in another bill. Last Tuesday, this House unanimously passed the Criminal Records (Expungement of Convictions for Historical Homosexual Offences) Bill. There are two types of criminal records or checks: Case Management System (CMS) and Criminal and Traffic Convictions History records (CaTCH). In the case of CMS, it is where all data in relation to offences, including convictions that were subsequently quashed, will be stored. This is a data centre, a unified go-to place for all information in relation to court or criminal cases. For CaTCH, anyone who is eligible to have their criminal records expunged and successfully expunged will be able to have their criminal records wiped from the CaTCH system. In terms of both CMS and CaTCH, there will need to be a robust check and balance system to ensure that privacy concerning individuals will be protected and we do have such a robust system\u2014for instance, regular checks or auditing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000692\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThe expungement legislation provides statutory requirements for the privacy concerning individuals to be protected. In a similar vein, the Privacy Bill creates a new criminal offence. It will be an offence to mislead an agency in a way that affects someone else\u2019s information and to knowingly destroy documents containing personal information where a request has been made for it. Other measures under this bill include strengthening cross-border data-flowing protections. New Zealand agencies will be required to take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information disclosed overseas will be subject to acceptable privacy standards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000693\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThe bill also clarifies the application of New Zealand\u2019s law when a New Zealand agency engages an overseas service provider. This is important. New Zealand is an export-orientated country and New Zealand is an active member of the international community in terms of international agreements and contracts. To maintain acceptable privacy standards will be very important\u2014for instance, concerning international contracts, etc.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000694\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThe Privacy Bill retains the existing Act\u2019s 12 information privacy principles, or the so-called IPPs. At the core of the Privacy Act are those 12 information privacy principles that set out how agencies may collect, store, distribute, and disclose personal information. Of course, many rules have exceptions, as we are reminded by the Privacy Commissioner. We will need to read together with those exceptions to see how they relate to any particular circumstances.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000695\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThe Privacy Bill repeals and replaces the Privacy Act 1993, as recommended by the Law Commission in its 2011 review of the primary Act. The Act has been in operation for 25 years. Over that time, the rise of the internet, digital economy, and e-commerce have transformed business and government. New technologies, such as the social media platform, e-commerce, and cloud storage have changed the way personal information may be collected, saved, stored, or distributed. This has created many benefits but together with the benefits has also created new challenges, and this bill seeks to address those issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000696\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThis bill will better align New Zealand\u2019s privacy law with international developments, including OECD and European Union guidelines.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000697\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EWhile we\u2019re debating this bill, Facebook\u2019s CEO has just faced the United States Senate judicial and commerce committees, where legislators there are introducing similar changes aiming at protecting people from incidents like the Cambridge Analytica scandal. General consensus is that consumers deserve the opportunity to opt in to services that might mine and sell their data, not to find out their personal information has been exploited years later. We\u2019re dealing with a reality. It is not only about Facebook. Other social media platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter are a part of everyday life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000698\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EEveryone is dealing with some form of data, one way or the other. This is the era of big data. Voluntary standards are not enough. Legislative changes are necessary, and this is exactly what this bill seeks to achieve. I look forward to submissions. The already busy Justice Committee is fully gearing up for a new mission and new challenges. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022 data-id=\u00220889b9fb74c345f8a7a05cf43d3bbb18\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000699\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220889b9fb74c345f8a7a05cf43d3bbb18\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL (National\u2014Rodney):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s my great pleasure to take a call on this, the Privacy Bill. The key purpose of reforming the Act is to promote people\u2019s confidence that their personal information is secure and will be treated properly. It\u2019s very relevant, obviously, and today with\u2014like the chairman of the Justice Committee, Raymond Huo, was saying\u2014the free flow of information, and all the social media platforms. I\u2019m well known to not really use the social media platforms necessarily like they should be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000700\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220554c6a615864e7eba2e4eae031b4a07\u0022\u003EDenise Lee \u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, should be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000701\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a39143b8e99d4fb19b72598985c5601c\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right. But the fact of the matter is that there\u2019s always a huge risk that our personal information can get out and become available to people that we may not necessarily want to see or have that information.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000702\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EI think the Facebook example is very good and relevant, because Mr Zuckerberg, who recently in the last 48 hours appeared in front of a United States Senate committee, stated that he had had to employ an extra 20,000 people to make sure that they were actually monitoring the content and the privacy provisions on Facebook. He had to acknowledge that although they had a very big disclaimer and legal statement when you sign up to Facebook, not many people actually read it, it\u2019s all in legalese, and they probably wouldn\u2019t understand exactly what it means anyway. So it highlights that there\u2019s got to be a big focus on privacy and how we deal with it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000703\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EI know that during my time as Minister of Statistics, it was interesting because we gathered a lot of information, and as part of our social investment programme, it was important to be able to use data and to be able to analyse data. For Government agencies to do that effectively, they also have to be able to collect information from NGOs or partners outside of Government that they\u2019re working with. But to do that, you have to have a high level of credibility and be able to prove that some of that information, which is going to be sensitive, you\u2019re going to be able to anonymise it, so that you can actually remove any information that will identify the individual themselves, whereas still being able to keep the data that actually shows trends and allows Governments to make good decisions. This is an important part for any Government in terms of the decisions that they\u2019re going to be making.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000704\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003ESo just very quickly, the changes made in the bill, as set out in the explanatory note: there\u2019s going to be \u201Cmandatory reporting of privacy breaches: \u2026 compliance notices: the Commissioner will be able to issue compliance notices that require an agency to do something, or stop doing something, in order to comply with privacy law.\u201D\u2014this is very important, and\u2014\u201CThe Human Rights Review Tribunal will be able to enforce compliance notices and hear appeals.\u201D So there\u2019s some good checks and balances that are contained within this bill. \u201C[N]ew criminal offences: it will be an offence to mislead an agency in a way that affects someone else\u2019s information and to knowingly destroy documents containing personal information where a request has been made for it. The penalty is a fine not exceeding $10,000:\u201D. It\u2019s got to be good penalty; it\u2019s got to be a decent fine to deter and stop that type of criminal offending. So I think this is a very, very good part of the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000705\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EFinally, \u201CCommissioner making binding decisions on access requests: this reform will enable the Commissioner to make decisions on complaints relating to access to information, rather than the Human Rights Review Tribunal. The Commissioner\u2019s decision will be able to be appealed to the Tribunal:\u201D. That, quite simply, is just streamlining the process and making sure that people get access to that service quickly, with, of course, the ability to still be able to take it to the Human Rights Review Tribunal if they need to, if they didn\u2019t feel like there was a good outcome. So I\u2019m very happy to have taken the call and stand in support of the Privacy Bill. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u00225465876c65174c6786720302c28f2787\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000706\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225465876c65174c6786720302c28f2787\u0022\u003ETAMATI COFFEY (Labour\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E I rise in support of the Privacy Bill currently before the House, and before I dig down into the intricacies of the actual bill, I just want to share a story which highlights just how necessary a review of the Privacy Act actually is. It wasn\u2019t too long ago that I returned home after work one day and my sister was on her laptop, and she was talking on the phone to somebody in a distant country. As I walked into the house and I saw this happening, I said to her, \u201CWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201D She said somebody had contacted her and told her that she had something going on in her computer\u2014it was infected\u2014and that she had to enter her password in and a few login details and then go to a couple of specific sites, which she was trying to do to try and, obviously, get her computer back on the straight and narrow.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000707\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EWhen I revealed to her that she could, potentially, have been scammed, she then told the person on the end of the line, \u201CMy brother says that you\u2019re trying to scam me.\u201D, to which the person said, \u201CNo, I\u2019m not trying to scam you\u2014your brother is lying. Keep doing what I\u2019m telling you.\u201D, at which I then grabbed the phone and hung up for her and then looked at her computer screen, only to find that there were screeds of files that were currently flashing up on the computer screen in front of her. I turned the computer off immediately, and we had to have a little sit-down conversation about privacy and about how passwords shouldn\u2019t be given out, especially to people over the phone that you don\u2019t really know.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000708\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ESo as I look over this Privacy Bill that\u2019s before the House, realising that it\u2019s been a long time since we first had this brought before the House\u2014the Privacy Act 1993\u2014I think it\u2019s about time for a refresh. I support the provisions of this bill, and I support them on behalf of my family too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000709\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s talk through some of the key messages. First of all, this here is to protect people and, obviously, their privacy online, and that can\u2019t be minimised, because with the amount of work that we do now online, there is a lot of our private information currently out there, and we are in a very different world to the world that we were in in 1993. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ENow banks are encouraging you to do all of your transactions online. Branches are closing down around the country in favour of online banking. We put all of our details in, and it doesn\u2019t take much to ask for your name, your address, your phone number, and your email. Generally, any site that you go to and think, \u201CThat\u2019s a cool site.\u201D, you type in your information, and that\u2019s your information\u2019s that\u2019s then being, sometimes\u2014as we\u2019ve found out in the case of Facebook recently\u2014shared all around the world with third parties that we don\u2019t really know too much about. So any moves by this Government to actually change things in a modern context, the context that we\u2019re living in today, is a very good thing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000711\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EAgain, the key purpose of the reforms is to promote and protect people\u2019s privacy and give them confidence that all of their information online is going to be secure and adequately protected. The Privacy Act, in its current form, has been with us for nearly 25 years, and, as I\u2019ve said before, it is time for a bit of a change because of, obviously, social media, e-commerce websites that we sign up to, etc., etc.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000712\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s talk about some of the provisions in the bill. First of all, as the previous speaker who\u2019s now departed, Mark Mitchell, has identified, there is the mandatory reporting of privacy breaches. So if an agency knowingly has a breach of privacy, they then need to, under the provisions of this new bill, actually tell that there has been a privacy breach, and that\u2019s a very new but a very informative change that will be going through. It\u2019s a great provision in there, and there will be criminal offences if they don\u2019t tell. So it will be an offence to mislead an agency in a way that affects somebody else\u2019s information and to knowingly then destroy documents once you\u2019ve been requested to provide that information. The penalty for that is $10,000. So it\u2019s a hefty penalty but it\u2019s a necessary penalty as we move into the new age.