"\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=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00227a20b981501945dfb428165132191fe4\u0022\u003ETHURSDAY, 7 MARCH 2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002289c998f59f7d4ddaa400e527e5fc9e6e\u0022\u003ETHURSDAY, 7 MARCH 2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000002\u0022\u003EThe Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000004\u0022\u003EKarakia.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cf13f9193d41483ab8b152aea48d6a43\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b2580aba6e344270ba610cd658891fc7\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022f27fb509900a40ff95760a4da0670214\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f27fb509900a40ff95760a4da0670214\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E Legislation to be considered next week will include the third reading of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2018-19, Modernising Tax Administration, and Remedial Matters) Bill, the first reading of the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, the second reading of the Local Electoral Matters Bill, the committee stages of the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill, the Accident Compensation Amendment Bill, the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Amendment Bill, and the Commerce (Criminalisation of Cartels) Amendment Bill. The second reading of the Ng\u0101ti Rangi Claims Settlement Bill will take place on Thursday, 14 March.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022d826b05978324c7889a1d4214a202fac\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d826b05978324c7889a1d4214a202fac\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National\u2014Ilam):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, thank you. I want to first thank the Leader of the House for the outline of the Government\u2019s forward legislative proposals. I have two matters that I\u2019d like to get clarified if we could.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EFirst, can he further inform the House if it\u2019s his intention to seek House time to give effect to the comments by the Minister of Research, Science and Innovation this week that there will be a Taxation (Research and Development Tax Credits) Bill passed and enacted by 1 April 2019.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003ESecondly, is it the Government\u2019s intention to adopt the members\u2019 bill, Broadcasting (Games of National Significance) Amendment Bill (No 2), in the name of Clayton Mitchell, to ensure that all New Zealanders can watch the Rugby World Cup free to air later this year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022a525560c34894da994edff5dc1b60e34\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a525560c34894da994edff5dc1b60e34\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E With regard to the first matter, that bill has already been passed. With regard to the second matter, that\u2019s a member\u2019s bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00229ae338f2443b4619997d0eaed9b1a7ae\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229ae338f2443b4619997d0eaed9b1a7ae\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National\u2014Ilam):\u003C/span\u003E No, no. You\u2019ve got the wrong bill. The bill I\u2019m questioning about is still in a select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022cb08012d3ee747b686bc26e143034a19\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cb08012d3ee747b686bc26e143034a19\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Right. Well, I do expect\u2014given the clear difference\u2014that if the Leader of the House is inaccurate, he will come back in and correct during the afternoon. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00226be03665bc3741be8d658ba4b70868c8\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228a302e360b8b45bb82d248de93223703\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002278a47fe168ef49c3b1e0c9b03f7c8c02\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 1\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022 data-id=\u0022a919bf736e57467fa21e698b2e4c5d09\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a919bf736e57467fa21e698b2e4c5d09\u0022\u003EHon AMY ADAMS (National\u2014Selwyn)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Does he have responsibility for the Government\u2019s consideration and response to the Tax Working Group report?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u002214e221279c7f46dc9adb7778dc7440d5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002214e221279c7f46dc9adb7778dc7440d5\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E As a member of Cabinet, I am one of the Ministers responsible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d59166ea9a44bdd9ec2dbadd0bf2b50\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: He can\u2019t give a straight answer to anything.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a63de78b08a54d66bf225025298159e9\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Was that the member who interjected or was it someone else?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227e5c430d5f2e406e9c58e70728aa3147\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: I did interject.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022586bbffae78b4b1f8cc7c1bb0a5a33a4\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the member either wants to ask a supplementary or she is going to object. When the Minister finishes his answer she takes the choice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb4d16340b0c4a41bc14796a5934b99e\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Why is Sir Michael Cullen to be paid more than $1,000 a day of taxpayer funds to engage in political debate for four months after the Tax Working Group has been disbanded, including two months after the Government will have announced its own position?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ab71b05b63645058bc8c8b1ed66db27\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Sir Michael has had his contract extended because it\u2019s necessary to respond to all of the misrepresentation and lies about the report.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002299755051770f40df9735d3c66af1d346\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen the remarks from former Labour Party chief of staff Neale Jones that Dr Cullen wading into the political debate over capital gains tax isn\u2019t helpful and that Dr Cullen\u2019s comments are highly political?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a593d6afd5544021ab6338918b14eaa7\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: No, I haven\u2019t seen those comments, but I am aware of the last Tax Working Group in 2010 set up by the previous Government where, several weeks after that was released, the chair of it, Mr Bob Buckle, was making a number of comments in the media.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022243dc2ae7d3b4a079398035c5e2a5a68\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Was any thought given, then, to extending the contracts of any of the dissenting members of the Tax Working Group to help inform the debate? [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220e9ed245a3094b94856120100394affd\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Yes, the member knows exactly who was\u2014if I can hear the member from here he must have been making a very loud noise, Mr Woodhouse.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aafe6743de364d9d9e0287452bc3bc08\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Sir Michael is the chair of the working group. It\u2019s appropriate that his term is extended.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022edf54bfe3f514ed98e43c4ef2903bfea\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Is it appropriate that Treasury officials were used to send out a press release from Sir Michael Cullen on Monday evening attacking the Opposition, and Treasury officials were provided as the media point of contact for follow-ups?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef7f908814e741edb992fe81d2d46f98\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Those officials are the secretariat for the Tax Working Group.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002221bf59afd3fd4c699328c906fb1e2a95\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. That\u2019s a useful statement, but the question was about the appropriateness of Treasury officials being used in that way. To simply state that, I don\u2019t think addresses the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022162adec927d143d489631ea6ec167831\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And the Minister will answer it again. I think if he added\u2014all he has to do is add one word to it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002292c2d95bb36f4d8cb7ba0c9d46c3e828\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m not a person to only add one word when you give me an opportunity. The officials who sent out the press release are those who have worked as the secretariat of the Tax Working Group. It\u2019s appropriate for people who are the secretariat of the working group to work as the secretariat of the working group.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221cec270a4ae947eca4e938ef22ad0e80\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Was Treasury instructed by either Sir Michael Cullen, the Minister, or his office to send out a political press release attacking the National Party?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d64560d783c34f279681c8d98b42d76a\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: No. Sir Michael Cullen is the chair of the Tax Working Group and he\u2019s responding to the misinformation being spread about the report.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c941a421eb974f9a8be20610064f3d90\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Government\u2019s position that the public should first be consulted from one end of the country to the other\u2014business and workers and unions, the whole country\u2014as a proper way of consultation, rather than opening one\u2019s mouth and letting the wind blow one\u2019s tongue around?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eff893f53aa44d3ca0ace7a5c7c6b71e\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s very important that we listen to the views of New Zealanders. One of those views was a farmer who I saw on TVNZ last night, who was one of the few people to attend a meeting that Nathan Guy organised, and when he was asked whether or not income should all be taxed the same, he couldn\u2019t answer, he said, because he might get in trouble with the National Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cbd99f02685e4f2d81a31a1c16054324\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Isn\u2019t having Treasury officials send out Sir Michael Cullen\u2019s political press releases after the working group has been disbanded just another example of the politicisation of the Public Service that\u2019s happening under that Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221c02146c447f47efa3e6c0770375394b\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: No, it\u2019s an example of a Treasury official having access to a computer and sending out the words of Sir Michael Cullen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d001ba3201b4e45a8b2ba8ebed180c9\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Has he had any advice or contact from the State Services Commission about Sir Michael Cullen\u2019s Monday press release sent out by Treasury?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286b0841e28fc4a73972473f9b2a06472\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: No. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eab6050c2b2c4f388fd3294a4d04a9f1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Come on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EQuestion time interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022546440d7840f46218b52723446aef639\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002298e0c05722af474f9d386b1baaaffc4c\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00229a24f1901cee44b799132f8b9116623c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229a24f1901cee44b799132f8b9116623c\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I have had some further advice; Mr Brownlee is correct. The tax R \u0026amp; D bill is still before the select committee. It is due to be reported back shortly and it will be passed by early May, but the provisions in it are retrospective and take effect from 1 April.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EOral questions resumed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d28be4216ee042859067ee94ad7b8ac7\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022bc6a860fad5e4f1a87250cd81b489987\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ed21fdccdf7b4231bc2dfa19f0e92d0c\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2\u2014Housing and Urban 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=\u0022c9ba73a899b141979cff0b73e2bba165\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c9ba73a899b141979cff0b73e2bba165\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (National\u2014Papakura)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: How is he ensuring there is actual demand for the place and type of houses he is contracting for KiwiBuild?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u0022a9a2b951d3264e658bc7e5d3af82fa2a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a9a2b951d3264e658bc7e5d3af82fa2a\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development):\u003C/span\u003E The ministry advised me that they take 10 key steps to assess the level of demand for affordable housing and the locations in which it builds KiwiBuild homes: analysing the number of registrants on the KiwiBuild register in the relevant location and the typologies for which they\u2019ve registered; analysing census data to assess the number of households with incomes sufficient to service a mortgage at KiwiBuild price points; analysing Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment data regarding the number of renting households in the area and the dollar value of the bonds lodged to assess how many households in the area can afford to service a KiwiBuild mortgage; analysing recent sales data in the area to assess the volume, value, and type of sales; assessing how many properties are for sale in the area and the average time taken for them to sell; talking to market participants such as valuers and real estate agents; contracting experts to provide opinions on these factors; obtaining a registered valuation; determining how many other KiwiBuild developments are going on in the area; and analysing local government plans and urban development strategies or targeted urban growth areas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s important to note that the housing and urban development ministry is trying to predict demand for something which doesn\u2019t exist in the current market: affordable housing. And, in some cases, the proposals are in new subdivisions, where historic data is either non-existent or not directly relevant.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022761bc7a627534777b81ff3dc5504c856\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Has his demand modelling considered specific demand for two-bedroom houses in places such as Huapai, north-west of Auckland?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002263cc85f7923545c5804053f805764966\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b23ade4f0773427daf8ebadc6b05aa3c\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: If a demand model said a house would be sold but it was offered to the market and not sold, would he believe the demand model or would he believe the market?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220acdfee9c1d74aa2a0fe6a9644400d30\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, that\u2019s a hypothetical, particularly in the case of Huapai.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022651092f1784247bfb7e743fb37346c5a\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: How do taxpayers benefit from underwriting houses in Huapai based on demand that has been modelled?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c753a2c701647d98ac465741dd124ad\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, taxpayers benefit and first-home buyers benefit when the organisation that the KiwiBuild unit contracts in Huapai, with one of the country\u2019s leading residential builders, Mike Greer Homes, to build affordable homes at a price and a quantity that otherwise would not have happened, as Mike Greer himself has said in the media. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6f8f4e522ad4874aada7f1c057be114\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member\u2019s got to call if he wants to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222bda2616cd714dc29a47c6f90e68849a\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: I did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228d9aed363f1f47a5bd54602058712997\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, well, not very loud, and he sat down afterwards as the Minister of Finance\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c41d13628c2419f83eb4264427687b0\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary, Mr Speaker. What work has the ministry undertaken to work out expected demand in each region?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224b77f379d6594e96b65df6a775ca68ee\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, as part of the establishment of KiwiBuild, officials provided an analysis of housing demand in key locations, and this reflects the difference between population growth adjusted for household size and the number of building consents issued between 2006 and 2017. That analysis showed that Auckland, during that period, developed a shortfall of over 44,000 homes; Wellington, 9,000 homes; Hamilton, nearly 6,000 homes; Napier-Hastings, nearly 1,800; and Queenstown Lakes was 1,600 homes short.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227ecf43a84c894bb08e8c3bafc381d20c\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: How does the KiwiBuild underwrite increase supply when photos show the houses in Huapai were already clad and roofed in September 2018, two months before he signed the underwrite?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ecb78dd86f884bb79883404f50190bd7\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Because, as Mike Greer himself explained in the media, he\u2019d been negotiating with the KiwiBuild unit for several months while he put that development together, and, as he said, the KiwiBuild underwrite allowed him to build a larger development with more affordable homes. It reduced his financing costs, enabled him to reduce his margin and build more affordable homes, and that\u2019s why the KiwiBuild homes are at a lower price than the other homes in that development.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203fd34e5ba8f407e834e9957c0ae47d5\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Dealing with the issue of supply-side economics raised by the Hon Judith Collins, is it not a fact that last year the Government and the people of this country built more houses than any year since 1978?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb9a3f9e03374e4d8fa4ac099a1f61b3\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, it\u2019s true that the Government is building, currently, more homes than has ever been the case since 1978. And the consent numbers\u2014the private sector consenting numbers, a partial indicator of success\u2014demonstrate that we have the highest build rate now since 2004.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a2acef0b497f4869a7c2b9dd46f95750\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Did he inform the Minister of Finance that the Huapai properties were already clad and roofed two months before he asked the Minister of Finance to sign the approval to underwrite?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b31c5b0526d417e8fcb54f2db2a914d\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019ll have to ask the Minister of Finance. But, as the member says, he signed off the documents.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232dad043c7644717a6202addd75cfbe7\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No. That answer is not good enough\u2014did he tell the Minister of Finance? Saying you\u2019ve got to ask the Minister of Finance\u2014he might have responsibility for what he hears, but the Minister has a responsibility for what he said.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cf6b160e4354f37840e5c9c229a637e\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: No. I did not tell the Minister of Finance, because he\u2019s aware he signed off all of the documents on that project.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022efcbd00ae81a423786e22e7ee6a3106a\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Well, if the Minister says that the Minister of Finance was aware when he signed off the documents but he didn\u2019t tell him, how does he believe that the Minister of Finance was aware?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a8a9d31f3a4c4ab182e6aaa26dc9d718\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker, I think I\u2019ve answered that question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225fa883e525534f8fb18111fd9e560e08\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No. I think, if the member has answered, it\u2019s passed some of us by, so answer it again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf414a83ab2d46a08f38fad73bec1636\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: So, as I pointed out to the member earlier, I did not directly inform the Minister of Finance, but the Minister of Finance is familiar with that project because he signed off all the documents relating to it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229580eedf460a46e8a873bef974511786\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: How many other times has he approved underwrites for houses to be built when they have been already built?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002209a514bd5d944a3d8ffa6b2e39fc6b1e\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: I can\u2019t give a direct number on that, but the member needs to understand that we are in the business of getting affordable homes built, something that that Government never did, for nine years. I point her again to the comments of Mike Greer, who said that he was able to, because of KiwiBuild support, build more homes at a more affordable price than he would otherwise have been able to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a6aa454b2c12477d85781997d0967546\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022 data-id=\u0022155849fbefe8451a90a15ab3132f575e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022155849fbefe8451a90a15ab3132f575e\u0022\u003EWILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he seen on the international view of the New Zealand economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u00229fc084cb76254634b11179afaa607d0c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229fc084cb76254634b11179afaa607d0c\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I\u2019ve seen a range of reports that take a favourable view of recent developments in New Zealand and see a positive outlook for the economy, in particular from the global ratings agencies. Moody\u2019s latest credit opinion for the Government reaffirmed its Aaa stable credit rating. Moody\u2019s said, \u201CThe outlook is anchored by its expectation that, even in the face of shocks, New Zealand\u2019s credible institutions with highly effective policymaking and ample policy space will maintain economic and financial stability\u201D. Moody\u2019s commented on the Government\u2019s use of the well-being Budget, saying that the Government\u2019s \u201COngoing focus on well-being denotes [its] very high institutional capacity and fiscal flexibility\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EIn its latest credit opinion, Standard \u0026amp; Poor\u2019s (S \u0026amp; P) revised its outlook on New Zealand\u2019s AA foreign and AA\u002B local currency credit ratings up to positive from stable. In its report titled \u201CNew Zealand\u2019s outlook revised position\u201D, S \u0026amp; P referenced our solid economic growth and specifically noted New Zealand\u2019s per capita GDP growth continuing to outpace similarly rated peers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220c188771ade2483884c8ba3f8673c967\u0022\u003EWillow-Jean Prime\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has he seen on the outlook for the international economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d62a049593e141bfad4cda9a28a49e1b\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Today, the OECD released its interim economic outlook, in which it downgraded global growth forecast for the next two years. The OECD said that policy uncertainty, ongoing trade tensions, and low business and consumer confidence are all contributing to the global slow down. It also pointed to the risk that the Chinese economy could slow more sharply than anticipated. The OECD is now projecting 3.3 percent global GDP growth in 2019. Its forecast growth was downgraded across most economies, including Australia, Canada, the UK, the US, the Euro area, and Japan. It\u2019s important to note that in New Zealand our own forecasts remain solid, with growth forecasts for 2019 near the 3 percent level, which puts us well ahead of those advanced economies I\u2019ve just mentioned. These global risks do highlight the importance of our commitment to fiscal responsibility to ensure that the Government has options in the face of any shocks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f1db93f12894b568d2fdff11a9ede53\u0022\u003EWillow-Jean Prime\u003C/span\u003E: How is the Government ensuring New Zealand is resilient in this global economic context?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225537cd5d14be4805b841b2f960851fc9\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: We are doing that by our responsible fiscal management, but also by making important\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f94fb76ce1d3456ea21cf4a208d8e19f\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Poor tax.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228332306b52094b27baf99a339a585eb5\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014investments into the\u2014I know you won\u2019t understand investments, Gerry, so listen up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022129e1fcd7dbe4b678569fd37d6518c68\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Now, the member does know better than that, and he is the senior member of his party in the House at the moment. In fact, I\u2019ll say to both finance spokespeople that neither of them have been providing good examples, including that member interjecting during Ms Collins\u2019 questions earlier. So people will just settle down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224c8d08acbf734d5299003c4431b622cc\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re making a number of important investments into research and development through our training and skills programmes, such as Fees-free and He Poutama Rangatahi, through the Provincial Growth Fund, through the establishment of the Green Investment Fund, and through continuing to progress negotiations on free trade agreements. Through these initiatives, and many more, we will continue to deliver on our plan for a more resilient and productive economy that improves the lives and well-being of all New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c4b76eefd275445caad0cb0287c370a6\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 4\u2014Health\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u00228eabe79d9f624ac19db564f1cee7b7d2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228eabe79d9f624ac19db564f1cee7b7d2\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: How many DHB-funded elective surgical procedures have been performed in the six months to 31 December 2018, and how does that compare with the corresponding period ended 31 December 2017?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022 data-id=\u00224d492e35e05348a6bc3bcbe2a1c01f25\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224d492e35e05348a6bc3bcbe2a1c01f25\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E The previous Government chose a narrow definition for elective surgeries that excluded a range of procedures, such as carpal tunnel surgery, while including others, such as Avastin injections, that could be more appropriately delivered in out-patient or primary care settings. While we continue to count electives as the prior Government did, this distortion is the reason why we are moving away from a narrow set of political targets toward ensuring the best overall value for the taxpayer within the available health dollar. In terms of that measure\u2014that we are still counting\u2014in the six months to 31 December 2018 there were 100,339 elective surgical discharges delivered. In the six months to 31 December 2017 there were 103,041 elective surgical discharges delivered.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dad884e12df64493a87fbc03b1584c56\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Doesn\u2019t data show that after years of steady increases in both the volume and the case weight of discharges, his first year in charge saw nearly no growth in throughput, and in the year to date the numbers are now going backwards? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eb93a4034713489db13c0b1df80a2fb1\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f30f225e6594f62b61f3c83152f07e3\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Well, can he confirm that nearly 2,000 fewer case weighted orthopaedic procedures have been done this year to date than what is required to simply be the same as last year? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002227d2eabc82844c8e9f990f69a7cc9b59\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: What I can confirm is that we are looking to see more procedures performed in the appropriate settings. We want to see those procedures that could be performed in surgical settings being performed there\u2014those ones that are more appropriately performed in out-patient and primary care performed in those settings, so we get better value for the taxpayer from the available health dollar.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dd87492e040646fdb505d72549840099\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Goodness me, he knows how to run a health system. Does he think it\u2019s acceptable that hundreds more women requiring gynaecological procedures\u2014 \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022651dc519397a4381b8f232e4b18a46fe\u0022\u003EHon Grant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I just wanted to draw your attention to the fact that we had a little chapeau to that question there from Mr Woodhouse\u2014I\u2019m not sure if you picked it up\u2014and, also, in question No. 1 today we had interjections from Mr Woodhouse as well. I\u2019m just wondering at what point your normal system applies. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226477b6f18f964ca59af2d000af99911c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: When I decide it will. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002207bb1675da8d43cdb021771a0ace488f\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Does he think it\u2019s acceptable that hundreds more women requiring gynaecological procedures are still waiting because of a drop in throughput for those procedures in district health boards?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002233a412f3a7b04524aa0ed1616cf88340\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: I have not seen a particular cut of the figures that the member is using. I\u2019m happy to answer questions if he wants to put down a specific question on those issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022778f57226a8848a4939ac9172acb700d\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Can he confirm the Government appropriated $126 million in last year\u2019s Budget to meet growing demand for elective surgery, and what is he doing about the fact that that increasing demand is not being met with any more surgery? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002268d32a0efab244e194feef859782df0c\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: The Government inherited a public health service that has been underfunded for years. I take full responsibility for tackling that legacy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ef1ed91a9a74724a7b3c13ae3672873\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: In view of that answer, to the Minister: is he telling the House that his response to what he describes as \u201Cyears of underfunding\u201D is to do less, not more?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cc5fa1466f644b89889de4441502fff2\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e9d85777a74b49a7b6a002dfb8787db3\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 5\u2014Education\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022 data-id=\u00224fbb26e5f9364beb8efa3607b37a31dd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224fbb26e5f9364beb8efa3607b37a31dd\u0022\u003EMARJA LUBECK (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: What feedback has he received during his visits to institutes of technology and polytechnics as part of consultation on the reform of vocational education?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00224ea39f5bb9484cdd90b2047107632182\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224ea39f5bb9484cdd90b2047107632182\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E Quite a lot. During my recent visits to NorthTec and Otago Polytechnic, both of those institutions presented me with detailed proposals for how they think an alternative vocational education system could work whilst improving the connections that currently exist between iwi, industry, employers, and other stakeholders in their region when it comes to delivering vocational education and training. I\u2019ve been encouraging all of the stakeholders around the country who have a view on this to put forward their proposals and their views on the proposals that the Government has released so that we can continue to refine and develop a new system for vocational education and training in New Zealand\u2014something that almost everybody who has been contributing to this debate has argued is necessary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221fadcc7545594c298bf4dd51c88ce63b\u0022\u003EMarja Lubeck\u003C/span\u003E: What other regions will he be visiting over the next few weeks?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eeed0927249a4fa5a5ff2f4393c4f42c\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Over the next few weeks I\u2019ll be in New Plymouth to visit the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki, I\u2019ll be in Palmerston North to visit the Universal College of Learning, and where possible I\u2019ll be visiting others around the country as part of the consultation exercise. In total there are 107 consultation engagement events throughout New Zealand over the next few weeks to ensure that everybody affected by, or with an interest in, the planned reforms of vocational education and training can have a say. Many of those, of course, I won\u2019t be at, but we will be ensuring that the people who are there are able to engage, receive feedback, and answer any questions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a31673e327aa49ae9416a3c5391e199e\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 6\u2014Education\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022676b0bc5-331b-4818-b261-ecf892d0bf23\u0022 data-id=\u00224e1504b9eb5d4b45a0693f7f52331887\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022676b0bc5-331b-4818-b261-ecf892d0bf23\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224e1504b9eb5d4b45a0693f7f52331887\u0022\u003EJENNY MARCROFT (NZ First)\u003C/span\u003E to the Associate Minister of Education: What recent announcements has she made regarding gifted children in New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022 data-id=\u0022cabc8345b586436b94b18c663ce70fb8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cabc8345b586436b94b18c663ce70fb8\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN (Associate Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E Last Wednesday, I was very pleased to announce, at MindPlus East, a one-day school for gifted learners at Riverina School in Pakuranga, a $1.27 million package of funding that includes support for one-day schools for New Zealand gifted children. There are an estimated 40,000 gifted learners in New Zealand, and restoring support and funding for gifted education is a priority for this Government and is one of a suite of education policies inside our coalition agreement. Along with the funding for one-day schools, we have upgraded the gifted website to help parents and teachers and introduced new awards for gifted students.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022676b0bc5-331b-4818-b261-ecf892d0bf23\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226502b74b85424d889cf8a336b754ed7a\u0022\u003EJenny Marcroft\u003C/span\u003E: When was the last time funding for gifted children was addressed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1ca04c6422444998d5bd78532b9192f\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: Gifted education funding was reduced in 2009, from $2.7 million down to $1.27 million. Since 2009, this funding was used solely for the professional development of teachers. This time it\u2019s all about the children. We have redirected the funding in recognition that these children require different interventions to have their needs met; for example, giving them the opportunity to learn alongside like-minded peers in one-day schools. We have developed this package in consultation with a group of experts and practitioners on gifted education. This group will also assist in the monitoring of how well the needs of gifted learners are met.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022676b0bc5-331b-4818-b261-ecf892d0bf23\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c14fd848cc60417dba55cfd550afc5d5\u0022\u003EJenny Marcroft\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eb447b1b68484ffdb458a561576f0065\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, before the member does ask it, I\u2019m going to insist that the Minister answer the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ccddc6380da34e93adc38d241ce549fc\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: I believe there was possibly an enlightened Minister of Education in a previous Parliament\u2014I\u2019m not sure I can refer to him by name without actually breaching the Standing Orders\u2014but I understand he was one of the wise individuals that originally noted gifted children needed this support.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022676b0bc5-331b-4818-b261-ecf892d0bf23\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239092f6d26034a8dbf935cf995e213d1\u0022\u003EJenny Marcroft\u003C/span\u003E: And why do our gifted children need this support?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002215cca46094d445a9ba516d9be44b1c94\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: As you possibly well know, every child should be supported to be the best they can be. We recognise that gifted learners are unique and have diverse needs. Just like other students with additional learning needs, gifted learners deserve the extra support to ensure that they receive the right educational opportunities. I am pleased that through this Government\u2019s prioritisation, we have been able to make this happen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022390b445344b34198b8605843047fd5ee\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 7\u2014Energy and Resources\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022 data-id=\u002291e65565622048b49b0f805ced3e8ef7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002291e65565622048b49b0f805ced3e8ef7\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG (National\u2014New Plymouth)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Does she expect recent high wholesale electricity prices to be reflected in household power bills; if so, when?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022 data-id=\u0022077eb37c5dde47fab39f67bdc5ebc059\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022077eb37c5dde47fab39f67bdc5ebc059\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister of Energy and Resources: No. Short-term peaks in wholesale electricity prices are unlikely to be reflected in consumer prices. Household power prices are driven by a number of factors, including line charges and customer service costs, as well as power companies\u2019 projections of long-term future demand, supply, and the need for investment. Wholesale price volatility is not generally a significant driver of household power pricing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e65f6d85ada04c9f968e7df0e1bedf9b\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: Considering that answer, does the Minister consider that the long-term wholesale electricity prices, which have increased by 30 percent over this last year, will not be passed through to households at some point?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022062e962662ca42b6884ea18fb8528779\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister, one can gauge what is happening simply on the facts of the matter, and there has been some commentary in relation to some short-term outage of gas supply and the fact that the hydro lakes in the South Island are lower at this time of the year than they were previously\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022555fed5f41404b529b4617b1bbd6474e\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: No they\u2019re not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022160130f0202f49a0b8e2e922ad73e776\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: They\u2019re 12 percent lower than the long-term average of those lake levels. Those sorts of things often lead to commentary about pressure on both wholesale prices and household prices, but there is no evidence that household prices are rising because of generation capacity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c1d928a8f544c03a019c6b3857c1b64\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: So is she saying that businesses whose base costs are rising won\u2019t pass that on to consumers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002274387743fd29408ea42a4ff93fbf126f\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf the Minister, the original question related to wholesale prices. There are then additional costs such as line charges and customer service costs, and I am aware that some of the power companies are reconsidering prices because of customer service charges and line charges that are beyond their control.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224f2ed44402fc44c2aa6cbd4a9e456551\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: Will she therefore guarantee that household electricity prices will increase at no more than the same rate as over the last 10 years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282fc0d98250e4adebe0e39d860ed8926\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: Again, on behalf of the Minister, I can\u2019t give any guarantees about what will happen in a market which is widely now accepted as somewhat flawed. That is why we are doing an electricity pricing review. That is yet to come up with a series of recommendations that will improve the market, but measures such as this Government has taken like the winter energy payment are about alleviating the pressure on households.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f68f440ea16a45e29ba0800bfb49503a\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: Well, how can the Minister say that the wholesale prices won\u2019t be passed through to households but won\u2019t guarantee that prices will not increase higher than the last 10 years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e5b40d1cc937405d83834fcebd477bc0\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf the Minister, the member seems to be confusing the different sources of price pressure on electricity. Wholesale power prices relate to generation capacity, and the power companies have it in their hands to make their decisions on projections of long-term demand and supply and the investment decisions they make. We know now from recent commentary that investment in renewable sources of energy is cheaper than fossil - fuel based sources of energy, and we expect power companies to be investing in that. That will, in the long run, bring prices down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c3a4e68d1e67420c81444f6aad9c0b37\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: So is the Minister saying that the long-term wholesale price out to 2022\u2014that\u2019s currently at just under $92 a megawatt hour, increased from $70 a megawatt hour a year ago\u2014is not going to be passed on to consumers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022416add7cac8e46f4ac9843d9ce48f4a1\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf the Minister, what I am saying is speaking basic, orthodox market principles, and that is that those who are selling power to consumers, when they set that price, take into account a number of factors. The wholesale price is driven by generation capacity. That is affected by short-term measures such as lower than usual hydro lakes; such as both planned and unplanned outages of, for example, gas supply. That is affecting household prices at the moment, but that is not expected to have a material impact on household prices in the long run.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228dcf7101676a4260885b1a4a094ffe23\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: I think I need to ask that same question, Mr Speaker, because\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022244bfb3351fe4955848f3b86ac3a6a94\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the member\u2019s allowed to ask it again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286d3e8e6d036414899574a058d312e9b\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you. So is the Minister saying that wholesale prices won\u2019t be passed through to households yet won\u2019t guarantee that prices will not increase any faster than they have in the last 10 years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b255d6af00b43d88caca1a814afc251\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf the Minister, there are a number of factors that contribute to the household price of electricity. The member\u2019s original question related to the wholesale price of electricity, and there are a number of factors that go to make that up. What the consumer and the household pays for their price relates not only to household electricity prices but to line charges, to customer service charges, and to other things that the electricity retailers add on to their customers. The member is conflating different aspects of the market to all impinge on the household price, and the member himself is confused about what it is that is relevant to household electricity pricing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d90c980fbd29436f9312365a5725a9f1\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: So, to make it clear, is the Minister saying that any household increases in electricity prices will be exclusive of increases in the wholesale price?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022827169f0688944d88fca709d91095eb9\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister, the market, in the way it operates at the moment\u2014we know from the Electricity Commission\u2019s recent report\u2014is flawed. That is why change is about to happen to it. We know that those selling electricity to households take into account a number of factors when they are setting that price. To the extent that that member is implying that volatility in wholesale electricity prices is a driver, or the main or principal driver, of household electricity prices, he is wrong. There are a number of factors that go into it, but the reality is that for the vast majority of households, when they come to pay their power bill, the price they pay is driven by a range of factors and is not directly impacted by wholesale power prices.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022297eaccaae894da5aa39ecc17946b158\u0022\u003EJonathan Young\u003C/span\u003E: So is the Minister, to make it clear, saying to this House that increases in the household price of electricity are completely exclusive to any increase in the wholesale price of electricity?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b25d61adaf24d34b4d13a4f7271c590\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister, no, that is not what I have said. In the many answers I seem to have given today, I have said that volatility in wholesale electricity prices is not a driver of household electricity prices.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002271bcadee2aa54dc8b9960bd574fb862f\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 8\u2014Small Business\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u002256275a43e1cc482b8bf0a844aaa69020\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002256275a43e1cc482b8bf0a844aaa69020\u0022\u003EHon JACQUI DEAN (National\u2014Waitaki)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Small Business: Has he sought specific advice on the impact of a capital gains tax on New Zealand\u2019s 500,000 small businesses; if so, what did that advice say?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022 data-id=\u002270dca3903430452696a681787f2cd808\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002270dca3903430452696a681787f2cd808\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH (Minister for Small Business):\u003C/span\u003E No, I have not, but I am aware the Minister of Revenue has seen advice on matters arising from the Tax Working Group report.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002235f30a04d5d94b1aa3e976143c1ed108\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister of Revenue reported to the Minister for Small Business on those reports?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c270b46987c34680a8a6e78a16820e68\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: Not officially, no, but what I can tell you is the Minister of Revenue has seen a report that says, and I quote, \u201CThe extent of additional tax that would be payable by small businesses under an extended tax on capital income is not known.\u201D But I would like to reiterate that no decisions have been made. We\u2019re listening to feedback from right across the community, and we\u2019re carefully considering all options.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f7ed527a9584dd286d77b8e7a952902\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: Is he concerned about the impact of a capital gains tax on small business?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022611943f064724af0ada2b57d01928af3\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s a purely hypothetical question. The reason I say that is, I will repeat, that there have been absolutely no decisions made at all. We are carefully considering all the options, and we will do this before we make any decision.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229fc76069ea994017916bca1ddb69dd5c\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: So what does he say to the small-business owner who said about a capital gains tax\u2014I quote\u2014\u201CI just don\u2019t understand why on earth they are looking at crippling small and medium businesses. We make up over 90 percent of New Zealand\u2019s economy, and I\u2019m astounded that Labour don\u2019t recognise that we contribute to New Zealand\u2019s wealth.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eb0b6d44d4fe4c358269215e6a2236d8\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: What I would say to that small-business owner is that the Tax Working Group listed 19 measures that the Government could consider with the aim of reducing compliance costs to small businesses. Of these, eight are considered a major impact. Then there were three other productivity-enhancing measures, about one of which the Tax Working Group said, and I quote, \u201CThe last of these will have significant benefit to small businesses.\u201D But I would like to reiterate that there has been absolutely no decision made on the recommendations put forward by the Tax Working Group. We are carefully considering all the options, and we will make decisions in about April.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022724cf53bbbc441beb5d970ca3472eab9\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: Will he guarantee that a small business with a home office will not be subject to a capital gains tax?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bfec45bdb3148418963689df9235747\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: I will repeat, for the third time, that absolutely no decisions have been made on any of the recommendations put forward by the Tax Working Group. We are listening to all sectors. We are carefully considering all the options, and we will make recommendations in good time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d754b0e45f6c400d9b23d6e93d9e411f\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: Has he heard from any small businesses about their views on a capital gains tax?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ecbbe817f1f45a8b5e2b72c1936645f\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: What I have heard is a lot of nonsense put forward by the Opposition which is simply not grounded in reality. I suspect that that member has actually not even read the report. This is not play school.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228d314b91c4824ae3982b4bb2e3da9b7e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! No, before the right honourable gentleman goes, we\u2019re going to have an answer to the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022288ee5910d26430780a842effe7edac3\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: At this point, I\u2019m not consulting with small business on a capital gains tax, because there is no proposal out there to implement a capital gains tax.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a98a90477ce4433bb089d30f9436e88\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: OK. I\u2019m now going to, very directly, ask the Minister to answer the question, and I will ask Jacqui Dean to repeat it so it is clear.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f988d493c0744af392819d5ae4329d1f\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: To the Minister, has he heard from any small businesses about their views on a capital gains tax?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c2175c839582409fa723000196df05ec\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: No. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c45444f49fa048889b02f1874447f02b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a45d2ff5d38f452c94163e4f96a79b0c\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Quiet now. Could I ask the Minister as to whether it\u2019s a fact that, since 21 February, all 500,000 small businesses in this country have had a chance or will have a chance over the next few weeks to get in contact with his office or any member of Parliament, including, if they are desperate, the National Party?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ffdfe1715430429da96f93fdf72b197a\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: The Deputy Prime Minister makes a very good point. What I will say is that I have heard a lot of feedback from small businesses on the R \u0026amp; D tax credit, on what we\u2019re doing to tax multinationals, on how we are putting GST on low-value goods\u2014these are the impacts that are making a real difference to the competitiveness of our economy for small businesses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220cc4a03feee54b1a8dcf7397a91e90ef\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. In that exchange on the issue of the capital gains and small business, the Minister first said he hadn\u2019t seen a report, but then quoted from a report. Can he table that report?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205259d504dd04fc79f3b93bcfa8d8be5\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister have the report he was referring to in the House?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002257fcbb4f4a7c4e98867f6595682cb0e1\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: No. I don\u2019t have it in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e742af300e804e5c8dabd8cddce69e2b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, he doesn\u2019t have it in the House. Therefore, he can\u2019t be required to table it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cc128e5a1c1e4f3cb8e38f0a189b3862\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 9\u2014Justice\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022 data-id=\u00226776229c9380468682ca9505d0d53020\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226776229c9380468682ca9505d0d53020\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR (Labour\u2014\u014Ch\u0101riu)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Justice: What recent reports has he seen regarding victims\u2019 views of the criminal justice system?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022 data-id=\u0022221b48c972844e2d8d120aa1f3f48d13\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022221b48c972844e2d8d120aa1f3f48d13\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice):\u003C/span\u003E I have seen the preliminary results of the Strengthening the Criminal Justice System for Victims survey, run by the Chief Victims Advisor. The survey shows that, of the participants who responded, 76 percent felt that their views, concerns, and needs weren\u2019t listened to throughout the justice process, while 79 percent felt that they hadn\u2019t had the information or support that they needed. As the survey shows, we have to do better for victims of crime, and this Government is committed to making reforms in our criminal justice system that does just that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b6ec24de6434a81a5023c9cff880ce5\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: What other results did the survey show?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002274f09d4803024b8ca69cd295a319bb64\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: The survey results also showed that 83 percent of participants don\u2019t feel that the criminal justice system is safe and secure for victims. That accords with what victims and their advocates are telling me. They wanted to know clearly where they stand and what their place is in the system, and they want to be respected and treated with dignity in it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022064af0d8646348768badf60956b87a45\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: Why is it important that the Government hear from victims of crime?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225452d29265924d4b90e35d37671266d6\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: One thing that sets victims apart from every other participant in the criminal justice system is that they haven\u2019t made any choice to be there. I was privileged to attend a workshop this week of victims and their advocates, and their message to me was very clear: victims want their voices heard, they want access to support, and they want to be treated with dignity. Our criminal justice reforms must ensure that justice is done, not just to offenders and the community but also to victims.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d9f98e1e7727410eb6771826d0fd1aaa\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 10\u2014Statistics\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022 data-id=\u0022e7f4c7ce5de7452db6064389edd06fc9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e7f4c7ce5de7452db6064389edd06fc9\u0022\u003EDr JIAN YANG (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Statistics: Which demographics and areas of New Zealand were most under-reported in Census 2018, and what impact does he expect that will have on those areas and demographics?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022851d9e35795b4e21becb1bb8800c9714\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Hon James Shaw\u2014as far as he is responsible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022 data-id=\u00221d3849ae2f0e40e0b997deae4ee806c0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221d3849ae2f0e40e0b997deae4ee806c0\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW (Minister of Statistics):\u003C/span\u003E The member is, effectively, asking me to divulge the results of the census before they have been released by the Government Statistician; to do so would be a breach of the Statistics Act 1975. As has been previously indicated, the Government Statistician will, in April, announce a release schedule for the 2018 Census data. I understand the frustration that the member and others may be feeling in relation to the delay in the release of the 2018 Census data. It is of\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221bb80ee04fb84333842f4798c7036239\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: The next thing you\u2019re about to say is rubbish. It was the Government\u2019s census.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f5feac91ef6401ebd5c85e2eb9c669f\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: It is of\u2014[Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dabfc74ca6554f40b1bd2e66aa00dce9\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! Some members of this House, including me, think this is a very serious issue. And it is not being helped by anticipatory interjections from the Hon Gerry Brownlee. The responses to this question and its supplementaries will be heard in silence, but with that comes a clear indication to the Minister answering the questions that he is to play a straight bat.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226a36cfcb2c9e48a7ac343c3388a330cc\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s a shame! I understand the frustration that the members and others may be feeling in relation to the delay in the release of the 2018 Census data. It is of utmost importance that officials do continue to work through the process of delivering a high-quality data set. This is analogous to asking for the results of an exam that is still being marked. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f023defa58e4e6c894dd395114914f6\u0022\u003EDr Jian Yang\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s his response to a question listed in Statistics New Zealand\u2019s question and answer sheet: \u201CThe response rates for M\u0101ori are likely to be much lower than other population groups. How will this affect Treaty claims?\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205d79d70101e4c129f940b16b9946f41\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: Stats NZ are continuing to build a picture of the impact of lower individual response rates for M\u0101ori descent and iwi affiliation data. They are increasing their engagement with M\u0101ori interest organisations and with iwi to both confirm data needs and to look to develop complementary strategies where needed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de2dde3475de409ba14f5c1541a5e979\u0022\u003EDr Jian Yang\u003C/span\u003E: Is he concerned that Statistics New Zealand have stated, \u201CSecondary data sources cannot provide some information, such as M\u0101ori population statistics and iwi affiliation.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c03dae17e27a47f7a213a7226c383d3f\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: The reason why it\u2019s taking longer than normal to report on the output of a census is because Stats NZ are working with administrative data to supplement the results of the census to produce a very high-quality data set. They are doing this very thoroughly. It is taking some time, but I do believe that we\u2019ll be able to give people what they need when they need it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214b5b605e58649bfad80f87355e7c751\u0022\u003EDr Jian Yang\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen an article by Tahu Kukutai and Donna Cormack in the New Zealand Population Review that notes Statistics New Zealand may use Census 2013 data to impute who is M\u0101ori and who is not, and that this may \u201Cundermine rights of M\u0101ori to self-identify, [including] the right to refuse, \u2026 to, identify to the Crown.\u201D? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4643f72c75a496e9f348805e9b623ba\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: No, I have not seen that article. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002224fe7f3c2aba4d47bc498a696e2c66d8\u0022\u003EDr Jian Yang\u003C/span\u003E: Which demographics and areas of New Zealand are most likely to be impacted if the census data is not available for the electoral boundary redraw before the September 2019 deadline? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d7a11b014fe4dc883bbc52bff6bf7c4\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: As I said in my answer to the primary question, I can\u2019t talk about the results of the census before they\u2019ve been released by the Government Statistician. She intends to release a schedule of census data releases in April, and my understanding is that Statistics New Zealand are highly confident of being able to deliver a high-quality data set to the Electoral Commission by the time the Electoral Commission needs it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d5953200bb154bc99eb4a3f848862728\u0022\u003EDr Jian Yang\u003C/span\u003E: Well, does it remain the case that Statistics New Zealand is not in a position to complete a new census by 2021 and, therefore, Census 2013 will remain the most recent alternative census available for the next two elections? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ab2c8e2860f49cfae40fc3ef1aa6608\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of the question, I\u2019ve been advised that running a census in 2021 would be high risk, with less time to submit a business case and to obtain funding, set up the census programme and team, and go through the procurement processes to bring on board suppliers and to build and test changes to collection processes and systems to ensure a successful outcome. In other words, abandoning the results of the 2018 Census before they\u2019ve been completed and running an urgent census would be a higher risk and, actually, probably would produce a worse outcome. It is a large logistical exercise. It takes five to seven years to put together a census, and so running one in three years would simply be inappropriate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265389ff4b1484e4eb371d2945507505a\u0022\u003EDr Jian Yang\u003C/span\u003E: Given the likelihood of under-report of the M\u0101ori population, has the Minister met with the Labour M\u0101ori caucus to discuss the implications of the Census 2018 shortcomings? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227af0c8fc599f4dc99df49b68defd3f1c\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ve not met with the caucus as a group, but I\u2019ve had conversations with a couple of members of that caucus. However, this is one of those areas where the Government\u2019s chief statistician and Stats NZ have operational control, and so I have encouraged them to reach out to Stats NZ to have those conversations directly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022081c48a375e745e980d4692cd49768f3\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 11\u2014Education\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u00228b64effe6be34be99913a2c986d0e1de\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228b64effe6be34be99913a2c986d0e1de\u0022\u003ESIMEON BROWN (National\u2014Pakuranga)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by all his policies and actions around the review of vocational education and his work in the portfolio?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022413b29a6609e4a2586c511d81fa1b6aa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022413b29a6609e4a2586c511d81fa1b6aa\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002211512dbeb2a145b0a55ebe052389b5a0\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Is legislation in the process of being drafted to reform vocational education?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002254688b9eaadf469593c66a25542b2d5e\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: There are a variety of work streams on this, one of which is looking at if the model as proposed proceeds, what legislation would be required to enact that. As part of that, they\u2019re also canvassing other alternatives as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022733c421cd8e946c5b4b172e3a2d82607\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: What functions will be centralised into the proposed single national polytechnic, and has any modelling been undertaken to determine how many jobs will move from local polytechnics to Wellington?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c6bd94cc8224f62adae34621693778b\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of the question, decisions haven\u2019t been made on that yet, which means the answer to the second part of the question is no.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222791842b4c9c4a3a94f794f4c14663ca\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Will he commit to ensuring any jobs established by the consolidation of back-office functions are kept out of Wellington and kept in the regions, especially given the Labour - New Zealand First coalition agreement, which commits to \u201Crelocate Government functions into the regions\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a55f139bd8b4122b139f093d1016fb8\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa7ca5a68e864bf28a7e0eacba966c87\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Did he listen to concerns from Otago Polytechnic on Tuesday that brand matters for polytechnics, and will he commit to local polytechnics such as Otago polytech retaining their own local brand and brand name?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022336f06acf21740aa8e873d9ce6b0fbfe\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of the question, yes. In answer to the second part of the question, that\u2019s something we\u2019re getting a lot of feedback on, and I think they\u2019re making a very compelling case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002267486c65ea774b43a21d74ee43ee0a38\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 12\u2014M\u0101ori Development\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u00222e49b584631745ba91d60b4d6fe23aef\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222e49b584631745ba91d60b4d6fe23aef\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for M\u0101ori Development: Is the Ahuwhenua Trophy important for M\u0101ori agribusiness; if so, how?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u00224ecb257c075b4f268133b4ae7f5fb9c3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224ecb257c075b4f268133b4ae7f5fb9c3\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister for M\u0101ori Development):\u003C/span\u003E The Ahuwhenua Trophy is the most prestigious award in M\u0101ori agriculture, and it highlights the huge contribution that M\u0101ori have made to the agricultural sector. This year, there are three finalists\u2014and, much to the pleasure of our colleague Meka Whaitiri, all from Te Tai R\u0101whiti\u2014in the beef and sheep category of this competition. The M\u0101ori economy is worth $50 billion to Aotearoa. Over the past three decades, the M\u0101ori agribusiness sector has grown exponentially, not only in sheep and beef but also in dairy. I\u2019m pleased to announce that horticulture will be a new category added to the competition and will be recognised for the first time next year. M\u0101ori are seeking to move into the value-add space, increasing returns from their whenua and contributing to the well-being of their wh\u0101nau, community, and the New Zealand economy, and the Government wants that success to grow. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002260a87f63361c412a86d9a514d7efbbc2\u0022\u003ERino Tirikatene\u003C/span\u003E: What is the long-term prognosis for M\u0101ori agriculture?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c2f64f3a14f4e5bba8a115070caff1f\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: Well, while we don\u2019t have a crystal ball, and while we celebrate the success of M\u0101ori in the agricultural sector, we can always do more. Over 40 percent of M\u0101ori land is considered underutilised; there are thousands of acres of undeveloped M\u0101ori land with no governance structure and many small land blocks with fragmented ownership that inhibits the viability of their development potential. We\u2019re making changes to support a package of reforms that will comprise targeted amendments to Te Ture Whenua Maori Act, an improved data and information base to assist governance and land capability decisions, and support for M\u0101ori landowners to organise themselves to plan towards their development aspirations for their whenua and wh\u0101nau. We want M\u0101ori landowners to tap into the potential of their land by encouraging hands-on participation, good governance, and decision making. These reforms will help deliver intergenerational change and better well-being outcomes for wh\u0101nau. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0c165d33a7b4e419940e599c1e7a301\u0022\u003ERino Tirikatene\u003C/span\u003E: What role does the recent $100 million whenua fund announcement play in growing the potential of M\u0101ori agriculture?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247d516efd0a84a29bf5c8ddd28634da3\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: Fantastic question, and thanks to our coalition partners of the Government, the announcement of the $100 million Whenua M\u0101ori Fund within the context of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is designed to support the move towards higher-value land use, complement other whenua initiatives that ensure there is end-to-end support for M\u0101ori landowners such as capability building and feasibility work, and enable M\u0101ori to access capital required to progress projects which are investment-ready. The PGF funding will not only help M\u0101ori landowners who find it difficult to raise mainstream bank finance but also make our regions more prosperous, just like we said we would. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a9ef1477f7eb4b44bfe8d6fb5db72ecd\u0022\u003ESocial Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00229461ed19bfc24a84a1c7922da671adb2\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022 data-id=\u00223aa79cb139ff4f5b99886b46f1d26572\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223aa79cb139ff4f5b99886b46f1d26572\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE (Associate Minister for Social Development) \u003C/span\u003Eon behalf of the Minister for Social Development: I move, That the Social Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Social Services and Community Committee to consider the bill. At the appropriate time, I intend to move that the bill be reported to the House by 1 April 2019 and that the committee have authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting, except during oral questions, during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227173f456b74d48eca15f2dd5ab83a60f\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Noting the report-back date, at what point does that become debatable\u2014at the end?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252604f59e9bd45cdb05e7937d10414ff\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s a separate motion. The member\u2019s been here for a long time. He knows that there\u2019s a separate motion for a referral after a bill has been read a first time, if it is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222c756f7c43bd4e36861089436f8ee46c\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Just being helpful to those who don\u2019t know.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7955912e8ec430c81b66d33f72f8857\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No. The member is being most unhelpful and is deliberately\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200310eee460f41cbbb5fe0598ead8f24\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: He\u2019s getting out before he goes. Ha, ha!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291a1fab630a74a7fb8e6d6fc9dcd9794\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m pleased he is, because he might have been anyway. Now, we\u2019re going to start the time again and we\u2019re going to start the motion again. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d03e221bf2364daa838f075751c1578c\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I move, That the Social Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Social Services and Community Committee to consider this bill. At the appropriate time, I intend to move that the bill be reported to the House by 1 April 2019 and that the committee have authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting\u2014except during oral questions, of course\u2014during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House, and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House and outside the Wellington area, despite Standing Orders 191, 193, and 194(1)(b) and (c).\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EThis is not a very large bill but it contains important amendments. The bill ensures that the winter energy payment can be lawfully paid to all people who were intended to be eligible. In particular, the bill amends the Social Security Act 2018 to ensure clients in two specific scenarios are able to be paid the winter energy payment as intended. The winter energy payment was introduced as part of the Government\u2019s Families Package, the legislation for which was delivered in December 2017 as part of our 100-day plan. The winter energy payment helps older New Zealanders and many of our poorest families to heat their homes during the winter months.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EThe Families Package is a transformational package providing targeted social assistance to improve incomes for low- and middle-income New Zealand families with children. It is part of this Government\u2019s focus on reducing child poverty and ensuring children get the best start in life. As a result of the Families Package, it is projected that the number of children in poverty will be reduced by around 64,000 children once the package is fully implemented. Those 384,000 families with children will gain an average of $75 a week, and 652,000 families without dependent children will gain an average of $14 a week. As part of that package, the winter energy payment plays a significant role.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAs a form of financial assistance, it has the largest eligible population within the benefit system. It is available to all those who receive a main benefit, New Zealand superannuation, or a veterans pension during the winter period. Single people without dependent children receive $450 over winter, and couples and people with dependent children receive $700. The payment is in recognition of the increasing cost of living that often leads to those on fixed and low incomes struggling to heat their homes throughout winter. The importance of warm, dry, healthy homes over winter cannot be overstated. Around 1,600 New Zealanders die each year due to living in cold homes and thousands more end up in hospital. This simply is not acceptable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EIn 2018, approximately 774,000 people per month received the winter energy payment at a cost of $265 million. When you add in those with partners, this is close to one million New Zealanders benefiting from being warmer and safer as a result of this payment. In 2019, the winter energy payment will be paid from 1 May through to the end of September, and is expected to be paid to 807,000 recipients per month on average.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EWe have received positive feedback from New Zealanders far and wide following the introduction of the winter energy payment, reinforcing the importance of what the payment is intended to achieve. We have had reports of people being able to maintain a warm environment and thus avoiding trips to the doctor and A \u0026amp; E. People have told us that they can better manage their health conditions such as asthma. People have also said they are recovering from illnesses more quickly, helped by their warm, dry homes. The winter energy payment has had a positive impact on the lives of many New Zealanders. We want to make sure that this continues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAfter the Families Package (Income Tax and Benefits) Bill 2017 was passed, the Ministry of Social Development identified minor errors in the winter energy payment legislation. The errors relate to two specific scenarios where the legislation does not align with the original policy intent. Those scenarios are (1) when people are absent from New Zealand for longer than four weeks at any one time during the winter period, and (2) when people receive Government funding for long-term residential care or residential care services but are not eligible for a residential care subsidy or a residential support subsidy. Although these scenarios represent a very small number of the overall population eligible for the winter energy payment, if the Ministry of Social Development cannot pay the winter energy payment as intended, clients in these groups would be adversely affected. We want to make sure that those intended to receive the winter energy payment can indeed do so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EIn the first scenario, if an eligible individual is absent from New Zealand for more than four weeks, then currently under the legislation that individual is not entitled to receive the winter energy payment on any day during this period of absence. This does not align with the policy intent, which is to pay the winter energy payment for up to four weeks even where the individual is absent from New Zealand or longer than four weeks at one time. However, with other forms of supplementary assistance, such as the accommodation supplement, it is intended that clients can be absent from New Zealand for more than 28 days and still receive their supplementary assistance. Provided that they still remain eligible for a main benefit, they can receive their supplementary assistance for the first four weeks of that absence. This was also the intention for the winter energy payment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EThe second scenario relates to some people being unintentionally excluded from being eligible to receive the winter energy payment. The winter energy payment is unique in that its eligibility is based on receipt of a main benefit: New Zealand Superannuation or the veterans pension. Everyone who receives these benefits automatically receives the winter energy payment. However, a person receiving a residential care subsidy or residential support subsidy is ineligible for the winter energy payment. This is consistent with other forms of supplementary assistance. These groups therefore are excluded from receiving the winter energy payment because the cost of their care, including heating costs, is already being met by the State. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EHowever, under the Social Security Act 2018 currently, some other recipients of long-term residential care or residential care services are unintentionally caught by these exclusions despite also being recipients of a main benefit\u2014New Zealand Superannuation or a veterans pension\u2014because the payment is not directly administered by the Ministry of Social Development. One of these groups, for example, comprises people who do not qualify for a residential care subsidy, pay the maximum contributions towards the cost of their care, and receive a Government top-up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ETo ensure that the winter energy payment can be paid in a way that is both practical and lawful, clause 4 of the bill tightens the wording for the groups that are not entitled to receive the winter energy payment due to receiving a residential care subsidy or residential support subsidy. These two errors need to be corrected to ensure the Government\u2019s policy intent can be upheld and that all people intended to be eligible for the winter energy payment can be paid lawfully. Clauses 6 and 7 of the bill also validate the previous practice of the Ministry of Social Development during the 2018 winter period to pay the winter energy payment to people covered by the two scenarios. This ensures decisions made to the benefit of these clients are lawful. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EThe winter energy payment was a new payment introduced as part of the Families Package and provides financial assistance to beneficiaries likely to have the lowest incomes and to older people who are more often susceptible to ill health during the winter. The amendments in the bill are technical and are in line with the original policy intent for the winter energy payment. We want to ensure that the winter energy payment continues to positively impact the lives of New Zealanders by helping eligible people and families heat their homes over the winter months. This bill helps to achieve this and I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022 data-id=\u0022f362a08f3051470e9ed0cde8ae7ebb4b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f362a08f3051470e9ed0cde8ae7ebb4b\u0022\u003ESIMON O\u2019CONNOR (National\u2014T\u0101maki):\u003C/span\u003E I oppose the motion. I had written notes here actually that I was both delighted and dismayed about this bill. But now I actually am actually\u2014if one can be \u201Cactually\u201D and \u201Cactually\u201D at the same time\u2014outraged. This bill is an affront to the parliamentary democracy of this House. It\u2019s an affront for two reasons: (1) it\u2019s an amendment, an amendment to a bill\u2014and I will expand on this further\u2014that this side of the House warned the Government about, and now what we find is the Associate Minister for Social Development stands in the House and says that this amendment, this bill, is going to be rushed through the House so that even less than one month from now it must be reported back, and I\u2019m going to take the next few minutes to outline why this side of the House is absolutely outraged.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EThis bill is fixing a problem\u2014or actually two problems\u2014which this side of the House in an earlier sitting of the Parliament noted, pointed out, cajoled; we spent hours, hours in this House pointing out that they, the Government, had it wrong around the 28 days. We pointed out there were issues around retirement villages and aged care. The Government, and the Minister in particular, ignored it\u2014ignored it\u2014and that sits on a further affront to this Parliament: that what started out as a social welfare rewrite bill, agreed to in principle by all parties in the House, was trumped at the last minute, literally the last minutes, with a 500-plus - page Supplementary Order Paper, fronted to this Parliament with an array of changes, including this winter energy payment, which took what was a bill agreed in principle to now something highly political, forced through\u2014forced through\u2014with no select committee oversight whatsoever. In other words, the Act we were amending had no\u2014and particularly for people at home it had no\u2014oversight whatsoever by this Parliament and select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EAnd this side of the House stood up time and time again and reminded the Minister, whose ears clearly were closed, that there were going to be problems\u2014going to be problems. And lo and behold\u2014lo and behold\u2014possibly a little earlier than we thought, here we are wasting the Parliament\u2019s time by putting through an amendment bill which could have been solved by going to select committee to allow the New Zealand public to come in, to allow those in retirement villages to say \u201CHey, there\u2019s a problem here.\u201D, to have the people of New Zealand come in and say \u201CHey, we might be overseas for more than 28 days. Can you actually look at the legislation?\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EBut, no, there was an arrogance on behalf of this Government that, first and foremost, thought they should politicise a rewrite bill that didn\u2019t need to be. They were arrogant enough to dump 500-plus pages of amendments with no time\u2014no time\u2014for this Parliament to scrutinise, and to deny the right of New Zealanders to speak. And then here we are today, on a Thursday afternoon of all times, to then drop an amendment bill with two changes. And I wonder how many more mistakes this Government has made, so that we\u2019re going to end up with another amendment on top of another amendment, because this is only two. We spent hours in this House pointing out a number of problems. So we will oppose this firmly, and as I said at the start, part of me was delighted; part of me dismayed\u2014delighted because it\u2019s a case of \u201CWe told you so.\u201D\u2014or \u201CWe told them so.\u201D, being the Government. The National Party, probably with the experience of Government and actually experience, foresaw that there were going to be problems. So I am sort of delighted that we have a sort of gotcha moment here, but I\u2019m dismayed because we don\u2019t need to waste the Parliament\u2019s time, and in fact what we don\u2019t need to do is retrospective legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EAnd that\u2019s the other side of this bill: it\u2019s retrospective in a number of areas. And, oh my, for nine years in Government were we lectured to\u2014lectured to\u2014by the other side. In fact, Chris Hipkins, the Leader of the House, said \u201Csimply imposing this\u201D\u2014being legislation that is retrospective\u2014\u201Cby way of a legislative override \u2026 It is manifestly unjust. It is simply not right. Retrospective legislation is not right.\u201D Lectured to for years and now the Government is adding retrospective legislation so early on. But that\u2019s not the worst part\u2014that\u2019s not the worst part. The Minister had the audacity to stand in the House 10 minutes ago and ask that this Parliament pass a shoddy piece of amending to a shoddy Supplementary Order Paper in under one month to, effectively, again deny the rights of New Zealanders to speak. That\u2019s what\u2019s happening here. It\u2019s an absolute affront to the parliamentary process of this House, and it\u2019s unfortunately becoming a little bit of a thing, if it\u2019s not questions in the House which are sidestepped or denied to legislation which appears at the last moment, to legislation actually that has to be pulled back.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EIn fact, it was only two weeks ago, on another social welfare bill\u2014there\u2019s a bit of a theme developing in this ministry\u2014that we had to have a bill return back to committee because there were errors. And lo and behold, yet again this side of the House had said\u2014had warned helpfully\u2014the Minister: \u201CCheck it out.\u201D But we were told, \u201CNo, no. We know it all; we, this Labour - whatever other party Government, are going to just ram it through.\u201D There\u2019s a theme developing here right across the legislative process, and certainly within the Ministry of Social Development, that shoddy legislation has been brought to this House. It\u2019s been rammed through with no scrutiny, and we would not have to waste the time of this House today to go through this amendment bill if the work had been done properly in the first place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003ESo we oppose this bill. We oppose it strongly in principle and, Mr Speaker, as a signal, we\u2019ll be back towards the conclusion of this debate to argue strongly for the right of New Zealanders to have their rightful, normal period of time to speak about this bill, not to have it rammed through in order to hide the incompetence of this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022 data-id=\u002259f5192b80d54ae280550c5d243774b2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002259f5192b80d54ae280550c5d243774b2\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN (Minister for Seniors):\u003C/span\u003E So let\u2019s just get back to the facts, shall we? Let\u2019s just calm things down. And while Mr O\u2019Connor is perfectly happy, for his own benefit, to try and create some sort of drama about this, let\u2019s just talk to what this amendment bill is about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003ESo, in the first hundred days of this Government, we put through a Families Package, and part of that was the winter energy payment. So this is an amendment bill to the winter energy payment. Let\u2019s be clear: the winter energy payment and the intent of it have been implemented since that legislation passed. What Mr O\u2019Connor is attempting to inflate and conflate and all sorts of other things\u2014he\u2019s talking about a Supplementary Order Paper on something that was slightly different from what was the Families Package, but that\u2019s all right; Mr O\u2019Connor is well within his rights to decide that he\u2019s going to dramatise this. These are what are called \u201Cdrafting errors\u201D. Drafting errors are where the highly skilled New Zealand public servants, who do an awful lot of work, spend an awful lot of hours here at the service of their country, putting together pieces of legislation, made a couple of mistakes. That\u2019s what happened. That\u2019s why the report back day is 1 April.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003ESuddenly, Mr O\u2019Connor is quite happy to say that they already knew it was wrong; so I\u2019m not quite sure why they feel that they need a longer period of time to be more right than they were right before\u2014according to Mr O\u2019Connor. He also says that this is wasting the House\u2019s time; so, therefore, I cannot understand why they would argue against the 1 April report back date if they believe it\u2019s so important not to waste the House\u2019s time. This is a simple drafting error. It\u2019s two pieces of wording that were not 100 percent correct because the very hard-working public servants, who serve our nation for extreme hours, got a couple of bits wrong, and the winter energy payment\u2014the intent of it\u2014is being paid. Nobody has missed out. Let\u2019s be clear: nobody has missed out. These payments are being made; hence why we want to make it retrospective. We want to make sure that the payments that have been made, quite rightly through the intent of the policy, due to a couple of wording issues, legally have received their payments. That\u2019s what this piece of legislation is about. That\u2019s why we want to pass it by 1 April.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EMr O\u2019Connor says the National Party knew all along it was wrong. He should be celebrating that we can put this through quickly. They should be supporting it, they should be supporting the report-back date, and that\u2019s all this is about. This is not dramatic. This is not a large and difficult issue. The Opposition can grandstand as much as they like, but New Zealand First will be supporting just these small amendments due to drafting errors around the winter energy payment. 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=\u002242c17d0dccf148898fac2404bf2c3abe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002242c17d0dccf148898fac2404bf2c3abe\u0022\u003ENUK KORAKO (National):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te Mana Whakaw\u0101, huri noa i Te Whare nei e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. I\u2019d like to take a short call on the Social Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill first reading. Actually, that previous speaker, Tracey Martin, should be called \u201CTeflon\u201D because of the fact that it\u2019s really easy, isn\u2019t it, just to sort of push that aside. Particularly, if we come back to what Simon O\u2019Connor actually said in his speech about this kind of legislation\u2014travesty, legislation by stealth, time wasting, retrospective legislation, shoddy legislation, and denying New Zealanders the right to speak on this bill\u2014when we think of all of that, that\u2019s exactly what it is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EThe bill actually looks like a couple of minor technical changes, but, when you look at it, it\u2019s actually more of a case of cleaning up after the Government\u2019s efforts last year. The previous speaker just tried to actually blame officials for their mistakes when this is actually about shoddy legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EI think the other part of it, though, is actually, when you look at the result of this, this comes around because the Minister dumped a 500-page Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) last May into this House, 24 hours out from the Social Security Legislation Rewrite Bill. What we have here is that they failed to get the details right in regards to the winter energy payment. So it\u2019s very, very clear on this side of the House that we oppose the SOP which introduced the winter energy payment into the Social Security Act and we continue to oppose this particular legislation also today. N\u014D reira e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022bd1d0972c69f4724b9025e58d3d356fa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bd1d0972c69f4724b9025e58d3d356fa\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Priyanca Radhakrishnan.