"\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=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022eac2061797694a698841d9485b831576\u0022\u003ETHURSDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2021\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002281460351eb5941b1a693b115be9ec89a\u0022\u003ETHURSDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2021\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000002\u0022\u003EThe Deputy Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000004\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00227977960291364d53b2e27f87ffbbf348\u0022\u003Ekarakia/prayers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ce7e899864f345fa91fb36ad21335235\u0022\u003Ekarakia/prayers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u0022eb3e743b22b840869438ae2ed6e785d4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eb3e743b22b840869438ae2ed6e785d4\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Kia tau an\u014D te rangim\u0101rie ki a t\u0101tou. E te Atua kaha rawa, ka tuku whakamoemiti atu m\u0101tou, m\u014D ng\u0101 karakia kua waihotia mai ki runga i a m\u0101tou. Ka waiho i \u014D m\u0101tou p\u0101nga whaiaro katoa ki te taha. Ka mihi m\u0101tou ki te Ku\u012Bni, me te inoi atu m\u014D te \u0101rahitanga i roto i \u014D m\u0101tou whakaaroarohanga, kia m\u014Dhio ai, kia whakaiti ai t\u0101 m\u0101tou whakahaere i ng\u0101 take o te Whare nei, m\u014D te oranga, te maung\u0101rongo, me te aroha o Aotearoa. Amene.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E[Allow peace to prevail over us once again. Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests, we acknowledge the Queen, and pray for guidance in our deliberations, that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom and humility, for the welfare, peace, and compassion of New Zealand. Amen]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a5bcee26a7a04c8e9c78703b459e56a5\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00225672de010bb9423eb7dff5eb817117ae\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=\u002282537e50d84e4f8ea3c8d78aea480605\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002282537e50d84e4f8ea3c8d78aea480605\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E Next week, legislation to be considered will include the remaining stages of the Moriori Claims Settlement Bill and the Crown Minerals (Decommissioning and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. On Thursday there will be a special debate on the report of the Environment Committee on its inquiry into the Natural and Built Environments Bill: Parliamentary Paper. I\u2019ve notified the Business Committee that I intend to move urgency on Tuesday for a bill concerning the next stage of the response to COVID-19. If urgency finishes by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, that afternoon will be a members\u2019 day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u0022632384397a5e450b92f9bd26d89036c8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022632384397a5e450b92f9bd26d89036c8\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National):\u003C/span\u003E I thank the Leader of the House for that update. In the Business Committee, the chair of the committee invited the Minister responsible for the traffic light bill to share a draft with the spokespeople for COVID-19 response in other parties, and I wonder if he will be taking up that invitation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022d3ec12646616426fa7b730e8ac0ba5ee\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d3ec12646616426fa7b730e8ac0ba5ee\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E The bill has not been finalised yet, but once we have a bill, if I\u2019m in a position to do so I\u2019ll certainly make sure that a copy is circulated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a27cd758a68e441fb3f9cc1b28d4cf5c\u0022\u003EPoints of Order\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229a8217fe256d497ebdd1d522984f19bd\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2)\u2014Voting Process\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u00227e61d42c75284ca19ad971db3aa34b47\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227e61d42c75284ca19ad971db3aa34b47\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Point of order. I raise a matter of order that has some implications for the business of the House this afternoon, and it relates to an exchange and decision that was made by the committee of the whole House in the COVID-19 response bill that was being debated. During voting on Part 1 of that bill, a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) in the name of Melissa Lee was called on the voices for the Ayes. The result was not challenged, and the chair of the committee moved on to consider the next SOP. What followed was a challenge to that ruling, which led the chair to then declare the result of Melissa Lee\u2019s SOP for the Noes, and a party vote was called for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003ENow, my submission to you, Mr Speaker, is that that was an invalid process and outside of Standing Orders, particularly Standing Order 141, which says, \u201CThe Speaker asks members to answer \u2018Aye\u2019 or \u2018No\u2019 to the question and states the result of the voice vote. Any member present may then call for a further vote to be held.\u201D That did not happen. Furthermore, in Speakers\u2019 rulings we have a requirement, at Speaker\u2019s ruling 66/2, that \u201CWhen the Speaker declares the result on the voices, that, unless challenged, is final and may not be disputed.\u201D Speaker\u2019s ruling 67/1 states that \u201CIf members want a party vote, they must challenge the Speaker at the time when the result is declared. A party vote does not follow automatically because a voice is given for the Noes.\u201D In the case that we\u2019re discussing, I\u2019m sure it would equally apply if the voice was for the Ayes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EThis is important because my submission to you is that a vote validly cast means that Ms Lee\u2019s SOP stands part of the bill that we will be debating after question time in its third reading. I seek your considered ruling upholding Standing Order 141 and the Speakers\u2019 rulings 66/2 and 67/1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022e46f0b272c0041b3bbc3d42d47a2e378\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e46f0b272c0041b3bbc3d42d47a2e378\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response):\u003C/span\u003E Speaking to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I was in the House for that exchange. As the Speaker will be aware, having been a presiding officer in committee stage of the House on many, many occasions, it is not at all unusual after the presiding officer declares what their view on the voice vote was for there to be a challenge to that. It happens almost every day where the presiding officer will say, \u201CThe Ayes have it.\u201D, and the Opposition will say, \u201CNo, no, the Noes have it.\u201D The theatre of that happens in this House almost every day. In this particular case, the presiding officer indicated that perhaps she\u2019d changed her mind on the voice vote and how the voice vote went. Either way, a party vote was then called for and a party vote was held.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EOnce the party vote has been held, it is the party vote that is the definitive vote, and that has always been the case except where a personal vote is then called for and the presiding officer determines that a personal vote is appropriate, and there are limited reasons for doing that. So in this case, the committee did hold a vote, the vote was conclusive, and then ultimately the bill as reported back by the committee\u2014and the report-back motion, from memory, was a unanimous one; the report back to the House from committee was accepted unanimously by the House. It is therefore the bill as reported back by the chairperson of the committee that the House now considers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u002281766ccfc5344bed91ca34d168f8ea7b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002281766ccfc5344bed91ca34d168f8ea7b\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Speaking to that point. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wasn\u2019t in the committee at that time. However, I have watched the video of the exchange very, very closely, and I agree with the Leader of the House, with the first half of his description on what normally happens during the taking of a vote.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EIn respect of what happened this morning, his recollection of it is very different from mine, and that is this: a party vote was not called for. The Chair declared the result, and I draw the House\u2019s attention back to Speakers\u2019 rulings, which are very clear that if the members want a party vote, they must challenge the Speaker at the time when the result is declared. It is that that did not happen. And, indeed, when\u2014regardless of the merits or otherwise of this, whether this was within the Standing Orders\u2014the Chair then declared a Noes vote, the Government whip in the chair called Aye to this. Therefore, it was only very, very belatedly, and certainly after the result of the vote that was declared, that a party vote was taken.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EIn respect of the summing up of the committee of the whole House, what I would suggest to the House is that, indeed, we had two decisions that were declared by the Chair. My submission to you is that it was the first decision that was valid and not the second one, according to the Standing Orders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022b38321f21ec94d0aa95609f248538bfe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b38321f21ec94d0aa95609f248538bfe\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response):\u003C/span\u003E Well, speaking further to the point of order, Mr Speaker\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b66396a5a5f49e4a5c94d6557fb9750\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll just take this one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f93fe75b57db467bb9f2fcca4da3a63a\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Ultimately, the pace at which the committee of the House proceeds is the sole determination of the Chair. The Chair had not moved on to any further business, therefore the vote had not been concluded. In fact, only about a moment later there was an instance where the National Party did not call for a party vote immediately and the Chair sat there for a good 15 seconds looking at the whip from the National Party in silence to see whether they were going to call for a vote. The pace at which the Chair determines a vote has been concluded is a sole matter for the Chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002220da7ba5aa7b4b1eb06edce49ac30320\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to that point\u2014my final point, I hope.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022581657369ba240d1832cc95a4db0662a\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Final one\u2014Michael Woodhouse.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u0022a8dc6cf5d6374d25af84cbb0223d265a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a8dc6cf5d6374d25af84cbb0223d265a\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National):\u003C/span\u003E That submission is not consistent with the video transcript of what occurred this morning. I wasn\u2019t in the Chamber, but I know, because I watched that video, the business having been concluded, that the Chair went on to consider a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) in the name of David Seymour. I know that, because she had moved on to that item of business. There is no question that the result of the vote on Melissa Lee\u2019s SOP having been declared, the Chair saw the matter having been concluded and moved on to Mr Seymour\u2019s SOP. There is no question that a challenge was sought, and Speakers\u2019 rulings are clear: if the House wants to challenge a vote, it has to do so at that time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u00223f94d801a60f4e2fa9db59ec994e7fef\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223f94d801a60f4e2fa9db59ec994e7fef\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: K\u0101ti r\u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 t\u0101tou. Can I thank the Hon Michael Woodhouse for raising this matter, and also the matters that the Hon Chris Hipkins has also raised. I\u2019ve watched the video and I have read the draft Hansard. I\u2019ve got a written response, which covers most of the things that both members have raised. Can I just say that it\u2019s not easy being a presiding officer and getting it all perfect, nor is it easy for members either, and on a number of occasions whilst presiding I myself have gone back for a party vote that wasn\u2019t called for, on both sides of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EBut, to be more specific, when the presiding officer declares the result of a vote, that is almost always the end of the matter. When a vote is decided on the voices, a presiding officer can expect that, in all normal circumstances, the Government will be the majority\u2014and that\u2019s from McGee, page 247. However, in this instance, the Chairperson declared for the Ayes on an Opposition amendment. She subsequently admitted to the committee that she had made an error in declaring the result that way when it was drawn to her attention. A party vote then resolved the matter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EWhere the presiding officer realises they have made an error, it is within their power to go back and correct it. That happens occasionally where a presiding officer declares the result of a party vote incorrectly, either because the votes were added incorrectly or because an error was made in announcing the result. In those instances, the Speaker corrects it without further reference to the House. In my view, this is a similar situation. It is my ruling that the Chairperson corrected the error by holding a party vote, and the result of that vote stands.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u00224c8eecf741054cc4a40f702b1af5969d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224c8eecf741054cc4a40f702b1af5969d\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Point of order. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you for the ruling, and I agree with you that the role of the presiding officer is indeed an occasionally thankless and always difficult one. McGee and Speakers\u2019 rulings also go on to say that the voice vote isn\u2019t a contest for loudness, it\u2019s not automatically the right of the majority to have it declared; otherwise we\u2019re wasting our time on the consideration of various parts of a bill. My concern with the way in which the ruling is worded is it\u2019s very difficult for members of the committee or the House to know whether a presiding officer has indeed made a mistake or whether it was his or her intention to call the way that they did. One needs to rely on the words meaning what they mean. The Standing Orders provide for this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003EFirstly, if there is an error during a vote, whips or personal voters are free to change that vote before the result is declared, but, however it is arrived at, the declaration of a result is final and the House has it within its power by the leave of the House to change it. My suggestion to you, Mr Speaker, is that the committee had it within its power to consider that. If the whip, recognising her error\u2014because I submit that she also made a mistake in not calling for the party vote\u2014could have sought the leave of the committee for a party vote to have been held at that point, and she did. So my question is, firstly, is this a Speaker\u2019s ruling that will go on to Speakers\u2019 rulings in the future and how do we reconcile that with the existing powers of the House and the committee to fix its errors by leave?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d7e2cbf90a50442c96b1db7fe26d6cc0\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to that point\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u0022a7353fa5cf7e403aa779a3cc2aa2ffe5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a7353fa5cf7e403aa779a3cc2aa2ffe5\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I don\u2019t\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022058e0c6cad5f430c969ee85fb80b95ea\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to that point of order, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222fb4198c49534726acd8371ed897d2b9\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, it\u2019s not really a point of order, so I\u2019m just going to rule that I have ruled and that is the end of the matter, and we will continue on to the business of the day. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002287b7bba8770244f6b40caa0e49af3a2d\u0022\u003EPETITIONS, PAPERS, SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS, AND INTRODUCTION OF BILLS\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002224d892d3870e43cc9d027034e6279332\u0022\u003EPETITIONS, PAPERS, SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS, AND INTRODUCTION OF BILLS\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u002287cc4931fdb64339bd01bdb91b3de7f2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002287cc4931fdb64339bd01bdb91b3de7f2\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No bills have been introduced. A petition has been delivered to the Clerk for presentation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u0022e9603ad4b26f4dcfa58ec41f7852662a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e9603ad4b26f4dcfa58ec41f7852662a\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: Petition of Patrick Szetey requesting that the House pass legislation to ban any vaccine passport system in New Zealand that could restrict the movement and freedom of the population based on their personal health status.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u0022e09ceab8baf441519759eccd19d825f0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e09ceab8baf441519759eccd19d825f0\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That petition stands referred to the Petitions Committee. A paper has been delivered for presentation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u00221a10536695e144b4bdc711d4351769c5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221a10536695e144b4bdc711d4351769c5\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: The 2020/21 annual report of Network for Learning.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u00224926100d77024ea5aec696f53076d737\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224926100d77024ea5aec696f53076d737\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That paper is published under the authority of the House.  Select committee reports have been delivered for presentation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u002238d2f6963bf8435180497a247b6b4ddc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002238d2f6963bf8435180497a247b6b4ddc\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EReport of the Governance and Administration Committee on the report of the Controller and Auditor-General, Insights into local government: 2020\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereport of the Health Committee on the report of the Ombudsman: Oversight: an investigation into the Ministry of Health\u2019s stewardship of hospital-level secure services for people with an intellectual disability.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u00225523c0879aa644eb80dea4864594f3fd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225523c0879aa644eb80dea4864594f3fd\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The reports are set down for consideration.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e23df08ccd4344bcbe4cc932f018e03d\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c8f3995084b142698307491e1579083f\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002292dfb89836504dbbb2004f29eafa5122\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 1\u2014Social Development and Employment\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022 data-id=\u00226e77efc0a49e434eb99f3ccca3223a3f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226e77efc0a49e434eb99f3ccca3223a3f\u0022\u003EJAN LOGIE (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she agree with the new Children\u2019s Commissioner, Frances Eivers, that \u201CIn a country with the resources of Aotearoa every mokopuna, no matter their background, should grow up in a wh\u0101nau that has what they need to thrive\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022 data-id=\u0022116ad2188bd14eab9a97ecc33c976795\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022116ad2188bd14eab9a97ecc33c976795\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI (Minister of Internal Affairs):\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Yes, I do agree with Judge Eivers. This is why this Government has set ambitious child poverty targets, which over a 10-year period aim to reduce the rates of measured child poverty by more than half. We have made good progress. Figures released in February showed 45,400 fewer children in low-income households were experiencing poverty. Since then, the Government has raised main benefits and increased family tax credits. These measures are estimated to lift around 33,000 more children out of poverty. We have also made progress on building more homes and put more lunches into schools throughout New Zealand. There is no silver bullet to fixing the long-term challenge that is child poverty, but we are committed to addressing it and we are making progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb15957d045d49af83eeb2517c22c6e1\u0022\u003EJan Logie\u003C/span\u003E: Does she stand by her comment, in relation to the warrant to arrest sanctions applied to 4,000 families last year, that she would remove them today if she could, and, if so, why is it taking so long to remove the sanction?