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000713\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThere is also going to be a strengthening of cross-border data flows and the protections around that. That\u2019s incredibly important as the World Wide Web knows no bounds, and when we enter information into a website here, inevitably it can often be related to an overseas agency. So that begs the question: what is an agency? I\u2019m glad that the bill has drilled down into exactly what that is, because some people out there might not know. An agency is the name used for any entity that handles personal information. So an agency can be just one person or it can be persons in both the public and the private sector, but it doesn\u2019t apply to people in their personal or domestic capacity and it also doesn\u2019t include the Sovereign, the Governor-General, Parliament, courts, and tribunals exercising judicial functions. So any agency that knowingly misleads the public about any kind of breach of privacy will be dealt to and dealt to very strongly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000714\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EOne of the other provisions in the bill is also to strengthen the Privacy Commissioner\u2019s information-gathering power. Now, the commissioner\u2019s existing investigation power is strengthened by allowing him or her to shorten the time frame within which an agency must comply and increasing the penalty for non-compliance. I\u2019ve already referred to that, but in giving more strength to the Privacy Commissioner, that gives more strength to New Zealanders so that we know that the right thing will be done if there are any of these breaches. The commissioner is able to make binding decisions, and again this is a very commendable provision\u2014binding decisions on access requests. That reform is going to enable the commissioner to make decisions on complaints relating to the access of information rather than the Human Rights Review Tribunal. The commissioner\u2019s decisions will be able to be appealed to the tribunal as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000715\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EAll of these, when you put them together, are provisions that are going to make the information that New Zealanders store online a whole lot more sound, so that we can sleep at night, especially in light of what\u2019s gone and happened with some very famous privacy breaches around the world. It will enable us to sleep a lot easier, knowing that our information isn\u2019t being sent out and divvied up to third-party agencies.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000716\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThe Privacy Commissioner, John Edwards, when this piece of legislation was put before the country, was the first one to pipe up, saying that he welcomed the introduction of the bill to maintain New Zealand\u2019s strong track record of protecting the privacy interests of individuals. It\u2019s nice to know that our Privacy Commissioner has that kind of strength of character to believe that here in New Zealand we\u2019ve been doing a really good job so far and we need to continue to do that. He said that privacy law reform, and this particular bill, was overdue and had become an increasingly urgent issue since the Law Commission made the recommendation back in 2011.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000717\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EAt this point, I think it\u2019s only appropriate to acknowledge that the actual petition was put in place by the Opposition, who were the Government at the time, but they did kick off the work for the Law Commission to put in the review to make the recommendations. It\u2019s a bit of a pity that all these years later\u2014that\u2019s seven years now\u2014we\u2019ve had to step in and actually finish this off, but, as we all know, good things take time, and this bill is currently before the House and it seems to have agreement on both sides of the House too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000718\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ESo I have only support for this bill and for the protections that have been put in the bill. I think that this is something that New Zealanders should also be jumping in and supporting, especially as we move from the first reading stage through the select committee process. Obviously, if anybody\u2019s got any problems with this, or with any facets of this particular bill, then they need to involve themselves in that select committee process. But, as it stands, I have absolute confidence that this is going to help New Zealanders to sleep at night, knowing that their information that we know we\u2019re sharing online is going to be a whole lot more protected than possibly it has been in the past and that there are going to be severe penalties for agencies that intentionally break that law. This bill actually compels them to come forward, compels them to notify the individuals concerned where there are breaches, and also puts in place a very hefty penalty, one of $10,000. As I say, it\u2019s been nearly 25 years since this Act has been revised and I commend this bill to House. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000719\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EBill read a first time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000720\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EBill referred to the Justice Committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000721\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ef15d3b2fac7401b902a174addd10682\u0022\u003ELocal Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000722\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ab61ba43e75c43f1b51bc2a56e479b45\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u0022b556359b03194bf484dafe951cb6178b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000723\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b556359b03194bf484dafe951cb6178b\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Local Government):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Governance and Administration Committee to consider the bill. At the appropriate time, I intend to move that the bill be reported back to the House on 28 September 2018. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EFirst, I want to acknowledge my colleague the MP for Rongotai, Paul Eagle, for agreeing for his member\u2019s bill to be overtaken by this Government bill. He knew very quickly as he became an MP that this was something that this sector wanted, and he put the bill quickly into the ballot. So I appreciate the fact that we\u2019re in a position to take over the bill and to do a little bit more. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000725\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EWe understand local government has a major role in enhancing the well-being of their communities. The decisions made by local government have an immediate impact on New Zealanders\u2019 quality of life. In fact, when we think about the role and function councils play in our everyday lives, it\u2019s far much more than roads, rates, and rubbish. Local government decisions affect the natural environment and neighbourhoods in which we live and work, and they impact on aspects of our health and safety in all sorts of ways. Local government plays a key role in supporting those quality-of-life outcomes that build a sense of belonging and well-being and happiness in our local and regional communities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000726\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EWhile there is a strong emphasis on good governance, strategic planning, and good decision-making, actually, the work that local government does is more than just about service delivery and asset management plans. The purpose statement in the Local Government Act at its introduction emphasised local government\u2019s responsibility to make a broad contribution to promoting the well-being of their communities. It also emphasised that well-being should be considered holistically and that the social, economic, environmental, and cultural aspects of well-being need to be considered together, rather than separately. That purpose statement underlined the important role of local government in supporting individuals, wh\u0101nau, and community outcomes to provide for their own future within their region. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000727\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThis bill will provide clearer authority for local councils to shape their activities based on what their communities want. It shifts the balance of power back to local communities to decide with their councils what should be done for them, with them. It moves the focus from what councils can do to what they should do. It isn\u2019t, and hasn\u2019t ever been, the role of central government to tell councils what they should be doing for their communities. In fact, under this Government there will be a strong emphasis on working strategically together. We value that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000728\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill reinstates community well-being into the purpose of local government. The four aspects of well-being\u2014social, economic, environmental, and cultural\u2014will be embedded into the fabric of the local government regulatory framework. They are referenced in a range of other Acts, from the Resource Management Act to the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act. Restoring community well-being will return certainty about the role local government plays and will be a welcome change to councils, who probably have wondered, \u201CWhy didn\u2019t that happen sooner?\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000729\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EBefore reference to community well-being was removed from the Act in 2012, local authorities already made responsible financial decisions about the current and future needs of their community. The report of the Shand inquiry in 2007 and the report of the Auditor-General in 2012 confirmed this. The Government believes local government will continue to make the right decisions with and for their communities as we reinsert the well-beings back into the principal Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000730\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003ELocal authorities have said that the change to remove well-beings from the Act in 2012 created uncertainty about the services that they provided. This has led to more complex compliance processes for councils, but no significant change in the services that they provide\u2014in fact, service delivery expectations have increased. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000731\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003ECouncils are accountable to their communities, not to central government. This bill will give local authorities the scope to develop the services their communities want in consultation with the people who use them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000732\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill also removes the requirement for local authorities to have particular regard to a list of core services. Councils and their communities are best placed to determine which services they should be providing and the priority that should be given to each of them. These changes give local authorities more flexibility to respond to the needs of their communities. This approach, we believe, will empower local authorities, rather than instruct them about what they should be doing for their communities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000733\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill restores local authorities\u2019 powers to collect development contributions for the full range of community facilities, including libraries, swimming pools, and sportsgrounds. When we think about these services, we think about what actually creates community, and how much pleasure people get from actually having good community services and what it does for well-being. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000734\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EWhen this ability to levy development contributions was taken out of legislation in 2014, it left ratepayers to pick up the full costs of meeting the increased demand generated by development. Many councils are struggling to keep up with costs of the growth in their communities while maintaining existing community infrastructure and service levels. A contribution from developers will provide a much-needed boost, and while it doesn\u2019t address the full extent of funding and financing cost pressures, it\u2019s a step in the right direction. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000735\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThis bill will help councils by removing a barrier to growth. It will enable councils to shape the places and deliver the services communities want and need. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000736\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EFinally, the bill resolves a technical issue that stands in the way of councils accessing transport infrastructure funding through the Housing Infrastructure Fund. The Housing Infrastructure Fund provides advanced funding to local authorities to accelerate the provision of infrastructure for new housing development. This framework allows councils to access funding through the National Land Transport Fund without it counting as a liability, allowing councils to borrow for other necessary infrastructure. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000737\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe Local Government Act includes a provision to prevent local authorities from requiring development contributions for projects that are funded from other sources, to prevent double-dipping. The Local Government Act already specifies that borrowing does not trigger these provisions, along with a number of other exceptions. Advance financial assistance from the New Zealand Transport Agency will eventually be repaid. This amendment will clarify that this advance financial assistance does not trigger the double-dipping provision. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000738\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill recognises that every council is different and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every council needs discretion and flexibility to decide in consultation with their community the nature and level of services they should provide. By doing this, councils will best meet local needs and preferences. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000739\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EAs I have said, this Government supports local government doing the best that it can alongside the people that they represent. It\u2019s about local people making local decisions. Decisions about the services councils provide are best made by the people that receive these services, not central government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000740\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThese changes are supported by the local government sector. They\u2019ve wanted to see them happen for a very long time. This bill represents our commitment as another step towards a collaborative partnership between central government and local government, and I commend the bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022 data-id=\u0022d3de96a30a814d2183b57c2bb8b40bf1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000741\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d3de96a30a814d2183b57c2bb8b40bf1\u0022\u003EDENISE LEE (National\u2014Maungakiekie):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. I rise to take a call on the first reading here of the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill. The primary objective of this bill is to redefine the purpose of local government so as to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities. These principles are referred to\u2014and some would know them as\u2014the four well-beings, and anyone who has experience with local government would know that up until 2012 the purpose of local government, as defined by legislation back then, was actually the promotion of these well-beings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000742\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003EAmongst other things, this was changed under the last Government as part of their wider local government reform. So what this bill is doing here tonight is actually just undoing the work of the last National Government and going back to the old system. The issue with using these four well-beings is not about their intentions. And I say this deliberately. I can understand that the recognition of the four well-beings is important and that councils are likely to be supportive of the change, but the issue is that they appear to many people to be unfocused and untargeted. That\u2019s the perception problem. So I urge the Government to seriously reconsider whether these changes tonight will actually lead to better results for local councils and the people that they represent instead of the system that we have, and I\u2019m going to explain why.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000743\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003EWhat we have at the moment is a system that is, essentially, breaking down the purpose of local government into three major functions. One is providing local infrastructure, second is local public services, and the third is the performance of regulatory functions\u2014so, very key and concise and very committed functions. They\u2019re relatively simple, and it may seem to restrict councils at first glance from considering the wider issues or the services that do contribute to the general well-being of a community. However, we have seen that since these changes were made in 2012 there has not been a massive shift in the behaviour or the direction of local government bodies. These new directives back in 2012 have not been the handcuffs on councils that the Government is portraying them as.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000744\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003ESo what the current definition actually does is keep councils grounded. It gives clarity as to what their core role is, what their core services should be and prioritising, and it gives them accountability to their ratepayers, who expect these services to be delivered to a high expectation. So if we lined up ratepayers tonight and asked for their opinions, where they\u2019d land in regard to the purpose of local government, I\u2019d say the words \u201Ccore\u201D and \u201Ccost-effective\u201D would come to mind. So too do the words, \u201CIf it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000745\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003EI wasn\u2019t around in 2012; I wasn\u2019t a councillor then, either. But there seems to be a fascination with wording and terminology. I\u2019ve been told that there were concerns by territorial local authorities over the years that there\u2019d be consequences should they stray out of the 2012 definition, but to the best of my knowledge there have been no transgressions, no hiccups\u2014in fact, it\u2019s been business as usual for local government. So what is the problem that\u2019s trying to be solved here?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000746\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003EThe purpose of local government as proposed by this bill does have one glaring omission that I want to pay attention to, and that is the explicit removal of any reference to cost-effectiveness or value for money. The local government sector is responsible for such a massive sum of money that it\u2019s quite often overlooked, and so I first want to give a proper context of the scale involved. In 2017, the combined national rates bill\u2014the total paid by households and businesses up and down the country\u2014was more than $5.5 billion in 2017. Local government has the obligation to the people that fund it to make sure that they use funds in the most cost-effective way. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000747\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003EThe tax burden on families and businesses for council spending has increased at a rate close to four times the rate of inflation and now represents a massive 3 percent of New Zealand\u2019s GDP. The national rates bill has more than doubled since 2002, going from $2.6 billion to $5.5 billion. That\u2019s a 141 percent increase. Delivery of core services has a big price tag to it, and so the public of New Zealand should easily be able to see why the last Government was trying to get accountability in place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000748\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003EAnother key part of this bill that we\u2019re opposing is the relaxing of requirements on how councils can use development contributions. Development contributions go to the council and, under the current system, must be used to pay for costs of infrastructure directly related to development: the waste-water system, roading networks, and other infrastructure that facilitates and contributes to a growing housing supply. What this bill does is turn the important funding tool, a levy on housing developers, and has them as contributors to community infrastructure: swimming pools, libraries, and museums. The bill will let councils pass on the costs of community assets to the housing developers, but in reality, it\u2019s not going to be the developers that actually pay for these. All it\u2019s going to do is drive up the cost of housing when these costs are passed on to the first-home buyer, the renters, and the entire housing market. So despite all the talk that we\u2019ve heard from this Government about a housing crisis and KiwiBuild and about their grand plan to build thousands of affordable homes, they\u2019ve put together a piece of legislation that will actively make the housing market more restrictive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000749\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003EWe are opposed to this bill, and I know from experience in the local government space that local government lives in an age of quite severe public scrutiny, and scrutiny of its processes, and it\u2019s a difficult space for many councils. Auckland Council\u2014and that\u2019s where I was before I came to this role here\u2014has, by its own admission, trust ratings that have plummeted. Independent surveys very much quantify that. So what local government does not need at this point in time is accusations that it\u2019s getting away, the perception that it\u2019s getting away, from core roles of providing local infrastructure, local public service, and local regulatory functions, and that if they do, the cost will end up being borne by the ratepayer. This is not what local government needs at this point in time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000750\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003ESo the Government should be very careful about messaging in the local government space right now. The regional fuel tax issue has gone down like a lead balloon, and the lending of weight to this kind of legislation will not win over ratepayers. For that reason, we are opposed to this bill, and we caution the Government for some very sensitive local government messaging at this point in time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022 data-id=\u0022573f6adcba464ee0b3627d58595ed23c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000751\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022573f6adcba464ee0b3627d58595ed23c\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE (Labour\u2014Rongotai):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. Look, having come to Parliament from\u2014in fact, directly from\u2014seven years in local government, it\u2019s an honour to speak in support of the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill, which is being read in the House for the first time. I want to acknowledge the work of the hard-working Minister Nanaia Mahuta, her staff, the officials, and Local Government New Zealand, who helped bring this bill to the House this evening. It\u2019s a piece of work that rights the wrongs and resets the relationship with local government and central government. I am especially pleased this evening because, as the Minister said, I was initially hoping to progress at least the four well-beings aspect of this bill as a member\u2019s bill, but there is nothing better than having it as a Government bill to give it the urgency, and it shows that this Government is serious about empowering local government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000752\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EI want to kick off by reinforcing the comments of the Minister when she said that local government is very much more than just roads, rates, and rubbish. That sets the scene because it sends a clear message to councils that this Government values the role of local government and supports civic participation and community involvement in local democracy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000753\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EThe bill amends the Local Government Act of 2002, and it\u2019s being expressed in four different aspects. First of all, it restores the social, environmental, and cultural well-beings in addition to economic. That\u2019s a point that I\u2019ll come back to later in my speech, because that goes now into the purpose of local government. Secondly, it removes the requirement for councils to have particular regard to core services\u2014what was core and what was non-core\u2014and how they fared for their communities. Thirdly, it restores that power to collect development contributions for a range of community infrastructure, and the Minister talked about what that can be used for. Finally, there is the minor technical issue that stands in the way of councils accessing transport infrastructure funding from the Housing Infrastructure Fund.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000754\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EI want to focus on the most critical issue with this bill, and that\u2019s the reinstatement of community well-being into the purpose of local government. We heard from the Minister too that it shifts the power back to local communities to decide, with their councils, what should be done for them. Councils all over New Zealand are facing the challenges. We know what they are, but the challenges are based on the most cost-effective reference in the current purpose statement. That\u2019s the issue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000755\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EWe know that the four well-beings are already intrinsically woven into the local government regulatory framework\u2014that\u2019s not a problem\u2014but this holistic approach gives much clearer authority for local councils to shape the activities based on what their communities require. It moves the focus on councils from what councils can do to what they should do. It means that they can reset their thinking from \u201CAre we allowed to do this?\u201D to \u201CShould we do this?\u201D, and that\u2019s critical. As I said, having spent the last seven years in local government here in the capital city, at the Wellington City Council, having to deal with this scenario, it was a sinister scenario based on an ideologically driven approach by the previous Government\u2014based solely on that economic imperative\u2014and today, with the reinstatement of the well-beings now, we look at all four aspects of it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000756\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003ELet me give you some examples just to demonstrate this. There\u2019s nothing like something that\u2019s really from the grassroots that\u2019s happened. Let\u2019s look at something from back in June 2013, when I went to a formal farewell of 27 council road workers, who had given more than 500 years of service between them. That was the departure of those staff from the council\u2019s in-house works unit, marking decades of institutional knowledge lost and the end of council building its own roads for 130 years. Funnily enough, that unit, only 20 years earlier, was forced to set itself up as an in-house works unit because the National Government of the time, in 1990, forced it to contract its work out. Luckily, the capital city made a decision to say, \u201CWe\u2019re the best in the business. We\u2019re going to compete against the private sector and win our work back.\u201D But I said at the time of that situation\u2014to quote myself\u2014\u201CSome of these men have given their entire lives to [Wellington City]. They\u2019ve earned their jobs and our respect. They deserve better from us.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000757\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EA month later, in July of that same year\u2014in 2013\u2014the Local Government Act said it was absolutely fine to outsource the work, and so they did, to an Australian company called Leighton, solely because it was cheaper. It didn\u2019t matter that they had no local workforce, it didn\u2019t matter that they had no trucks and no depot, and it didn\u2019t matter that they had no record of delivering works in New Zealand. All that mattered was they were the cheapest. I can tell you, for the next two years, the new contractor drove around in trucks with \u201CHenderson Rentals\u201D on the side of them. They even changed their name when ratepayers got upset because service levels weren\u2019t being met. Now they were called Ventia. They cobbled together a workforce, mostly temporary and mostly on the minimum wage, not to mention they had to endure the 90-day rule. But worst of all was that less than 2\u00BD years into that contract, they walked off the job. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000758\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003ESo 130 years of the council doing the work themselves was flawed by an Australian company who got a cheap contract off the capital city council, and then they walk off the job: they literally down tools and they\u2019re gone. That\u2019s what the current Local Government Act and the lack of not having four well-beings in that Act does. That happened right here in the city that you are sitting in tonight. When I questioned the CEO and said, \u201CHow can this be? How have we got to this? How have we sent 27 guys down the road who had 500 years\u2019 worth of institutional knowledge?\u201D, he said, \u201CThat\u2019s the legislation that we have to work in.\u201D Tonight, and by the end of this year, we will bring that scenario to an end and no longer will local councils across this country be endured with that sort of treatment to their workers and their people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000759\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EI also want to talk on a more positive note, and let\u2019s look at what the change means to local authorities. What it does mean now, and I want to focus on the same council, is that they can introduce things like the living wage. If you want to pay those same workers that you\u2019ve outsourced $20.55 an hour\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000760\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225fcd374a7b91490baa55dcb10b14bc60\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Don\u2019t bring me into it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000761\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022889ae93ad9a54336b71f03489d48d879\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014they are welcome to do that. I certainly want to say that there will be councils all over New Zealand who now will be able to engage with their communities based on those four well-beings and be able to say, \u201CThis may not happen anywhere else in New Zealand but we, as a community, will proudly implement this or deliver that because that\u2019s what our communities want.\u201D, and that\u2019s the spirit of what we\u2019re doing this evening.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EAs I said, I\u2019m really proud to speak on this bill. This bill puts the local back in to local government. I said in my opening paragraph that it resets the relationship with local government and central government. I\u2019ve given an example there that you cannot dispute. You cannot dispute where the purpose of the current Act\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000763\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227e7ae4e736014b9caa849c1431c31512\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I might, but others might not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000764\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e085d129797e47b9b658c1e915a94194\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely, Madam Deputy Speaker. That example there some may dispute at their peril, but, look, I certainly look forward to the bill going to the Governance and Administration Committee and being brought back to the House by the end of September, and, come Christmas time, the people of New Zealand, through their local councils, will be delivered one of the best Christmas presents that I believe most of them will ever get. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022 data-id=\u00222eee538f9f484e3b8dedcf9799a6326a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000765\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222eee538f9f484e3b8dedcf9799a6326a\u0022\u003EJO HAYES (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I stand to take a call on the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill, the first reading. Before I get under way, I just want to make it very clear I won\u2019t be supporting the bill. I won\u2019t be supporting the bill for a number of reasons. I just want to bring the House\u2019s attention to the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes and the result of what happened, besides the deaths, to the horizontal infrastructure that traversed the whole of Christchurch city. During that time, the National-led Government\u2019s amendment to the Local Government Act had not come into force. We were still working under the previous Local Government Act, which was about the four well-beings. If the four well-beings back then were so crash hot, then how come when those earthquakes happened in Christchurch the horizontal infrastructure was in such disrepair\u2014something that the council should have been keeping their eye on\u2014that they didn\u2019t have any amount of funding to be able to help with repairing it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000766\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229ae4e788270d409989dff54ca902c157\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s an outrage. There was an earthquake. That\u2019s an outrage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000767\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222369e07a31d8458eb5bd0a910ee55e47\u0022\u003EJO HAYES\u003C/span\u003E: I know it\u2019s an earthquake, but if the repairs and the maintenance had kept on over time then it would have minimised the impact of\u2014yes, there would\u2019ve been some damage but not as wide as what it was in those days. That was during the four well-beings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000768\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EI am very concerned about this bill because it does take the focus of local government away from what it is there for\u2014to provide robust local infrastructure. We need that; we saw that post-earthquake. We\u2019ve been talking about this over the last few years, about the local council. The Wellington one around the water pipes coming through\u2014that\u2019s infrastructure, that\u2019s water pipes from the Hutt over here into Wellington. Should the four well-beings come in to effect, then what\u2019s going to happen with that local infrastructure?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000769\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s about local infrastructure and robust local infrastructure, which is what is currently there at the moment in the Local Government Act 2002. It is about local public services, and you need to have those services. I don\u2019t know how those four well-beings would cover local infrastructure and the public services. We don\u2019t want to be able to charge out levies for everything in communities like where I\u2019m currently listed in Christchurch East. I don\u2019t know whether people will be able to actually afford a levy, any levy in that area for building, or any other area. The local regulatory functions, as well, of the current council\u2014those are the three key areas that the local council under the local government amendment legislation 2012 worked by. That\u2019s why I do have concerns over these four well-beings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000770\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EI don\u2019t know how places like Christchurch East are going to cope under the environmental side of the four well-beings. Yes, we have areas in Christchurch that are flooded. The Heathcote River, around there, there\u2019s some big flooding areas, and currently, under the long-term plan and the consultation, the council are looking at putting some funding in there to mitigate some flooding. But on the other side, on the eastern side, there is also the estuary area that is crying out for some mitigation around erosion of the estuary edge and maybe the resurrection of a bund that goes further down into the South New Brighton area. I don\u2019t know where in these four well-beings that will happen environmentally for the Southshore area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000771\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EAround the economic side now, if the council, kind of, dismissed the Southshore area\u2014that has potential for new homes to be rebuilt there should the bund be re-established in that particular area. It\u2019s a lovely area to build in, but, economically, maybe the council does not want that to happen. That\u2019s why I have concerns around these four well-beings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EAlso around the social side, the Guardians of R\u0101whiti Domain are putting in a sensory playground. They have a plan there working alongside council. So council go in and chop some trees down, which is lovely, saying that the root system underneath is quite spongy and quite dangerous, so what do they do? They leave a great big trunk sitting outside and say, \u201CPut a swing on it for children.\u201D If the root system is growing on a spongy base then I don\u2019t know whether that\u2019s very social at all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000773\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EI do have concerns around this particular bill. I have concerns that these four well-beings will be so prominent that rates will go up and the ratepayers won\u2019t get value for money. They will go begging for a lot of infrastructural issues that they face, and especially, as I said, in the electorate where I\u2019m listed in, in Christchurch East, especially in the Southshore area and the South New Brighton area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EI stand here; I am concerned that this bill may end up coming in to Royal assent at the end of September this year. I\u2019m concerned for the ratepayers and for the well-being of the people that live down in the Southshore area, South New Brighton area, and New Brighton area. I don\u2019t see how it will actually grow any more confidence down there. They\u2019re pretty shattered at the moment, but this is actually going to throw it all apart for them. So I don\u2019t support the bill. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022 data-id=\u00222081988032fc4846beb0b8f48fd68141\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000775\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222081988032fc4846beb0b8f48fd68141\u0022\u003EDARROCH BALL (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It\u2019s my pleasure to rise on behalf of the New Zealand First local government spokesperson, the Hon Ron Mark, in support of the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill. You know that the National Party is taking this bill very seriously when they bring out the hard hitters\u2014Denise Lee and Joanne Hayes\u2014to take the first two speeches. When Joanne Hayes takes less than five minutes to try and explain how good the legislation that the National Government put through in 2012 was and only complains about earthquake-affected Christchurch, and that\u2019s it\u2014that\u2019s the only example in the second speech that was given about arguments why we shouldn\u2019t be supporting this bill\u2014you know we\u2019re on the right track, in being in the Government on this side. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000776\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0aee4ba5f604f3a8777c6e0cc180a9b\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Actually, I don\u2019t need to know anything. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000777\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea9da1494feb4bbdbee9085fe6c4da76\u0022\u003EDARROCH BALL\u003C/span\u003E: We all know that we\u2019re on the right track, being on this side in the Government. It is quite clear to me that just in the two speeches that we heard from the National Party, they\u2019re just not listening to the ratepayers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000778\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve only really just picked up this bill today when the Hon Ron Mark couldn\u2019t make it in to speak on this bill, because he was absolutely desperate to. I have looked just very quickly through the regulatory impact statement (RIS) and the bill itself, and it is quite clear that there is an absolute need and want from the ratepayers themselves and from the local authorities to get this changed and to put it back to where it was prior to 2012. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000779\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EOne of the things that did surprise me was the fact that the four well-beings were removed. When I dug a little deeper into what those well-beings were, it was actually about the entire purpose of local government. Having been in this House over the last four years, I understand what one of the most important things is in any piece of legislation, and it is the absolute purpose of the legislation. So for any decision maker or anyone that\u2019s making decisions on behalf of someone else or managing, whether it be an organisation or a local authority, we all know that the most important part is the foundation, and that foundation for any decision-making process is the purpose and why one is doing what they\u2019re doing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000780\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003ESo in order to dig a little bit deeper into when, why, and what for the National Party\u2014and the then National Government, back in 2012\u2014wanted to take out the well-being clauses\u2014it was amazing to me, because the purpose of local government that we want to be reinstated is to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities. I just can\u2019t see what\u2019s so wrong with that. In fact, I think that is absolutely fundamental to the running of a community that has well-being as its focus. I suppose if the National Party doesn\u2019t want a community to have well-being as a focus, then they would take it out, and I guess that\u2019s what they did in 2012. The four of them are the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-beings of communities, and ensuring that local authorities take a sustainable development approach\u2014a sustainable development approach. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000781\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EWhen you look into the regulatory impact statement to have a look at a couple of the policy problems, it is clear to me that Denise Lee didn\u2019t read the regulatory impact statement, because there are a couple of examples in there about how the current legislation as it\u2019s written, or the current laws, is and has been a problem for local authorities. One of the things that she said was, \u201CIf it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it. There\u2019s nothing wrong with it, whatsoever.\u201D, but that\u2019s not what I found in just a couple of minutes of reading the regulatory impact statement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000782\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EThe overarching policy problem that this legislation is trying to amend is to, obviously, \u201Crestore reference to promoting the four aspects \u2026 This reflects a broad empowering approach to local government and enables local authorities to shift their focus to \u2018should we do this?