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002246d12b5de86d47e9bb83b8e35946b8f9\u0022\u003EHon Kris Faafoi\u003C/span\u003E: Two minutes of outrage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223ebc77c2d50b43599137d8eaac5a264e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I called one member. One member had the call, and another member started talking. I think members of the Government need to sort out which of them is going to take the call, and that\u2019s the person who should speak, not Mr Faafoi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022 data-id=\u002253b18efa3f364a599979102225319290\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002253b18efa3f364a599979102225319290\u0022\u003EPRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise to take a short call as well on the Social Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill. Frankly, I\u2019m not too sure what members opposite are going on about. They\u2019re so impassioned that they speak for two minutes, as well! But, anyway, it is just a technical bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002201decaf4bb45444284395f345f071a6e\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s such an outrage!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220919480c9c714502b51e4595fee540f4\u0022\u003EPRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN\u003C/span\u003E: I know\u2014so much outrage! Anyway, it is a technical bill. Basically, all this amendment bill does is tweak the Social Security Act 2018 to ensure that those who fall into two specific categories are able to be paid the winter energy payment as the policy intended.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EAs we\u2019ve heard before, by the Minister the Hon Tracey Martin as well, this is just a technical drafting error. What we\u2019re doing here today is speaking at the first reading of this bill so that we can amend that and ensure that for everyone who deserves to be paid the winter energy payment\u2014and in fact is being paid the winter energy payment\u2014we can make sure that we do so appropriately and properly. So, anyway, that\u2019s what this bill does. It\u2019s a very straightforward bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a technical bill, but, actually, at the heart of it lies people, and that\u2019s the point that I want to make in today\u2019s contribution: the people\u2014about one million of them\u2014who have been affected or whose lives have been improved by the Families Package that this Government passed at the end of 2017, which was a targeted payment. It was actually part of the Government\u2019s 100-day plan. It provides targeted social assistance to improve the lives of people, to improve the incomes of families with children who earn low to middle incomes. Part of that package was the winter energy payment, and I know that many of us, like I have, have sat with people: people on a main benefit, people getting the NZ superannuation, those on a veterans pension, older New Zealanders who can\u2019t afford to pay for heating, people whose living rooms I\u2019ve sat in, whom I\u2019ve spoken to, who have said to me that they put on jackets, that they put on sweaters and cardigans because they can\u2019t afford to turn their heating on. Those are the people that we\u2019re talking about today when we talk about this little, straightforward bill that will actually ensure that those who need to get this payment do get the payment that they deserve in a way that is lawful. That\u2019s all that this bill does.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003ENow, clients can\u2019t get the winter energy payment if they don\u2019t get a main benefit, NZ super, or veterans pension; if they get an overseas pension; if they already get the State-sponsored residential care subsidy or the support subsidy; or if they live overseas. But there are two groups of people who should be getting this winter energy payment, based on the policy intent of it, who have been, and now we\u2019re just tweaking the legislation to make sure that they do so in a way that is lawful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EI think the Minister the Hon Peeni Henare outlined the two groups of people who will be getting this payment, and that\u2019s, basically, those who have been absent from New Zealand. If they\u2019ve been away for longer than four weeks at any one time over the winter period, then they get the payment for the first four weeks, and that just aligns this particular subsidy with others like the accommodation supplement as well. The other group, of course, are those who receive Government funding for long-term residential care or residential care services but who aren\u2019t eligible for the residential care subsidy or the support subsidy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EThat\u2019s really all that this bill does. I too don\u2019t understand why members opposite feel the need to dramatise this so much. It\u2019s not about an entire long Supplementary Order Paper or anything like that; it\u2019s just a technical drafting error. This will put that right and make sure that we do right by everyone who is eligible to receive this benefit. Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022 data-id=\u00221e7dedb6a09f4610bc5c4cb60a727f77\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221e7dedb6a09f4610bc5c4cb60a727f77\u0022\u003EJO HAYES (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. I stand to take a short call on the Social Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill. It\u2019s quite entertaining listening to the Government side of the House trying to justify why they have brought this bill\u2014this retrospective piece of legislation\u2014back to the House when it could have all been sorted and they could have done the right process back in May of last year when the winter energy payment clause was in the Social Security Legislation Rewrite Bill. If the Minister had actually done the work correctly and, as my colleague Simon O\u2019Connor said in his contribution, had actually done the work and given the 500-plus page Supplementary Order Paper for that particular bill back then back to the select committee for oversight and also for public scrutiny as well, then we would not be sitting in this House going over this piece of legislation that really does\u2014and I support what Simon O\u2019Connor said\u2014waste the House\u2019s time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EWhy should we be debating this when the Minister knows full well that her scrutiny of all the pieces of legislation that come through this House under her name must be correct. It must follow the same process. And we\u2019re arguing process here, Mr Assistant Speaker. We are arguing the process that Government\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dc1f3d6d45574878a8dea7a176b2b1ee\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: Don\u2019t bring me into the debate, thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ca072090c9c467ba8e418df6a5a2225\u0022\u003EJO HAYES\u003C/span\u003E: OK. So what we\u2019re doing is arguing about process\u2014whether or not the Government did the right process\u2014and this is a great example of them again not doing the right process. A short report-back time\u2014why? Why can\u2019t this bill have public scrutiny? Is it because they are trying to ram through this piece of legislation, like they did the previous legislation in May of last year? Is it too much to ask this Government to stop showing their arrogance by ramming these types of bills through? They\u2019re very important bills, but they continue to ram these down the throats of New Zealanders, and that is actually an insult to the people of this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EWhen the previous speaker, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, talked about how we are getting quite dramatic, well, that\u2019s our job. Our job is to actually ensure that this Government keeps to parliamentary process. It\u2019s there for a purpose. It\u2019s not there to be scorned, to be laughed at, and to show that much arrogance about. That\u2019s all we\u2019re asking, but, no, this Government is not listening. It is not listening.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003ESo I cannot support this bill. I, along with the rest of my colleagues, oppose it. We oppose this bill. Get a life and get the practice of parliamentary process correct, Government. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022 data-id=\u0022f41b57daa4a84081b315d96cc54f39b7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f41b57daa4a84081b315d96cc54f39b7\u0022\u003EGARETH HUGHES (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Mr Assistant Speaker. Ng\u0101 mihi nui ki a koutou. Kia ora. I\u2019ve got three words for the National Party: pot, kettle, black. I can\u2019t believe the faux outrage we\u2019re hearing from that side of the House tonight when there are countless examples where they did just this\u2014ram through legislation. What for\u2014what for? To take away Kiwis\u2019 human rights when it comes to protest activity. What for? To take away Cantabrians\u2019 rights to vote. What is this Government doing it for? To heat Kiwis\u2019 houses. Here, National\u2014in none of their contributions have they actually talked about the substance. This is a Government that wants to heat Kiwis\u2019 houses, that doesn\u2019t want to see Kiwis die every winter, and what you\u2019ve heard today is a bunch of National MPs who would rather die on a particular hill of parliamentary hypocrisy than actually heat Kiwis\u2019 houses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EWe are here today to fix a minor technical drafting error around Kiwis who travel overseas for 28 days or pay for part of their own residential care contributions, and National is voting against those people getting the winter energy payment this year. That\u2019s the question in front of the House today. Should those people, this winter, get the winter energy payment? And no, National spent all their time talking about parliamentary process and not talking about the people of New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ENow, we\u2019ve seen this faux outrage around the fact it was passed in the 100-day plan of this Government. They say it wasn\u2019t a good enough process. Now, they asked us: \u201CWhat was the rush? Why was the Government rushing?\u201D It, for me, just shows how incredibly out of touch National is when it comes to the real-life, on-the-ground situation of New Zealanders. What\u2019s the rush? How about the 1,600 Kiwis that die every winter\u2014which doesn\u2019t happen in the bulk of other developed world countries\u2014because of housing and higher power prices? Sixteen hundred deaths a winter\u2014that\u2019s the rush. What\u2019s the rush? Maybe it\u2019s the 41,000 Kiwi kids that are hospitalised every year in this country because of the poor state of our housing and the growth of energy poverty. What\u2019s the rush? It\u2019s the 100,000 Kiwi households which, as we saw in the independent report, are in energy poverty. These are households that are spending 10 percent of their weekly disposable income just to keep the lights on, just to keep the heater going. It shows how out of touch it is, because if you talk to regular people in this country, they\u2019re actually facing the choice: this week, do I heat or do I eat?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ENow, when people are living in multiple houses across New Zealand, they don\u2019t understand the real, lived experiences of Kiwis. That was the rush. What this Government wanted to do was make a difference, and $265 million a year helping people over winter to heat their house, to avoid energy poverty, to spend money on the important things like their kids\u2014well, that was the rush. Now, we haven\u2019t heard any talk from National members about the actual impact of the winter energy payment scheme. Now, I\u2019ve been around to Kiwis\u2019 houses, right? And I\u2019ve seen the black mould on the roofs. I\u2019ve seen the literal wood you can rip off the mouldering walls. I\u2019ve seen families living in the only room they can heat, the lounge\u2014a whole family, a huge number of people crammed in one room. This is the reality and this is why the Government was doing it, and they were doing it in a rush because of the crisis facing this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ENow, National is saying they\u2019re voting against it because it\u2019s retrospective. I called it \u201Cpot, kettle, black\u201D because they did retrospective legislation a huge number of times, but the difference is that this is about helping people this winter. It\u2019s autumn, right? The leaves are coming off the trees. We\u2019re counting down to winter. We know that this winter, if we don\u2019t act, more people are going to die than in the rest of the year. So my message to National and anyone voting is: why on earth should we vote against helping Kiwis this winter just because National thinks retrospective legislation isn\u2019t right when someone else does it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s the issue of urgency. Now, this bill needs to be reported back by 1 April. It\u2019s no secret that the Green Party isn\u2019t a fan of urgency. In this case though, there is an actual urgent rationale, which is to give money to people who need it this winter. I urge National to go to residential care facilities around this country and tell them that they voted against those people getting the winter energy payment this winter. I challenge them: do it. Go to those residential care facilities and say why you voted so people would be poorer and colder this winter. I challenge them to actually get people to come to the select committee and make a submission, and the Green Party made sure there was a select committee process\u2014I challenge National: go find anyone in this country who\u2019s going to come to a select committee and submit that no one should get $265 million of winter energy payment support. I bet you they won\u2019t be able to get anyone to come, because it\u2019s incredibly popular, as we heard from the Minister. Kiwis need the help and they\u2019re getting the help from this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EUltimately, that is the question for National as they consider their votes tonight. Are they really going to vote against Kiwis getting help this winter? Do they want them to stay cold? Do they want them to stay paying more than 10 percent of their income? That\u2019s the real choice. So let\u2019s actually talk about the people and the real lives, not just this, I think, petty politics and partisanship we\u2019ve seen from this side.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u0022ed224e6acad34ed5a8f9532e655394d7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ed224e6acad34ed5a8f9532e655394d7\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thanks very much, Mr Assistant Speaker. There\u2019s been certainly plenty of passion attached to this debate this afternoon, and it\u2019s no wonder. I recall the Hon Tracey Martin\u2019s contribution first up, where she literally threw the officials under the bus because they had made a drafting error. A tiny tweak is required to fix a really small drafting error. Well, the reality is that it is the role of the select committee to scrutinise the wording, to scrutinise the bills that come before this House, to go through the wording, to question those officials, and to seek more information if that is what is required. But when you do not have the ability to scrutinise a bill because there is no select committee process, it\u2019s the very reason that we are here today trying to fix up the mess that this Government has created. That is the job of the select committee, that is the democratic process, that is what has been robbed from the people of New Zealand, and that is why we are here in clean-up mode.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EI have to say that when it comes to the committee stage, I\u2019m going to suggest that we even change the title of this bill so that it is actually called the \u201CClean Up the Mess Bill\u201D or the \u201CWe Told You So Bill\u201D, because it was articulated more than once that we were going to end up in trouble in this House because the wording was so badly put together. So here we are. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EI mention the contribution from Gareth Hughes here, who said, \u201CFind me somebody that will not take $265 million in contributions for a winter energy payment.\u201D The reality is this is a winter payment. It\u2019s not necessarily for energy, and I can tell you that the people I have spoken to in the people\u2019s houses I have been into are very grateful for this payment. In fact, one couple told me that they filled their wine cellar as a result of this payment last winter. Other people also took their summer holidays and loaded the credit card from this winter payment. It is not an energy payment, and had we proceeded with the tax reform that this Government put in place, they would have been even more better off than they were with the $31 a week that these guys want to give them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EWe are going to vote against this bill and, for this House\u2019s information, the committee was told yesterday that the submissions for this piece of legislation close on Tuesday. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u002208b847873d894c9ebd5f44ace7f254fc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002208b847873d894c9ebd5f44ace7f254fc\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: This is a split call. I call Greg O\u2019Connor\u2014five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022 data-id=\u0022bd396788fafa40c68f388d88ff9d8375\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bd396788fafa40c68f388d88ff9d8375\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR (Labour\u2014\u014Ch\u0101riu):\u003C/span\u003E They used it to fill the wine cellar\u2014they used it to fill the wine cellar. If ever you wanted to hear how out of touch some of those privileged people across the aisle are, I refer you to that expression, \u201CThey used it to fill the wine cellar.\u201D Excuse me, Mr Assistant Speaker, sometimes I just feel that it has landed on me. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003ECan I just bring the Opposition back to what we are talking about here. We\u2019re not talking about wine cellars, we\u2019re not talking about having black BMWs in the driveway; we are talking about 1,600 people who die each year from living in a cold house. If you look at the article by Ruth Nichol in the Listener in 2017, you\u2019ll see it was 1,600 people. OK, the National Party has 40 electorate members\u201440 people have electorates. That means 40 people in each of those electorates will die this year if this bill doesn\u2019t go through. Just think about that. Those of you who may have been brought up in State houses, those of you who\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002249194b8367994927a82dddd28a722120\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Not on that side.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b4bab230e324e9094288192c9c299ae\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: No, some were\u2014some were\u2014and you might note that when some of them talk about it, they immediately talk about how well they were treated and how good those things were\u2014but shouldn\u2019t we sell them? That\u2019s what I hear.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EBut back to this bill. This is something that I think it\u2019s actually quite good that we\u2019re back here for, because it allows us on this side of the House to focus on what we\u2019re doing and how important what we\u2019re doing is, and I just hope that somewhere on the benches across there, someone will sit and think that the fact we\u2019re back talking about this is actually a very good thing. I hope they will just think there is more to life than the year of your wine\u2014that this is actually a life and death issue for many of the people who deal with it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EIn fact, it\u2019s a life and death issue for people who live on their own, and I just think that one of the best things that\u2019s happened now is the fact we\u2019re back talking about this\u2014the 1,600 people who will die this year as a result of living in cold houses. Can I just leave you with that and ask you to compare that with the other side of the argument we\u2019ve just heard\u2014compare that with wine cellars. Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u002242245353d3e64168b266bdf0d5090bfe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002242245353d3e64168b266bdf0d5090bfe\u0022\u003ESIMEON BROWN (National\u2014Pakuranga):\u003C/span\u003E Well, what a terrible contribution we just had from the other side of the House. This piece of legislation, the Social Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill, is a piece of legislation which is not necessary to be going through this Parliament if the Government had actually done their job the first time. I heard Tracey Martin talking about drafting errors. She was throwing the bureaucrats under the bus, throwing the officials under the bus, because they, as parliamentarians and as legislators in this House, failed to do their job the first time. That\u2019s what this bill is about. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EUltimately, we as parliamentarians, we as legislators, take responsibility for the laws in this land. It is us who put our names to the legislation that we pass, and what the members on the other side did\u2014what Tracey Martin, on the other side, did\u2014was throw the bureaucrats and the officials under the bus for their hard work, and she should be taking responsibility for the decisions that they made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003ESo we will be opposing this piece of legislation. The Government should be doing its job properly and, furthermore, the tax cuts which National had legislated, and which were repealed, would have ensured that the same people who qualify for this now so-called winter energy payment, which is neither a winter payment nor an energy payment, would qualify for an increase in their superannuation\u2014and that would also increase with the median wage as it goes up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003ESo this legislation is opposed by this side of the House. It is retrospective legislation. More importantly, there are better ways to ensure that we look after the incomes of those who are on superannuation, rather than trying to dream up other types of payments which aren\u2019t specific and don\u2019t actually meet the ends which members on the other side of the House are trying to achieve. We will oppose this legislation. Mr Assistant Speaker, thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022 data-id=\u0022a573e6f861cc408baff336aea2b4a3a4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a573e6f861cc408baff336aea2b4a3a4\u0022\u003EJAN TINETTI (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I was going to actually stand here and say, well, there\u2019s not a lot to add to this debate, because we\u2019ve got such a small piece of legislation and, again, as has been reiterated, it is actually just looking at the drafting errors and fixing those drafting errors.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e848d358ee3440baace44d619aece1d0\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, that\u2019s right. If you\u2019d done your job properly, we wouldn\u2019t be here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c9fc796c87845258bc007ee81c31e68\u0022\u003EJAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re quite right there, Mr Bishop. I\u2019m so pleased you can read the legislation and add to the debate as well. But I was so taken by the passion of my colleague here, Mr O\u2019Connor, beside me, talking about wine cellars. I just have to add here as well about\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225981c0231fd345b08c55e252da43a34d\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: He nearly lost his teeth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210aa470b258946268f49e34657d05a9b\u0022\u003EJAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: I did think that too, Mr McAnulty. I thought that Mr O\u2019Connor\u2019s teeth were going to go flying at that stage, with that passion. I just feel that I need to add to that. You really reminded me of quite a number of things that can come into this debate here. It is a small piece of legislation, but the overall piece of legislation that this is adding to means so much to so many New Zealanders out there. To hear that people fill their wine cellars\u2014how out of touch is that? That has to be the most out-of-touch comment that I have ever heard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003EI have sat with a number of children\u2014in fact, in 2016, 11 children\u2014at their bedsides. They had been hospitalised because they had been in houses that weren\u2019t fit for purpose. They had respiratory complaints. In fact, one of those particular 11 children that I sat with had rheumatic fever. That is not a situation that I ever want to repeat again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003EWe are in this House because we have the ability to do something about that, and that is not just this side; that is that side as well. We have the ability to change that and make people\u2019s lives better. Some say, \u201COh, we\u2019re outraged because it\u2019s being pushed through.\u201D, but there is an urgency with the 1 May payout. We need to get this right. Let\u2019s work together and make this right for all New Zealanders here. To sit there and be outraged that this is being pushed through means that that side are completely out of touch with what is happening. People are dying\u2014people are dying\u2014and I have had experience of that because of inappropriate housing. We can get this right for every single one of those people and make a difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003EMany people have come to me\u2014we hear that they\u2019ve come to fill wine cellars; I still think that is an unbelievable comment and a shocking comment\u2014to say how much difference the energy payment has made in their lives. Seeing people coming into one room, a family of six coming into one room, for months over the wintertime is really heartbreaking. Seeing those families now actually in warm, dry housing because of a simple winter energy payment is really heartening. As a Government, as an actual Parliament, as this House, we have the ability to change people\u2019s lives. Let\u2019s work together on this. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c46106ec-7b2f-4d6f-a7f2-8525ae4550f6\u0022 data-id=\u0022f9eadb2c6f594515a7552879a952afb4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46106ec-7b2f-4d6f-a7f2-8525ae4550f6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f9eadb2c6f594515a7552879a952afb4\u0022\u003EAGNES LOHENI (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is about the people. I\u2019ve heard that a number of times from members across the House. It is about the people\u2014it is about the people. But the reason we are here today discussing this is because the Government overlooked those people. They overlooked the vulnerable, the elderly in our community. In their haste, in their rush, and in their arrogance to push this process through, they did not allow decent time to hear from the community, to hear from the people, and so this is what has happened. Let us think: if these are little, minor changes, what else has been overlooked? Has there been consideration of the fact that, for example, some New Zealanders live in extremely colder climates than, say, in the northern parts\u2014for example, the Chatham Islands? Is there consideration of that or other things that may come up over time? Again, the rush, the haste, rushing the process\u2014this is what happens: it punishes the very people that we are here to serve. It is particularly interesting to note that the proposed retrospectively applied amendments appear in this to be in conflict with their own previous Labour Party stance, and I refer to the Hon Chris Hipkins when he stated, \u201CRetrospective legislation is not right.\u201D The fact that our kaum\u0101tua who happen to be in care facilities were overlooked by this Government is a lack of attention to vital detail that is becoming all too common with this Government, I fear.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46106ec-7b2f-4d6f-a7f2-8525ae4550f6\u0022\u003EOn the one hand, I can at least understand the Government\u2019s attempt to rectify this oversight, but it doesn\u2019t address the fundamental problem with this bill, and that is its lack of fair, due process with the community. I cannot support this amendment. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022 data-id=\u002268e21a88f55c424eab375e7408f3e454\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002268e21a88f55c424eab375e7408f3e454\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s been an absolute delight to listen to the members opposite read their passionate speeches of outrage this afternoon about this piece of legislation, which, I concur with my colleague Gareth Hughes, is simply about making sure we keep people warm in their own homes. That\u2019s what this piece of legislation is about: to make sure all the people that the Government intended to stay warm\u2014so they don\u2019t go cold, so they don\u2019t have a horrible winter\u2014can do that this winter. I would like to reinforce the challenge that Gareth Hughes put to the Opposition to hold public meetings, to hold street corner meetings, and to go out and put a pamphlet together to say \u201CWe voted to keep you cold this winter.\u201D, because that\u2019s what this is doing. All of you guys over there who have got your blue House boxes can put a pamphlet together and say \u201CWe want to keep you cold this winter.\u201D, because that\u2019s what you\u2019re doing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EYour faux argument of outrage around the process doesn\u2019t hold up, because I\u2019ve heard some passionate speeches read by the Opposition this afternoon about how this side of this House should be perfect in its process, and, again reinforcing the message of my learned colleague Gareth Hughes, look in the mirror, because guess who was one of the worst offenders of having to come back to this House to clean up pieces of legislation in the last Parliament? Your leader. How many times did we come back\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002259f6b20a7ae6410a977bcd02f27854dd\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: Not my leader.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224b65052b7d494a5297928b59c35e7066\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, sorry, not the Assistant Speaker\u2019s leader. The Leader of the Opposition was the worst offender of coming back to this House and cleaning things up. So it\u2019s back on the record that the members opposite want perfection from this House. Maybe they should demand that of the person who is the leader of the National Party. As Minister of Energy and Resources, I think we came back to this House not once but twice to clean up not minor amendments but major pieces of legislation where he had stuffed it up. So, hey, look in the mirror, guys. This is a piece of legislation with two minor amendments to keep people warm. Your leader, who you should demand perfection of\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022009a1d3bc7ac4b038b7e66ec187b7dd2\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: Please don\u2019t bring the Speaker into the debate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0f2a3f006144b3fbe480b2187214b5d\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sorry. I can imagine how you would be offended, Mr Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bfdc202a23434320863746e333240631\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: No\u2014order! Order! Members need to take care not to bring the Speaker into the debate and then not to comment after that\u2019s been pointed out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022329d5d96200c4f53b8940873e5e844da\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI\u003C/span\u003E: If you\u2019re going to demand perfection from this Government\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210746bca2e7b4709a8e1a2653329ac44\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: Again, don\u2019t bring the Speaker into it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226bac5340e2564163957e7e37e62e5417\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry\u2014if the Opposition is going to demand perfection of this Government, then have a look at the person who will temporarily occupy that seat, because he came back to this House not once but twice. So just have a good look in the mirror there. I\u2019m really looking forward to Simon Bridges maybe having another tour of the country, and all the billboards through regional New Zealand saying \u201CNational will keep you cold.