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e03b40db698447e8e6f114f1a928bb0\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: The Government is working through the welfare advisory group report, but we can\u2019t do everything at the same time. We have prioritised lifting incomes and resetting the foundations of the welfare system so that we can begin a much overdue overhaul. However, work on removing sanctions is our medium-term work programme and it has begun. We have already removed two sanctions, which is making a big difference to benefit recipients with children, and further policy work is happening and announcements will be made soon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c66d64abfadb4fdfaeeecd9e2d800c58\u0022\u003EJan Logie\u003C/span\u003E: Will she commit to removing the up to 13-week stand-down and non-entitlement periods for people who become unemployed for any reason, to provide the same unconditional support as people who have left their jobs because they choose not to meet the vaccination mandate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f2399fef96e4fa3be241a0128b37117\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: There are always one to two weeks stand-downs when someone first applies for a main benefit. I am advised by the Ministry of Social Development that if a person was in a role before the vaccination requirement was introduced, the introduction of the vaccination requirement would be considered a significant change in conditions of employment, making the employment no longer suitable. This would generally be considered a sufficient reason for voluntary unemployment and therefore a 13-week non-entitlement period would not be imposed. Stand-downs will be reviewed as part of our long-term welfare system overhaul. But if someone does leave their main job for no valid reason or limited valid reason, then that is where a 13-week stand-down will apply.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b8a16764894b45a98f61ce9c8d468a9a\u0022\u003EJan Logie\u003C/span\u003E: Does she think it\u2019s fair that 30,000 low-income families are being asked to pay back $20 million in Working for Families credits, not because they did anything wrong but because of systems failures that have left them facing repayment obligations for money they no longer have on hand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022df64e0ee259d4a1a94719be043f3398a\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: I don\u2019t have that figure in front of me at this particular point in time. But if the member would like to put that in writing, I\u2019m sure that the Minister will be able to answer that\u2014for the figure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c5ab3df49b84aeaa99ef1f6fad26725\u0022\u003EJan Logie\u003C/span\u003E: How do her responses address the concerns of the former Children\u2019s Commissioner Becroft, who said in relation to welfare reform, \u201Csuccessive governments have resisted transformation, instituting only incremental change. Sadly, that has ended up serving the protection of the system rather than the needs of children and young people\u2014especially mokopuna M\u0101ori.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ca74e538844d48939427d30b1f369892\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: We actually agree that the welfare system is complex and we are committed to addressing its complexity. Currently, there is work happening to update the welfare system, but it will take some time as it is an incredibly big job. Alongside this, the Government is undertaking a review of Working for Families. We\u2019ll release more information on this in due course.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022552a94bcc1e1495a918f28bce940af10\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2\u2014Energy and Resources\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u002205230016224147768262f185ce30bc8b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002205230016224147768262f185ce30bc8b\u0022\u003ET\u0100MATI COFFEY (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Energy and Resources: How is the Government supporting the creation of hydrogen refuelling stations?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022 data-id=\u0022bf9e76b1b1b140ac9ef7156b99e7b294\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bf9e76b1b1b140ac9ef7156b99e7b294\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Energy and Resources):\u003C/span\u003E The Government is committed to New Zealand\u2019s transition to a low-carbon economy. Hydrogen will be a key part of this transition. Green hydrogen will help reduce global emissions, reduce New Zealand\u2019s dependence on overseas energy sources, create significant export revenue, and create new jobs. This is why we\u2019re investing in Hiringa Energy\u2019s plan to establish a green hydrogen refuelling network. The project will see four high-capacity green hydrogen production and refuelling stations installed in the key logistic hubs in the North Island and will provide 100 percent refuelling coverage across the North Island freight routes. We\u2019re also funding the TR Group, one of New Zealand\u2019s largest freight fleet operators, who will receive $6 million to purchase up to 20 heavy-freight hydrogen trucks to lease to its customers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022092478705994488983b423f01c4bd722\u0022\u003ET\u0101mati Coffey\u003C/span\u003E: Why is the Government supporting the development of hydrogen as a fuel?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e4b2835a6d19422cbc542e9c4290ecb1\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: Green hydrogen is one of the platforms that can help us reduce our emissions. New Zealand has considerable renewable energy resources that could be used to produce hydrogen as a next-generation fuel in a sustainable way. Green hydrogen is a potential solution for some harder to decarbonise sectors such as long-distance and heavy transport; iron, steel, and chemical production; and the maritime and aviation sectors. We will continue to invest to support the use and availability of hydrogen while ensuring the current regulatory settings are fit for purpose as critical in facilitating the safe introduction of new hydrogen technologies in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022acc3c8e342d948c1ad1238103e83698f\u0022\u003ET\u0101mati Coffey\u003C/span\u003E: What broader work is the Government undertaking to support the development of a hydrogen industry in New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dd7a4dc261e348a6ba0987ac47d8706f\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: The Government is working with business to support various early stage hydrogen projects. This includes providing funding to Ports of Auckland and Auckland Transport to purchase a New Zealand - built hydrogen bus and working with Hyundai to deploy a fleet of medium-duty hydrogen trucks. We\u2019re also investing in several hydrogen research initiatives, including working with Scion to understand how hydrogen can be produced from biomass and with First Gas to identify how hydrogen can be used as part of their gas network.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227317fd8ef3874b73b46ebefafd668c23\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u0022b15289e54121429d89d76942982131af\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b15289e54121429d89d76942982131af\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (Deputy Leader\u2014National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government\u2019s statements and actions? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u002258426e308196456eab043ff0a519220b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002258426e308196456eab043ff0a519220b\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes. In particular, I stand by this Government\u2019s decision to accelerate M\u0101ori vaccination rates, which has seen the Government approve over $46 million to support efforts of the DHBs and providers to reach that 90 percent double-vaccinated target. This includes initiatives to excite and inform rangatahi M\u0101ori, in particular, through TikTok, kapa haka, and music, as well as further support to those on the ground who are knocking on the doors and helping to get vaccines administered. Solid progress has been made in the past month, with M\u0101ori vaccination rates now reaching 78 percent first dose, and double doses following close behind. We know that there\u2019s more work to do, and we\u2019ll continue to support that work on the ground. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb821a49bbab46acbf68b4f269c9cea9\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: Has she seen data from Waka Kotahi that in the month of December, State Highway 1 south of Auckland averages 60,000 cars a day, and, if so, what advice has she received about how many cars police are expecting to stop and check for vaccine certificates every day under her summer travel restrictions? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223b520538eed1422894e36817f49bcef6\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Prime Minister: yes, we have seen traffic modelling around the level of movement in and out of Auckland in regular times, when there aren\u2019t COVID-19 restrictions in place. We\u2019ve been very clear with the police that the level of spot-checking\u2014how many cars they choose to spot-check\u2014is, of course, a matter for the police to determine. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226dc3c72fbe4d4c5bba55695dc3077bd1\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: When she said yesterday that spot checks would take place at the point of departure, does that mean that all spot checks for southbound traffic will need to take place, for example, on the road immediately south of the Auckland border? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb66ae9ef24b4f4abfb38dc2e4307084\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Where spot checks take place will be a matter for the police to determine. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e3f8aa5b8bcd4c95950ad1b9b8d74009\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: Can she confirm that Cabinet received advice that the option of random spot checks they selected could add three hours to the journey south of State Highway 1, and, if not, how many hours\u2019 delay will it cause? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247dcc4d07ffb424b9afdb01ee322af1f\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: The Cabinet received a range of advice on the potential disruption to travel journeys that checking vaccination could cause. It will ultimately be determined by the extent of spot-checking that takes place, and that will be an operational matter for the police to determine. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fcfdb0a14312424b927fd439c0e3ff0d\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: What was the longest number of hours that spot-check delays could cause, in the Cabinet papers he\u2019s just described? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002237ac8d64ebf94b8495bb3b13d1cfdf1a\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: From memory, if we were to check every person travelling in and out of Auckland, those delays could be very extensive\u2014i.e., more than 12 hours. However, that is not the decision that the Cabinet has taken. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222d75b5c96bd24ac2afa3a8fe119b26fb\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: What advice has she received, if any, on the number of police officers who will be needed each day to implement the stop and check system she announced yesterday? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002211ecf4457cea49328e51c15bb7f503ec\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Again, that\u2019s an operational matter for the New Zealand Police to determine. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a992167dc1b74b2db019daaef01be464\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: When she said yesterday that the system will apply until 17 January, does that mean people will be allowed to travel in and out of Auckland freely after then? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a9904c52d35480bbdb3a12d4214694d\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002273079bc53a66488e956473d870e8bfa3\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: Is it her expectation that the announced travel arrangement over Christmas will prevent the spread of COVID out of Auckland, and, if not, what advice has she received about the average number of cases that are expected to cross the border each day under this system? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227fa91b6784474d4da476918f253097cc\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of the question: no. In answer to the second part of the question: it is designed to slow the rate of spread of COVID-19 out of Auckland. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c0250fb616014ba98d3178552f11fd74\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 4\u2014COVID-19 Response\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b8550e1a-ed25-44a2-b0e2-b0a8d52a7a80\u0022 data-id=\u0022d1ec528db9934e5bbcd6ded4fafa6757\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8550e1a-ed25-44a2-b0e2-b0a8d52a7a80\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d1ec528db9934e5bbcd6ded4fafa6757\u0022\u003ERACHEL BOYACK (Labour\u2014Nelson)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What steps is the Government taking to protect the South Island from COVID19?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00227531dd8293ee4868b360f1aa43b2a3f9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227531dd8293ee4868b360f1aa43b2a3f9\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response):\u003C/span\u003E Yesterday, we confirmed the whole country will shift to the COVID-19 Protection Framework shortly after Cabinet\u2019s final decision on 29 November, as part of our new strategy to minimise and protect against COVID-19. The Government\u2019s worked extremely hard to get as many people vaccinated as possible, and South Islanders have responded strongly. As a result, they\u2019re well placed to enjoy the additional protections and freedoms offered by the traffic light system. Canterbury and Southern DHBs have both passed the 90 percent first dose threshold at 94 and 92 percent respectively, and they\u2019ve reached 83 and 84 percent fully vaccinated. South Canterbury needs just another 417 people, as of midnight last night, to get to 90 percent first doses, while Nelson Marlborough needs 935 more doses to reach that marker. Both of those DHBs are sitting at around 81 percent of people fully vaccinated. So this is good progress, and I encourage all South Islanders to keep up the good work, and for those who are fully vaccinated to request their My Vaccine Pass.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8550e1a-ed25-44a2-b0e2-b0a8d52a7a80\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d31348ec6fa427782c69e2d5106c9b2\u0022\u003ERachel Boyack\u003C/span\u003E: What protection is the Government putting in place for travel to the South Island?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a57b58b7f03340428b0af2a45601430d\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019ve given careful consideration to additional protections for entry to the South Island. Yesterday, the Prime Minister and I announced that we\u2019ll be enabling interisland ferries to require proof of vaccination or a negative pre-departure test in order to travel between Wellington and Picton. That\u2019ll complement Air New Zealand\u2019s recently announced requirement of a vaccine certificate or a test before taking a domestic flight from 15 December. The combination of these measures means that all of the entry points to the South Island will be well covered by checks to help reduce that spread in the South.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8550e1a-ed25-44a2-b0e2-b0a8d52a7a80\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222c56d5e0cf3b49b09b6783758f5f180a\u0022\u003ERachel Boyack\u003C/span\u003E: What are the best things South Islanders can do to protect themselves from COVID-19?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224f29da01e6694b6880b34dd763338e27\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: As we shift to the strategy of minimisation and protection, all South Islanders do need to understand that COVID-19 could soon make its way into their community. However, the traffic light system is safer than the alert level system in the context of a more highly vaccinated population. For example, currently in a region at alert level 2, everyone can go to a hospitality setting, vaccinated or not, with the level 2 restrictions of seated or separated. However, at the red level on the new framework, you\u2019ll also have to be vaccinated. That adds an extra layer of protection. In addition, there\u2019s plenty that people can do to protect themselves and their friends and their wh\u0101nau, number one being: get vaccinated. That is the single best thing anyone can do to protect themselves and others from the virus. They can encourage others to get vaccinated, they can request their vaccine passes, and, of course, they can continue to follow those simple public health measures, like washing their hands, wearing a mask, and scanning in.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c56196caa7104842862698091fc35794\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 5\u2014Housing (Public Housing)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022 data-id=\u002278dbdb171b0f49fcad1d94639b6c0bbe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002278dbdb171b0f49fcad1d94639b6c0bbe\u0022\u003EBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader\u2014ACT)\u003C/span\u003E to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Does she stand by the Minister of Housing\u2019s statement regarding healthy homes standards that \u201Cthe tribunal will apply a degree of pragmatism and consideration and be reasonable\u201D; if so, is she saying that the Tenancy Tribunal won\u2019t enforce the law?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022cf8123e1ccbf4e43aad380a0ec1a8185\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cf8123e1ccbf4e43aad380a0ec1a8185\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS (Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)):\u003C/span\u003E In answer to the first part of the member\u2019s question, yes. The Government acknowledges the difficulty some landlords have experienced complying with the healthy homes standards due to the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions. In the event of alleged non-compliance with healthy homes standards, I\u2019m advised that each case will be assessed on its own merits, and the reasons for non-compliance, including disruptions caused by COVID alert levels, are taken into account by the tribunal. There is a longstanding convention that Ministers don\u2019t comment directly on the judiciary\u2019s decision-making process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1a6fb32d72e43e7ad2809591a78626e\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: Has she asked the tribunal to be lenient with landlords who will not be able to comply with healthy homes standards due to COVID restrictions, and, if not, how can she assume that they will be?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291a0d307c1134333aea1c98305f187ce\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: I expect that the public interest test will be applied. If a landlord\u2019s genuine attempts to comply with the healthy homes standards in the context of the challenges caused by COVID-19 alert level restrictions\u2014it would be unlikely to be in the public interest for enforcement action to be taken. But I just want to remind the member, it is a longstanding convention that Ministers don\u2019t comment directly on the judiciary\u2019s decision-making process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2f1f9630572483c9003a7b767e012ae\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: If the tribunal is going to enforce the law, why doesn\u2019t the Government simply extend the deadlines for compliance for landlords and make the law clear for New Zealanders wanting to do the right thing?