\u2019 from \u2018are we allowed to do this?\u2019\u00A0\u201D If you just take a second to think about the fact that for the last five or six years, local authorities and local governments have been worried about whether they should do anything because they wouldn\u2019t be allowed to do that because of legislation, that is entirely restrictive to any progressive local government. Obviously, it\u2019s vitally important for any successful local government to be able to have the freedom and the boundaries to be able to put the well-being of the community at the heart of any of the decisions that they have. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000783\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EHere\u2019s a couple of examples that the RIS goes into. One of them is that \u201CA number of local authorities that have considered paying their staff the living wage have faced challenges based on [that] purpose\u201D. That\u2019s one of the examples, and the reason why they haven\u2019t challenged it is because it contradicts the \u201Cmost cost-effective\u201D elements of the legislation as it\u2019s written now. At the moment, it states that there must be the most cost-effective manner or way that local government manages things, and that would restrict local government or a local authority being able to pay their staff a living wage. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000784\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EIt goes on: \u201CAnother consequence could be that \u2018buy local\u2019 policies [of the local government or local authority] whereby local authorities give some preference to local businesses could be challenged on similar grounds.\u201D So when Denise Lee stands up and says in her first speech that there\u2019s nothing wrong and that no one\u2019s complaining and that all of the local authorities are happy, then perhaps she needs to read the regulatory impact statement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000785\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003ESo I said that I was a little bit surprised about the well-beings being removed from the legislation back in 2012, but what I wasn\u2019t surprised to find out\u2014if I was told correctly\u2014was that Dr Nick Smith was the local government Minister at the time. That\u2019s something I wasn\u2019t surprised about, with this happening. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000786\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003ESo, basically, what I read from the legislation, the intent of those changes in the legislation in 2012 was that the National Government wanted the councils\u2014and we actually heard it again today, especially from Jo Hayes\u2014to only focus on infrastructure, and on infrastructure only. Back in 2012, New Zealand First was in Parliament and we spoke on this bill. Andrew Williams actually spoke on this bill, and he was a former Mayor of North Shore City. He said something about those changes which was actually quite succinct and apt for those comments from Jo Hayes. He stated that \u201Cthis latest reform\u201D\u2014back in 2012\u2014\u201Cof the Local Government Act 2002 is basically taking the councils right back to where they were maybe 20 or 30 years ago, where they simply had a town clerk who fixed some potholes, did some footpaths, and maybe fixed up the roads and patched up the local hall. Well, the days of that have gone, and the days of local communities expecting much more from local councils are here.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000787\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EBut, you see, New Zealand First took the approach back then in 2012\u2014and we\u2019re still taking it here\u2014that expecting a council to only have a local clerk to fix up the potholes in the roads, fix the local hall, and fix the footpaths is a bad thing. It\u2019s not a good thing. We need the local authorities to have the entire well-being of their local community at the heart of any decision making. But what Joanne Hayes was saying was that that was exactly what the National Party wanted\u2014exactly what the National Party wanted. What she didn\u2019t mention was that back then, all the submissions on the bill from the local authorities were against what the National Party were trying to do. They were against what the National Party were trying to do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000788\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003ESo why did the National Party do this in the first place? Because they were listening to the business communities. The business communities in the local communities, all they wanted\u2014they complained about the rates that they were paying. They complained about where those rates were being spent, because they didn\u2019t want them spent on arts and culture. They didn\u2019t want them spent on anything else apart from economic development. And that\u2019s who National listened to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000789\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003EWell, New Zealand First, back then, made some promises, and so did the Labour Party, about listening to the local communities, about listening to those local authorities, and about ensuring that when we got into power, we would turn back the clock and bring this back into legislation. That\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re going to do. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022 data-id=\u0022c9a06b3f70cc4ef9b56df84ee0282c69\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000790\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c9a06b3f70cc4ef9b56df84ee0282c69\u0022\u003EDr JIAN YANG (National):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak on the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill. We will oppose the bill, simply because the bill may well result in large, less efficient local governments.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000791\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EThe bill would enable local governments to promote four well-beings: social, economic, environmental, and cultural. It means that local governments would have broader and less well-defined responsibilities. That also means more staff, and may well mean higher rates. So this is why we believe that this bill has fundamental problems.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000792\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EThe money raised from taxpayers should be spent on well-defined projects. But these four well-beings can be loosely defined and hence can be used as excuses for local governments or local councils to spend money on ill-defined projects. That can be a waste of money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000793\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003ELocal governments need physical discipline, and this was a key focus of the previous National Government\u2019s local government reforms. The reason why we believe local governments need to have physical discipline is because some local governments, some councils, are running high debts. They are not using their money efficiently and responsibly\u2014as I said a couple of weeks ago at Auckland Council, because over the last four years the council\u2019s spending on wages increased by $800 million, and, each year, the council now spends close to $900 million on salaries, on wages.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000794\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b7d8a6e554394f07aa675d9de0f65a8a\u0022\u003EMaureen Pugh\u003C/span\u003E: How much?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000795\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f926ac7223e24454b56b5e9384e88895\u0022\u003EDr JIAN YANG\u003C/span\u003E: Almost $900 million. So that\u2019s how much taxpayers\u2019 money is being used to pay a big local government. They employ about 12,000 staff\u201412,000 staff\u2014and among them, about 200 earn over $200,000 a year, and over 2,000 people earn over $100,000 a year. So this is a huge, huge salary and a huge local government. In comparison, Brisbane City Council\u2014similar size population\u2014has only 8,000 staff and only about 150 staff earning money over A$100,000. So this is a sharp difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000796\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003ENow, local councils need to deliver high-quality services. How to do that? We need to make sure they have well-defined responsibilities, and the core roles\u2014the core roles\u2014should be to provide local infrastructure, to provide local public services, and also they should focus on local regulatory functions. They should focus on all these areas at the least cost to households and businesses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000797\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003ENew Zealanders know how to use money, and therefore we should not randomly increase rates at local councils\u2019 wish. We must make sure local councils really focus on their real job. 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=\u00224cc7fbd054c84e2380b6b6e5ad5ef19e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000798\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224cc7fbd054c84e2380b6b6e5ad5ef19e\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK (Green):\u003C/span\u003E E Te M\u0101ngai. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000799\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ae5b791c5984e7aa5ae4d2436cfcfce\u0022\u003EJamie Strange\u003C/span\u003E: Bring a bit of sense to it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000800\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be4b038d261248a1b2187b4c7cec1dd0\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK\u003C/span\u003E: T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te M\u0101ngai. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou e Te Whare. It is my absolute pleasure to, in the words of one Jamie Strange, bring a little bit of sense to this debate. In response to what was just said by Dr Jian Yang, the previous speaker, about how we need to ensure that we are controlling rates, somehow, as central government\u2014I\u2019m not sure he quite understands the role of central government nor local government\u2014the point that I\u2019d really like to bring home to the House tonight, and, indeed, to all of the MPs, is who do we think we are? The reason that I ask that question is that what we\u2019re debating at the moment is the mandate of local elected members. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000801\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ESo frequently in this place and in the political debate, as has raged throughout this past election, and, indeed, subsequent to it, with the formation of the Government and, obviously, the Opposition too, has been this attempt to drive a wedge between rural communities and urban communities, while all the while, us in this place\u2014some politicians in here\u2014are saying that they know best what kinds of outcomes these communities are looking for. What we\u2019re saying on this side of the House, on the Government benches, is that we believe it should be up to those communities to decide what is best for them, and they do so, by way of local government. They elect these people to make decisions on their behalf. That is what a representative democracy is. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000802\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ESo this legislation, which the Green Party is very proud to support, does a number of things, but where the majority of the debate has centred has of course been on the four well-beings, with those four well-beings being social, economic, environmental, and cultural. The bill will seek to replace section 3(d), which currently reads: \u201Cprovides for local authorities to play a broad role in meeting the current and future needs of their communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulator functions.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000803\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EWhat previous speakers such as the likes of Darroch Ball from New Zealand First have touched on is that what this really myopic focus on cost and spending without any of the values that, obviously, inform those decisions has resulted in is councils being criticised for attempting to pay the living wage and for attempting to pay their employees properly the amount it costs to live in these cities that we so frequently debate\u2014the likes of Auckland and Wellington. For the sake of cost efficacy, these councils are currently constrained. But, again, I\u2019d really like to drive home the point that they get their mandate by way of being elected in the very same way that we here in this House do. So do we think we know better? Do we really think that we know better than the people who are actively at the coalface and the grassroots, talking to their communities on a day-by-day basis? It\u2019s incredibly prescriptive for us to think that we know better. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000804\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ESo, obviously, Denise Lee, a former councillor in Maungakiekie on Auckland Council, noted that our reversing this change implemented by the National Government to, indeed, remove the four well-beings was just a perception problem because the rolling back that the previous National Government did resulted in no major change in the way that councils operated. On that point, if the practice has continued despite the changes that the National Party sought to make, how out of touch is that? Seriously, how out of touch is it to think that we in this place know better and seek to prescribe what local communities should be doing? We make this massive change and, as a result, nothing happens\u2014no change comes about. Surely, with the likes of Local Government New Zealand\u2014a massive organisation that represents, in my understanding, by far the majority of the local councils around this country\u2014heralding in this change, celebrating this change, and representing all of these local governments, how is it that the Opposition is seeking to block this change? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000805\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI would also like to speak to the point from Jo Hayes. She said that rates will go up. I\u2019d really like to see some evidence of that, because there is, indeed, not one shred. As was mentioned by the speaker previous to myself, rates have gone up under the changes that the National Government made previously. So, again, these changes made by the previous Government did not do very much at all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000806\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EAnother change that we are making to the Local Government Act is to remove section 11A. That requires local authorities to have particular regard to a contribution specified as core services. Again, the Green Party is proud to support this change because it is prescriptive and undermining of the mandates that local councils and their elected members have by way of being elected by their local communities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000807\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EIt also restores local authority powers to collect development contributions for public amenities\u2014as was noted by Minister Nanaia Mahuta\u2014such as sportsgrounds, libraries, and swimming pools and for reserves from non-residential developments. The fourth change that it makes is in resolving a technical issue with development contributions that are stopping councils, currently, from accepting Housing Infrastructure Fund advances from the New Zealand Transport Agency to accelerate infrastructure for new development areas, which, surely, is something that we want to see. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000808\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ESo, in summation, I\u2019d like to state\u2014just really bringing it back to the issue of the four well-beings, which is absolutely the major point in contention tonight\u2014that the change that we\u2019re seeking to do here will provide \u201Cfor local authorities to play a broad role in promoting the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of their communities, taking a sustainable development approach.\u201D I\u2019m not sure how familiar my colleagues in the House are with the likes of sustainable development, but, broadly, what it actually means is investing money that is going to deliver long-term change that communities will accept. It won\u2019t be rejected by those communities. It will be adopted and it will, obviously, absolutely necessarily align with their well-beings, with those being social, economic, environmental, and cultural. The Green Party commends this bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022 data-id=\u0022dd28fc6e34b545ac83c3925cdd5e7183\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000809\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dd28fc6e34b545ac83c3925cdd5e7183\u0022\u003EHon NICKY WAGNER (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. I\u2019m very pleased to speak to this Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill about the four well-beings\u2014social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-beings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000810\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003ENow, National opposes this bill, and we oppose it because it\u2019s like going backwards. I was part of the first Local Government and Environment Committee, back in 2012, when we first heard the submissions on the 2012 bill, which changed the community well-beings and removed them. That change was, then, to reflect increasing concerns about rates that were going up. It was the fact that many councils were funding all sorts of fabulous projects from development contributions but many of the ratepayers were not convinced it was the right thing to do. We heard from them ad nauseam. Hundreds of them came to give submissions, and Mr Ball might be interested to know that it was not just the business community; it was ordinary Kiwis and, particularly, quite a lot of elderly Kiwis concerned about paying increasing rates on a fixed income.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000811\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThere was also an ongoing concern about the affordability of housing, and the fact that some councils were using development levies to fund infrastructure that was nice to have\u2014swimming pools, libraries, and those sorts of things\u2014but that was delivering amenity to a much wider community than the one that was actually paying for it, and, of course, that was making it difficult for young people, particularly first-home owners, to get into their own home. There\u2019s always a balance between what the community would like to have, in terms of amenity, and what they\u2019re prepared to pay for, and in my time working in local government, there was one hard and fast rule: ratepayers\u2014and taxpayers, actually\u2014want the very best facilities but they don\u2019t want to pay for them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000812\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EOne of the problems that we have is often, in terms of community consultation, we ask people, when we\u2019re considering a new project, \u201CWould you like a new swimming pool?\u201D And, of course, they say yes, but if you actually said to them, \u201CWould you like a new swimming pool\u2014and that will be $100 on your rates every year for the next 10 years?\u201D, there might be a different answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000813\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EI was actually wondering why the Government is actually bothering to do this\u2014except for the fact, of course, that it was Mr Eagle\u2019s member\u2019s bill\u2014because when you look at the regulatory impact statement about restoring the four well-beings, it says, and I quote from clause 36, \u201COur analysis is that the actual impact of the change[s] to the purpose of the local government on \u2026 decision-making, services and activities is likely to be low,\u201D. It has to be a symbolic bill, rather than one that\u2019s going to make a real difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000814\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EI remember those consultations on the 2012 amendments. There was a great divergence in opinion about what local government should be spending ratepayers\u2019 money on. We need to get the balance right this time. It\u2019s fine for Minister Nanaia Mahuta to talk about how it moves the focus back on to community decision-making\u2014everybody agrees with that; we don\u2019t want to tell them how to spend their money\u2014but there\u2019s not uniform agreement of what the community can and wants to afford. Many ratepayers feel absolutely disenfranchised and helpless as expectations of the community increase and rates skyrocket\u2014and, again, I refer back to elderly New Zealanders who are often on a fixed income.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000815\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EEvery ratepayer should be confident that the council is delivering good value for money in terms of rates, and that they can afford to continue to live in their homes in the future. They are happy to pay for the core roles of local government, but they want local government to be cost-effective, they want it to be efficient, and they want value for their rate money, and I absolutely support that. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022 data-id=\u0022b847a6fd68164072b63e02abc7a1867a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000816\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b847a6fd68164072b63e02abc7a1867a\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E Well, I found that most disappointing\u2014an MP who comes from Christchurch to be sitting there saying that local bodies should, fundamentally, stick to their knitting and should be worried about drains and roads. The fact of the matter is that councils around the country have been assiduously ignoring these reforms because they know that, in fact, it is their duty to look after ratepayers\u2014all ratepayers, young and old. Of all places, Christchurch is one where that absolutely stands out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000817\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EIf we think about these well-beings, we know economic well-being\u2019s important, we know we\u2019ve got to balance the books, and we know we\u2019ve got to deliver those core functions. That goes without saying. But to suggest that cities and regions should stand by whilst their environment is degraded, whilst their social fabric is degraded, and whilst their cultural heritage is eroded, it beggars belief. I commend the Minister for putting things back as they should. This is fantastic. Going back is not a bad thing when we should have never left there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000818\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EIf we look at what\u2019s gone on in Christchurch over the past years, we look at what the city has done\u2014and I commend Christchurch City Council for the innovative things they\u2019ve done to support their communities, despite everything and despite the shackles placed on it by the Local Government Act. We think of projects like Greening the Rubble, Life in Vacant Spaces, and Gap Filler\u2014groups of \u201Chippies\u201D making the place better, supported by things like the Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury District Health Board, because we know that health and wellness is critical to any city.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000819\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s no good having a city which has great roads and water if its people are broken, and that\u2019s what this Christchurch City Council has been doing: things like the Mayor\u2019s Welfare Fund, looking at vulnerable people and picking up the pieces where it has. The $10 million that this House knows is going to the refurbishment and restoration of the Christ Church Cathedral\u2014how can that fit in to the narrow shackles of the Act that the National Government left us with? That would leave us impoverished\u2014architecturally impoverished, our heritage would be impoverished, and our culture would be impoverished. That money is going back to restore our heritage. Heritage grants themselves\u2014the preservation of our valuable buildings\u2014don\u2019t fit within the core objectives that that party would have us constrain our local bodies to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000820\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EThe list is endless. The multicultural forum that is funded out of civic funds to ensure that our city is inclusive, that it\u2019s culturally diverse, and that it\u2019s welcoming\u2014that is absolutely part of the cultural wellness. I am very pleased that the city council now doesn\u2019t have to shirk and hide in the shadows; it can point to cultural wellness in saying, \u201CWe are mandated to spend this money\u201D\u2014on a multicultural forum, or on an international buskers\u2019 festival for the arts, or on a biodiversity fund to ensure that our environments are protected and preserved for everyone into the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000821\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EThe other thing that\u2019s important to note is that these wellnesses are not only just for now but they\u2019re for the future. This is a forward-looking piece of legislation, a piece of legislation which would protect us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000822\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s interesting that we heard the former member for Christchurch Central berating us for passing this, but look what Local Government New Zealand said. They are delighted\u2014the local governments from around the country are delighted to see the introduction of this bill; they congratulate the Government. This is widely supported throughout the country\u2014we know that\u2014because cities have been strangled by the constraints put on local government previously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000823\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s also interesting to note that many public health scholars have identified the role of city councils in improving public health and especially mental health. So we\u2019ve got, for example, Dr Tara Kessaram, who in 2013 looked at these reforms. She noted, and I quote, \u201Cthe shift towards a stronger economic focus, the challenge to local democratic participation, and the potential impact on wellbeing from the undervaluing of [the] local government\u2019s role in affecting the wider determinants of health, may jeopardise the health, representation, and participation of the present and future generations of New Zealand society.\u201D And you know what? That was prescient, because that\u2019s exactly what happened.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000824\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003ELocal bodies were unable to look after their people because the National Government said, \u201CLook after your roads but don\u2019t worry about your people. You can run down your people but keep your sewers going.\u201D We know how important core services are, we know that we\u2019ve got to keep our water clean and drinkable, but we\u2019ve got to look after our people, too, and look after our environment so that not only now but in the future our cities will be fantastic places to live, and that\u2019s what this does.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EThis Government has stopped thinking about one bottom line. We recognise that there\u2019s a whole lot of measures that we\u2019ve got to measure ourselves by, and I am very proud to be part of a Government that recognises social, environmental, and cultural well-being as well as economic well-being. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u0022fbb3bceeffd145eb9bd11ddf2a3134ab\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000826\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fbb3bceeffd145eb9bd11ddf2a3134ab\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It hasn\u2019t happened to me very often in this House, but tonight I\u2019ve had an epiphany. It just dawned on me. I\u2019ve been reading the debate notes on this particular bill, and it\u2019s just dawned on me, after listening to Mr Webb over there, what this bill is probably all about. He\u2019s talked about the well-beings, but then he\u2019s gone on to talk about local government providing social support, providing heritage support, and talking about health. This here is a divesting of the responsibility of central government and pushing it back down on to local government and the ratepayers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000827\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EWell, Mr Webb, I can tell you that the ratepayers will not thank you for that. That is the role of central government, and for someone who\u2019s got such a tight budget coming into their first round of budgeting, I can see what the motivation is: you are trying to push all this back down on to the ratepayer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000828\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002258823c5d874d444b8b5ab716b8822eec\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Actually, I\u2019m not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000829\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002245b8f9b6cc6f44cfa59a1a87f5183a52\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH\u003C/span\u003E: I can recall back in\u2014Mr Webb is attempting to push it back to the ratepayers, Madam Deputy Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000830\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EI do recall back in 2002 the unsettling effect that the legislation had around the local government sector when the well-beings were first introduced by the Labour Party. It was unsettling because it meant that any active lobby group could justify any project under those headings of well-being, and it opened a huge can of worms. And the problem with these things, that are what we used to call in the local government sector the \u201Cnice-to-haves\u201D, is that these lobby groups will lobby really hard to get their \u201Cnice-to-have\u201D project, but then they\u2019re usually the same people that will come along at annual plan time and complain about the rate increases. And these \u201Cnice-to-haves\u201D are a very slow creep. You get a new project one year, you get another project the next year, but actually, the ongoing costs of these projects are continual, because someone has to maintain them; someone has to repair them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000831\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EWell, then, in 2012, the Local Government Act was amended and the well-beings were removed, and guess what? The sky didn\u2019t fall in, and it didn\u2019t stop the councils from doing the things that they needed to do. It didn\u2019t stop them investing in libraries or pools or playgrounds or parks, but what it did do was refocus back on their core responsibilities. \u201CRats, roads, rubbish, and water\u201D\u2014that\u2019s what we used to call it. What they want to know is when they turn on the tap, the water will run and it will be clean drinking-water. What they want to know is that when they put their bag out once a week, someone is going to come and pick it up and take it to a transfer station. What they want to know is that their roads, when they come out of their driveway, are going to be sealed and safe. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000832\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s one other point I would like to make about these particular well-beings. It is that when you\u2019ve got a large council, these costs are spread across a large number of ratepayers, but I can understand that it is more palatable to make these changes for a Government that\u2019s lost sight of the regions. And the small councils that are running and managing those small regions\u2014they don\u2019t have the same economies of scale, so those \u201Cnice-to-haves\u201D actually do have a much higher impact per ratepayer. I can tell you that in Auckland, I believe that the average rates up there are about a thousand dollars. Well, in some of those regions it\u2019s three times that amount. They can\u2019t afford the added cost of these \u201Cnice-to-haves\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000833\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EThis side of the House is opposed to this bill. We believe that local councils are the best managers of their money, and we do not support this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u0022dda5ac74feb6431984e54cf5409ec77b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000834\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dda5ac74feb6431984e54cf5409ec77b\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The next call is a split call between Labour and ACT, and I call Ginny Andersen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022 data-id=\u0022a5f9a33fc0584a0a80aa2e6ba3e561ff\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000835\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a5f9a33fc0584a0a80aa2e6ba3e561ff\u0022\u003EVIRGINIA ANDERSEN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill. First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge my colleagues Nanaia Mahuta and Paul Eagle for bringing this piece of legislation this far, and what a good bill it is. It\u2019s a good bill because it acknowledges the importance of local and central government working together, and that is long overdue in New Zealand. If you ask any person when you are out on the streets\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000836\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291bd5b07c4c345f2aee195d8270304ee\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I don\u2019t want to ask.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000837\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dedf2aba593b44ecaeb306158963b3d9\u0022\u003EVIRGINIA ANDERSEN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014about the issues that concern them, it is the issues that are affecting people on a day-to-day basis. It\u2019s about having a home that\u2019s warm and dry, about having transport that\u2019s affordable and accessible, and it\u2019s about having things like parks for children to play in\u2014preferably those that have a public toilet, and even ones where mums and dads can get a coffee. Those are the types of things that people want in their home communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000838\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EThis piece of legislation restores the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of our communities, and it acknowledges the fact that it is people, not just things and roads and buildings, that connect us. It is those communities that we want local bodies to be taking control of when they wish to do so. I have some very good examples of how that operates where I come from in Hutt South. It empowers councils to be able to work with their communities and give them those things that are required. It reduces compliance exercises of councils having to identify how a particular activity meets the constrained statutory purpose that\u2019s in the current legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000839\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EA good example that has already been mentioned tonight is the living wage. The Hutt City Council expressed a clear desire to pay its staff the living wage: 232 staff earned less than $20.20 an hour. That came to an annual cost of $560,000 a year. When the local living wage group lobbied and worked with councillors to make that change, the view that was taken was that special legal advice was sought, and once that legal advice was provided, it was put forward that only the most cost-effective option could be taken. As a result of that legal advice, the living wage was not able to be paid to those 232 people\u2014those people who did some of the hardest jobs and were paid the least amount of people, on a daily basis; not earning $20 an hour.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000840\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EI\u2019m proud to see a piece of legislation put through from this House that will change the lives of people where I come from, and give a basic wage in an area that is long overdue. In that process, I would like to acknowledge local councillors who have lobbied hard for this change to take place: Campbell Barry, Josh Briggs, and local advocates such as Muriel T\u016Bnoho, who have worked hard to represent those who don\u2019t have a voice. I\u2019m proud to see a piece of legislation where central and local government will be working together to give our communities the basics they need to get by.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000841\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EThe second area I would like to touch on is housing. We\u2019ve got some exciting developments happening in Hutt South, particularly in \u0112puni, where we will have Housing New Zealand properties of social housing and KiwiBuild. Those areas are fantastic opportunities for our local council to be providing services to those people who need assistance. There is a strong appetite from our Hutt City Council to be able to do that. It\u2019s great to see a piece of legislation that empowers local councils to be involved with new developments that central government is developing, and to be able to give people those services to make lives better, to give people the care and support they need to get on, get a job, pay their rent, and have a happy, well-balanced life. That is what this Government is about, and I am proud to see a piece of legislation that works from top down to the bottom to give everyone in New Zealand a fair go. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022de8cc9c769594990bdab7d78d7b1ad3e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000842\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022de8cc9c769594990bdab7d78d7b1ad3e\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I rise on behalf of the ACT Party in opposition to this Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill\u2014but it should be called the \u201CLocal Government (Puppy Dogs and Ice Cream) Amendment Bill\u201D, because, like so much of what this Government gets up to, it is built on the myth that if only the intentions are good, the results will follow, and as this Government is going to find out, painfully over three years, the real world don\u2019t work like that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000843\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThis bill takes the Local Government Act and changes it to take away the important features that stipulate what local government should be doing and says that local government can just do whatever it feels like. At the moment, the bill says that the purpose of local government is that local authorities should play a broad role in meeting the current and future needs of their communities for good quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions. Under the current Act, local government is given some actual tasks and responsibilities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000844\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EUnder this bill\u2014and it\u2019s only four short pages, but it goes to the heart of what local government is supposed to do\u2014it says that local government should \u201Cplay a broad role in promoting the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of their communities \u2026 taking a sustainable development approach.\u201D What does that mean? Well, for local government, it means they can justify any activity they want at cost to ratepayers. That is why this is not the community well-being bill; it is the \u201CPuppy Dogs and Ice Cream Local Government Bill\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000845\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd it gets worse: we get on a few sections later and we, again, attack the purpose of local government. At the moment, the purpose of local government, according to the Local Government Act, is to \u201C[meet] the current and future needs of \u2026 communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and [the] performance of regulatory functions.\u201D, in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses. Well, that\u2019s not going to be there any more; that\u2019s going to be gone. It\u2019s going to say, \u201CAs long as the council thinks it\u2019s doing the right thing, then that\u2019s OK and forget cost-effectiveness for households and businesses.\u201D This is rate increases telegraphed from Parliament, through your local council, coming to a town near you\u2014not you, Madam Deputy Speaker, but the people waiting at home who actually have to work hard, earn the money, and pay those rates.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000846\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd it gets worse: at the moment, the Local Government Act says that good quality services are \u201Cefficient; [are] effective \u2026 and appropriate to present and anticipated future circumstances.\u201D That\u2019s gone completely. Efficiency, effectiveness\u2014this Government is actively bringing a bill to the House to try and make sure that local government won\u2019t be effective or efficient. If it wasn\u2019t so serious, it would be hilarious. But it is serious, because I can tell the Government that people in the real world, such as the Epsom electorate, know that they want a local government that delivers those services which have no substitute in private markets, that central government doesn\u2019t provide. They want their council to provide those things at the most efficient and effective cost possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000847\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s bad enough now, but once the last remaining restraints on local government, the last remaining requirements for local government to perform efficiently and effectively are proactively removed by this Government\u2014would you believe it\u2014then local government is going to have a field day at the ratepayers\u2019 expense, and those real problems we have in Auckland, those real problems like raw sewage getting washed into the Waitemat\u0101 and Manukau Harbours when it rains too much, those real problems like people that get sewage going down the creek at the back of their house in Remuera when it rains too much\u2014those will remain unfixed. Those real problems like the shortage of infrastructure, those real problems like the lack of affordable housing for the next generation of New Zealanders\u2014those will remain unfixed by local government, which, under this bill, no longer has to be efficient and effective. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000848\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003ERather than solving the real problems at a cost-effective rate for ratepayers up and down this country, local government will be pursuing puppy dogs and ice cream, and that\u2019s why the ACT Party opposes this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022 data-id=\u0022bd968237108b4ca19b18659d3d28a456\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000849\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bd968237108b4ca19b18659d3d28a456\u0022\u003EANDREW FALLOON (National\u2014Rangitata):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to speak tonight on the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill. I wanted to start by responding to some of the comments that have been made across the House tonight. The first one was Miss Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick from the Green Party. She mentioned during her address that she urged the Opposition MPs to listen to ratepayers\u2014to listen to ratepayers. Well, actually, Miss Swarbrick, that\u2019s exactly what we did when National were in Government. I think Nicky Wagner, when she was Minister, and certainly during her time before that as the local MP in Christchurch Central, listened to ratepayers at length, and that\u2019s why we eventually passed the law in the way that we did in the last term.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000850\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003EI want to, I guess, caution some MPs across the other side\u2014perhaps, like I am, new MPs\u2014about listening to councils and thinking that is a proxy for talking to ratepayers. It\u2019s not. Of course councils are going to have a view about what they want to spend money on, but, actually, it\u2019s ratepayers who have to pay for it, not the councils.