\u201D, because that\u2019s exactly what is going on here. So put away your faux outrage, put away the process, because these amendments need to happen in order to make sure that the heaters can stay on this winter to keep old people warm.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003ENow, I\u2019m looking around the House at the moment, and I\u2019m just wondering who would be against that, and the record will show, when we take the vote on this bill, that every member of the National Party is against that. They\u2019re about to stand up and talk about the process when this is actually about the people. The speaker who just took her seat, Agnes Loheni, is absolutely right, but she shouldn\u2019t be beholden to the party lines that they\u2019ve been reading out with such passion today. Get over it; keep people warm. I\u2019m looking forward to the next debate when you\u2019re going to talk about the process, but at the end of the day\u2014and I think Nick Smith is probably going to lead us off. Nick Smith is quite happy with the people of Nelson who are over 65 staying warm. He\u2019s a good local MP, and I\u2019m looking forward to those public meetings and those pamphlets where he says that blue is best\u2014not necessarily political, but keeping his constituents cold.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022a885d8c303db45a0b3e47bcae938cc22\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 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 of Aotearoa New Zealand 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 55; ACT New Zealand 1; Ross.\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=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000312\u0022\u003EBill referred to the Social Services and Community Committee.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022 data-id=\u0022094d4aa6e85f4f2c8a3acc964f9701c0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022094d4aa6e85f4f2c8a3acc964f9701c0\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE (Associate Minister for Social Development)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister for Social Development: I move, That the Social Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill be reported to the House by 1 April 2019 and that the Social Services and Community Committee have authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting (except during oral questions), during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House, and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House, despite Standing Orders 191 and 194(1)(b) and (c).\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u0022566cac40ad49450b85fab642a799123f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022566cac40ad49450b85fab642a799123f\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (National\u2014Nelson):\u003C/span\u003E If this Parliament ever needed an example to show the shambles and the incompetence of this Government, it is in respect of the motion that that member, Peeni Henare, has just moved.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s be clear about what the Government\u2019s doing. Firstly, in the 2017 Budget, our Government provided for a tax cut for all New Zealanders. That would have provided an extra $778 for every superannuitant, and what the Government did was patch up and invent this winter energy payment so that they could repeal that tax cut. Just coincidentally, the amount of money that New Zealanders needed to be able to be warm in winter was $778.73\u2014exactly what they would have got in the tax cut. Then, somehow, they come into the Parliament, as my colleague said, and claim the high ground.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EHere\u2019s where it gets worse. When they\u2019ve had nine years in Opposition to sort their policy out, they fumble together this policy and they introduce a bill into the House to introduce the winter energy payment, except, after they\u2019ve introduced the bill, after it\u2019s gone to the select committee, it\u2019s such a botched-up mess that they table in the Parliament a 500-page Supplementary Order Paper (SOP). Then the Minister\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c074ec8a4ec24409b070dacc2c0b0dd0\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I thought I would give the speaker enough time to make his point, but this is clearly, in my opinion, in breach of Standing Order 290(3), which states that \u201CAny debate on the question for a motion under this Standing Order is restricted to the special powers or instruction set out in the motion.\u201D I would argue that thus far, Mr Nick Smith\u2019s speech\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002254fe260d165e43ff8b26e9cb9f7a6215\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CDr\u201D to you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223fd3c535b54c4b578a65f61ec748b8b8\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014has been a commentary of the original bill. I apologise: Dr Nick Smith. It has been a commentary of the original bill, rather than speaking directly to the motion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229994c1ad56004fbd8b8d562107836dae\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: I think you\u2019ll also find that that\u2019s the sole decision of the Speaker. There is a little bit of latitude, but this is a narrow debate, as I\u2019m sure the father of the House fully knows, and he will restrict his further comments to the motion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223aa2392bf3be44db9dedda7cf321d39d\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the extraordinary part is that the Government is saying today that the select committee should have to report back this bill by 1 April. Now, that\u2019s three weeks away. The Standing Orders, as you well know\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228756bf8ca5c3450694e52a22cc377296\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: From a man who won\u2019t let the select committee do their work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002229ed86bfc69d41608e108deaed2ba0ea\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014require the normal period of six months\u2014the normal period of six months, Mr O\u2019Connor, and you want three weeks. There is a provision in the Standing Orders that says that if you really want to speed the process up, you can do it in four months. Is it four months that the Government wants the select committee to do its job in? No, it\u2019s three weeks. Why should this Parliament trust this Government to get it right in three weeks when they\u2019ve had two cracks at it and made an absolute hash of it? The only reason we\u2019re having this debate is because, not once but twice, the Government has completely stuffed up the detail of the law on this winter energy payment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003ENow, members opposite have said that this is all about making sure New Zealanders are warm. Well, I say: not quite. They\u2019re saying this urgency is required because of that. Actually, I haven\u2019t heard a Labour member acknowledge that there\u2019s a new law coming into effect on 1 July this year that requires every rental property to be insulated\u2014a bill that I put through this Parliament\u2014or that our Government insulated 430,000 houses during our term in office. So let\u2019s not, Mr Faafoi, have a game to pretend that the issue of warming up homes is not something which members on this side of the House take very seriously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EBut here\u2019s the important part: the provision for Parliament to consider at select committee this bill for only three weeks is for provisions that the Government wants to apply retrospectively. Now, I just heard\u2014and you will remember, Mr Assistant Speaker\u2014that we had this long argument from members opposite, just last week, that retrospective law was wrong and that retrospective law that tries to patch up things in the past should not be done. Well, why is it that one week members opposite say retrospective law is wrong; the next week, they come into the Parliament and say, \u201CNot only is it so right; Parliament and the select committee should only have three weeks to consider the extensive retrospective provisions that are provided for in this bill.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003ESo I say to members opposite: sorry, twice bitten now shy\u2014\u201Ctwice bitten\u201D because this is the third attempt for the Minister to get this legislation right. They got it wrong the first time because they rushed it. They got it wrong a second time because they rushed it. Why on earth should Parliament, a third time, then say, \u201CWell, let\u2019s rush it again.\u201D? We\u2019ve got such a good track record. We botched it up the first time we rushed it, we botched it the second time we rushed it, and now members opposite say, \u201COh, let\u2019s rush it again, because this time\u2014this time\u2014we\u2019ll get it right.\u201D Members on this side of the House say, \u201CYou keep getting it wrong. You\u2019re not learning the lesson. You need to take the time to get this legislation correct.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThen I come to the issue of what sort of public submissions process can there be if the select committee has only got three weeks. I would like the next member to say what opportunity there is going to be for the public to have a say on this quite extensive bill\u2014it\u2019s got over 30 clauses. What possible opportunity can there be for the public to have a say if the select committee is going to have only three weeks to consider its content? For those people that are affected by the retrospective provisions, is it fair for Parliament to be saying, \u201CWell, you\u2019re not even going to get a chance to have a say.\u201D? So we\u2019ve gone from the Government saying, one week, that retrospective law is bad and that you shouldn\u2019t do it, to next week saying that retrospective law is so good that we should power it through in three weeks and we shouldn\u2019t even give the public a say. Do members opposite really treat the New Zealand public and this Parliament with such disdain that they will not give them an opportunity to even have a say on the bill that\u2019s patching up their botch-ups?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EDo you know what this is really about? This is really to try and minimise the embarrassment for the Government. New Zealanders know that they\u2019re incompetent. New Zealanders know, whether it be KiwiBuild, whether it be the Provincial Growth Fund, that it\u2019s just one botch-up after another, and so too with the winter energy payment. The reason members opposite want this bill to be considered by the select committee for only three weeks\u2014not to have any public submissions at all, not to have time for very competent colleagues like Simon O\u2019Connor and others on the select committee to really scrutinise this bill around\u2014is because it will only show up the level of incompetence that is exhibited in this legislation by Labour having to have a third crack at trying to get its winter energy payment law straight. Parliament shouldn\u2019t have a bar of this process. We should not be in the business of covering up mistakes that are made by Government Ministers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThis bill is in the name of Carmel Sepuloni. This is a Minister that only a couple of weeks ago had to do the extraordinary part of recommitting a bill. That was after it had been through its committee stage\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229919a56d737843969209789d85664d2f\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, we\u2019re not doing that bill; we\u2019re looking at this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243d85b3511274db49b41981969411f7a\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: We are, but this Minister has got form, Mr Assistant Speaker. This is a Minister that keeps botching up her laws \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f2901bfa980645388db3d5446deaa15c\u0022\u003EHon Clare Curran\u003C/span\u003E: How many botch-ups did you have?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f6307beb3f55450c9b2f2c0c85fb5703\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: She puts it through the committee stages\u2014I\u2019m happy to answer the question. I\u2019ve been responsible for putting 50 bills through this Parliament\u201450 bills through this Parliament\u2014and do you know how many of those bills I\u2019ve had to recommit because I cocked up in the committee stages? Absolutely none. The Minister in charge of this bill, her very first bill, stuffs it up in the committee stages and has to recommit it, and that is an embarrassment. We should not be having a bar of this process that enables her to be able to continue to hide her embarrassment and her sloppy laws.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThe last part that I want to deal with is the issue of arrogance. During the reading on this bill, did we ever hear from the Minister, \u201CI\u2019m sorry we got this wrong. I\u2019m sorry that Parliament is having to waste its time, a third time, on trying to get the detail of this legislation correct.\u201D? Was there ever an apology to the Social Services and Community Committee: \u201CHey, I\u2019m sorry. We botched this up. You\u2019re going to have to have a third bite at the cherry and trying to get this right.\u201D? So I say to Government members: show a little humility for your stuff ups. Come down to this Parliament\u2014and I see Clare Curran giving me the eyeballs. She should get to her feet and say, \u201CYes, we\u2019re sorry. We\u2019re sorry that we stuffed up this law. We\u2019re sorry that there are thousands of New Zealanders that have missed out on their winter energy payment because we couldn\u2019t get the basic detail right.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EMembers on this side of the House would take a little bit of sympathy, would perhaps be a little bit more cooperative on fixing up the Labour Party\u2019s mess, if it just admitted that it got it wrong, that it didn\u2019t listen to National when it tabled a 500-page SOP in a mad rush, because then I might be satisfied that members opposite are learning from their mistakes. What we are seeing from this Government is not just one mistake after another but complete arrogance around the dealing with those mistakes and incompetence that just has them being repeated over and over again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThis Parliament should not\u2014should not\u2014constrain the hearing of this bill to only three weeks. We should reject this motion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022 data-id=\u0022db12de04f17c475b8df86d2a389a533d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022db12de04f17c475b8df86d2a389a533d\u0022\u003ESIMON O\u2019CONNOR (National\u2014T\u0101maki):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. I stand in support of Nick Smith, the honourable member who\u2019s just taken his seat, to speak against the motion of the Government\u2019s attempt to rush this amendment bill through the House. I\u2019m asking, actually, the Minister, if not to rescind the motion, to ask his side to vote it down. It would be just one more incompetent action on top of a whole lot that we\u2019ve seen in recent hours and weeks. The reasons are very simple: the New Zealand public have a right to be heard. They wish to come to the select committee. It\u2019s been pointed out somewhat, in an earlier contribution, that previous opportunities to speak on what is now an Act of Parliament were denied\u2014an Act of Parliament through, particularly, a major change in Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs). There was no opportunity for the New Zealand public to engage. We have now found ourselves in a situation where the errors within that and within that process have made themselves manifest, and we on this side are saying, \u201CFine. Let\u2019s then have a proper conversation.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EIn some ways we hear many, many times from the other side \u201Cto be on the right side of history\u201D\u2014whatever that actually means. But if you want to be on the right side of history, then you look at history and you don\u2019t make the same mistakes. We tried, in previous discussions around what this bill is related to, to be helpful, and, believe it or not, we\u2019re trying to be helpful again to the Government in saying, \u201CGive this bill the time that it needs, proper time in select committee, and allow the public of New Zealand to have their say so that the Government doesn\u2019t make the same incompetent mistakes again.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EThe reason we have this amendment bill is we have these two errors\u2014two known errors; there will be more. I put that prediction on the table right now. There\u2019ll be more errors, but, of course, they\u2019re not willing to face that. Take this to select committee, give it full time, allow the public to come in and comment on these two changes, and, I would also say, if we had the right and full amount of time, other errors would come forward, we\u2019d be able to amend the amendment bill and process, but no\u2014no\u2014this Government doesn\u2019t care. They don\u2019t want to hear from the public. They are moving the motion in this House to rush it through.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve heard from members in their earlier speeches of why we need to rush this through. One said it was about life and death issues. Well, if it\u2019s about life and death, perhaps New Zealanders would like to have a bit of a say. They might just like to come in front of the select committee for more than a couple of hours and have their say. We had\u2014unfortunately, it\u2019s becoming a bit of a theme\u2014a Minister stand up and blame officials. That\u2019s the second time in as many sitting weeks a Minister has basically thrown water at their officials, blaming the officials for the problems. Well, I would like those officials to come before the select committee. I\u2019d like a full amount of time to sit down with those officials and have a conversation not just about why their Minister threw them under a bus but to understand how did we end up with these drafting errors and how do we stop that from happening?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EI also think we need a further and proper\u2014actually, not even a further; I should correct myself. We\u2019re asking here just for the normal amount of time\u2014just the normal amount of time. Another member stood up and said, \u201CWho will think of the children?\u201D\u2014classic progressive go-to. Well, I\u2019d like to think about the children, because I suspect some of those children and their families might like to come to the select committee during a full process to be heard. It doesn\u2019t seem to really resonate with the other side. They\u2019re not terribly interested. Their heads are going down. So if they believe this is an officials\u2019 problem; if they believe this is a life and death issue; if they believe this is about the children, then, well, let the public come. In fact, let the elderly come, because this is a winter energy payment. Let them come, and let the Government take some responsibility for its legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EA last couple of points on why we should not be truncating: this is not just shortening; this it shortening it to 1 April. To the public listening, of course, what\u2019s 1 April? April Fool\u2019s Day. Well, it\u2019s symbolic. It\u2019s symbolic\u2014why? I mean, look, that\u2019s just another incompetent mistake. If you are going to truncate it, make it 2 April. Don\u2019t cause yourselves heartbreak, guys on the other side. April Fool\u2019s Day: it\u2019s not a joke. The bill is not a joke. The amendment is not a joke. The winter energy payment is not a joke. Looking after our families is not a joke. Do not treat this House as a joke, and that\u2019s what\u2019s happening here. Three sitting weeks\u2014three sitting weeks\u2014and within that there\u2019s only three sitting days of the Social Services and Community Committee. I have to say, they\u2019re a hard-working committee\u2014all of them. It doesn\u2019t matter if they\u2019re Labour, National, or Greens; they work hard. There\u2019s a huge workload\u2014and three days. And they don\u2019t even sit all day; they sit for a couple of hours. They are racing this through. It is the wrong thing to do. This party has fought the whole way through to work with the Government, to make what is now an Act of Parliament right. We warned them then that mistakes would come through. Here are the mistakes. Do not repeat history. Let the New Zealand public have their say. Give this a full select committee process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003ELast point\u2014last point: there\u2019s all this talk that people will miss out on payments. Guys, read the bill. You\u2019re already paying out all those winter energy payments. This amendment retrospectively makes it legal. In other words, people will still get their money; the money that you\u2019re, effectively, bribing them with, with their own money, but that\u2019s a separate point. So they\u2019re already getting the money. You don\u2019t need to rush this through. We must return this to a full select committee process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022 data-id=\u0022a1f412d1218b45e7874e4df6c327cb5f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a1f412d1218b45e7874e4df6c327cb5f\u0022\u003ERt Hon DAVID CARTER (National):\u003C/span\u003E Well, I do want to take a brief call on this and only because it\u2019s a process that we shouldn\u2019t be observing in this Parliament. I do also want to state right at the start that I do have a vested interest in this legislation, of course, being one of those poor people that shivered all last winter, ever grateful for the $750 that Mr Faafoi gave me. Thank you very much, Mr Faafoi. So I don\u2019t want to hold it up again, but I guess that\u2019s one of the arguments we had right at the start about sharp process. This legislation\u2014in fact, we\u2019ve heard our colleagues talk about it going to a select committee for three weeks. Well, it actually doesn\u2019t get three weeks, because this committee now needs to receive this legislation after it\u2019s been read today in the House, and then it needs to determine how long it will open for submissions, and I guarantee not much time can be given for that. So the opportunity for any person to have a fair input into this legislation and to try and get it right is considerably less than three weeks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThe Hon Peeni Henare, who had the unfortunate task of introducing this legislation\u2014I noticed the Hon Carmel Sepuloni didn\u2019t want to introduce it herself. Mr Henare is embarrassed to have to do this\u2014I accept that, and I guess he could have done one worse process than what he\u2019s attempted to do, and that\u2019s to rush it through under urgency with no consultation at all. But to open it up to three weeks, which, effectively, becomes two weeks, for people to prepare submissions and then put them before the select committee is a farce. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EWe all remember when the legislation was introduced into the House, and then a 500-page Supplementary Order Paper was presented on the day the House was to debate the legislation. I remember the debates clearly. In fact, I think I spoke in one of them, saying to the House that mistakes will occur because of rushed process. I\u2019m far from convinced that rushing this process now and trying to slam it through before 1 April will not again lead to further mistakes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThis Government needs to get its act together, it needs to consult properly, and the worst aspect of the debate we heard on the first reading today was the Hon Tracey Martin having the arrogance to come down to this House and say \u201CIt\u2019s not the Government\u2019s fault. It\u2019s the officials that got it wrong.\u201D That is not appropriate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThe Government mucked it up, the Minister mucked it up, and the National Opposition warned the Minister at the time it went through that it would be mucked up. I\u2019ll go so far as to say today in this House that because the process has been rushed like it is, almost unconstitutionally\u2014because it\u2019s being rushed, I will guarantee we\u2019re back again, amending this legislation, and ironing out further mistakes because a bumbling, incompetent Government is not doing the job properly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022bf81afc77c544941bd06e4fc89634d45\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 Social Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill be reported to the House by 1 April 2019 and that the Social Services and Community Committee have authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting (except during oral questions), during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House, and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House, despite Standing Orders 191 and 194(1)(b) and (c).\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 of Aotearoa New Zealand 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 56\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 55; Ross.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223223a104927c4667b15272ade70da130\u0022\u003EFinancial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00223104cceb8e2247bdbfbccacf78f4c73f\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000351\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 5 March.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u00223f97d8bcdc2043c2b806b45a6ef7bcbe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223f97d8bcdc2043c2b806b45a6ef7bcbe\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and I do want to say a few more comments about this piece of legislation. Ultimately, what we\u2019re talking about is the Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill, which amends a number of Acts to remove impediments to compliance with foreign margin requirements for over-the-counter derivatives, which will enable relevant New Zealand entities to continue to enter into certain types of derivatives and international counterparties, following changes to the EU and G20 countries\u2019 rules around this kind of financial market activity. It also establishes a new licensing regime for administrators of financial benchmarks under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo, ultimately, we are broadly supportive of the policy intent. We are aware that most of the market players are keen to see this happening so that they continue to have access to these instruments. It will go off to select committee now and, of course, the devil is always in the detail when it comes to this kind of legislation. Many things can go wrong and, quite often, you can achieve exactly the opposite of what you\u2019ve set out to achieve, so we\u2019ll go through the select committee process in detail. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EThe only point I wanted to make was that, fundamentally, this bill is doing something quickly in order to maintain our access to capital, international capital\u2014our access to international flows of money in order for us to invest and to grow our economy. We support that and we\u2019re glad that the Government is doing something about it. But I do make the point that it stands in stark contrast to everything else that the Government is doing. Here, they\u2019re maintaining our access to capital, but at the same time, they are considering a capital gains tax, which would increase taxes on investment, and nobody believes that taxing investment more will lead to more investment. So I can\u2019t believe for a moment that that would lead to New Zealanders having more access to international capital coming into this country, and also domestic savers investing more and growing this economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019ll support this bill, but we just wish they were more consistent in their thinking around investment and attracting investment to this country in order to grow our economy and to provide jobs and opportunities for New Zealanders. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022 data-id=\u00226fbe8a60bff94ef7811068232c1359cd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226fbe8a60bff94ef7811068232c1359cd\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN (Labour\u2014Dunedin South):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. Such welcome, if grudging, support from the other side for this bill, the excitingly named Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill, otherwise described by me\u2014with apologies to Minister Kris Faafoi\u2014as a boring but bloody important bill! Really, though, in my short contribution to this debate\u2014and I may be sitting on the select committee, but I\u2019m not sure; I\u2019m waiting with bated breath\u2014I say that this is actually pretty important. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EAs Paul Goldsmith, the previous member, said, it is about ensuring that there is access to international capital and a whole lot of other things, actually. While this is a technical bill, it\u2019s critical because it will allow New Zealand\u2019s major financial institutions to continue to transact with those overseas parties to manage financial risks, to raise capital, to continue to engage effectively in international markets and bring us into line with international standards, and, proactively\u2014as a good Government does\u2014to avoid potentially substantial economic damage. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EIt wasn\u2019t magicked up out of thin air. Over the past year, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the Reserve Bank, and the Financial Markets Authority have undertaken a comprehensive review of what\u2019s required to bring New Zealand into line with the international reforms, and MBIE and the Reserve Bank undertook public consultation on foreign margin requirements for those over-the-counter derivatives in 2017. That consultation identified specific impediments to compliance in New Zealand law and it proposed a number of targeted legislative amendments to address them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003ESo there are two essential, main changes that I think this bill makes. It will ensure that our flow of capital and international standards between New Zealand markets and the international markets will ensue, and it\u2019s pretty important that we\u2019re doing this. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EThe second one, which I\u2019ll just briefly talk about, is the introduction of the licensing regime for administrators of financial benchmarks. In June 2016, the European Union responded to concerns about conflicts of interest and the manipulation of financial benchmarks. It published new benchmark regulations, and those new regulations set standards around the processes by which the financial benchmarks were set. They apply from 1 January 2020, so I imagine that that is the timetable that this legislation is working to, to make sure that we\u2019ve got that in place. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EThe regulations have got effect outside the EU as third countries and benchmark administrators in those countries must meet the new standards if the benchmarks they administer can be used in financial contracts with parties located in the EU, and, of course, our banks and other large private and public sector organisations such as the Reserve Bank, ACC, the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, and the New Zealand Debt Management Office rely on the contracts with EU counterparties that reference New Zealand benchmarks and access EU financial markets for risk management investment and capital-raising purposes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003ESo this is pretty obvious. It might sound dry to those listening, but it\u2019s extremely important. It\u2019s the hallmark of a responsible Government that we\u2019re getting on and doing it, and it\u2019s great that we have got the support from across the House to do it. So, with that, I commend the bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u0022c0941fccc646448b9a020e421033e293\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c0941fccc646448b9a020e421033e293\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (National\u2014Papakura):\u003C/span\u003E There\u2019s a few things\u2014I\u2019m going to make a couple of predictions here, and if I lose, we all get a peppermint. So one prediction is this: this first reading will pass with overwhelming support and be sent to, hopefully, the Finance and Expenditure Committee. The other point will be: this will get no coverage whatsoever in the mainstream media or any other media. It will, however, cause problems if it\u2019s not passed. We will have a select committee process. The only people to come along and be interested in submitting on it are people who actually know about it, so there will be about three people or organisations that will come along, and we will nod and we will listen and we\u2019ll all learn, and we\u2019ll have a great time in that committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c0d17ab8fa74aa7bfaf2d760a264ad5\u0022\u003EHon Clare Curran\u003C/span\u003E: Will you do baking?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222dc9abf163624338a72538c6a51f541d\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Clare Curran says, \u201CAnd will I do the baking?\u201D This is not a sexist comment\u2014no, no. Ms Curran knows that I quite like to produce some nice home baking from time to time for committees.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bd3ce000896475fbb32edfb904d95bb\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: What do you bake?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220475a1a6ba3846789cdfa88137e1057a\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, well, it just depends, Mr Bishop, on what I feel like. I\u2019ve even made gluten-free for my colleague over here. So coming back to the bill, which, of course, is far more important than my baking and gluten-free\u2014but it woke everyone up, didn\u2019t it, Mr Assistant Speaker? Actually, instead of a peppermint, I\u2019ll do some home baking. Good idea. There\u2019s a lot of you, though. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002255c98da42e8145ddb1d887c8a2395142\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: Finally, some common sense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c0e61fc731224781899552b3448722dc\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Amazing common sense\u2014finally. So I thought what we would do is\u2014this bill reminds me a bit of the anti - money-laundering legislation. I\u2019m sorry to say, it has caused a number of law firms\u2014because, of course, as you know, I\u2019m a lawyer as well\u2014to complain to me about it, and I have to look embarrassed and say, \u201CI\u2019m so sorry. I was the Minister of Justice who had to bring it through.\u201D Actually, quite often it\u2019s because the European Union has decided something. We were being told then that we would not be able to have a lot of business with the European Union because of the anti - money-laundering legislation that we hadn\u2019t quite yet passed, so we had to do that. It causes a lot of extra cost to everything and to everyone, but we have a similar situation here, where the banking system has to cope and comply now with the EU regulations. I mean, imagine what it\u2019s like if you\u2019re actually part of the EU. We\u2019re not even part of it and we\u2019re having to comply with it. Of course, the fact is that we do because we are just a mere little trading nation with our 4.8 million people\u2014I mean, if Statistics tells it, it\u2019s probably 3.5 million\u2014out there trying to do business with the world. So we just, essentially, have to do as we\u2019re told on this unless we want to say goodbye to the European Union as a trading partner. So that\u2019s why we\u2019re doing it. It\u2019s for our banks, and it\u2019s for us to be able to get capital into New Zealand through that system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EAs we all know, New Zealand is a beautiful country full of lovely people\u2014well, actually, not full at all; there\u2019s hardly anybody here, but we\u2019re all lovely. The issue is that we don\u2019t have enough money\u2014we don\u2019t have enough capital\u2014so we need to have this. This is an excellent bill, and it is one that we will of course support on the National Party side. It\u2019s the sort of thing that responsible Oppositions do when it\u2019s something in the greater good, for the good of the country, which is\u2014so seldom do we see a bill coming into this House these days that we can support, but this one, we can. So, having really exhausted what there is in this bill, apart from the fact that we\u2019ve solved child poverty, we\u2019ve got world peace, and the European Union will let us trade with them\u2014fantastic, Mr Assistant Speaker; great bill. I commend it to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022 data-id=\u00225e1052926cf04f39876bd5c1344c4127\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225e1052926cf04f39876bd5c1344c4127\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW (Associate Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. I rise to speak on the first reading of the Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill on behalf of the Green Party and in support of the bill. I just wanted to pick up on where the Hon Judith Collins left off, which is that this is, obviously, a highly technical but, actually, fairly significant bill, and it is in the public interest. It is good to see that the Opposition is supporting it, and I hope that they also support another important piece of legislation coming up soon, also in the greater good\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022213e42b24dab45bfa5b546edbb50473e\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s that one?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa253e2653514e089fb207e8526a413b\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: The zero carbon bill. So returning to the Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill\u2014the purpose of the bill is straightforward. Now, what\u2019s proposed in the amendments in this bill are a number of changes to pieces of legislation that will, basically, keep New Zealand\u2019s financial institutions connected to the global economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e9d25e275a843a3b9b2049f106a29e7\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: You must be reading this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a1fc42733d784bfc9d7e2a542f538d1f\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW\u003C/span\u003E: I am. The changes will allow our financial entities to access capital, as other speakers have said, most recently the Hon Judith Collins, but also alluded to by the honourable Minister Faafoi in his introductory remarks. Now, I think this is a really important point, which is that if we don\u2019t make the changes to this bill\u2014if we don\u2019t make those changes\u2014it will actually cost all New Zealanders in the form of higher cost of borrowing. So while, as Judith Collins noted, it\u2019s not going to get a great deal of press attention, the title of the bill obscures its intent, and it\u2019s a pretty niche bill, it does actually have a material impact on the lives of all New Zealanders if we don\u2019t pass it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003ESo what we\u2019re now considering under this financial markets reform amendment bill are changes that will help keep us in line with international regulation reform. We\u2019re not the only country that\u2019s introducing these reforms; there are a number of countries that are lining up around this. These are changes, I want to point out, that have been prompted in part by the very painful lessons that were learnt in the global financial crisis (GFC), and that\u2019s some of the context that we\u2019re debating. Last year, of course, was the 10th anniversary of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, and, I have to say, that met with a lot of reflection about how the financial world has changed in the 10 years since. What that reflection showed, I think, was that whilst there has been a lot of progress that\u2019s been made over the last decade in securing and making more stable and more resilient financial markets, it also showed that debt levels now are actually higher than they were when the GFC hit us 11 years ago now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003ENow, I have to point out, obviously, the New Zealand context there is a little different. We\u2019re carrying less debt than many other OECD countries, but we\u2019re still highly exposed to the global situation. So I think that while things have changed, there are some things that have outstanded, and some of the lessons that ought to have been learnt may not have been learnt. So I think it is important that we keep going with these kinds of reforms. While we are in relatively strong shape by international standards, it is important that we maintain and build on this regulatory regime. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003ESo the amendments in this bill really are towards that end, and without them, again, as my honourable friend Kris Faafoi has pointed out, and the most recent speaker, the Hon Judith Collins, we won\u2019t be able to comply with relevant commitments and the kind of new international rules that are aimed at keeping more resilience and protection against manipulation in the global financial system. As anyone knows, that is a system, and the players in that system are very fast-moving; they\u2019re very sophisticated. Every time a wave of regulation comes through, they\u2019re usually able to get ahead of that and work out how to create new instruments and new ways of getting around it and create yet more levels of risk and uncertainty into the system, and so it is quite a job for us to keep up with that in the national and international regulatory system. So what that means is that once a regulatory regime has been put in place, it can\u2019t stand still. You kind of have to keep monitoring and learning and evaluating and seeing what trends are out there. Again, that is, I think, where the amendments in this particular bill come from.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003EThe amendments in this bill will ensure that New Zealand banks and other financial entities in New Zealand can continue to access offshore funds with the kind of safeguards that they need. I notice that without the amendments in this bill, certain aspects of New Zealand law as they currently stand would restrict New Zealand\u2019s financial entities from complying with rules around foreign margin where those rules would give our financial institutions protection when parties default or become insolvent. So that does carry with it some risk. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge the consultation that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) did, the Reserve Bank did, and the Financial Markets Authority did as this bill was being put together over the course of the last year. I do want to acknowledge that they were operating under time pressure to complete their consultation and analysis and subsequent advice. I note that MBIE felt satisfied that the time pressure didn\u2019t unduly compromise the process, but I do know that when you\u2019re dealing with something this complicated, it can be hard for people to participate in that. But I think that where we\u2019ve landed is pretty good.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003ESo I want to highlight some of the concerns from some of the consultation documents that it picked up around the over-the-counter derivatives aspect of the bill\u2014derivatives, of course, being financial contracts that banks and other institutions enter into in order to protect against exchange rate risks. In relation to those, where exchange of collateral\u2014the margin\u2014is involved, submitters to the consultation were worried that under existing law, there would be some impediments that this bill needs to address. So those impediments related to the fact that under existing law, there are no margin requirements in over-the-counter derivatives, but there are several banks that are registered in New Zealand which would likely have to comply with margin rules that are being implemented overseas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003EThe consultation process also pointed out that some features of New Zealand laws which cover statutory management and creditor priorities could prevent or impede the prompt and free availability of margin provided in New Zealand banks. The possible result of that is that there could be difficulties for New Zealand banks across derivative products in markets used for funding and hedging. Minister Faafoi, in his speech, pointed out the example of the kind of implications for the big four banks in this country if we were not to bring the amendments proposed in this bill. Those implications estimate $1.1 trillion of gross exposure just for those four big banks to parties in the European Union if we don\u2019t align with the over-the-counter derivatives reforms being established by the G20.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003ESo it is one of those, kind of, quiet bills but I think it\u2019s lit, and I think it\u2019s great that everyone\u2019s supporting it, and I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u002244fdba29f6c942829e9682a72dafc8a5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002244fdba29f6c942829e9682a72dafc8a5\u0022\u003EHon JACQUI DEAN (National\u2014Waitaki):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. This bill is supported by the Opposition through the House\u2014the Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill. There have been a number of contributions around a fairly narrowly defined piece of legislation. So I don\u2019t propose to go through it all again. I don\u2019t think that would add much to a debate where everyone is in support of the banks having a more appropriate regime in place to continue and ensure continued access for New Zealand benchmark users to access European financial markets.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESo this was originally a National Government Bill. We\u2019re happy now to support it in Opposition, and congratulations to the Hon Kris Faafoi for progressing it. I do see that the Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill is enjoying quite steady stakeholder support and feedback. So ACC and super fund, who submitted jointly; the New Zealand Bankers\u2019 Association; Russell McVeagh; Chapman Tripp and Buddle Findlay also did a joint submission; and then RITANZ, which is Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association of New Zealand\u2014all wrote and submitted in support of this very narrow bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EI just want to do a shout-out to the Hon Judith Collins and her baking with the Finance and Expenditure Committee (FEC). I was not aware that there was baking going to FEC. That\u2019s a bit of a challenge to the rest of us. Challenge accepted. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u0022bd52645cd93246f389e554c501dc4083\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bd52645cd93246f389e554c501dc4083\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: This is a split call. I call Paul Eagle\u2014five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022 data-id=\u00222381fec353014824b66f291300dae63c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222381fec353014824b66f291300dae63c\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE (Labour\u2014Rongotai):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s my pleasure to take a split call\u2014five minutes\u2014on this bill, the Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill, and it is the first reading. Can I acknowledge the Minister\u2014he\u2019s no longer here\u2014for introducing this important piece of work. In terms of what I thought I would cover\u2014I didn\u2019t want to double up\u2014I would just mention various things from the regulatory impact assessment for the financial markets, because I thought there was some good work in there. Some of the work done by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has certainly contributed to making this bill what it is today. So can I thank the officials for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EOne of the points for those who, like myself, are not entirely knowledgeable about this bill was really understanding what is the policy problem, or what is the opportunity\u2014everything from the way that New Zealand\u2019s banks use offshore and domestic finance to fund their activities. They enter into these derivatives contracts to protect or hedge against the exchange rate risk of raising money in foreign currencies. For example, other large public sector asset managers like the Accident Compensation Corporation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund also use derivatives for hedging purposes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EIn terms of banks and the public sector asset managers, they are facing a barrier to accessing international derivatives markets due to the Group of 20\u2014the G20, as it\u2019s been mentioned before\u2014and those rules for certain types of derivatives. Those rules include the requirement for parties to over-the-counter\u2014or OTC, as a colleague mentioned\u2014uncleared bilateral derivative exchange securities, also known as the margin, under a contract to support the performance of it. If one party fails to honour its obligation\u2014for example, if it\u2019s financial distress\u2014then the other party can call on a margin to shield it from any losses that might result from its counterpart\u2019s non-performance. That\u2019s a good basis for developing this bill. Part of their advice too talked about the need for more Government intervention.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003ESo this, I guess, targeted amendment legislation was deemed to be required to ensure or enable those affected entities to comply with the foreign margin requirements and continue to access international derivatives markets. A non-regulatory response was said not to be possible as the impediments to compliance are contained in the legislation. Who\u2019s affected? These amendments are not intended to change the behaviour of entities that are affected by the new derivative requirements, rather preserve the status quo of the industry behaviour, but instead the amendments are intended to ensure that affected entities have the ability to enter derivative transactions that comply with new requirements and market practice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EOne of the most important things, I think, is the stakeholder views, and they were tabled around what they thought that problem was. So agencies were consulted over a six-week period in 2017, between July and August, and they were all in agreement, essentially, on the nature of the problem, and they were supportive of what\u2019s being proposed. So I think that\u2019s commended, and can I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022 data-id=\u002271745782feb04603b583fc71da973047\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002271745782feb04603b583fc71da973047\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY (National\u2014Hunua):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s a pleasure to be talking on the Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill. It\u2019s an interesting bill, isn\u2019t it, because derivatives are actually a fundamental part of our financial systems, but, unfortunately, not many people know about them. They\u2019re the glue, as financial systems got more sophisticated over time, in terms of how you allocate risk and how you manage risk. That\u2019s essentially what they\u2019re about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003ESo derivatives take a number of forms. Many people talk about futures and you can buy futures for gold. You can talk about buying an option or warrants that are issued or swaps, and traditionally in the financial market setting, you have swaps as an example that covers foreign exchange movements or interest rate movements. The reason why these are so crucial in terms of managing risk is that for many players in the financial markets, and banking in particular, where they want to make sure that they capture a certain profit and they don\u2019t want to be at risk of changes in the value of the currency or changes in the interest rates, what they will do is disaggregate parts of the financial instrument and sell or trade that part. They might be wanting to buy a fixed-rate instrument even though they\u2019ve offered a floating mortgage rate to New Zealand house owners. Or they might agree to sell currency at a certain price at a certain date, and they don\u2019t know what the price is and they\u2019re not prepared take the risk, so they buy that in advance. Those are traditional types of derivatives and it\u2019s a huge market. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EI presume most people have been quoting from the same report, but the reason why it\u2019s so large in terms of the value\u2014and the report talks about $8.7 trillion worth of trades\u2014is most of these arrangements only have a 90-day lifespan. So in fact, you\u2019re having to roll them over regularly, although, of course, many of these have a longer term. But a great portion of them have quite a short term and therefore the issue is around how they are treated and how when you buy one\u2014and if you\u2019re out of the market, which happens during the course of the period if it\u2019s a 90-day one, at some point you might be in the market; at other points you might be out of the market\u2014that is where a margin call comes in. And this is what this bill is about: how you manage that margin and how you keep sufficient amount of margin, those financial institutions, that ensures that the financial markets are secure. That is what this bill is principally about. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EThe other bit is around licensing of the financial benchmarks, and, again, this is a new area driven by the EU. And I think it is vital that there\u2019s a record of it and how it\u2019s benchmarked and obtain the records behind it. It\u2019s going to be a fascinating discussion in the Finance and Expenditure Committee. I\u2019m looking forward to working with the members in the Government circles because I\u2019m sure many of them have a good grasp of this detail. I commend the bill to the House, Madam Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022 data-id=\u002208b8eddda13546f0b349cdf08081996e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002208b8eddda13546f0b349cdf08081996e\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E I would like to begin my contribution to this debate by praising the Hon Judith Collins. As earlier speakers have noted, Ms Collins sometimes brings home-baking to the Finance and Expenditure Committee, and I can attest that it is superb. So thank you, Judith Collins. We appreciate it very much. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EIn terms of this bill, what this bill does is deal with some of the way that we put our financial markets together, and I\u2019m grateful to the immediately previous speaker, Mr Andrew Bayly, who explained, I think at quite a high level, some of the nature of what is going on in financial markets. But what I would like to do in the course of this speech is try to bring this to life for people who may be watching at home. I guess dealing with financial markets is one of those topics where people\u2019s eyes do glaze over a little. Some of the stuff that we are talking about is highly complex and it doesn\u2019t often relate to people\u2019s everyday lives. Most of us never have to deal with what\u2019s going on in the highly complex financial markets. So I do want people to understand why this bill is important and why we are trying to engage in regulating our financial markets\u2014a worldwide effort. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI ask you to cast your mind back to 2008 and what we now call the global financial crisis. It\u2019s hard to say exactly where it started but the world was primed for it. The world was absolutely primed for it, and it was primed for it because there had been an astonishing growth in what are now called, broadly, derivatives. Something that had been going on in various countries was what they call poor-quality lending. There had been a whole lot of lending\u2014mortgage lending in particular; lending to people on their homes\u2014and it was quite risky lending, risky in the sense that banks and other mortgage issuers were lending something in the order of 100 percent of the value of homes to people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThe assumption was that people would be able to cover the costs of the interest on their mortgages, and so on. But they were risky and, in particular, when one looks at some of the stories of what went on at that time, some of the lending that went on went on where families with very low incomes were nevertheless given mortgages, which possibly at the time of the borrowing they might have been able to cover the interest on, but if anything went awry in their lives then they simply couldn\u2019t cope. So if mortgage rates went up just a little, that could be enough to sink those people on their mortgages.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ENow, as it turns out, the financial institutions knew that they were risky instruments. They knew that they were risky mortgages\u2014the financial institutions\u2014and of course all mortgages are somewhat risky for both the lender and the borrower. There is always a chance that the borrower won\u2019t be able to make the mortgage payments. But then from there what happened was financial institutions, quite properly, spread the risk. Now, that idea of spreading the risk is that they would take the value of a particular mortgage and they would ask other financial institutions, other banks, to participate in it. So they would sort of sell a bit of the mortgage to another institution, then they\u2019d sheer off another bit and sell it to a third institution, and then hive off a little bit more to a fourth institution. No, it wasn\u2019t a matter of chopping it up, but this all operated through pretty complex financial instruments. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EWhat happened was that banks and other institutions\u2014the big merchant banks\u2014built up complex layers of very, very complex financial instruments. Let me give you an idea of how complex these financial instruments are. Look, if we\u2019re talking about something like a swap, people say, \u201CWell, what\u2019s a swap?\u201D. Well, a swap is when one entity, one organisation, has a debt, it has an investment, it has some borrowing which has a particular stream of interest payments. They\u2019ve got to make a series of interest payments over a series of months. And then another institution likewise has some sort of financial instrument on which there is a series of interest payments due, and, literally, they swap them. And what that does is it enables each institution to get a better cash profile to plan their cash flows, to plan their interest flows, to plan their risk profile. That swap enables them to stabilise what\u2019s going on in their own borrowing and lending profiles.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EBut most people don\u2019t really understand swaps, and fair enough; they are complex\u2014and that\u2019s just actually a very simple sort of financial instrument. And then from there it\u2019s not just having the swap. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da938737d9d644da955ad16fce639f3c\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! We won\u2019t be having conversations across the Chamber, thank you very much. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a645f9df9d645d8acc36eca9baa4094\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I\u2019m just having the swap\u2014but the valuing of the swap is very difficult. How do you put a value on those streams of interest flows out into the future? Well again, there are ways of doing that, but it takes quite a bit of financial knowledge and expertise and finance to do that. So what happened during the build-up to the global financial crisis was there were a whole lot of these complex financial instruments being built up all over the world, and the risks and the interest flows and the streams of money being swapped and dealt with and sold, until it became an incredibly complex structure that almost nobody could understand and nobody could value, and no one knew where the risk actually lay. In fact, institutions could virtually get rid of all the risk. They had no skin in the game. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThen the house of cards came tumbling down, and what we saw\u2014and I\u2019m sure that members of this House will recall this\u2014was people literally living in tents and tent cities because they had lost their homes. Now, this didn\u2019t so much happen in our own country, but I have a clear memory of the tent cities in various places in the United States. Ordinary people eventually lost out. Actually, a lot of the big banks got bailouts because they were \u201Ctoo big to fail\u201D. It\u2019s hard to go back and recreate that situation, but ordinary people\u2014ordinary mums and dads\u2014lost their homes and often lost their homes because the house of cards came tumbling down. And it happened because so many of those institutions didn\u2019t have skin in the game.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ESo, as the world started to recover from the global financial crisis, around the world regulatory authorities started to put in rules to regulate that kind of behaviour, and this is what this bill is actually about. I refer in particular to the margin. It\u2019s referred to as a margin but what it is, essentially, is that when institutions engage in these kinds of complex financial deals, they have to leave some of their own money on the table. As we all know, when you\u2019ve got some of your own money on the table, you take much more care. That\u2019s a really straightforward thought, and that\u2019s a common sort of thing. When we want someone to take care, when we want real care taking, we make sure that people have skin in the game, and this is what these margins do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ESo the EU has brought in those regulations, and now we need to do that too in order to maintain our access to the EU financial markets and, in fact, to the worldwide financial markets. That\u2019s why this bill is so important. It represents our institutions having some skin in the game, and they want to have some skin in the game. It represents big financial institutions worldwide having some skin in the game. And that, ultimately, protects all of us, and that\u2019s why this bill is important not just for the handful of people in this country who will understand the complexities of these financial instruments but for the ordinary, everyday people on the street. And in the Finance and Expenditure Committee, where, we\u2019re told, this bill is going to come, we will do our best to examine the detail of this bill and make sure that we look after the ordinary people. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022 data-id=\u00222e8a00f6af2a4d65b61ee316c8b96746\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222e8a00f6af2a4d65b61ee316c8b96746\u0022\u003EANDREW FALLOON (National\u2014Rangitata):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s a pleasure to be taking a call this afternoon on the first reading of the Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill. The reason it is such a pleasure is that I was sitting in my office and I heard someone refer to this bill as \u201Ca bit dull\u201D, and that disappoints me a little bit, actually, because I\u2019m quite excited about it. And the reason for that is that before I came become an MP, I worked on this issue for a fair while, actually. So it\u2019s a real pleasure for me to be seeing it come to this House, and I want to commend and thank Kris Faafoi for doing that. I am excited, and when I think about the bill, I think back to probably three or four conversations I had on it and on this issue with a very friendly lawyer. It took him about three conversations, I think, for me to finally understand it, and so I apologise to Anthony if I do get any of it wrong this afternoon in trying to explain it to members across the House and, I\u2019m sure, the many people who are watching at home.