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1a09e4cea404166815f214fc87af5da\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s my understanding that the vast majority of landlords have already complied, and those who haven\u2019t yet are most likely impacted by the restrictions caused by COVID-19 alert levels. It\u2019s my expectation that those cases will be treated by the tribunal based on the facts that are presented to the tribunal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eb868f6f196f41e6857646de8e0c2170\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: Does the advice from officials on this matter, that she will not release because she doesn\u2019t believe it\u2019s in the public interest to do so at this time, recommend that the Minister should extend deadlines for healthy homes standards compliance by changing the law?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a33f533605764b998a81e9bdbcb7f5bd\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: The advice was that it would not be possible to extend compliance deadlines in a way that assists the vast majority of landlords, and including those whose compliance deadlines have already passed. When compliance with the healthy homes standards within the deadline proves impractical due to COVID-19 restrictions, and particularly alert level 4, I\u2019m advised that it\u2019s unlikely to be in the public interest for enforcement action to be taken. I understand that my officials have communicated this to sector groups in recent days, and I plan on contacting them directly as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022639edc03199b41bca33eba3b5b529b5a\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 6\u2014Digital Economy and Communications\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u0022cdb6d6632abf43fc86d869510acbdb94\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cdb6d6632abf43fc86d869510acbdb94\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications: What work is the Government doing regarding connectivity around New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022 data-id=\u0022b269ed69ce694dc094a5c1ccf1ac86bc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b269ed69ce694dc094a5c1ccf1ac86bc\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH (Minister for Economic and Regional Development)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications: I am pleased to say the Government is making significant progress on improving connectivity for all New Zealanders. As part of the continuing ultra-fast broadband fibre roll-out, nearly 1.8 million homes and businesses have fibre available to them, across 327 cities and towns, with 66 percent uptake so far. Five hundred and sixteen marae are now connected to the internet as part of the marae connectivity initiative, over 68,000 rural homes and businesses have access to improved wireless broadband services, 902 kilometres of State highway now have mobile phone coverage under the mobile black spot initiative, and 72 tourist sites have coverage they did not have before. These initiatives are already providing better coverage around all regions of the country, but we must be realistic. There is still much more to be done, including nearly $48 million in rural capability upgrades to improve coverage to rural areas where congestion is currently an issue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022512cc4e271654a628e4e066ce2e10c0e\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: How will the Government work to ensure New Zealand households in\u2014in the Minister\u2019s own words\u2014\u201Cthe worst connected parts of New Zealand\u201D can access digital and telehealth services while they continue to have congested and unsuitable internet connections during lockdown and COVID-19 reaches into rural New Zealand communities?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002226a26e7316e34981bc09fbe8b6b1f597\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, that member will be aware that, in our manifesto, actually, we set aside $60 million to improve digital connectivity for some of the most hard to find regions, and I\u2019m talking about the Manawat\u016B, Whanganui, rural areas of Auckland, Otago, Gisborne, the Hawke\u2019s Bay, the West Coast, Taranaki, rural areas of Wellington, and the Wairarapa. It is purely coincidence that nearly every single one of those rural areas is held by a Labour MP.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b0bbdd7fc654dabad24de854c9234df\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: Does he believe it is acceptable that 90 percent of New Zealand farmers, as reported in the 2021 Dairy New Zealand The view from the cow shed, have seen no improvement to their digital connectivity; and, if not, what work is he doing to provide them with a digital future?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f2b6d52eb7643119773e15964c191af\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, we absolutely live in paradise. One of the down sides of living in paradise is that we\u2019re a long, narrow country, where, in many parts of our countryside, there are more sheep than people. However, as mentioned, there is always more work to do, and we are doing more work and we\u2019re coming up with innovative solutions to get wireless to the farm gate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e2baf9ccd424d27879e5013f3621df4\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister content that rural households like the Beswick family of Tokanui are living with no mobile reception on their property and facing worries about medical emergencies for their three daughters; and, if not, how will the Government work to get them the connectivity they and rural New Zealanders need?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210a51036fdeb429da6f390f03dfb060e\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: I have no idea where that family lives. If the member wants to put that down in writing, I\u2019m sure the Minister will reply.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216e90bfd54874bf692eb5ea3681a8b99\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Government immediately work to act on all recommendations in the 2021 Dairy New Zealand The view from the cow shed report to ensure that we unlock all of the benefits that digital opportunities offer for the people of New Zealand and that rural New Zealanders can be adequately prepared for the future of COVID-19 in our country; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec51bd45163e43128fe6246884d16728\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: I think the best thing we can do to prepare rural New Zealand for COVID-19 is to make sure that they are absolutely all vaccinated. But, having said that, we consult regularly with Dairy NZ, from the Prime Minister down, and so be assured that conversations are being had.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022679c33b732404d6d9c96777d1c56c592\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. It is quite obvious that the Minister hasn\u2019t actually read Dairy NZ\u2019s The view from the cow shed. So I seek leave to table this document, because it might actually help him. Perhaps he could read it finally.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227340386bbd3f4669bcb7b69de32a1760\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is that publicly available? I believe it is. I think the member knows very well that\u2019s out of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8d65a9f4355489c8084c4e65a2decfc\u0022\u003EMaureen Pugh\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Minister commit to investing in rural communities like Dunollie, on the West Coast, that want to use a cellphone in the event of an emergency or natural disaster but have to drive many kilometres; if so, when will he address their current mobile connectivity issue?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e3b3e812401b44d099d5b6c7cdb0fd4a\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: Dunollie is a very interesting case, actually. I would note that Spark, 2degrees, and Vodafone are all currently providing service coverage to the Dunollie area. I\u2019m advised that Crown Infrastructure Partners is carrying out a drive test in Dunollie to see what the actual coverage is like on the ground. But I would just like to reiterate that we care deeply about provincial and rural New Zealand, and we continue to work with them to find solutions to their issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022543c35bcabe248aeaf1f1cfb3e9c15f6\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table an aide memoire on rural connectivity dated 11\u00A0August, released to my office yesterday under the Official Information Act (OIA), which, I don\u2019t believe, is actually publicly available. So I thought maybe perhaps it could be helpful to all of the members.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002255689e4627934717ba4e086d1d3676e3\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, in whose name?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022155451ad60694c9086884d0267c9ceb0\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Aide memoire on rural connectivity dated 11 August 2021, released to my office yesterday by the Minister under the OIA.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225672ff5627654738b963191f2bf4fc46\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought for that document to be tabled. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It may be tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f434e9706f7e4921a886c3f7486aed78\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Will he commit to coming to the Tararua district in the Wairarapa electorate, in which this Government has funded nine new mobile towers, significantly increasing access to rural broadband, and hearing the difference\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022131f99a712704210a1a9d65a2d34e5c6\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The question has been asked.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022621a67b9e1f74d8f89455ac41a30d818\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: It would be my absolute pleasure to come to the Tararua district, and what I\u2019ll do when I get there is I\u2019ll give the member a bell on my mobile and we\u2019ll jack up a time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022396da08b4fda4699af4973f7b729e4bd\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 7\u2014Police\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022 data-id=\u0022d3fe8e6313404548bf048f81c0cbdc72\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d3fe8e6313404548bf048f81c0cbdc72\u0022\u003EGINNY ANDERSEN (Labour\u2014Hutt South)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Police: What recent reports has she seen regarding Police\u2019s efforts to disrupt organised crime?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u002262b171527c7448d3a9a3bd35ea875e0f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002262b171527c7448d3a9a3bd35ea875e0f\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Police):\u003C/span\u003E I\u2019ve seen reports that the joint police and customs operation, Selena, has resulted in 14 people charged with a range of drug offences and $500,000 seized while shutting the door on a large-scale methamphetamine-smuggling ring. Police and customs staff established that several baggage handlers at Auckland Airport have allegedly been involved in smuggling methamphetamine since the beginning of this year. Over the course of the year, it\u2019s believed that the group has or have conspired to smuggle close to 500 kilograms of methamphetamine into New Zealand. This group was also allegedly involved in a failed smuggling attempt of 200 kilograms of methamphetamine that was intercepted at the Malaysian border in October, which was destined for New Zealand. I am sure all members of this House will join me in congratulating police and customs for their fantastic work keeping us safe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227258fe42843c403fb1cc83ea87814716\u0022\u003EGinny Andersen\u003C/span\u003E: What other recent actions have police taken to disrupt organised crime and the illicit drug trade?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022342342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226eefb1f978bf42c390196a12c93fb7a8\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: On Tuesday, I advised the House that Operation Mist had resulted in the seizure of more than 50 kilograms of cocaine, nine individuals arrested, and $300,000 in cash, cocaine, and cryptocurrency wallets seized, disrupting one of the major cocaine importing rings in New Zealand. Operation Freya dismantled a sophisticated drug-dealing and smuggling operation, making 12 arrests and seizing $8 million worth of drugs in the process. Police are striking real blows against organised crime and the supply of illicit drugs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022519b4171e1bf490a85e5458cc74adc25\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, no one believes that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002269c295edfb2043088c12f8c6ca5e16b9\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: Why do you hate police?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002267ce93b2597d481d844421940c4af262\u0022\u003EGinny Andersen\u003C/span\u003E: How is the Government supporting police in their efforts to disrupt organised crime?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a58890ebe0b45d59e045449afaa62d1\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: This Government has put a record number of police on the front line, including those with a specific focus on organised crime, and the result of this investment continues to pay off. Already, the Government has seized $500 million in cash and assets from gangs and criminals in four years alone. Translated, that\u2019s the equivalent of $1.6 billion removed from the illicit economy, an economy that profits from criminal offending and exploiting our communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a926a6c2a2f499b8751b846645e08ee\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister seen reports of $2.75 million being spent from the proceeds of crime fund to Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam for a drug rehab programme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1db9b811bff4e5f9715f22913dab667\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: As I\u2019ve repeatedly told that member, the lead agency on that programme was the Ministry of Health.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d696947b5bf34e89adab94a531ee0f7f\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 8\u2014Rural Communities\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022 data-id=\u00222b4a0212df0b4f648487c167ff099718\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222b4a0212df0b4f648487c167ff099718\u0022\u003EMARK CAMERON (ACT)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Rural Communities: Does he believe that rural communities have been properly advocated for and listened to by the Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022 data-id=\u002221c3e0a111bd40b399cb1b2967cc888f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002221c3e0a111bd40b399cb1b2967cc888f\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH (Minister for Economic and Regional Development)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister for Rural Communities: Yes, this Government listens to, and advocates for, New Zealand\u2019s rural communities. Members of this Government constantly meet with members of rural communities and their leaders, farmers, and sector leaders, and will continue to do so. I do note that the Farming Leaders Group is one of the most frequently met with groups by the Prime Minister. Rural communities are at the heart of this Government\u2019s priorities of securing New Zealand\u2019s economic recovery and rising to the challenge of climate change and sustainability.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b46e961a24af43d59d2a3b8ebc2ce13f\u0022\u003EMark Cameron\u003C/span\u003E: Does he believe adequate consultation was undertaken with rural communities prior to the Government announcing an increased nationally determined contribution (NDC) and global methane pledge at COP26?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aeb3208f44e14e4ca9be4c60d2c0c21b\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: There was significant consultation right across the country with regard to the NDC, of which our rural communities were a very important part.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0bb5bc316854b91baf6aec5c47921c4\u0022\u003EMark Cameron\u003C/span\u003E: Has he met with the representatives of Groundswell, the movement for farmers and rural communities across New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236cc896ad0174820b1d95da4c6dc5ef3\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister: I\u2019m not too sure what Groundswell stands for these days. It\u2019s a mixture of\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff0d0a14795f4d388d2bdbd13ce1ac4f\u0022\u003EMark Cameron\u003C/span\u003E: If you guys listened.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b95fb87810874181b60e6b63faf9fec5\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, that is based on what I\u2019ve read on their website, and it\u2019s a mixture of racism, anti-vax, etc., etc. But we will continue to meet with farming leaders and engage in rural communities as and when appropriate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002263953425cca6461c96ece990ccde5118\u0022\u003EMark Cameron\u003C/span\u003E: Will he be advocating for Government Ministers to meet the representatives of Groundswell to hear their concerns about the Government policies?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229b9931d999db43e8b7dbb775c7fda29a\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Just before I call the Hon Stuart Nash, the level of speaking during the asking of questions is loud on both sides. Let\u2019s make the next one silent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf3aab3cdc684b049a6180f8d6f47dae\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: My advice to that member would be when he\u2019s at a Groundswell rally, make sure he doesn\u2019t get a photo taken beside someone holding up an anti-vax sign.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281a79f2725394fad9ae0ef356496264a\u0022\u003EMark Cameron\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. If I may, with respect, the question was quite clear: will he be advocating for Government Ministers to meet the representatives of Groundswell to hear their concerns about the Government\u2019s policies?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e482f17d2ff42f1a8f7d5cb09465938\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And my understanding of what the Minister said was quite emphatic. I\u2019m pretty sure he meant \u201Cno\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206b5fce048864cccab70641270ec2dfc\u0022\u003EMark Cameron\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. Respectfully, he was talking about anti-vaxxers, not about Groundswell members.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002288def57a5d464b84a0e6fcfa4af2cd5e\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Have you finished?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220b768940bbbe455aa9881a36f04bec6d\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 9\u2014Women\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022 data-id=\u002205772529e955439ab0117214f72acced\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002205772529e955439ab0117214f72acced\u0022\u003ESARAH PALLETT (Labour\u2014Ilam)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Women: What progress has she seen on closing the gender pay gap in the Public Service?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022 data-id=\u0022c395e06ca654466399d35a2e7962c4fe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c395e06ca654466399d35a2e7962c4fe\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI (Minister for Women):\u003C/span\u003E I\u2019m pleased to inform the House that the Public Service gender pay gap is the lowest it\u2019s ever been at 8.6 percent, down from 9.6 percent last year. This is a great result given that the gap was 18.6 percent when the measurement first began in 2000. When this Government came into office, we instigated the 2018 Public Service Gender Pay Gap Action Plan, and, as a direct result of this work, we have seen the gap decrease by a third in three years. This shows that with strong partnerships between Government, the Public Service, and unions positive change is achievable. As the Minister for Women, I do want to be clear, however, that no pay gap is acceptable to me, but I am very pleased to see we are heading in the right direction to close it and correct the imbalance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb156ae044904822b3576a47efa046ab\u0022\u003ESarah Pallett\u003C/span\u003E: What further work is under way to continue to close the gender pay gap in the Public Service?