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000851\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003EI also wanted to touch on some comments made by Mr Paul Eagle. Now, as Paul mentioned, he was recently a Wellington City councillor and, in fact, wanted to bring this bill up as a member\u2019s bill. I congratulate him for wanting to do that. But it does intrigue me, because I just wonder to myself: you know, did he get a phone call, perhaps, from Minister Nanaia Mahuta saying that she was going to be picking up the bill, perhaps right before he had that phone call with his local panel beater? The reason it does intrigue me, though, is in terms of the substance of the bill. The legislation at the moment says \u201Cto meet current \u2026 future needs of communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses.\u201D That is the legislation at the moment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000852\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003ESo my question for members opposite is: what in there do they disagree with? What in there do they disagree with? Actually, there\u2019s a whole range of things that councils can do within that current framework. I look at my local area of Ashburton, where we\u2019ve had the council fund things like a brand new art gallery, a brand new museum, they built a lake, and, more recently, they\u2019ve put in a new swimming and sporting centre\u2014those are all things that have been done without this legislation being in place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000853\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003ESo I ask members opposite: what problem is it they\u2019re trying to fix? It brings me to the last sentence of that passage, which is \u201Cin a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses.\u201D I think that is the thing that members opposite object to. They hate the idea of Government and local government being accountable for every dollar they spend. That\u2019s the reason we oppose it, and that\u2019s the reason I\u2019ll vote against it tonight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022 data-id=\u00223d21c21c201d4dfa8a2071d733e94de5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000854\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223d21c21c201d4dfa8a2071d733e94de5\u0022\u003EANAHILA KANONGATA\u2019A-SUISUIKI (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s an absolute privilege to be the last speaker on this Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill, and I will take a very short speech. I just want to acknowledge the leadership of Nanaia Mahuta. This bill reminds me of a whakatauk\u012B that says, \u201CKa p\u016B te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi\u201D\u2014as an old net withers, another is remade. Or you could say, \u201CWhen an elder is no longer fit to lead, a healthier leader will take its place.\u201D, and that\u2019s what this bill is about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000855\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003EI want to just remind the House, because I\u2019ve got not very long to go: the purpose of this amendment is about amended section 3(d), inserted by clause 4\u2014there are other purposes, but section 3(d) \u201Cprovides for local authorities to play a broad role in promoting the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of \u2026 communities, taking a sustainable development approach.\u201D I want to end on well-being. Well-being is about being comfortable, being healthy, and happy, and all the people across the House, they spoke today\u2014tonight, their speech was about taxpayers, about ratepayers. I put it to the members across the House: everybody that lives in a community contributes to paying tax, contributes to paying rates. It is about everybody, and therefore, I support this bill and I commend it to the House. Malo.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022246618209f0845ad89c66882d6ee2905\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 63\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 46; New Zealand First 9; Green Party 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 57\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 56; ACT New Zealand 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EBill read a first time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000856\u0022\u003EBill referred to the Governance and Administration Committee.\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=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000857\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220a5af54c47374eb2b5e6d477f824d930\u0022\u003ELocal Electoral Matters Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000858\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e3dc530c5f584669ba000730771f4aad\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u0022624b7af55d2c45d3bb44888ebfcc5e35\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000859\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022624b7af55d2c45d3bb44888ebfcc5e35\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Local Government):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Local Electoral Matters Bill be now read a first time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000860\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThis bill amends the Local Electoral Act 2001 and the Electoral Act 1993. I nominate the Justice Committee to consider the bill. Local government representation in local elections is a key component of our democratic system of government in New Zealand. Improving civic participation in local government is one of my key focus areas for the local government portfolio. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000861\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EEffective local democracy requires ongoing engagement between citizens and communities with their local councils throughout the local authority planning and electoral cycles. However, the reality is that for many New Zealanders, filling out their ballot papers every three years is the main way that they seek to influence decision making in local government. It is, therefore, vital that we look for opportunities to ensure that voting in local elections is as easy and accessible as possible. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000862\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EWhen the Local Electoral Act was enacted, it provided for the two most popular voting methods at the time: postal voting and polling booth voting. However, the legislation still envisaged and made provision for the possibility of other voting methods in the future, such as electronic online voting. We are now at the point where trialling alternative voting methods is important for the health of local elections. The changing make-up of New Zealand\u2019s postal services creates increasing challenges for local authorities to deliver postal voting effectively and affordably. Innovation is required to adapt to changing times, and technology will certainly play its part. Also, there is the changing public expectation about how people want to engage with central government and local government in the democratic process. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000863\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe changes in this bill are a first step in a wider work programme to improve the operation and effectiveness of local elections. This work will be undertaken in partnership with the local government sector. The programme\u2019s objectives focus on two imperatives: the ongoing need to support local democracy by ensuring all electors have a reasonable and an equal opportunity to vote in local elections, and the need to develop a sustainable platform for the efficient conduct of local elections into the future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000864\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill has been developed in response to requests from local government representatives for legislative tools to support robust voting method trials. In particular, the local government sector representatives wish to proceed as soon as possible with a trial of online voting at local elections. I support this objective and have asked officials to work closely with the local government sector to advance this goal. The Government and the local government sector partners intend that the experience gained from the first trials of online voting will inform the wider work on improvements to the local electoral framework that I referred to earlier. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000865\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe New Zealand Society of Local Government Managers and Local Government New Zealand were consulted during the drafting of this bill to check its workability, and they support its proposals. This bill includes several small, but important, amendments to the local electoral framework to enable local electoral arrangements to adapt to changing circumstances. The bill will enable better design for trials of new voting methods such as online voting, and these changes will support work with the local government sector to develop alternative voting methods, so that local authorities have more choices to respond to how their constituents want to cast ballots in local elections. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000866\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003ESpecifically, the bill will allow for enabling regulations, so that a voting method can be offered to a specified subset of electors at an election for the purposes of a trial. For example, a large local authority could offer online voting alongside postal voting to named categories of electors, such as overseas electors, disabled electors, or electors within a particular ward, or a combination of these. This provides a mechanism to limit the risks of trialling a new voting method in a very large council district such as Auckland. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000867\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill will clarify that electors\u2019 age group information may be provided and used for the purposes of analysing participation in local elections. This change has two benefits. Firstly, it will allow for effective evaluation of future trials of new voting methods, using age group demographics. This analysis will inform further iterations and improvement of the design of the new method. Secondly, this change will ensure that any local authority can access this information at any time in order to improve its understanding of voter turnout and to support efforts to improve voter participation in that local authority area. Finally, the bill will allow the Electoral Commission to provide date of birth information it holds to local authorities where this is required for conducting a local election. This will allow date of birth information to be utilised in the design of a new voting method as a factor to authenticate electors\u2019 identities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000868\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EMaintaining public confidence in the integrity of local government elections is a critical consideration in any innovation such as this. Providing additional authentication options to use when designing a trial of a new system provides a larger tool kit of options to support that confidence. Of course, adequate protections are needed so this information can only be accessed by local authorities when necessary, and to ensure it is securely managed. This bill requires that the enabling regulations for any new voting method that use date of birth information also prescribe measures to prevent unauthorised access or use of that information. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000869\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThis bill is an important first step to ensuring we have an enduring framework for efficient and effective local elections that can adapt to changing circumstances in the use of technology, for example. The changes in this bill, together with the wider work programme to improve the effective operation of local elections, will support local democracy and increase participation, we hope, by ensuring all electors have a reasonable and equal opportunity to vote in local elections. I commend the bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u00220d3b487ebc284806aa1613ef0cb40124\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000870\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220d3b487ebc284806aa1613ef0cb40124\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (National\u2014Nelson):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. National will be supporting this bill to select committee, but I have to say that I am underwhelmed by the minor nature of this bill. Any member of this House that seriously believes these couple of minor tinkers are going to make any substantive difference to the participation of electors in local body elections is on the wrong planet. It really does speak volumes that the Government is only six months into office, and the biggest local government change we\u2019ve got is minor tinkering, as is proposed in this bill. You could hardly justify the expense of Parliament\u2019s time for how minor these provisions are. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000871\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003ENow, listening to the waffle of the Minister, let me provide clarity for the House about what the bill does. The Local Electoral Act already allows for trials of online voting. The only change we\u2019re making is that they can conduct it in a ward rather than district-wide. The only other change of any substance that\u2019s being made is that the Electoral Commission is going to be able to provide councils and researchers with age-related group data around participation in votes. I hate to use the phrase, but \u201Cbig deal!\u201D Really? Is that the substance of what the Government\u2019s going to do to improve that important local government sector, that uses up more than six billion bucks of public money for each year? \u201CIs this it?\u201D, I say to members opposite. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000872\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003ENow, we are quite open-minded about online voting. We should be open about the fact that, actually, in countries like Norway, where it has been trialled, they subsequently have not continued with it. It has not given the expectations of increased levels of participation and there have been real issues with the integrity of their voting system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000873\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000874\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 10 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180411a327e121d6ed4d5aaf39d9683cc89850000875\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"