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003ESo, at present, New Zealand banks use offshore finance to fund their activities, and those banks enter into derivatives contracts to hedge against the exchange rate risk in raising money in foreign currencies. Due to a change in G20 rules, banks are facing a barrier to accessing those international derivatives markets, and so it\u2019s really important for us to now tidy up our legislation to ensure that banks can still access those offshore markets, because the effect if we didn\u2019t do that would be quite simple, and it would be increased interest rates. And that would, obviously, lead to a huge cost on families and to businesses. So this is a fairly small and technical bill. I do look forward to hopefully sitting on the Finance and Expenditure Committee while this bill is being considered. It\u2019s a worthy change and one that needs to happen; if we didn\u2019t, it would lead to additional costs for families and businesses. I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022 data-id=\u00220cf66d9ca3594618af04fcbaeea805fd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220cf66d9ca3594618af04fcbaeea805fd\u0022\u003EHon RON MARK (Minister of Defence):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. Actually, it\u2019s been quite interesting that the passage of this debate has gone from being sort of those of us who are not particularly versed in financial derivatives and in financial markets listening to the odd speaker\u2014Andrew Bayly and Deborah Russell, who has just left, I think\u2014talking about some of the finer detail. It did actually tweak my mind to some things that I had seen and observed in international media, going back to that time of the global financial crisis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EDr Deborah Russell is quite right to point out what occurred in that time. I think, if you go and google up and have a quick look, at around that time, when we were talking about swaps and Andrew Bayly raised the issues there, members might recall one of the things that occurred that gave the EU such concern. If we go back to that time, JP Morgan were fined $65 million, Cargill were fined $10 million dollars, Commerzbank were fined $12 million, and then there was a bigger action taken against JP Morgan, I think, and Deutsche Bank. There was a partnership arrangement in some dealings with swaps, and that incurred a \u20AC485 million fine. Deutsche Bank\u2014another fine of about 7.8 million. And all this comes back to the way in which swaps were being managed and deemed by the courts of those jurisdictions to have been improper and were punished accordingly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EIf members want to get a look as to what was going on at that time, I\u2019d probably recommend that they watch the movie The Big Short, which was an excellent movie showing how players at this very high end of the financial markets made considerable amounts of money dealing in things that most of us mere mortals of modest income and modest investments just only dream of. So I guess it\u2019s with that backdrop that New Zealand First wholeheartedly and wholesomely supports this legislation that\u2019s before the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EIt actually has also got me reflecting somewhat on the circumstances and trading and the way certain financial transactions were managed and decisions were made in this country that were highlighted by the Rt Hon Winston Peters when he exposed the dealings in the wine-box; different to this, I know, but it does serve to remind us that unless we keep our eye on the ball in some of these areas where most of us don\u2019t have a lot of understanding, there are very high risks of penalties and consequences being foisted upon the average New Zealander, who does end up paying through increases in banking charges and increases in interest and increases in insurance and all the rest of that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003ESo this bill, from a New Zealand First perspective, brings us to meeting the requirements set by both the G20 and the EU. This bill aligns New Zealand with international best practice and will improve the integrity of our financial system. This bill is an omnibus bill. It brings New Zealand into line with other countries who have, over recent years, made changes to address significant risks in global financial markets, specifically the G20 and the EU. With these changes, New Zealand entities can continue to access these international markets. Our legislation must put us in a position to be able to meet the requirements of the reforms made overseas and particularly, as we know, in the EU\u2014somewhat critical if this Government is hoping to secure a free-trade agreement with the EU, and something I am looking forward to our wonderful Ministers Parker and Rt Hon Winston Peters successfully concluding in this term of Government. I have my fingers crossed, and I look forward to something of that nature happening.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EIf we are shut out internationally through not passing this legislation, the disruption to businesses and the increase in funding costs may be very significant, including through the impact on the banking sector and the possibility of increases in interest rates. The big picture is that without these amendments through this bill, there is the potential for significant risk to the New Zealand economy, and we can\u2019t as a trading nation afford for that to happen. New Zealand First wholeheartedly supports the passage of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EBill read a first time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EBill referred to the Finance and Expenditure Committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u0022ee008f9331cb407ebf97db4a7f280e28\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ee008f9331cb407ebf97db4a7f280e28\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: I move, That the Financial Markets (Derivatives Margin and Benchmarking) Reform Amendment Bill be reported to the House by 22 July 2019.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002254981d03d9d34401ad5b582668398ba5\u0022\u003ELocal Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022978284efb31c4119840a980d68686360\u0022\u003ESecond 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=\u0022142dd9411d4a43f3a61be832d71e03c4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022142dd9411d4a43f3a61be832d71e03c4\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Local Government):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill be now read a second time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill is an omnibus bill which will make minor and technical changes to the legislative framework under which councils operate. Its purpose is to carry out maintenance on local government legislation to keep it up to date and fit for purpose. It\u2019s an opportunity to tidy up and correct aspects of law that would be beneficial to improved functionality and implementation of their respective Acts. The bill as reported back from the Governance and Administration Committee amends seven principal local government Acts administered by the Department of Internal Affairs. The Government recognises the importance of finding time in the parliamentary calendar to undertake repairs and maintenance to existing legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThis approach was endorsed by the Productivity Commission in its 2014 report on regulatory institutions and practices. The amendments contained in this bill support the Government\u2019s vision for an effective system of local government operating under legislation that is clear, modern, and does not introduce unnecessary costs. I\u2019d like to thank the select committee for its careful consideration of the bill and for conducting its business in a timely manner. This gives the House the opportunity to pass the bill with enough time left in the financial year so that those affected by the amendments to the Rates Rebate Act, in particular, have time to submit an application to their local council and receive the rates rebate for this rating year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe committee received and considered 18 submissions on the bill from interested groups. The two key local government sector groups, Local Government New Zealand and the Society of Local Government Managers, submitted in support of the bill\u2019s purpose. The committee\u2019s report recommends the bill be passed with five main amendments, and I support these amendments.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to draw the House\u2019s attention to some small but important changes we are introducing in this bill to improve access to information for communities across New Zealand. We\u2019re introducing a new requirement for local authorities to publish public notices on their websites as well as in the traditional community newspaper. We\u2019re introducing a new power for the Secretary for Local Government to prescribe the form of documents and information which local authorities make public. This is to ensure that the information is accessible and reusable by all, including those with a disability. We\u2019re introducing a definition of \u201CInternet site\u201D into the Local Government Act so that council websites are a place where the public can find all important council documents.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EIn and of themselves, these are minor amendments. However, taken together these changes will make the information held by local authorities more readily available, accessible, and reusable and help support greater transparency in the sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to highlight another amendment in the bill. The amendment is to the Local Electoral Act and introduces a new duty to facilitate and foster representative and substantial electoral participation. The committee recommends that this duty be placed with the chief executive rather than electoral officers. I tend to agree with the committee\u2019s recommendation and think chief executives will be well-placed to ensure the principle of facilitating and fostering electoral participation is reflected throughout their organisation and in their approach to elections. The current low level of participation in local elections means that membership of councils is often less diverse than the communities they serve, and we should always try to do more, which is why improving civic participation in local government is one of my key focus areas for the local government portfolio. This change to the Local Electoral Act will provide councils with a clear mandate to improve participation across our communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EFinally, the committee recognised that there was some overlap between matters raised in submissions on the bill and the Justice Committee\u2019s inquiry into the 2017 general election and also the 2016 local elections. While those matters were out of scope for the bill, I commend the submitters for raising these issues and support the Justice Committee considering the issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill contains a number of minor and technical changes which will strengthen the local government legislative framework. The changes are non-controversial and have cross-party support. I commend the bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u002269196b522ab54287a5a82d99a4ecac83\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002269196b522ab54287a5a82d99a4ecac83\u0022\u003EHon JACQUI DEAN (National\u2014Waitaki):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I\u2019m very happy to support this bill. In fact, it is an excellent bill which was inherited from the former Government, and a number of the clauses in this bill were developed under our watch. None the less, the bill achieves a number of efficiencies in the regulatory system across a number of statutes, and the Minister\u2014thank you very much, Ms Mahuta\u2014has outlined those to the House. As a collection, they don\u2019t seem, perhaps, that significant. Who, really, is concerned about minor tweaks to the Dog Control Act? Well, maybe some are\u2014I am. But, taken as a whole, these are another step in modernising, simplifying, and clarifying the regulatory regime around local government regulatory systems.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EBefore I just go through one or two of those clauses in the bill, I do reflect that one of the challenges that the local government sector does face is a low reputational score, and that is a score by their own measure, and a part of that low reputation is because local governments are regulatory bodies and must administer regulation. If we can simplify and clarify those for local government, then that can only have a beneficial flow-on impact on people who need to go up to the council door, knock on it, enter, and wish to transact with some council somewhere in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EIf I go to the Dog Control Act, one of the aspects of the Act which was a bit of an impediment was around the definition of a disability assist dog, and the Local Government Act really noted which organisations are authorised to certify dogs which are disability assist dogs. Because the legal definition of disability assist dog does include a list of organisations which are authorised to certify a dog as such, we need to do legislative change each time an organisation is added to or removed from that particular list. Clunky\u2014very clunky.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESo one of the clauses in this bill allows for organisations to be, through regulation, added to or removed from the Dog Control Act. It\u2019s sensible, and so regulations can now\u2014or will, on the passage of this bill\u2014be made by Order in Council by amending Schedule 5, which is the new schedule, and so those new certifying organisations can be added and those removed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EThat\u2019s just an example of how Parliament can smooth out processes for an organisation. And, if I stick with this example, formerly a new organisation that was formed to certify disability assist dogs had to really wait until there was a bill that would enable that, and so wait for a piece of legislation. That could take up to several years, by the time a minor piece of legislation was scheduled for debate, or just not be certified. And now, of course, they can then by Order in Council be added to Schedule 5. So it smooths it out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESo amendments to the Local Electoral Act is another part in this bill, and the changes are to empower councils to improve representative and substantial participation in local elections. We do have a problem in New Zealand with a declining rate of participation in local body elections. There are many reasons why this could be so. It could be that because there is postal voting, there is no election day as such. It might be that the voting papers, when they arrive, contain so many items on which we are to vote that people get confused, maybe get a bit fed up by the whole thing, and then go, \u201CI can\u2019t be bothered.\u201D Whatever it is, we\u2019ve got to address it, because what we need in our communities is strong local representation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESo, again, I absolutely support the clauses in the bill which make changes to the Local Electoral Act, and so it goes. There are a number of speakers to follow me in this debate. I have highlighted two of the clauses for consideration. I commend the bill to the House at this reading.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022 data-id=\u00224f66630550e845c99372fd0e4a5717a2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224f66630550e845c99372fd0e4a5717a2\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE (Labour\u2014T\u0101maki Makaurau):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise in support of this particular bill. The member who has just finished her contribution makes some very good points. I wish to elaborate a little bit further on some of those and also point out, and support, the words of the Minister, who, in the second reading of this bill, mentioned some of the substantive changes in the bill. There are all-up approximately, I think, seven changes to the bill but, in particular, five substantive changes to the bill. And I think what this does too is it shows that we can make some very good transitions into a far more democratic environment to engage our people. As we know, as locals in T\u0101maki Makaurau, voter participation is particularly low, and that\u2019s the case across many local governments across the country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ELittle things can actually go a long way. This bill attempts to tidy up some of those things and takes away the focus\u2014because most of my neighbours that I talk to always say that the council only ever concentrates on the three Rs: roads, rubbish, and rates. What we do know is there is so much more to the beast of council. Some of the things that are addressed in this bill actually go quite a long way to making sure that voter participation rises, and one of them\u2014and it sounds rather mundane\u2014is the definition around \u201Cinternet\u201D and allowing councils to post notices electronically on the internet. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EGiven that the internet\u2019s been with us for quite a number of years now, the mind boggles at why we didn\u2019t move to this earlier. It makes us question what has been missed, because readership of papers has been declining at the same time. So when public notices go into the paper\u2014I, for one, certainly don\u2019t read the paper, and the last time I checked on apps, quite often public notices are hard to access there. But we know that with this particular move in this bill, we can, number one, define internet, and, number two, provide a framework around which notices should be advertised on the internet, as well as your standard forms of the paper\u2014because I know quite a number of offices in this institution still receive papers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s important that if we want to increase, in particular, the younger generation to become more civically minded and more involved in civics generally, it\u2019s important that we speak to them on the platforms that they access the most, and the internet is one of those simple forms. I guess, at some point in time, there\u2019ll be some consideration given to far more varied social platforms such as Facebook and whatever else it might be, like Instagram\u2014it seems that the only way my 22-year-old son will talk to me is via social media or on the internet. So it stands to reason that a move like the definition around \u201Cinternet\u201D and allowing public notices to be advertised through the internet is just one of those smart moves that should have happened a long time ago, yet here we are. It\u2019s some of those little minor things that came through, in particular, in the submissions around this particular bill. Some of the submissions were outside of the scope of this bill, but I won\u2019t talk to those. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAlso, on the point of public notices, the Minister raised some good points around transparency and accountability\u2014the ability as a ratepayer, or as someone involved, or as someone who takes an interest in local government to be able to access the portal of those councils to make sure that they can access past information which sounds, once again, a rather mundane thing, but they\u2019re all important steps to make sure that our people are informed and engaged. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EI recall another bill in this House where attempts to find old records through local government actually always came up against so many hurdles and barriers. That didn\u2019t help the process for the locals, nor did it in fact help the process that this House was using. It was a local bill; namely, the New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill. But the fact that the general public couldn\u2019t access information raises questions about whether or not the council is hiding something or simply weren\u2019t just fit for purpose to make sure that information was readily available to the general public\u2014and that\u2019s a good thing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EOne of the parts gives some powers, indeed, to the Secretary for Local Government. Part of that feeds on from, sort of, the last bit I mentioned about public notices, which is about growing civic engagement, diversity, and accessibility for the disabled, in particular, to be a part of civics within their local government. But more importantly, it actually appoints a task to somebody, a particular role, to make sure that this happens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAt the moment, most of the general public will look at the legislation or will be told to look there to see how they can participate. What this actually does is it says to the chief executives of local bodies, \u201CActually, it\u2019s your role and your duty to make sure that participation across all sectors, all communities, increases.\u201D Therefore, accountability, I think, is a good thing whereby we can measure whether or not that person is actually delivering that. And there is one other thing\u2014and there has been a number of bills, and I recall, on a separate bill, a submission by a past member, Mojo Mathers, but I still think it\u2019s related. It was around the ability of people who are hearing impaired or disabled to participate. They couldn\u2019t fully participate in either debate, or in voting, or as a potential candidate. I thought it was a powerful submission. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EBut when she and others sought a remedy or sought a way to actually increase their participation, they were always told, \u201CGo back to the legislation.\u201D Well, we\u2019re doing that now. We\u2019re assigning a role to the chief executive to make sure that participation increases, and I think it\u2019s a fantastic move forward to make sure that actually local governments, and this particular bill, reflect our communities wherever they may be, right across the country, and involve those who have felt locked out for so long.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EOne of the other parts too is, of course, the legislative framework, and it\u2019s important because while these changes might be rather non-controversial and have support across the entire House, it\u2019s important to note that while making some minor technical changes, there are some more significant changes that affect the legislative framework, and that\u2019s important when we consider an omnibus bill. I say that because there have been a number of omnibus bills in the five years that I\u2019ve been a member of Parliament, and for the most part a lot of the detail is lost on a lot of people. But it\u2019s important that as we consider this bill, those legislative frameworks are spelt out, and I believe that is certainly the case here in the second reading of this bill and, of course, the work that\u2019s been done by the select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EIn conclusion, I wish to support this bill and, of course, thank the select committee for the work that they\u2019ve done. I know\u2014and if people read the notes, they will see\u2014that this has taken a long time. There are productivity reports from a number of years ago that have been mentioned in this. There has been mention of the last term of Government, and now this term of Government. Well, all I can say is that it\u2019s about time. It\u2019s about time that this bill arrived into the House. The sooner this gets through, the better, and I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022 data-id=\u00227b99ce25597144189f9fedcc708e3e93\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227b99ce25597144189f9fedcc708e3e93\u0022\u003EDr JIAN YANG (National):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak briefly on the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill. As I said in the first reading of the bill, New Zealand has a very complex and large regulatory sector made up of 200 or so regulatory regimes, and more than 10,000 people work in the regulatory roles. So the regulatory regime is a very important piece of Government infrastructure. The regime or systems need to be updated from time to time, simply because over time you will find inconsistencies, gaps, outdated paths, or errors. So such bills, the regulatory systems amendment bills, are efficient vehicles for us to address such problems. In that sense, these bills are a tool for us to repair and maintain existing legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003ESuch bills also can reduce costs. For example, in this particular bill, we redefined the definition or replaced the definition of \u201Cdisability assist dog\u201D in the Dog Control Act 1996. The original Act has a definition which includes a list of organisations authorised to certify a dog as a disability assist dog. But every time you had to add one particular organisation or remove one organisation from the list, we had to actually legislate. So this bill will simply remove that list, and also could actually have a list by adding or removing an organisation from the list through regulations instead of through legislation. So this will actually reduce the costs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EAlso, the Governance and Administration Committee made a further change to the bill by asking local government to make publicly available all the reports related to dog control matters\u2014matters like the number of registered dogs, or the number of complaints about those dogs, or prosecutions taken. So this is a bill which we believe is important, although it\u2019s not a major policy bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EThe Productivity Commission has found that it\u2019s difficult to find a time on the parliamentary calendar to deal with repairs or maintenance of certain legislation. For that reason our regulatory agencies often find it hard to deal with legislation, because legislation can be out of date or not fit for purpose. So this bill is a step in the right direction. For that reason, I commend the bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022 data-id=\u0022316b634bc9d84bf3a344b3a7df26305c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022316b634bc9d84bf3a344b3a7df26305c\u0022\u003EHon RON MARK (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Look, I do rise to take a short call on this bill and to commend the Governance and Administration Committee: the chair, Brett Hudson, and Ginny Andersen, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, the Hon Jacqui Dean\u2014who spoke in the first reading and who had been a Minister overseeing the initial writing of this bill at the time, and I want to acknowledge her for that work that she did in the previous term of Government\u2014Paul Eagle, the Hon Peeni Henare, Jamie Strange, and Dr Yang, who just concluded. It is a technical bill and, going through the select committee report\u2014not having sat on the committee\u2014I think the committee has done the legislation justice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge Minister Mahuta, because she has taken on board those issues raised by the select committee during their deliberations and clearly factored those changes into the legislation. Bills like this can be a little bit technical. Some of us who have served in local government can get a little excited sometimes to finally see some things tidied up. This is like a repair and maintenance session on the bill. It is a little interesting that it\u2019s taken so long for some of these technical adjustments to be put right, but put right they will be over the next few weeks as the House moves this legislation through all stages.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EI think some of the things that were covered off\u2014in fact, I think I spoke about it in the first reading\u2014were matters that were raised by the Productivity Commission back in 2014 that were impediments to the more efficient operation of local government. Being a mayor in local government, I was acutely aware at times that the legislation was out of date, was clunky, was not using the tools available, and did not, as the Hon Peeni Henare said, take into account the fact that time\u2019s moved on. People now use their devices in their hands. They use their laptops\u2014they go to the internet to access public information from the councils. I think requiring the councils to make some reports more publicly available, and to actually publish them\u2014and I see the information around dog control\u2014are good things.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EOften when councils don\u2019t proactively publish information, it does raise suspicions and concerns, and conspiracy theorists start talking about councils hiding information. Most often it\u2019s not that at all. Most often it\u2019s just that the council hasn\u2019t thought to publish that sort of information, or make it readily available, and I refer specifically to those aspects covered under the public notices. The part I would\u2019ve actually enjoyed sitting in on at the select committee and listening to, had I been allowed to, was the discussion around the changes to the Local Electoral Act and how the council goes about encouraging, enticing, more participation. Those matters were dealt with quite ably by the select committee, and I congratulate them for that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003EI can\u2019t say a lot more. The bill is pretty simple, actually. It\u2019s astonishing it\u2019s taken this long to get to the House. But I compliment all members of the select committee for the way in which they have studiously handled this legislation. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022 data-id=\u002213da2dd2806e47c98e813b7b379d5828\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002213da2dd2806e47c98e813b7b379d5828\u0022\u003EDENISE LEE (National\u2014Maungakiekie):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. It\u2019s my pleasure to take a call. Like others before me, I intend for it to be brief. We do support this bill, and it\u2019s good to hear the previous speaker, Ron Mark, refer to the Productivity Commission and their July 2014 report. This bill does emanate from that particular report and was, of course, started by the previous National Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003ESometimes, you don\u2019t get chances to tidy up, and the chances don\u2019t come around too often, especially when you have a very full Order Paper, and that described the last Government. When we first debated this, the Order Paper wasn\u2019t so full, under this Government. So here we are, still many months on, finally getting round to a tidy-up. That Productivity Commission report, of course, addressed that exact topic, where they found that the parliamentary calendar doesn\u2019t always leave time for repairs and maintenance, if we can put it that way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003EAs we know, the bill amends seven statutes, and I found one bit fascinating from commentary from the Governance and Administration Committee, and that was how they covered\u2014and great work from the select committee\u2014a lot of modernising and the need for publications to be digitally available, but they went so far as to also mention how to spruce up newspaper publications as well. Where they refer to clause 15(2) in amending the definition of \u201Cpublic notice\u201D and in clause 29, amending the definition of \u201Cpublicly notified\u201D, there was support for that, but the committee wanted to note that they would wish for further gains to be achieved in updating the form requirements of public notices in newspapers\u2014yes, the old-fashioned newspaper form. So while we\u2019ve heard some contributions tonight on online and digital access, the committee had the foresight to also look to spruce up how newspaper notifications are presented, and they went so far as to say, \u201CCan we get a plain explanation of the subject matter in those newspaper notices, and can we have reference to a source where you can find more detailed information.