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252e49cd370054ebb995176b80fbb255c\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: While the M\u0101ori, Pacific, and Asian pay gaps have also narrowed, there are still clearly great inequities for these women. The pay gap for M\u0101ori has narrowed in the last year from 9.3 percent to 8.3 percent, the pay gap for Pasifika has fallen from 19.5 percent to 17.9 percent, and the Asian pay gap has come down from 12.8 percent to 11.6 percent, but more work is needed on the ethnic imbalance to close the pay gap. This is why I\u2019ve launched Kia Toipoto, a three-year action plan to tackle gender and ethnic pay gaps, and Te Orowaru, a new pay equity work assessment tool that helps recognise the value of cultural skills in work, including te reo M\u0101ori. These two initiatives will support the Public Service to continue to close the gender pay gap and to accelerate gains for M\u0101ori, Pacific, and ethnic communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002293de8cb0fbe74c979c62f1bc4691d4f0\u0022\u003ESarah Pallett\u003C/span\u003E: What initiatives have been progressed in the last four years that have contributed to closing the gender pay gap?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223b41159517c942d89aa40e3e75a79630\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: Under Labour, New Zealand has made significant progress towards gender equality. In addition to the progress we\u2019ve made on closing the gender pay gap, we\u2019ve passed the Equal Pay Amendment Act, enshrining in law the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. This is delivering significant pay increases for female-dominated workforces and to make sure women are paid fairly. We\u2019ve also settled significant pay equity claims. We\u2019ve achieved the highest ever representation of women in several important areas, including reaching our target of 50 percent of women in public sector boards and 53 percent in public sector senior leadership roles. We\u2019ve increased paid parental leave from 22 to 26 weeks; through MP Ginny Andersen\u2019s member\u2019s bill, we\u2019ve introduced miscarriage and domestic violence leave; we\u2019ve reintroduced the training incentive allowance; and we\u2019ve achieved the highest ever recorded rate of female employment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002219b4170af18641b3be1e6c8f09126c9a\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 10\u2014Housing (Public Housing)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022 data-id=\u00224c217514bb3445f2a0c9401eb50d9c34\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224c217514bb3445f2a0c9401eb50d9c34\u0022\u003ENICOLA WILLIS (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Does she stand by her statement that K\u0101inga Ora \u201Cdo not have a no-evictions policy\u201D; if so, why haven\u2019t there been any evictions for more than three and a half years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022f387f704e2e7486f948d76714d77ed8a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f387f704e2e7486f948d76714d77ed8a\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS (Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)):\u003C/span\u003E To the first part of the member\u2019s question, yes. Since April 217, K\u0101inga Ora and its predecessor agency, Housing New Zealand, have had a sustainable tenancies policy. K\u0101inga Ora has a number of tools at its disposal to deal with disruptive behaviour. If an issue occurs, K\u0101inga Ora engages with its tenants in a household action plan, and works with them on this plan. This is focused on providing wraparound support and connecting them with other agencies. K\u0101inga Ora has also developed an intensive tenancy management service to provide tailored support to tenants with high and complex needs. Eviction is a last resort, and K\u0101inga Ora has, where necessary, relocated tenants. I\u2019ve advised the House earlier this week that 159 households have been relocated in the past 12 months.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e74a063e6f36467abca8c4fbfff1d8a6\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: How can she say K\u0101inga Ora do not have a no-evictions policy when K\u0101inga Ora has provided statements to the Tenancy Tribunal that it has \u201Cpurposefully chosen a policy of seeking to preserve and not terminate tenancies\u201D and its policy \u201Cwas not to issue 90-day notices, nor to terminate tenancies\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ca6e77eba2504611929434c9d40b8f31\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: As I\u2019ve already said, there is a no-evictions policy. What we do have is a sustainable tenancies policy\u2014a policy that has been in place since the last National Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022400bb6578a594518836d305966a3bb3b\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: What steps, if any, has she taken to address a ruling by the Tenancy Tribunal that K\u0101inga Ora\u2019s no-evictions policy has led K\u0101inga Ora to breach its obligations as a landlord under the Residential Tenancies Act, with the tribunal determining that \u201CThis is clearly a situation that cannot continue.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a4be18c304f4975b52d9c1db9daf532\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: I have no knowledge of that particular case. I invite the member to put that in writing and submit it to my office.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac5a6c9b358d4f738672ecd7de74749f\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Which does she believe K\u0101inga Ora should make the priority: their legal obligation as a landlord to protect its tenants from unreasonable interference from other tenants or her policy not to terminate tenancies?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed6a6575f8014b1a9685bebd17c1c81b\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ve always said that it is our absolute responsibility to ensure that tenants are safe and can live in safe housing. What I do know is that K\u0101inga Ora have a range of tools at their disposal, including something they have used this year, which is transfers, which they have used quite successfully. I encourage the member, when she has situations that occur like this, to ensure that K\u0101inga Ora are fully advised and encouraged to support those tenants, and, at the very outset, encouraged to use all of the mechanisms at their disposal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002251afed8965884699a2a673d292a4a4b0\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Will she direct K\u0101inga Ora to end the policy banning State house evictions, or is she satisfied with the situation where K\u0101inga Ora continues to break the law by allowing its tenants to terrorise innocent New Zealanders?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229dd74c39471347cea8b64da4f51affe8\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: An eviction is a very specific process and it involves the Tenancy Tribunal and ending a tenancy with a court bailiff taking possession of property. This Government is committed to sustaining tenancies, the policy that has been in place since the National Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e74857bc91d848a080af9b7881610514\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 11\u2014Health\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022 data-id=\u0022da0f47caf98c4d4bbaa79960f321c840\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022da0f47caf98c4d4bbaa79960f321c840\u0022\u003EDr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour\u2014Banks Peninsula)\u003C/span\u003E to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcements has she made about contact tracing and case management?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022 data-id=\u002207eb55b32fd44606953943aff25464a6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002207eb55b32fd44606953943aff25464a6\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Associate Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Contact tracing and isolation remain key public health tools that can help minimise the spread of COVID-19. As we move into the next phase of our response to the pandemic, it makes sense to update our contact tracing categories and isolation rules in account of the impact of vaccination. Earlier this week, I announced changes that will mean people who are fully vaccinated will spend less time isolating if they get COVID-19 or are a close contact of a case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aed8d1584bdb4ca3a8434c9ec2916886\u0022\u003EDr Tracey McLellan\u003C/span\u003E: What are the new isolation requirements for fully vaccinated cases?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225609830c2ef84120b5788b0966970205\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL\u003C/span\u003E: If you\u2019re fully vaccinated and catch COVID-19, by day 10 of infection you\u2019ll pose a very low risk of passing on the virus. That\u2019s because the amount of viral genetic material declines faster in fully vaccinated people. So the isolation period for fully vaccinated COVID-19 cases in the community is reducing from 14 to 10 days and must include 72 hours symptom-free. The isolation period for partially vaccinated or unvaccinated COVID-19 cases will remain 14 days, including 72 hours symptom free. For fully vaccinated close contacts, they will need to self-isolate for seven days, while partially vaccinated or unvaccinated close contacts will be required to self-isolate for 10 days. Household contacts will isolate for 10 days regardless of vaccination status because this group is at highest risk of contracting the virus. These changes reflect the different transmission dynamics of the Delta variant.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227aedf3ff0a364a96bb4c6264dae784de\u0022\u003EDr Tracey McLellan\u003C/span\u003E: What changes have been made to contact tracing categories?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7d996602e8a466d8bf6fdd615df5837\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL\u003C/span\u003E: Analysis of the Delta outbreak found very little evidence of transmission in the casual plus category. Preliminary analysis of data shows only 0.1 percent of casual plus interactions, such as being in the same supermarket as a COVID-19 case, resulted in infections. So, in the future, this category will be used in a narrow range of circumstances. Keeping the contact tracing categories as they were would\u2019ve resulted in some people being identified as contacts when the data now tells us they\u2019re at very, very low risk. These changes will reduce the burden on individuals, businesses, and the community while keeping people safe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224d8dfe7e108a410fa03e8cdb4e8dc209\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 12\u2014Police\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u00223e0155a94ccc4a87a525711a1a33e553\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223e0155a94ccc4a87a525711a1a33e553\u0022\u003ESIMEON BROWN (National\u2014Pakuranga)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Police: Is she satisfied with how Police resources are being allocated in response to the demand for Police services; if so, why?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u00220229b495ebda46449b37ba8808399ed3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220229b495ebda46449b37ba8808399ed3\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Police):\u003C/span\u003E I am satisfied that this Government has invested over $450 million in our police, and, as a result of this investment, the total police workforce now surpasses 14,000, with over 1,200 additional constabulary and authorised officers on the streets. I\u2019m also satisfied that we are well on track to deliver 1,800 new police\u2014including 700 to be focused on organised crime\u2014by June 2023. Ultimately, the deployment and allocation of police staff and resources is a matter for the Commissioner of Police and local district commanders. I have full confidence in them to make these decisions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220fd27fbea03f427194e7e886cf3a11df\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: How many police officers will be allocated to do spot checks at the Auckland border over summer, and how many spot checks will they be expected to complete on a daily basis?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223b23aa78e37740568bd4af7528b9e161\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: Any deployments of that nature are operational and a matter for the Commissioner of Police.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fccd47f5d23a4bd3806d293f30cbc61a\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Has she seen reports that \u201CMaintaining regular policing standards is not possible with so many staff on COVID-19 duties and the extra strain will not be sustainable for much longer.\u201D; if so, how will police manage the increase in demand for services, which is common over the summer period?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022398342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022512a2ed48fba4b849193f751fb02aa82\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s no doubt that COVID-19 has had a huge impact on police services not only around the country but specifically in Auckland, and there has been significant demand. But that\u2019s why I\u2019m grateful that this Government has invested $450 million in our police and, as a result of this investment, we\u2019ve increased our total police workforce. It now surpasses 14,000, with 1,200 additional constabulary and authorised officers on the streets.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ecbef068c6924f22bdbd42b701529df4\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Has she seen reports that moves to ensure police can access additional support from the military and from community patrols and from M\u0101ori wardens and the like to support the COVID-19 response have been vocally opposed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002257db756580b34e668fbe913ba3e403f7\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I have, and notably from that side of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e2548ca4e82b450e82a308d937dc4ede\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister guarantee that all checkpoints run by iwi this summer will have at least one police officer present?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224bd4ee12e6b241768117ef26e623f196\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: Iwi bring valuable expertise and experience which has supported police in the past, and they play a key role in resolving and diffusing matters where people have wanted to travel between regions, especially during high stress times, and this has been evident throughout the lockdown. Only police or authorised enforcement officers acting under supervision, such as the New Zealand Defence Force or M\u0101ori wardens of police, will have enforcement powers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002213e4d63de9ae44b79436a13a2f664f18\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. The question was quite clear in that I was asking about these checkpoints run by iwi\u2014will there also be at least one police officer present? I don\u2019t think she answered that part of the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022114d32586dce477fb25e380c3006c1aa\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022feea27c51d9e481087ada9cb66f841fd\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: How many of the 700 police officers promised to tackle organised crime, which the Minister mentioned in the answer to the primary question, have so far been delivered?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fabe3489cd2c48399e0faa49a900d86f\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: My recollection is somewhere in the region of 350, perhaps 400.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u002205fb4fcd7eb44255a7b0e8ddc5311acf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002205fb4fcd7eb44255a7b0e8ddc5311acf\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That concludes\u2014[Banter across the Chamber] Order! That concludes oral questions. I call on Government\u2014[Members\u2019 banter continues]. Order! Turituri! I call on Government order of the day, No. 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\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=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002238009840279e43d283b8f97417a05dad\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022345cd576e49346b1bf2974f95085ebe3\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022cc9e2720b8804d7b9b56fc9ffd133d76\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cc9e2720b8804d7b9b56fc9ffd133d76\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response):\u003C/span\u003E I present a legislative statement on the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2). \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002297d8a11ab04c43f8a01f662e67ee844f\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022283f06d634324840addf5befc92308f0\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a third time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThis bill makes amendments to the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act to better support the Government\u2019s continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic in a flexible and agile way as it continues to evolve over the coming months. The bill was developed\u2014and it is important to acknowledge this\u2014during a period in which COVID-19 was contained at New Zealand\u2019s air and maritime borders, and it was expressly prepared in anticipation of a future shift away from the elimination strategy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll summarise the key provisions of the bill, but, first of all, a little bit about the Act that it amends. The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act was passed shortly after the global pandemic. The global pandemic\u2014which still continues, I might add\u2014began last year. It allows for the Government to make orders in order to contain, to control, and to manage the effects of the global pandemic. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe bill that we are now amending extends the term of the Act from May 2022 until May 2023. That\u2019s not an unconditional extension. It will still need to be endorsed regularly by a majority vote in the House of Representatives, or it will expire. Again, that is important. I acknowledge, as I always have, that the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act does provide the Government with an unusual and quite comprehensive set of powers, and that is not a piece of legislation that we should have on the statute book any longer than we absolutely need to have it. So regular re-approval by Parliament is absolutely appropriate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI do, however, consider the legislation is likely to be needed over the next 18 months or so, even as we step down our COVID-19 response\u2014which I think everybody in the House is hoping we will be able to do\u2014because we\u2019ll still need some transitional measures. For example, only through this Act are we able to impose the requirement for people to have a negative pre-departure test before they travel to New Zealand, and only through this Act are we able to ensure that those coming into the country who aren\u2019t New Zealand citizens have been fully vaccinated. For those reasons, to ensure that we still have access to those sorts of provisions, we want to continue the legislation that allows us to have those in place. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe bill broadens the purpose through which a COVID-19 order can be made, and it is for the reasons that I\u2019ve just mentioned. We\u2019re entering into a new phase in the pandemic. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EBorders are currently limited in scope to only those that limit the risk of an outbreak or the spread of COVID-19. We\u2019re expanding this scope so that orders can be made to prevent, contain, reduce, control, manage, eliminate, or limit the risk of outbreaks or the spread of COVID-19 for the purpose of avoiding, mitigating, or remedying the actual or potential adverse public health effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. This shift means we can move from a focus only on elimination to include a wider focus on minimisation and protection, which is the era that we\u2019re now going into. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s important to ensure that the Act remains enforceable. As such, the maximum penalties associated with breaching the Act or breaching the order are being increased. It\u2019s important to note that when this Act was first brought before the House and passed by the House, the level of penalties available in the original legislation were very low. It\u2019s now clear that given the consequences of deliberate and wilful breaches of the order and the potential consequences that that has for the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders, including for the New Zealand economy, it is appropriate that we increase the overall penalties that are provided for in the legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe bill makes several improvements to the legal framework for managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) that helps to improve the transparency and accountability of that system. I do note that that is likely to change significantly in the next few months. The way we use MIQ is likely to change significantly, but there is still likely to be some form of MIQ. Even if it is not for everyone arriving in the country\u2014which it is very unlikely to be in the medium to longer term\u2014for those who are going into MIQ, either because there\u2019s a particular public health risk that we\u2019re trying to manage, because they are unvaccinated, because they have nowhere else to isolate, or because of some of those other, additional factors, we still need to make sure that that system is robust, and that is what this bill clarifies and allows us to continue to do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ESo I want to thank the 15,000-odd submitters who engaged in the process, and members of the Health Committee for their work in considering the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI do want to end where I began and note that the global pandemic is not yet over, much as we might all wish that to be the case, and I certainly look forward to the day when that is the case and I no longer have to wake up every morning wondering how many cases we\u2019re going to deal with or what challenges the virus is going to throw at us on a given day. I\u2019m very much looking forward to the day when COVID-19 is but a memory for all of us. We are not at that point yet, and we do still have to be prepared for the fact that there will continue to be public health impacts of the global pandemic, that it will continue to be unpredictable, and that we will continue to need to adapt and evolve. The changes proposed in this legislation allow for that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u0022de3d713d0ae344978b9856819aceb632\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022de3d713d0ae344978b9856819aceb632\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. The National Party opposes this bill wholeheartedly. I want to start with a comment made to me by a bar owner in Auckland on Sunday, because I think it summarises accurately the feeling of a lot of people who live in Auckland right now. She said to me, \u201CIt feels like we\u2019re collateral damage in the Prime Minister\u2019s personal legacy project.\u201D\u2014it feels like we\u2019re collateral damage in Jacinda Ardern\u2019s personal legacy project.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EBecause that\u2019s the situation Aucklanders find themselves in right now. Stuck in the Auckland prison\u201490 days and counting\u2014and still no clarity as to when they can leave. Still no clarity as to when they can go and have a beer outside in a hospitality venue with their friends over Christmas. People who work in hospitality, in fact, people who work in many businesses across Auckland\u2014and, in fact, it\u2019s not just Auckland; it\u2019s Canterbury and other parts of the country\u2014look at our Government and they say, \u201CYup, they did pretty well last year, actually. But now we find ourselves miles behind the rest of the world and we are the damage. We are the collateral damage. We\u2019re the people mortgaging our houses, selling our cars, dipping into our personal savings, putting money on the credit card\u2014just to keep paying the bills, keep paying the staff that we haven\u2019t laid off yet. Worried about summer. Worried about the start of 2022.\u201D Worried about how they\u2019re going to get through the next week and actually be able to pay the bills. And worried about the tax bill that\u2019s coming, the provisional tax, in the first quarter next year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThey don\u2019t want a lot, actually. What they want is hope. What they want is some certainty, and they want a pathway. I\u2019ll tell you what they don\u2019t want: they don\u2019t want continuous platitudes from the podium. Because that\u2019s what they get every week. And they don\u2019t want a Government that clearly is just making it up as they go.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003ESo what did we learn yesterday from the Government? Well, the 90 percent target doesn\u2019t exist any more. So the thing that was the \u201Cpathway to freedom\u201D, to use the Prime Minister\u2019s words three weeks ago, that\u2019s been unceremoniously dumped; no longer the target. Righty-o. Got that. On 29 November, there\u2019ll be another announcement. Actually, yesterday we got \u201CCabinet will decide.\u201D, presupposing that they will, but, you know, I assume that\u2019s the case. On 29 November, we\u2019ll get another announcement about something that will happen later\u2014date unknown\u2014when we all enter the traffic light system. So no idea of the date. No idea of exactly when this will happen. And the traffic light framework will start some time, and Auckland will go to red straight away.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003ENow, the thing about red is, if you\u2019re a hospitality venue, you can have 100 people seated, even if you\u2019re vaccinated\u2014even if you\u2019re vaccinated. So Auckland will start in red. So is that a step forward? I suppose, in the most marginal sense possible, it\u2019s a step forward. But it\u2019s hardly progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EIn every other place, totally unclear. So, Wellington? Ninety percent double vaccination, probably be higher by the time we roll around to 7 December or whenever it is. Do they enter in green? No idea. Is it orange? No idea. Is it red? I don\u2019t know. What about the Southern DHB? Are they orange? I think they\u2019re 87 percent double dosed\u2014Penny Simmonds tells me I\u2019m broadly right. Double dosed\u2014they\u2019ll be 90 percent double dosed by 5 December. Are they going to enter in green? I don\u2019t know. Is it orange? I\u2019ve got no idea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EMy colleague here Nicola Grigg, the MP for Selwyn\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002293272d4e-6912-4148-8b35-c9622e18b814\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b8b7412f1d14cafa88c51a4d268e156\u0022\u003ENicola Grigg\u003C/span\u003E: 100 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002222739b764e404072a08f1462f29b088b\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I doubt it\u2019s 100 percent, but it wouldn\u2019t be too far off 100 percent double dosed. Do they start in the green traffic light system? I don\u2019t know; they probably do but let\u2019s have some clarity. How are the good people of Selwyn or East Coast Bays or West Coast - Tasman or Invercargill\u2014how do they make plans for December? They can\u2019t, because they don\u2019t know, because we\u2019ve got no certainty about the date and no idea what system people will enter at. And so Christmas is coming down the line very quickly and people are trying to make plans and they\u2019ve got no idea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EWhat\u2019s very clear from this bill\u2014and the Minister even accepted that the bill was drafted at a different time, when we were running on elimination strategy. What\u2019s very clear is that the Government\u2019s had no plan for the circumstances we find ourselves in. They literally started the plan for Delta when it turned up. It\u2019s not just me who says that; that\u2019s Government documents say that. There\u2019s been articles about it. Government documents, official advice to the Minister for COVID-19 Response from the start of August saying, \u201CWe\u2019re now starting to plan for Delta.\u201D Well, Delta turned up in managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) in April. What were they doing for three months? What were they doing for the first six months of the year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll tell you what they were doing. They were sitting there with self-satisfied smirks on their face thinking, \u201COh, we\u2019ve nailed COVID. We eliminated it last year. We\u2019re the best in the world, and we\u2019re on the front cover of Time and Bloomberg and all the rest of it. Aren\u2019t we awesome?\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EWell, actually, reality caught up with them, and it turns out that that\u2019s not the case. They started the work on the certificates in July; they only signed the contract in October. We had the world\u2019s slowest vaccination roll-out for most of this year. Rapid tests are still banned. I can walk into a supermarket in Melbourne and buy a rapid COVID test; here I can\u2019t and we\u2019ve never had an explanation from the Government as to why that\u2019s the case. They didn\u2019t invest in ICU; they wasted the COVID response fund.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EA smart Government would have taken all the borrowed money and not just spent the COVID fund on things like art therapy and three waters and food in schools and all the other things the Government spent the money on; they\u2019d actually spend it on ICU. I mean, how is it the case, 18 months after the pandemic started, we have fewer ICU beds now than we did in April 2020? How is that the case? Literally, when you explain it to people, it\u2019s impossible to explain or understand. Eighteen months after the pandemic, we have fewer ICU beds now than we did in April 2020\u2014fewer. It\u2019s just ridiculous.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThis bill is a disgrace, and in the time I\u2019ve got remaining I want to comment on three things. Firstly, it\u2019s ridiculous and obnoxious. The first bit is the ridiculous bit. The ridiculous bit: new section 32T requires a person liable for the cost of managed isolation to provide contact details. Well, that sounds reasonable. Hang on a minute\u2014why has there not been a power before now for people who go to MIQ to provide their contact details? Government doesn\u2019t like to mention this, but they\u2019re quietly slipping this through, and here\u2019s a clue. Now we know why $36 million is owed to taxpayers through MIQ before March this year. Fourteen thousand people haven\u2019t been invoiced yet. Seven thousand people, they don\u2019t know if they have to pay, and, if they do have to pay, how much they have to pay\u20147,000 people\u2014because the Government didn\u2019t pass a law to collect the contact details.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EObnoxious point of this bill: MIQ. It\u2019s a lottery of human misery. It is not kind or compassionate or fair; it is cruel, inequitable, and callous. Greg Murphy couldn\u2019t go over to Bathurst because of MIQ. Today, we learnt the news of the New Zealand Under-19 men\u2019s cricket team can\u2019t go to the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2022. They are just the high profile examples of the misery that this stupid system causes. Five thousand people isolating in Auckland right now with COVID, or close contacts. Five thousand people. New record. Thirty-four people in MIQ with COVID.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EHere\u2019s how stupid the situation is. If you test positive in Auckland, for the most part, you isolate at home. You don\u2019t go to MIQ where there are nurses and doctors and regular tests. If you\u2019re fully vaccinated with no COVID you don\u2019t go home, where you could look after yourself, you take up the space in MIQ that should be being occupied by someone with COVID. How perverse is that? How bizarre is that situation? It\u2019s not just me who says this; Michael Baker says it, Lucy Barnard says it, and Nick Wilson says it. It\u2019s ridiculous. Fully vaccinated Kiwis should have freedom returned to them under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. The team of 5 million is not just a team of 5 million; it\u2019s a team of 6 million.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EAnd finally, the other obnoxious part of this bill is the Rako Science confiscation provision, because that\u2019s what I call it. Rako Science came to the MOH\u2014the Ministry of Health\u2014at the start of the most recent outbreak and said, \u201CWe can do 10,000 tests a day. You\u2019ve got people lining up for 10 to 12 hours at a time; we can do 10,000 tests a day. Let us at them.\u201D You know what the Government said to them? They gave them the middle finger. They said, \u201CNo, no, we don\u2019t need your help. We\u2019ve got it under control, thanks.\u201D Well, people lined up for 12 hours and gave up being tested. At the start of the most recent outbreak, the Government said to Rako Science, \u201CWe don\u2019t want your help.\u201D, and now what are they going to do? They\u2019re going to give themselves the power to steal their property instead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227cf0aa3331f247509d204ad0fda4cea3\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Disgusting.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281e35edbef894ee797c8c0eafd590834\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP\u003C/span\u003E: This is disgusting. It is abhorrent. It is an obnoxious piece of legislation, and we oppose it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022 data-id=\u00223d67f532108044598717ada7ed9f7ca2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223d67f532108044598717ada7ed9f7ca2\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa)\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022 data-id=\u00220dfed66c9f944c718141018075b86afc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220dfed66c9f944c718141018075b86afc\u0022\u003EDr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour\u2014Banks Peninsula):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. Speaking of ridiculous and obnoxious, I love the fact that Chris Bishop and I can hear the same information in select committee, via officials, and he manages to come up with a whole other spin on it, but never mind!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EThis bill makes amendments to the COVID Public Health Response Act to allow the Government to simply continue to improve its response to this pandemic, as things evolve, because they do over time, and as we move more and more closely towards what needs to be a careful reopening, one that\u2019s been afforded to us, one that we\u2019ve actually all earned, because of our world-leading response to this global pandemic\u2014whereas it\u2019s just been described as some sort of legacy project. And, as far as I can see, of all the legacy projects that you might like to choose in this world, keeping our mortality rates as low as they have been and our economy as healthy as it is is a pretty damned good one. There should be a significant infringement fee and fine in place for people who are willing to purposefully and repeatedly jeopardise our safety and breach these orders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EThis bill also takes seriously the need for contingency planning. Should we face a severe outbreak, one that actually threatens to overwhelm our public resources, the bill allows for the Government to make the most of\u2014to harness\u2014the testing capacity that we have in this country by allowing those labs to simply pitch in and focus on COVID testing, and also it allows for suitable compensation for those services. It\u2019s temporary, it\u2019s worst-case scenario, but testing remains one of our most important tools, and it\u2019s too important to not make these very serious but very necessary sort of contingency plans for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EAs the Minister for COVID-19 Response said just earlier, even as the border restrictions loosen over the coming months, which they will do, managed isolation and quarantine still plays a role in our response, and particularly for those who can\u2019t safely isolate at home. So, whether they\u2019re entering New Zealand or whether they\u2019ve tested positive in the community, this bill also makes changes to accommodate, so to speak, that continued reality, and on that basis I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022 data-id=\u0022f6496208340e4995a6a8dbe0ad1466f0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f6496208340e4995a6a8dbe0ad1466f0\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD (National\u2014East Coast Bays):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I\u2019d just like to take a moment to respond to the member who just took her seat, Tracey McLellan, who\u2019s praising Jacinda Ardern for her world-leading response and the fact that we have such a healthy economy. Chris Bishop and I visited, on Sunday, 25 hospo and personal service businesses in Auckland. The woman who made the comments that she did has lost everything. She\u2019s built her business up over 25 years\u2014a business, I should say, she wanted to leave to her staff but now is so debt ridden that nobody wants it. She was in tears telling us that she\u2019s been robbed, that she\u2019s been lied to, and that she will never vote for this party again. That is the legacy that this Prime Minister has left for these people who have nothing left, who\u2019ve built these businesses over their entire lifetimes, have spent all of their savings, and have lost everything.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003ENow, the Prime Minister came to Auckland. She visited a business that had never shut down, then she went on a casual visit to her local cafe, which is a social enterprise that\u2019s not even required to make money. Chris Bishop and I visited 25 businesses in a day to show what can be done when you actually care about what Auckland businesses are going through, and I can tell you the anger is palpable. They are furious because they can see that there is no plan from this Government, that they are making up things as they go along, and this bill is evidence of that, as Chris Bishop said. It was drafted at a time when we probably may still have needed managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ), but things have moved on, things have changed, and here we are embedding a system that is no longer required.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003ENow, to answer Mr Bishop\u2019s question\u2014I think it was rhetorical, but I\u2019m going to answer it. How is it possible that we have fewer ICU beds now than we did at the beginning of the pandemic? How is that possible? Well, we can see through official Government documents that we get through information requests the answer to that question, because in a briefing to the health Minister his Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment officials, in an October briefing, say, \u201CPlanning is under way to ensure that the entire health system is in a position to support the Delta outbreak within New Zealand.\u201D\u2014planning is under way, in October. That\u2019s why we don\u2019t have more ICU beds, because we haven\u2019t been able to bring in the ICU workers to man them. The evidence is in the documents, that this Government is incapable of planning and has been incapable of planning for this Delta outbreak.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EWe oppose this bill wholeheartedly, and I want to talk about MIQ, because there was an opportunity here in this bill today to move with the times. Now, the members opposite can say, till they\u2019re blue in the face, \u201CWell, things in the future will move and shift.\u201D The time to move and shift is now. There are Kiwis, a million of them overseas, many of whom desperately need to come home. They\u2019re either in an emergency situation where their visa\u2019s run out or they\u2019ve got health problems or they\u2019ve got dying loved ones in New Zealand or they just want to come home and see the family they haven\u2019t seen in three years. They\u2019re COVID free, they\u2019re double vaccinated. They are not the ones who should be taking up space in MIQ.