\u201D So my congratulations to the committee\u2014you certainly got into some detail on many different topics.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022943fd636-21ec-4442-9a72-68c49464776f\u0022\u003EWe commend this bill. It\u2019s a bill that started under our tenure, and the Productivity Commission might be proud that we\u2019re getting around to repairs and maintenance. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022 data-id=\u0022adb939f04e784a6fbbf7bb34cc0565c8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022adb939f04e784a6fbbf7bb34cc0565c8\u0022\u003EMARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, thank you. The Green Party is absolutely voting in support of the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill. I do congratulate the Governance and Administration Committee for putting through what appears to be a bit of a tidy-up, as others have mentioned, to get the machinery a bit of an all-over service, from what I can gather.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s an omnibus\u2014I learnt that word when I came into this place\u2014which really just means that it\u2019s taking, in this case, I think, seven pieces of law, giving them all a bit of a tidy-up, a bit of a spruce-up, and also a bit of consistency work across the seven statutes\u2014gaps, errors, duplications. So a good thing for this House to be doing, making sure that\u2014I guess the word is efficient\u2014the local government regulatory systems are doing their work in a way that is streamlined and common-sense and modern and up to date, has also taken into account the various changes in those specific bills that have happened over the years to make sure we bring that legislation into play, and making sure that we are getting good bang for the buck as well, across local government work in particular.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI know that these amendments are largely technical and administrative, but I did pique my interest a little bit on\u2014so it is the \u201CFostering participation in local elections\u201D. I think that talks about, in the bill, \u201Cclause 10 would amend the Local Electoral Act\u201D and it talks about placing a duty on the \u201Celectoral officer of a local authority to facilitate and foster representative and substantial electoral participation.\u201D, something I would hope we all want. I am not part of the committee, so I\u2019m actually unsure what was already in place around that responsibility to improve people wanting to take part in, well, not just local government elections but all parts of how ordinary citizens can make their voice heard in all of the different decisions that are made. I\u2019m not sure what the legislation was previously to this amended change. If it is just an administrative change\u2014actually, the committee seem to have gone even further, where the committee felt that the duty for encouraging better participation in these local electoral\u2014you know, that part of our democracy\u2014absolutely should be placed on \u201Cimpartial public servants rather than \u2026 incumbent elected representatives.\u201D to try and keep it fair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EBut the committee went further to say that it should be the CE, the chief executive, of local authorities who are better resourced to carry out that duty. So I think that\u2019s a wise change from what was originally introduced. I\u2019m interested in knowing what was beforehand, because we know that we could do a lot better in making it sexy to participate in anything to do with voting in democratic\u2014and especially in local government. I mean, a lot of our ordinary citizens don\u2019t always understand how much power and resource and decisions are made that affect our daily lives. So that did pique my interest a bit in whether it would actually make any impact on really improving it or whether it was really just an administrative change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI also picked up, just like my colleague Denise Lee, who spoke before me, that the committee\u2014bless them\u2014went further around the definition of public notice and being publicly notified by local government activities and talked about plain language explanation. Well, that in itself actually is how we encourage and improve participation from citizens. Often, cumbersome, heavy processes and clunky processes and language can just turn people off straight away, so I think bless them. Bless the committee for being able to go a bit further and try and look for other ways of making the suggested improvements even better.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EApart from that, it appears that this is long overdue, from what I heard in the House tonight. This came from the productivity report that was in the previous Government, and we\u2019re finally bringing it into now the second reading in this place. So I\u2019m all for seeing if we can improve our systems, seeing if we can get things a bit streamlined, cutting out some of the unnecessary stuff. I was going to use a car metaphor, but probably not good for the co-leader of the Green Party, so I will go with gardening: a bit of weeding, nourish the soil, plant a few extra things. I think that\u2019s how I\u2019m coming to terms with what we\u2019re doing with this omnibus bill in this House. Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022 data-id=\u00229932c33800c244c2b36a8348f5c1db01\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229932c33800c244c2b36a8348f5c1db01\u0022\u003EDAN BIDOIS (National\u2014Northcote):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s a pleasure to rise in the House today in support of the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill. I would like to acknowledge, first and foremost, the Minister the Hon Nanaia Mahuta for bringing this to the House today. I would also like to acknowledge the previous Minister of Local Government, the Hon Anne Tolley, for the work that she put into this bill, which started under the previous National Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EI rise in support of this bill because of the importance of local government. As a local MP in Northcote, I just want to say that local government has extreme importance to people\u2019s lives. As an MP, the amount of time that people come to me with local government - related issues is large, and I spend a lot of my time as a local MP dealing with local government issues. The essence of this bill, which is about improving the effectiveness and the efficiency of local government processes and systems and structures, I think cannot be underestimated on this front.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EAs the previous speaker mentioned, this was arisen through the 2016 Productivity Commission report on regulatory systems and Government administration. The Acts that this bill affects\u2014these seven Acts\u2014have been traversed quite extensively, so I won\u2019t go into each, but I will point out one Act which is amended under this bill, which is the Local Electoral Act 2001. This bill essentially seeks to empower local governments around improving the engagement and participation in local government elections. We know in Auckland that that is an issue, where only about 40 percent actually vote in local government elections. So we understand the importance of improving the engagement and giving councils the tools and the authority and the mandate to do that for our civic society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EAgain, these bills have been traversed quite substantively, and the reason that we\u2019re supporting it is because we want local government to work well. We want to improve participation in local government elections. We want to remove unnecessary compliance costs for business and for residents. We want to clarify existing provisions in the bill and also update any small areas, as well. So this is an omnibus bill, and I very much support this bill in the House. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u002203a2d450fe6d49f78f04f6fa0bef7bdf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002203a2d450fe6d49f78f04f6fa0bef7bdf\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I understand this is a split call. Paul Eagle, you have five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022 data-id=\u00226d298cc0d8404b1a9e730d049242defd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226d298cc0d8404b1a9e730d049242defd\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE (Labour\u2014Rongotai):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. I could take more, but five is enough on Thursday afternoon. Look, can I just start by acknowledging the Minister of Local Government, the hard-working Nanaia Mahuta\u2014I think she\u2019s done an outstanding job to date and will continue to do an outstanding job for those in local government\u2014and also the hardest-working select committee on earth, the Governance and Administration Committee. It just so happens I\u2019m a member of that committee\u2014no coincidence. Someone\u2019s got to do the hard mahi, as others might say. But look, it is a good committee. We look after local government, and this and other bills that are coming to the House soon have been the focus of our energy to get right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003ELook, they say all politics is local, and the member for Northcote certainly reinforced that with the fact that many of you who have electorate offices will know that many who come in or email, and other ways, will raise local issues. I\u2019m really proud that this is contributing to the small stuff, the little bits and pieces, but also the big stuff. The big stuff, really, for me, if I can focus on one aspect, is really about helping to get more people to vote in local elections. They\u2019re this year. Most people won\u2019t know. They\u2019ll start seeing a clutter of hoardings at a reserve near them and go, \u201CWhat\u2019s going on?\u201D, and that\u2019s when the confusion really starts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222dc2bffdbc984fe29223bd3e5010f56e\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: They\u2019ll miss your face this year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022705206d4da0e471099e7ca80a2fd4be8\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE\u003C/span\u003E: No, the Eagle won\u2019t be appearing on the streets of Rongotai this year, young Simeon. Instead, it\u2019s\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b55c3b7fdd294c50805fe787f85d37d2\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! You need to refer to members by their proper names please, Mr Eagle.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221486b492e50440bdb53e7785aa486450\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE\u003C/span\u003E: The member for the mighty Pakuranga\u2014sorry, Madam Assistant Speaker. No, there won\u2019t be any red Eagles around the streets of Newtown and other parts of the southern area this year, but don\u2019t worry: they\u2019ll be back next year with a vengeance. There might be a couple of blue ones this time around.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a44ceecf4664650bfdb9671fe45d5ac\u0022\u003EHon David Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: You won\u2019t have to wait until next year for it, mate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221808d204097d4b1b9c0326178271e15c\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE\u003C/span\u003E: I could put them up early. I mean, there are really no rules. There\u2019s so much love for the red in the southern area; it\u2019s just unbelievable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EBut look, let\u2019s get some focus back on\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022901047794bbf462d90b9f84960aabb2e\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: That would be good.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a4203a9e92b4fb0bf1f6091215378f8\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014what is an important\u2014no, no, this is really important. I mean, there\u2019s always lots of love when I talk about local government, but the real love needs to happen with the voting public. When they turn on the tap and they can\u2019t get water, or the bin\u2019s not there or they have some other issue with a cycleway or two, then they can talk to their local councillor and know who that is and actually vote. I mean, it sits around 40 percent\u2014and the Minister of Transport is looking at me with some evil eyes. It sits around 40 percent, but I think we can do a whole lot better than that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EIf the smaller but important change to the principle of the Local Electoral Act goes, it means that more marketing and promotion of the actual election itself\u2014in fact, many people don\u2019t know that it\u2019s a decentralised, localised campaign. So it depends on where you are in New Zealand and who the electoral officer is as to whether it\u2019s been effective or not. Unlike the orange thing that wobbles around and goes around New Zealand, and it promotes the general election, you don\u2019t get that at the local level, even though people think that you do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003ESo I\u2019m stoked that that\u2019s going to get the attention that it needs to ensure that more marketing is done. And, look, it is a tough gig, because, as the member for the mighty Pakuranga will know, you are voting for much more than just the city or district councillor; you\u2019ve got the health board members, regional councillors in most areas too, but also you have energy trust boards and other things that will come up, as well, in some areas. So it is a smorgasbord of things to vote for and people to vote for, and if this is one of seven amendments to go through, then that will make a major change to the people of Aotearoa New Zealand. That\u2019s the five minutes. What a pleasure, as per usual. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u0022b1743eaacbdc4e69a595c9760dc5b080\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b1743eaacbdc4e69a595c9760dc5b080\u0022\u003ESIMEON BROWN (National\u2014Pakuranga):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s great to be speaking as the member of Parliament for the mighty Pakuranga, and it\u2019s great to be taking a short call on the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill. I just want to start by acknowledging the good local government representatives who represent the Pakuranga electorate, the members of the Howick Local Board, and our Howick councillors Sharon Stewart and Paul Young, who do an excellent job advocating on behalf of people in the Pakuranga electorate and making sure their voices are heard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EI do want to just make a few comments. This is a bill which amends a number of bills\u2014it\u2019s the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill. I just want to acknowledge the Governance and Administration Committee for the work that they have done and also to acknowledge those who made submissions to the select committee, as well\u2014I think five people came and presented and gave evidence\u2014for the time that they took to be able to input into making sure this legislation was fit and proper.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003ENow, there have been a number of comments on the different pieces of legislation that this bill amends, and I would like to just make a couple of comments in relation to the amendments to the Local Government Official Information Meetings Act 1987. This piece of legislation, in my view, is a very important constitutional piece of legislation. It gives the public the rights to be able to know and to be able to hold to account those officials who do represent at local government level, and it also ensures that the affairs of local governments are held in a public, open, and transparent process. The amendments which are being proposed here ensure that meetings are publicly notified in a more efficient way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EI think at the moment when you open up your local paper and you generally go to the last page, you generally see these half-page adverts with a whole lot of information, and that\u2019s where the detail is placed. Often they\u2019re in the daily newspapers, and not everyone gets the daily newspapers. So this allows for more of that information to be required to be put online and more of it to be required to be put into the local papers, which people do get if those ones are available and they are frequent enough to be able to be made available. I think that will allow more people to be able to actually get the information that they need and then to be able to be made aware, whether it\u2019s a notification for a meeting, or a notification for consent, or whatever that notification might be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003ESo as I said, this bill is making small amendments but important amendments. I hope that it can be part of a continuous cycle of improvement to our local government regulatory systems so that we can continue to ensure that local government becomes more productive. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022 data-id=\u00225ad6cc16a50e40ff8be5385dd794b68c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225ad6cc16a50e40ff8be5385dd794b68c\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Assistant Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make a contribution. Peace and harmony have broken out at 10 to six on a Thursday afternoon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002295740331d7b641b088c883632e0b5a14\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Quarter to 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec192903a4914c6dbe64e4bfa12ff76d\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: Wonderful\u2014wonderful. Quarter to 6. This bill, as we\u2019ve heard, addresses a few key issues, and I\u2019m looking forward to touching on those. So the first one is around requiring local authorities to make various reports about dog control matters publicly available. The second one is about placing a duty on the chief executive of local councils to facilitate and foster representative and substantial electoral participation, rather than the council\u2019s electoral office. There are a few others as well that I\u2019ll touch on, but I\u2019m just going to focus particularly on those first two. Before I get into the aspect around the dog control matters, as a member of the Governance and Administration Committee, I\u2019d like to acknowledge our chair, Brett Hudson. He does a wonderful job, and our deputy chair, Ginny Anderson, does as well, and also Paul Eagle and others, who may or may not be in the House tonight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b8ff603cd3d9424f8942caa503376bad\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Don\u2019t refer to members not in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b241b7ed71274dbb95e6873593c1fdf7\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: My apologies, Madam Assistant Speaker. So moving on to the first point there: the Dog Control Act. So, basically, what the bill does is it requires councils and local authorities to make public their dog-related complaints and prosecutions taken. So at the moment, if there\u2019s a prosecution or if there\u2019s an issue around something to do with the dog, the council record it, they log it, but they don\u2019t have to make it public. The key reason this is in here is because there is a lot of public interest in dog issues\u2014issues around loose dogs, unregistered dogs, and dog safety. I live over the road from a dog park and we regularly see people walking dogs. Generally, we don\u2019t see many issues; however, there are certain issues. The Opposition members are helping me out with a few dog anecdotes\u2014thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223212ea111fce4621a5ba5b6af8eff81b\u0022\u003EHon Andrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: They bark at every passing car.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022acf839c61f0745648437bb993d5cbce9\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: Indeed they do that. The key point here is that there is public interest\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298e6bb45b7a14af2b4f7aff6eed186f9\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Fun times on a Thursday afternoon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa0475004123452498c8e83fc8646239\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014in dog issues. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EI would like to acknowledge Ian McKelvie\u2019s member\u2019s bill, which addresses some of the unintended consequences around dog control. He\u2019s done some good work on that, and this bill links in with that, as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003ESo, at the risk of letting the dogs out, I\u2019ll move on to point No. 2. Point No. 2 is around fostering participation in local elections, and\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022380f4232db074e6f8bbe1ea4bca51996\u0022\u003EHon David Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, go back to the dogs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e2aa445f7f548d2a8aec612f2fec921\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: All right, all right\u2014OK. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e405c9e2b1840a99e25e7892d624b01\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014this is very important. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221396a4fdad02415293d3d7a713e6be62\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Let\u2019s settle now, shall we. Thank you, and let\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220e6a333e8e9f4e76beaa62fc603146a2\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: Ten minutes to go\u2014come on, team.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227f1c557def4d47fd97c4f0d42fb138e9\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Please, Mr Strange, carry on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b0d38da83a34494897882bea1cae628a\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: There are a number of reasons why people don\u2019t vote in elections. Some people feel like their vote won\u2019t count, others are simply disengaged from the process, and others say, \u201CPolitics doesn\u2019t affect me.\u201D There\u2019s a disproportionate amount of young people who don\u2019t vote, and it concerns me, and I know it concerns members of this House. The Hamilton City Council, in their local body elections recently, had a 40 percent turnout\u2014which is very low\u2014compared to a central government election, which is 80 percent, and we\u2019re working on improving that, of course, as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003ENow, what this bill does is it puts the onus and responsibility on the chief executive officer of council, rather than on the elected members. Now, why is that? The key point is that if you leave it to elected members to improve voter participation, there can be biases involved, whereas a CEO is impartial. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003ELet me give you an example. Some councillors would benefit from a low turnout. Other councillors would\u2014[Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022166e18d4035f481f976e84db1aa0da90\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: OK, OK\u2014we\u2019ve got 10 minutes. Can we just try and get through the next 10 minutes? Please, can we just come to order. If you can\u2019t hold it in, then can you perhaps take it out into the lobby. Please, Mr Strange, will you continue. [Interruption] Yeah, we\u2019ve had enough now, thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252bc0e5f028b4fb2b5c0f946877b6115\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. So, building on the point around participation in local body elections, only 40 percent of Hamiltonians voted in the recent local body elections, which is something that concerns me greatly. If we leave it to the elected members to decide whether to increase participation, then there can often be a bias there. However, the bill puts the onus on the CEO, which is fantastic, because the CEO is impartial. So one of the CEO\u2019s responsibilities will be to increase voter turnout. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003ELet me give an example. If we leave it to the councillors, there could be biases involved. For example, some councillors will benefit from low turnout. Others would benefit from high turnout. So those councillors who benefit from low turnout would be incentivised to keep the turnout low, others who benefit from high turnout would be incentivised to have it high, and, depending on the make-up of the council, situations will ensue. So the CEO, who is impartial, has been given the mandate to increase participation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003ENow, one of the ways the CEO may or may not choose to do this is through online voting. There\u2019s been a lot of talk about online voting over many years, particularly among young people. A lot of people think that this will increase voter turnout. I think that it probably will. I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s a silver bullet, but I believe it will make a difference. So if we\u2019ve got a council who are predominantly made up of elected members who benefit from low voter turnout, are they going to move to online voting? Probably not. However, the CEO, who is impartial, has been given the mandate, and so he may well go \u201COnline voting, I believe, will improve turnout.\u201D, and hence move on that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EAnother key aspect around increasing turnout is diversity of councils. Many of the councils around New Zealand don\u2019t have a lot of diversity. I\u2019m talking about ethnic diversity and I\u2019m talking about youth\u2014there are not a lot of young people on councils. So the higher turnout will increase diversity, and diversity makes the councils more representative of society. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EI stood for council myself, in 2013. Unfortunately, I missed out and I ended up here, but I still have aspiration. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003ESo, when I was standing for council, the turnout was very low. As a young person, I believe I would have benefited from a higher turnout. We heard a number of submissions on this bill. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ce9aae1cd0a4a6e8554d3d7f51175d9\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Settle. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd4ea4cbac6749bb9c946664717a7166\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: We heard a number of submissions, and I\u2019m just going to touch on a couple of those submissions, particularly as they relate to voter turnout. So we heard from an organisation\u2014good friends of mine: Federated Farmers. I regularly engage with the Waikato president of Federated Farmers\u2014excellent, excellent, excellent man. Federated Farmers, in their submission, stated here: \u201CIt is well known that interest in local authority elections overall is in decline.\u201D So Federated Farmers made this point very strongly. They said, \u201CThis trend, in our view, represents a growing disconnection between local authorities and their communities and a decline in mutual trust.\u201D So Federated Farmers support this bill in order to increase voter turnout, and I think that that aspect there will have widespread agreeance right across the country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003ENext one: Local Government New Zealand. They also talked about this aspect. They said, \u201CElectoral officers themselves do not currently have [the] capacity to undertake the type of work involved in promoting participation. Neither will they be able to fulfil that duty if a local authority fails to provide adequate funding.\u201D Hence, Local Government New Zealand \u201Crecommends that the \u2018duty\u2019 is placed on the council itself\u201D, and in this case, the CEO. So we had submitters certainly in support of this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll touch on one more point in my final minute here, and that\u2019s about public notices. It has been touched on before by a number of speakers. I\u2019d just like to add to their contributions by mentioning a submission\u2014excellent submission\u2014from Auckland Council around public notices. I won\u2019t read it, because it is reasonably long, but the Auckland Council highlight the importance of public notices being made online. At the moment, as we\u2019ve heard tonight, they can be in newspapers. We heard from Simeon Brown previously that newspapers are not always delivered. Someone may have a \u201CNo circulars\u201D sign, you know, to stop circulars coming, but that in turn stops newspapers coming. We have that example in our street, for example. So society is moving to an online platform, and it\u2019s important that Government keep up with that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EI appreciate the opportunity to share my views on this bill and commend it 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=\u00221996efd3ddac462e841abb5132902fe1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221996efd3ddac462e841abb5132902fe1\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Assistant Speaker. I have to congratulate and acknowledge Jamie Strange for his dogged determination to stay on task with his speech. I will make a very short contribution to the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill. It\u2019s quite ironic that we\u2019re talking about this as the local government stakeholder function gets underway.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EIt is, as Denise Lee said earlier, a bit of repairs and maintenance to seven statutes that we\u2019ve got before us today. Ironic as it may seem, I do want to turn my mind to the Dog Control Act and the work that the Governance and Administration Committee did around the legal definition of \u201Cdisability assist dogs\u201D, and it may come up again in the committee of the whole House stage, but definitions also around special-purpose dogs\u2014so dogs that have been trained for special purposes, such as search and rescue dogs, or dogs that have been trained to detect cancer, for instance, in the medical profession. So I think there is an opportunity there to further expand the definitions that we\u2019ve got inside the Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EI do note and I acknowledge former mayor and colleague the Hon Ron Mark. We know that central government policy, as it trickles down into local government, does create some ambiguity and often some inconsistencies. So this is a very good bit of repairs and maintenance to make sure that we do make this fit for purpose in today\u2019s day. Look, that\u2019s my contribution. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022 data-id=\u0022eadaa5cbceaf44c6bcbe461f69609289\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eadaa5cbceaf44c6bcbe461f69609289\u0022\u003EGINNY ANDERSEN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak on the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill. As a member of the Governance and Administration Committee, it was really good to hear 18 submissions on this bill in terms of the changes it makes, and it enables New Zealanders really to have a better access in participating in their local democratic structures. So the main point, really, is that this is an omnibus bill that really brings a lot of that legislation up to date. It\u2019s good to take the time out of the busy legislative programme to make sure that all of our pieces of legislation are fit for purpose.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EThis particular omnibus bill amends seven different Acts, and some of those key changes that we see are really important to make sure that we\u2019re doing things in the proper way. One of the interesting changes is the different way in terms of notifying public notices. So we\u2019ve seen a big change away from print media, and not very many people would read the public notices in the Dominion Post or the New Zealand Herald on a daily basis, so it\u2019s good to be able to see a new requirement for local authorities to publish notices on their websites as well as in traditional community newspapers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 6 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20190307822767c9c80d4e808ea41dde60486ee6000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"