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EBut here we have a bill that is perpetuating a system that might\u2019ve been good a year ago but now needs to move with the times\u2014now; not by the end of quarter one next year but now, because now we have people in Auckland, over 2,000 of them, with COVID who are alone at home. Maybe they get an email to check if they\u2019re OK. Maybe they get contacted after a few days of being at home. Some of them are in situations that are not fit to be isolating in, in garages or cars or tents, and some of them are dying horrible deaths at home when they should be in either the hospital or an MIQ hotel being looked after by healthcare workers, by nurses and doctors. We had the ability in this bill for the MIQ system to be changed and shifted to look after those people, not to take fully vaccinated Kiwis who pose very little risk to us, even the cumulative risk that this Minister talks about\u2014the cumulative risk we have is the outbreak in Auckland and around the rest of the country, because we\u2019re not testing people properly, and I\u2019ll get into that in a little bit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EBut there is a totally perverse effect by having fully vaccinated people who do not have COVID sitting in a place where they could possibly receive healthcare when we need COVID-positive Kiwis in those facilities. It is an absolutely ridiculous thing that we are passing a bill that perpetuates the same MIQ system that we\u2019ve had, when we need to be nimble, we need to move, we need to look at the science and the evidence, which this Government always say that they need to do but are refusing to do in this case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EWe also had the opportunity in this bill to bring in things like rapid antigen testing, which is still for the most part illegal in this country. One of the best things we can do to have a mass surveillance of our country to see where COVID is popping up, and we know from tweets by the Associate Minister of Health, Ayesha Verrall, that she\u2019s vehemently opposed it for months. I know there are some sensible Ministers across the other side of the House who know that rapid antigen testing is good, but they have listened to her, and we are now in a situation where every other country in the world has a system where you can go to your local pharmacy and, in some cases, pick up for free a box of rapid antigen tests, which you can take every day before you go somewhere, which is a wonderful tool of mass surveillance of a population to check where COVID is possibly popping up. Yet here in New Zealand, we don\u2019t have it. We had an opportunity in this bill to allow this to happen, but nothing. We\u2019re perpetuating a ridiculous MIQ system. We\u2019re not allowing MIQ to change with the times.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThen the last thing I want to talk about is the stealing of laboratories, of equipment, and, actually, of staff of private businesses. The reason for this\u2014well, members opposite will say it\u2019s for the contingency planning. There is no reason why this Government in that contingency planning couldn\u2019t be working with business, sitting down with them and saying, \u201CHey, Delta\u2019s upon us, it\u2019s coming. We need to employ your services. We need to rapidly push out 10,000 tests a day.\u201D\u2014thank you very much, Rako Science\u2014\u201CCan you work with us?\u201D This Government is so estranged from business, is so offside with business, that that\u2019s not possible any more, and I\u2019m not surprised by the reception that we had in Auckland when we were talking to Auckland businesses. They\u2019re so offside with businesses that that\u2019s not possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003ESo we get a bill today that says because we can\u2019t sit down with business, we\u2019re going to forcefully, in part of our contingency plans, give ourselves the ability to take your laboratory, to take your equipment, and to take your stuff and centralise it and use it ourselves. Well, let\u2019s see how that goes. We wholeheartedly oppose this bill. It had the opportunity to move with the times, but, unfortunately, it was drafted such a long time ago that it is wedded to something that was required a long time ago. We opposed it first and second reading, and we will oppose it again today. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022 data-id=\u00225f6b73ef605645f686bcf2ff71613b08\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225f6b73ef605645f686bcf2ff71613b08\u0022\u003ESARAH PALLETT (Labour\u2014Ilam):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you so much. Thank you, Madam Speaker; I appreciate it. I\u2019m not entirely sure where to start here, so I think probably what I\u2019ll do is I\u2019d like to, actually, in the consideration of this bill, basically present a short review of the presentation and questions that the Health Committee had with the COVID19 Testing Technical Advisory Group, which was led by Professor Murdoch, from memory\u2014forgive me if I have the name incorrect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003ESo to address the diatribe of the member opposite about rapid antigen testing, I\u2019d just like to point out that Professor Murdoch highlighted that rapid antigen testing does indeed have its place, but the reason why it\u2019s not been rolled out in New Zealand so far is that it has a 30 percent sensitivity rate, and what that means is that we can miss seven out of 10 positive tests\u2014that\u2019s what\u2019s called a false negative; so, basically, 30 percent sensitivity. So when you\u2019re in a period of time where it\u2019s absolutely critical, with low case numbers, to pick up every single positive test, rapid antigen testing is not the way forward. However, I do argue that it has its place\u2014its place, Professor Murdoch said, if you can hear me over the barracking from the other side of the House, is in a community where we have high levels of cases. And we are hoping not to be there, but we may, and we are reviewing this constantly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003EThe speaker opposite also seems unaware of a thing called incubation period, a time where somebody may actually be incubating a virus, not actually showing a positive test, and that\u2019s why we\u2019ve had the requirement for people to stay in isolation even though they may be fully vaccinated, because although it\u2019s unusual, it happens occasionally that we do have people become infected even though they are fully immunised.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003EAccording to my calculation, 12,353 New Zealanders, from adjusted population figures, are alive today because of this Government, and I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022 data-id=\u00220e41384091484236abbb2ba2b94d7777\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220e41384091484236abbb2ba2b94d7777\u0022\u003EDr ELIZABETH KEREKERE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora. I rise on behalf of the Greens to support this bill at its final reading. In the Health Committee we were keen to maintain the health focus of the COVID response and reiterate that the Director-General of Health ensures that COVID orders are consistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. Delta has taught us that the old way of doing things is not cutting it now. So we accept that the new approach requires new orders, new laws, and new systems. We have to try and keep up with that. I suspect there will be many, many more orders, many more such amendments to legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EIn terms of managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities, I\u2019ve come to look at this as an issue of manaaki manuhiri. It is a tikanga of looking after your guest but also how those guests behave. That this tikanga plays not just at marae but at any time someone is looking after someone else speaks of generosity, thoughtfulness, and care. Thousands and thousands of New Zealanders and other visitors have come through those MIQ facilities. We want to acknowledge the border workers that are still there doing that hard work on behalf of all of us to protect that border. We, with many other people in this country, look forward to the time when those stays are much, much shorter and when we get to a point when we don\u2019t need those facilities at all. However, for as long as they are there, however people may chafe at the restrictions they represent, that is the current way of doing this and there are certain rules associated with this. We hope that with this bill we enable the staff there to do their job properly, always with the intention that, hopefully, we will be able to phase this out sooner rather than later.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EI\u2019m willing to speak on the issue about M\u0101ori, Pasifika, iwi, and community wardens. This has been a hot topic this morning in the committee of the whole House and at question time. The nature of supervision by police of people doing those roles has been questioned at length. We note that the Minister responded to that by saying that the police have often called in other support to do their work, including the army and a range of these wardens. We\u2019re not sure how it operates in other areas, but our wardens work very, very closely with Gisborne police. In fact, they\u2019ve had an office in the police station for many, many years. They\u2019re valued members of the community because they provide a really valuable service. I acknowledge all of the wardens who have given up their time over many years. They are at all of our main events. They\u2019re often at our tangi, and just knowing they\u2019re there helps us feel safer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EAs I understand supervision, it\u2019s not about having a police officer looking over your shoulder while you\u2019re doing everything; it\u2019s that the police can get on with their other work because those wardens have been trained and have been proven to be reliable. They have earned the trust of the police, and the police realise that in some cases it\u2019s much, much better to send in the wardens, because sometimes, actually, having the police there inflames the situation and escalates the tension, and the wardens, who are part of the community and represent the community, will often calm things down. The fact is that once the border around Auckland is relaxed, and we understand that the wish is that only people who are vaccinated or who have got proof of a negative result will be travelling, we know that there\u2019s not going to be a check of every single car leaving the region. We absolutely support people being able to catch up with their family and go out and do the things they\u2019ve not been able to do for a long, long time. But we are very, very conscious that in places like Tai R\u0101whiti, which has low vaccination rates, we are in great danger of all the other people who will be on the road and are not vaccinated, some of whom will be anti-vaxxers and will take great pleasure in exercising their ability to travel. It\u2019s entirely possible that there will be iwi check points around Tai R\u0101whiti and other parts of this country, and that\u2019s actually a good place for the wardens to be. With these delegated authorities they can help keep things calm, make sure that things are done properly, and people can just get on with things.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EAs we stated in this House, the main issue for the Greens around this legislation was the imposition of greater penalties. We discussed this at length and we thank the officials who kept going back and forward to get extra information for us to make decisions around this. We support a graduated penalty setting so that the scale of the penalty is based on the scale of the breach. The justice system is, of course, quite famous for sentencing processes that disadvantage M\u0101ori and we would certainly hope that this does not happen in this case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EFinally, privacy is a key issue for the Greens. I\u2019ve had many members of the public contact me concerned that their personal information that is being collected for contact tracing will be used for other purposes, especially by police and the justice system. The Minister has assured us it will only be used for this purpose and any breach will be an offence. I don\u2019t know how many people were sentenced and convicted with the latest breach of the ACC information, but I\u2019m not entirely confident that privacy is secure across all Government departments. So while we agree that anyone breaching that confidentiality should be held accountable in whatever form that is, we hope that every safeguard that is possible is in place to protect the personal information of our citizenry, because this is all of us and millions of bits of contact information are being collected every single day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EIn conclusion, we support this bill and we commend it to the House. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022 data-id=\u00222a6f34f8cc644a1d9ed161d266710972\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222a6f34f8cc644a1d9ed161d266710972\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that the motion be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022 data-id=\u0022ad63161db6c94f189d4736a9aa94bcc9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ad63161db6c94f189d4736a9aa94bcc9\u0022\u003EBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise on behalf of the ACT Party in opposition to the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2), and I do so, on behalf of the ACT Party, because this bill is a sad indictment on the Government\u2019s COVID response.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EIf we think of New Zealand and our position in the world, we have one of the best natural advantages against COVID-19: we\u2019re a small island in the Pacific, but we also have low population density. We have people who, by and large, want to do the right thing and work together to stamp out COVID. We have everything working for us, but, unfortunately, the Government has been slow. It hasn\u2019t taken a wellbeing approach to COVID, and it hasn\u2019t tried to be forward-thinking, and it\u2019s imposed a lot of costs on a lot of people and not taken that into consideration in wanting to progress and do the right thing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003ENow, if we go back to the original bill, this is a continuation of that. Back in March last year, we had COVID come into our community, and we put in place lockdown restrictions\u2014alert levels\u2014to make sure that we could keep COVID out. And, by and large, most people were wanting to do the right thing, because that was the only thing we could do at the time. We had a long summer, we managed to stamp out COVID, a lot of people managed to get a lot of their freedom back and a lot of that livelihood that had been lost for many in months under a lockdown, but then, once again, we saw COVID come back into our community. And once again, everybody did the right thing. We locked down again, and we stamped it out, but the Government just got complacent. The people did the right thing and the Government didn\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EWe had about 18 months when we knew that Delta was circling us. We were hearing stories from overseas, from family members and friends living with Delta in their communities who told us that it was different to the COVID that we had initially experienced and that we needed to be ready for it. But the Government didn\u2019t do anything. We saw no increase in ICU bed capacity. That\u2019s a sad indictment on this Government. And, when the Government answered my written parliamentary question in October, when I asked \u201CHas the Government heard of pulse oximeters or received any advice on them?\u201D, the Minister said, \u201CNo, I haven\u2019t had any advice on those.\u201D And what\u2019s happened now? It\u2019s one of our greatest strategies for home care and self-isolation in the community, and it was only after this current lockdown started that the Government even started to receive advice about that. In Ontario, in Canada, they had this self-isolation method in their community for months. Other countries had picked up on that model months ago, and our Government just sat there complacently, thinking that the rules that were still in place from last year would be adequate this time round.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EThey didn\u2019t think of getting vaccines in time. They thought, \u201COh well, it\u2019s all pretty lovely here. We haven\u2019t had COVID for a while. Maybe this will just continue for us.\u201D They didn\u2019t actively plan, to think how they could help New Zealanders in the long term, and when vaccines finally did come, they never even thought, \u201CWell, how can we make sure that people have access electronically to a record that says they\u2019ve even had one?\u201D They were so far behind the ball. But they didn\u2019t even think of planning and preparing for the future: new technologies, rapid antigen testing. Unfortunately, Delta did get through our managed isolation and quarantine\u2014it was only a matter of time; we couldn\u2019t keep it out for ever\u2014but the vaccines weren\u2019t rolled out in time. And so what did we have to do? We had to lock down again. Businesses suffered. Families have suffered. It is a tragedy that we are still looking at that same piece of legislation and wanting to update it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EWhat the Government should have been doing is putting into this bill a better plan and a better way forward\u2014things like how we incentivise people to make sure that we get our vaccine right up there. Incentives, partnerships, thinking about new ways to get those last few thousand New Zealanders vaccinated\u2014there\u2019s nothing about that in here. It could be about new technologies, but it\u2019s not. There\u2019s nothing here about rapid antigen testing and making sure that people can actually go about with a bit more freedom. This bill is about reinforcing the Government\u2019s command and control over the people of New Zealand. And it\u2019s extraordinary power. If you take one example, which is the ability for the Government to take over private property; I mean, that\u2019s incredible. They\u2019re saying that it\u2019s important for New Zealand to be able to have testing. When you\u2019ve got companies that have invested their time and their money and their energy, why would another company in the future decide that they want to invest their time, money, and energy in New Zealand when the Government can pass legislation to say that they\u2019ll just take it? Where is the ambition there? Where is any faith in business? This is all about the Government commanding and controlling, and it\u2019s outrageous. If testing is so important, then they would allow for rapid antigen testing to be in the community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EThe ACT Party opposes this bill because the Government should be more ambitious. It should be more future focused, but instead it\u2019s kind of happy with the status quo, and I think that\u2019s heartbreaking. I\u2019ve had people writing in to me who have been locked out of this country\u2014people who are pregnant, who are so worried about the country that they are in that they\u2019re beside themselves wondering when they\u2019ll actually hear back from someone to know if they can get through the border, or will they just have to go this alone? It\u2019s horrible. We\u2019ve got pregnant women in New Zealand whose partners are locked out overseas, and it\u2019s only until they take the Government to the High Court that the Government actually lets their partners through the border. I mean, that\u2019s crazy. We have people who are missing the funerals of their family members, and they\u2019ll never be able to get over that, because they haven\u2019t been able to see their family members pass in peace, and I think that\u2019s a tragedy. We have tourism businesses that are hurting. We have businesses up and down New Zealand that are hurting with COVID restrictions. We have businesses that are wanting to take on new staff and they can\u2019t get the people that they\u2019re wanting to recruit through the border. We have forgotten that we are a team of 6 million and not a team of 5 million, and we should allow our family members home.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EThis bill doesn\u2019t allow for new technology, and we oppose the lack of planning and forward-thinking of this Government in general but, in particular, in this bill. Thank you, Madam Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022 data-id=\u00222731add635f94f34b5af07e106fb0a8d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222731add635f94f34b5af07e106fb0a8d\u0022\u003ETANGI UTIKERE (Labour\u2014Palmerston North):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Madam Speaker. Happy to take a call to follow on from what really are scare tactics and scaremongering coming from the other side of the House. This really is just an opportunity to signal to the rest of the country a continuation, in a positive sense, of the protection methods that have been put in place, because this, effectively, is a framework that will allow for things to continue to be put in place in what are clearly changing and dynamic circumstances. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022\u003EThis legislation before the House today authorises or gives ability to the relevant Minister to make the orders that many in this House will be familiar with: orders around border entry requirements, quarantine and isolation, testing, vaccination, and others. And so to suggest that members may not support this bill suggests that we should simply do away with any opportunity to have any of those orders, do away with any opportunity to put in place some support and some safety for our community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve noticed that often members opposite, they tend to pick and choose what it is that they want to talk about. So when I have a look at new section 32R\u2014let\u2019s take a look at that. If we were to look at this bill, which is, quite simply, that new section 32R seeks to remove the word \u201Cseize\u201D in relation to possessions that are in places of managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities. That means that there would be no power of search or surveillance. In not supporting this bill, one could think that members opposite actually are quite happy for people who are going about their business, who happen to be in MIQ facilities, to be simply not subject to the protections and freedoms that others might expect in other circumstances. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022\u003ESo we can all pick and choose particular aspects of bills and legislation. But when we look at this as one whole, I\u2019m delighted to be able to support it and commend it to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022 data-id=\u00226648415901b24087843a551e8ea60214\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226648415901b24087843a551e8ea60214\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa)\u003C/span\u003E: The next call is a split call.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u0022132b1ad91a134df384c22e377191d7f9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022132b1ad91a134df384c22e377191d7f9\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will actually begin by responding to the member who just took his seat, Tangi Utikere. Perhaps he should open his eyes and open his ears and listen to New Zealanders who are actually overseas who are stuck or can\u2019t come back to New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll give you one example. Last year, when we went into lockdown, I had been contacted by a constituent who was actually doing business in Palau Island. He thought he would go to Palau, do exporting from New Zealand to Palau, develop businesses over there, and then COVID happened. He got stuck. Palau Island did not have any commercial flights out of Palau; he could not leave Palau. So he contacted me and I actually wrote to the Minister, thinking that, perhaps, there were some contingency plans for people, New Zealand citizens who were stuck overseas, to be able to come back to New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EWithout a commercial flight out of a particular country, he could not even book a managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) slot. So the answer from that Minister, who really, obviously, cares about New Zealanders who are stuck, was \u201COh, in July there are plenty of slots. He could just go and click ever single date and he could book.\u201D! He could not get out of Palau Island, he could not go to New Zealand, for no MIQ slots were available to him. He eventually managed to get to the United States, and he\u2019s been couch surfing at his relative\u2019s house ever since. Every time the MIQ slot opens, he\u2019s number 17,000, he\u2019s number 20,000. He managed to get to the lowest number, which was actually number 8,000, I believe. I am really concerned about his mental health, his wellbeing. For the Government who apparently cares about people, New Zealanders, this Government is putting this bill\u2014and I completely oppose it, because they have utterly shamed us all by failing in their duty to protect all New Zealanders. There should be 6 million New Zealanders, not just 5 million, and they claim to care.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to acknowledge Dr Elizabeth Kerekere, who has actually spoken about their concern, the Green Party\u2019s concern, about data security. During the course of the committee stage, I have raised quite a lot of questions in this Chamber regarding that particular issue. There were many more questions, and I have to state that I was rather surprised and quite disappointed in the rush of the Government to shut down the debate. I was genuinely doing my bit. I wasn\u2019t doing speeches; I was actually standing up and asking specific questions about data security, and things like: can the Minister actually explain why, when new digital vaccine certifications and past systems are actually coming up, he did not actually specifically include that in the legislation? I mean, you know, there is no forward-thinking. There is also another question: why are there no references to how the data collected is going to be destroyed? There are many questions that I wanted to ask but I didn\u2019t get an opportunity, so I just wanted to get that on the Hansard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EI\u2019d also like to thank my colleagues who actually stood up\u2014the Hon Louise Upston, as well as the Hon Michael Woodhouse, who spoke in terms of the procedures, and they actually backed me up regarding my Supplementary Order Paper (SOP).\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EI\u2019d also like to thank my staff. Officials get thanked, but often people in our offices don\u2019t get thanked, and I just want to thank my assistant, who has helped me tremendously, my digital policy specialist, Matthew Stephens, who helped me draft the SOP, and I just want to say thank you to him, because he\u2019s worked really, really hard to make sure that we actually plug the gap that the Government isn\u2019t doing. The legislation does not go far enough to protect the digital data that is available through the COVID-19 tracer app, and I am afraid that when we look back and actually see what the Government has done, we\u2019ll probably have to come back and fix the problem that they\u2019re creating with this legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThere are many, many more examples, and, you know, one of the things that I would actually like to raise is that a young woman came up to me on the street\u2014came up to some of us who were doing visits. She was diagnosed with cancer, she was going through chemo, and when the lockdown hit, her treatment was actually postponed. This is a cancer patient. How cruel can people actually be, and, you know, priority for people who have COVID-19 is actually prioritised over a young woman who has got cancer and was going through treatment, but she was postponed because COVID took precedence. I think that is a really, really cruel indictment of how this Government prioritises health. I completely and utterly reject this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002283dca3a7-93a6-4a78-a313-6fce42ebe49e\u0022 data-id=\u002276e2b40a190f40aabc25e9cf5cb08580\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002283dca3a7-93a6-4a78-a313-6fce42ebe49e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002276e2b40a190f40aabc25e9cf5cb08580\u0022\u003EVANUSHI WALTERS (Labour\u2014Upper Harbour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. A couple of months ago, the president of the UN General Assembly opened the annual general debate reflecting on the darkest days of the pandemic. He spoke of when cities were shuttered and vaccines still a dream, and how the world\u2019s people came together as never before. These have been entirely unprecedented times, and here in New Zealand, we have come together. While our COVID response has its foundations in law\u2014the Act, and soon the amendments\u2014what we\u2019ve achieved is something New Zealanders have done together, demonstrating the strength of our social contract. These are unusual powers being legislated for in unusual times, and they are entirely in sync with the duty of a responsible Government to weave into legislation time-bound laws of exception, to address unprecedented circumstances.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002283dca3a7-93a6-4a78-a313-6fce42ebe49e\u0022\u003EThe last speaker, Melissa Lee, referred to the committee stage, where several questions were asked, and the Minister provided robust responses to those questions. He explained the overarching authority of the police in terms of the power to stop. He spoke about the existing Privacy Act protections that apply, but also the provisions of the bill, which make it clear that the data collected for contact tracing is only used for contact tracing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002283dca3a7-93a6-4a78-a313-6fce42ebe49e\u0022\u003EHe also highlighted the fact that our response hasn\u2019t been a static one; it\u2019s an evolving one that actively looks to what are reasonable limitations, to ensure a proportionate response as the circumstances evolve. It is why there have been changes to the managed isolation and quarantine requirements. I\u2019m proud of our continued collective COVID response, and I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022 data-id=\u00228fdebd86a13241f7957533383d6283fe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228fdebd86a13241f7957533383d6283fe\u0022\u003EPENNY SIMMONDS (National\u2014Invercargill):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. Well, I think it\u2019s an incredibly sad day that we are here debating this COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2). It\u2019s a sad day for New Zealand that we should be looking at an extension of extraordinary powers of control which enable this Government to control people, to control businesses, to impact on our lives, to impact on the economy, and to create divisiveness in our community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EWe are debating a bill that when we got it at the select committee it was out of date. It is a bill based on an elimination strategy; an extension that will carry the powers for this Government out for a further 18 months. The pessimism of that thinking is, without doubt, of enormous concern to people. There is the extension of the managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) requirements, when we should be looking at how we can have less MIQ and the ability for this Government, having not wanted to get into any partnership discussions with private laboratories, to now be able to requisition private property from those same laboratories that they ignored when they offered help.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EA lot has been said by my colleagues about the MIQ situation, about there being thousands of people with COVID now isolating at home, while at the same time in MIQ we have 34 people with COVID. We have thousands of people wanting to use our MIQ facilities and not being able to. Some of the speakers have talked about the opinions from professors on these MIQ facilities, but actually, I just want to talk about ordinary people like me who judge things on common sense and reasonableness and logic. I want to look at three examples that I have talked about previously, but they are really important examples.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EIn August this year, our head of obstetrics at Invercargill hospital had to return to the States, because his mother had sadly died and his father was very terminally ill. So the district health board allowed him leave to go home, thinking that, as a talented senior clinician who was absolutely critical to the care of our expectant mothers, he would be allowed back in through the critical worker MIQ allocations. It took three applications and Joseph Mooney and myself embarrassing the Minister publicly with an open letter in the media for him to get a place to be able to return to his work after gaining an MIQ place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EI look at our GPs, our rural GPs and our wonderful nurse practitioners out trying to keep rural practices going, looking after and caring for our people out in the rural areas who cannot get a locum to come in and support their work because they cannot get them through the MIQ process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EI look at an ICU nurse in Invercargill, a recent migrant, who we were very keen to keep in Invercargill. Her partner was an engineer in Sydney and was keen to come over and join her, so we were going to get two for the price of one: a wonderfully valuable ICU nurse and a much-needed engineer. He couldn\u2019t get through the MIQ system, so she has gone to Sydney to join him.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003ENow, I want to apply the common sense and reasonableness and logic situation there. Let\u2019s look: that incredibly talented, incredibly important senior clinician who runs the head of obstetrics in Invercargill, was he capable of being able to self-isolate at home? Let\u2019s compare him to the gang member with COVID self-isolating at home. The senior clinician who was double-vaccinated, who had tested negative\u2014weigh him up against the member who may not have always followed the rules and regulations of New Zealand society. He was enabled to isolate at home but not that senior clinician.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003ESo I think that the Government is over-reaching with this amendment bill. I think people are sick of being told what to do and when to do it. They are sick of announcements about announcements. They are tired of being treated as though each of us are unable or incapable of thinking and acting in a responsible manner; that only the Government knows best. And we have seen so much of this from this Government: that only the Government should control things, that only the Government knows best. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EBefore I became a politician, I used to say to politicians that the trouble is politicians surround themselves with people who tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear, and I think this Government has been listening to people telling them what they want to hear. They haven\u2019t been out listening to the people running hospitality businesses in Auckland. They haven\u2019t been down in Te \u0100nau or Queenstown, listening to the people running tourism businesses, or rather, the very few of them that did come down didn\u2019t listen; they just told our business people to pivot. One day we\u2019ll ask what they mean about that. So I think that the people of New Zealand are tired of being treated like children. They are tired of this Government thinking they will tell them what they must do and when they must do it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EWe heard that businesses in Auckland feel like they are not being listened to. We heard of the Auckland businesswoman who is losing everything: has lost the reserves that she has built up, has lost the ability to be able to hand her business eventually on to her staff, has lost her will to carry on running a business. She said she feels like she is just collateral damage from the Prime Minister\u2019s legacy project. Well, much as I sympathise with that Auckland business owner, and I do genuinely sympathise with that Auckland business owner because I\u2019ve had enough hospitality business people coming to me, saying how heartbreaking their situation is, I actually think that she\u2019s wrong. I don\u2019t think that it is just her that is the collateral damage from the Prime Minister\u2019s legacy project. I think that it is the whole of New Zealand that is suffering as collateral damage. I think it is the generations to come that are going to have to pay for the vanity of this Government that did not do its work, that did not play its role in getting the vaccinations out, in getting the ICU beds ready, in getting our country prepared for this Delta outbreak, and therefore they must take total and complete responsibility for the huge amount of debt that they are handing on as a legacy to the generations of New Zealanders who are going to have to continue paying this off for their lifetime because of the vanity of this Government and the Prime Minister\u2019s legacy project. Thank you, Madam Speaker. This party opposes the amendment bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u002280b4d6f347224086ab909b2f316b1406\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002280b4d6f347224086ab909b2f316b1406\u0022\u003ET\u0100MATI COFFEY (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E That was rich\u2014that was rich\u2014for the Opposition to stand there and tell us that this is a legacy project of the Prime Minister. I\u2019ll tell you what this is: this is a public health response to a global pandemic. And if there\u2019s one thing that I\u2019ve heard time and time again, it is, \u201CThank God the National Party aren\u2019t running this country.\u201D Thank God they haven\u2019t taken over the reins, because they would have tightened their belts. They would have made sure that everybody was walking in misery, that we would have had that record high unemployment that was predicted at the start of this pandemic. We were talking about 25 percent unemployment rates, but we\u2019ve completely turned that around because we\u2019ve taken a people-first approach. We\u2019ve taken a public health approach. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThe previous speaker, Penny Simmonds, got up and talked about how the Government thinks that it knows best, and do you know what? There\u2019s a little bit of that that\u2019s true, but what we need to point out is that the Government is elected to lead, and that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019ve been doing. I\u2019m pretty sure that the Prime Minister would prefer not to be going through a global pandemic right now. I\u2019m pretty sure that the Minister of the COVID response would prefer not to be inundated with COVID-19 issues. I\u2019m pretty sure that he\u2019d like to focus on education, which is actually a huge thing in New Zealand and needs lots of support. But we\u2019ve been landed with this, so we as a Government must lead and that\u2019s why the people voted for us last year. That\u2019s why they continue to have faith in our approach, which is a people-first approach. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EWe have to make those tough decisions\u2014that\u2019s right\u2014because there\u2019s no playbook. We didn\u2019t know that this was happening, but what we\u2019ve done is we\u2019ve trusted our instincts, we\u2019ve gone out there, we\u2019ve spoken to the people on the ground, and we\u2019ve had to make some tough decisions. Of course, we\u2019ve had to make some tough decisions. And I congratulate all of our Ministers who have put their shoulders to the wheel to make sure that this bill, in particular, is an extension of the good work that we\u2019ve gone and done. So on behalf of all of the rational people out there across New Zealand, I completely support this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022d69f5c390c98462ab8aef5a62123cbb9\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 COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2) bill now be read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 75\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 65; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 45\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10; Te Paati M\u0101ori 2.\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      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000290\u0022\u003EBill read a third time.\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=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022525e12236c5243d0949f8fba49fe6d1e\u0022\u003EDrug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00221969859989934e4e897a0a6c86fd5719\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022 data-id=\u0022226df3298f7b4186bb1e1c6c9bd86b37\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022226df3298f7b4186bb1e1c6c9bd86b37\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E I present a legislative statement on the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2). \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022af47548f1cef4efda43afdff9e21de96\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef4018151a2145f0a3acda6ef1fd38d2\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2) be now read a third time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EThis is a drug harm reduction bill. It is about people being kept safe. People who might use substances\u2014even illicit substances\u2014and they\u2019re not sure of the true nature of that substance will now have the opportunity to have that substance checked without putting themselves at legal risk, without putting the host of the event they\u2019re at at legal risk, and without putting any drug-testing service at legal risk. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EWe know that there are people in our community, a lot of young people, who may experiment with drugs and illicit substances\u2014they do that; that is a fact of life\u2014and many are taking a risk in doing so. Many purchase those substances from sources, the integrity of which cannot be assured. Therefore, it is important that if they are experimenting and if they are taking these substances, we do what we can to keep them safe. So this bill sets up a regime now. It\u2019s sort of a continuation, but a refined and an improved version, of what we legislated for, roughly a year ago, on an interim basis. So that will now become permanent. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EThe regime is that the Director-General of Health can now issue licences for services who meet certain conditions to receive a licence to offer drug-checking services. Once a licence is granted and one of those licence holders runs a drug-checking service, there are conditions that they have to meet, and one of those conditions was actually usefully inserted through the select committee process, and that is that they are required to provide harm reduction information\u2014educative material\u2014at a time that a person surrenders substances to be tested and/or when those substances are handed back. So this addresses a need that is in the community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EWhen we set this up on a temporary basis about a year ago, it was very much targeted at the summer music festival sort of market and the orientation week sort of market, but the reality is that these services needed to be available to some members of the community who are users of substances, but who are not attenders of music festivals and orientation weeks\u2014people who might live on the streets or people who live in constrained or deprived circumstances, but who are users of these substances. So we needed to make sure\u2014and this legislation will allow it\u2014that services are to be available to those people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EThere will be members in this House who will remember the synthetic cannabis crisis, or crises, that we\u2019ve experienced, where there were substances parading as cannabis, but sprayed with other substances. People were consuming them not knowing what they were consuming and in some cases dying, but in many cases putting their health severely at risk. So this gives us a chance to prevent that sort of harm from happening once these sorts of services are set up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EBy doing this, we are joining a number of countries around the world. There are some countries in Europe who have been doing this for decades. We join that group of countries who focus, not on some sort of a moral judgment about a person who uses illicit substances, but on what it takes to keep them safe, and also on what it takes to create an opportunity to educate somebody who would use these substances and otherwise put themselves in harm\u2019s way. So this allows that sort of regime to be put in place. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003ENow, it was interesting in the debates in the House how some members\u2014particularly opposite\u2014try to inveigh these kinds of moral concerns, as in \u201CIsn\u2019t this just a licence for gangs?\u201D and \u201CWon\u2019t these services be set up in front of schools?\u201D Of course, the answer to both those questions is no, but, you know, we can predict it\u2019ll be trotted out this afternoon because they don\u2019t have much to go on at the moment, and trying to beat those old, moralistic drums to try and stir up some old-fashioned sentiment, I suppose, goes down well in some tearooms for some folks. But, actually, most of New Zealand wants to know that young people going through the ordinary vicissitudes of life\u2014which includes, for some young people, experimenting with drugs and substances\u2014can be kept safe. That\u2019s what New Zealanders mainly want, and they want a regime to do that and this will allow that to happen. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EThe Government has indicated that it will provide some financial support\u2014$800,000\u2014for those organisations offering these sorts of services. That $800,000 will be used for training people who would be carrying out these services, and also for the creation and preparation of some educative material to go with it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003ESo this is an important step. It\u2019s an important part of the panoply of protective measures that you would expect in a health system that thinks beyond just rescuing people when they are sick or unwell or harmed, but is actually trying to prevent un-wellness and trying to prevent harm in the first place, and that\u2019s what this bill does. So, on that note, I commend the bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022 data-id=\u002267bd5226e56a48c1b8d719e8f33d119e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002267bd5226e56a48c1b8d719e8f33d119e\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL (National\u2014Whangapar\u0101oa):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. Isn\u2019t it funny that the Minister rolls out\u2014and I\u2019ve heard this phrase used many, many times before, and I enjoyed it when I had the justice portfolio and I marked off the Minister. I want to acknowledge him, because he is bringing this bill to the House because he does have a genuine desire, without a doubt, like we all do, to make young people and people that use drugs\u2014if they are going to use them, let\u2019s try to make it as safe as possible. I get that. But he has to come out with a statement like, you know, \u201CYou\u2019re going to hear from the National Party the same old moralistic, tough on crime - type rhetoric.\u201D Well, the last time I heard that was when we were debating the huge increase in gang numbers in this country about three years ago. And we got told the same thing\u2014the \u201Cmoralistic National Party, tough on crime. Boring! Rolling out the same old story.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d478abd8fc814c3fa10a6c0ea18ea883\u0022\u003EHon Andrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: I wasn\u2019t referring to that member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e43a0b7f42e0456fa51e54ad8ac8dcbf\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Well, actually, if we fast forward to today, we\u2019ve got a massive problem with gang numbers and firearm violence on the streets, so maybe it\u2019d be a good idea just sometimes to listen to this side of the House. We\u2019ve actually given you a lot of guidance and pointed you in the right direction, but you never seem to be very open to actually taking their advice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271c0abe86d1b4321a081565bbe156ed8\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Not the Speaker. Order! Not the Speaker. The member will not bring the Speaker into the debate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022854640b55a2749488f055ca27a83b51b\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, you\u2019re right. Sorry, Madam Speaker. So, look, I haven\u2019t sat on the committee that\u2019s been dealing with this bill, the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2), but I was aware of it. Certainly, I hold a very privileged position of being the MP for Whangapar\u0101oa, and what that means is that I\u2019m heavily involved in my community. Very proud to be the patron of our local surf club, the \u014Crewa Surf Club, involved in the training of some of our youth there, and my kids, of course, patrol and compete. So I get to talk to a lot of young people, and I\u2019ll tell you one event that the young people of my electorate love going to, and that\u2019s Rhythm and Vines\u2014very, very popular with them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c6dd88a891da4d64981777caf424eb97\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: I wonder if it\u2019s going to happen this year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275b71de4f9e0476cb54aceae7d970246\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, well, that\u2019s right. There\u2019s not a high level of confidence amongst them that it will, because they\u2019ve figured out very quickly\u2014Mr Woodhouse brings up a very good point. They\u2019ve figured out very quickly that this Government\u2019s let them down and they\u2019re not going to get to the Rhythm and Vines.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EBut the feedback that I get from them around this is because they rolled this out\u2014he\u2019s right. They rolled this out last year and it was at Rhythm and Vines. And the one thing that I would have liked to have heard from the Minister is some science and some data and some stats around just how successful this policy was last year, because that is lacking in this debate. When you lean back into it and you say, \u201CWell, we\u2019re going to roll this out, because, scientifically, the data shows that it\u2019s going to reduce harm and it\u2019s going to stop deaths.\u201D, then you\u2019ve got to be able to come to this House and back it up. The Government has failed to do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EBut the feedback from the young people was this: you know, we sort of come to this House and we\u2019ve got phrases that we use, we\u2019re very parliamentary, and we kind of operate and live in our own bubble down here. That\u2019s important. We pay a lot of attention to the detail around legislation. That\u2019s important; that\u2019s our job. But actually, we\u2019re legislating here for a bunch of people that\u2014are we actually talking to them? Are we getting their feedback? Because I can tell you right now the feedback from the young people in my electorate is, quite simply, this, on the face of it: \u201COh, yeah, you know, doesn\u2019t sound like a bad idea. It\u2019s a bit of a laugh.\u201D They think that the pollies are endorsing the use of party pills and drugs. So, you know, that sort of diminishes the seriousness around it and the fact that, actually, they\u2019re breaking the law and that we don\u2019t want them using drugs, we don\u2019t want them taking drugs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty was in the House, and I thought he made a very good contribution around drugs a couple of weeks ago, where he was very clear. He got up and he said, \u201CI have not taken drugs, I will not take drugs, and I don\u2019t want my friends taking drugs because I know the harm that they do.\u201D He was right and he took a principled stand on that. So what we should be saying in this House is exactly the same thing. The signal that we should be sending from this Parliament and this House is exactly that message: you shouldn\u2019t be taking drugs, your friends shouldn\u2019t be taking drugs\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad0b903854d5457f900e22e54f38a772\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Could that member put their mask back on, thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a6bbc062dc15463782784269ed0c08c3\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: And that should be a very clear and succinct message that comes from this House. Instead, we\u2019re sending a confused and a muddled message. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EAnd, by the way, this legislation, from what I\u2019ve read, it\u2019s confused and it\u2019s muddled. The Minister says that he wants to prevent harm, that we want to stop young people from taking drugs when they don\u2019t know what\u2019s in them. Well, let me, first of all, be very clear. MDMA, whether or not there\u2019s a bit of rat poison in there or not, is a dangerous, harmful drug that can kill, right? So that\u2019s where we\u2019re starting from. But then what they do, and correct me if I\u2019m wrong; the next speaker can stand up and correct me. Like I said to you, I admit I\u2019m not completely across the detail of this bill. Correct me if I\u2019m wrong: a young person or any person actually attending Rhythm and Vines\u2014by the way, I don\u2019t know how you de-conflict the fact that the promoters and the runners of Rhythm and Vines say that this is a drug-free concert or event, and then you have people testing drugs for people that are attending. I\u2019m not sure how you de-conflict that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EBut the people come up, they hand their drugs over, they get tested. They may have rat poison in them. Rat poison can be harmful, I\u2019m sure, especially in large quantities. But the MDMA present in there is even more harmful. And so what do they do? They don\u2019t take them off them, Minister, because if you want to stop the harm at that point, you should confiscate the drugs. Would that be right? If we\u2019re being logical about this and you want to legislate for it, and you want to do it\u2014if you want to prevent harm to those people, then we should take the drugs off them. We should say, \u201CThese are harmful. You could die. You could overdose. We\u2019re going to take them off you.\u201D What do we do? We give them back to the people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EAnd do you know what? There was a joke down at Rhythm and Vines amongst the young people, the ones that we\u2019re trying to target, they were laughing and joking about it, that the people that could be bothered queuing\u2014because, apparently, there were big queues because they were curious. There was a curiosity factor. They wanted to know what they\u2019d paid for, what was in it. But they were all comparing. They were excited. They wanted to see what the additives were and what was there. The reason why the Minister hasn\u2019t stood up and given us any data or science on how effective it\u2019s been is because they\u2019re taking the pills back. They\u2019re using them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e7a9e2e49c04491cbf71a19945e1e278\u0022\u003EHon Andrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: Three-quarters changed their conduct.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a0fc9f4ecd46440bbd1fb93888434851\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Three-quarters changed their conduct.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ba0caafb838343d3a7600d608f91c9a7\u0022\u003EHon Andrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: Changed their behaviour. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a580f992ba947b2b0b276009ab08ee2\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I\u2019d like to see the data. I\u2019d like to see the data sitting behind that, Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227413fe967da64fcab3bc43315a2a9e27\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Seventy percent said they\u2019d still take it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022669a727321fd4f669d75567d8eb15ce4\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right, and that\u2019s what\u2019s happening, Minister. What you guys have inadvertently done is, number one, you\u2019ve sent a message out to young people and concert-goers and festival-goers that, actually, the Parliament thinks that it\u2019s OK. And the reason why they see that, young people see that, is because we\u2019re putting laws in place that allow them to test their drugs. So they think the pollies\u2014they think we\u2019re saying and the leaders of the country are saying, \u201CActually, there\u2019s a soft endorsement for that. You take your drugs. We\u2019ll test them. Go into the festival and you can take them.\u201D Then they\u2019re arriving to have these drugs tested because we\u2019re trying to prevent the harm, and then getting them tested because they\u2019re curious\u2014predominately curious to know what\u2019s in them\u2014and then they\u2019re taking the pills back and they\u2019re going into the festival and they\u2019re using them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003ESo, Minister, stand up and show us. I can tell you one thing: the feedback that I got, and I had lots\u2014I had my nephews and nieces, I had my kids, I had guys\u2019 kids from the first XV that I help coach, I had kids from the \u014Crewa Surf Club, all right through my electorate, they all descended on the festivals, whether it be up in Mangawhai or down in Gisborne. All of them\u2014all of them\u2014were not talking about the fact that this measure had stopped young people taking drugs or it had flagged up how dangerous they were and they shouldn\u2019t be using them, and they shouldn\u2019t be buying them. It didn\u2019t have that impact at all, Minister. In fact, what they were talking about is the deaths and the kids that disappeared and couldn\u2019t be found because of the drug use, and the increased levels of harm and violence because of drug use. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003EIf we want to get serious about it as a Parliament, if we want to try and stop that\u2014I agree with you, Minister, education is a big part of it\u2014actually, what we should be doing as a Parliament is we should be sending a very clear and succinct message in saying, \u201CThese drugs are illegal, they are harmful, they will kill, and you should not be taking them.\u201D Mr McAnulty, in a very powerful speech a few weeks ago, said, \u201CI will not take them. I do not want my friends taking them. They kill. They\u2019re harmful. They hurt.\u201D And if we stand\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221f1ce498be054aef8a00b301b72f7103\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Let\u2019s test them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022281e9198c41f4d0c9eff5f5f7b0ce582\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: So let\u2019s test them. For what point, Mr McAnulty? Stand up and take a call and give me the data, give me the evidence, and show me, because the feedback that I\u2019ve had is that young people are laughing at it. They\u2019re not bothering queuing. If they are, they\u2019re curious. They want to see what\u2019s in their drugs. That\u2019s great. They\u2019re taking them back. They\u2019re going into the concerts, they\u2019re having a bit of a laugh about it\u2014\u201CMine\u2019s got \u2026 \u201D\u2014and they\u2019re using the pills. So if you\u2019re genuine about stopping harm, then you should be actually at that point taking the pills off them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002228946e2965bb4b62ba04f2df6cf63b08\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Sure, and it\u2019s their fault, then, is it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e8f462e6d624f6aaea7f33b790b3a71\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Answer me one question. Why are they giving them back? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022132902e6af214acea2544a939e4b7f48\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Will the member yield?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248e29ead4ffe4370ba32c63811b468d8\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Why are they getting them back? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229282d707c6df41ff9cc6545232703a72\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Will the member yield, and I\u2019ll ask a question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ac611fca77f4a7e808cdb7408920522\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Well\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002226921f9a17bd4e259c7b5db3cb81c81c\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! Order! With apologies to the member\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe7fdca5b5614c429b1348bc37c2dc11\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Take a call\u2014sorry, Madam Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a382e3f0e0f340f08a532ff632a3e5f3\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: This is a\u2014[Interruption] No. This is a robust debate, but I would ask members if they wish to make a point of order or take a call, they rise to their feet and seek one. This across the House exchange is not benefiting the quality of this debate at all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed2b7fa141794efeb841ae9c745cb9fa\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. I 100 percent agree with you. However, in this particular instance, I was asking the member if he would yield, which is allowed in the Standing Orders. I can\u2019t do that on my feet, Madam Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b236a30e3eb4e4d80b5c0a9f5e2decf\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: OK, thank you. Thank you for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002279cb13b40cfd43f591829a6a28417f28\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would have been happy to yield, but, sadly, I\u2019ve come to the end of my time. But this is bad legislation. It shouldn\u2019t have been brought into the House and we oppose it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022 data-id=\u00222f7ff197181942a292d81f1f0ef730a0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222f7ff197181942a292d81f1f0ef730a0\u0022\u003EDr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour\u2014Banks Peninsula):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. Gosh, where to start? The member who\u2019s just resumed his seat, Mark Mitchell, said, on several occasions, to correct him if he\u2019s wrong. He most certainly is, and it\u2019s a shame that he didn\u2019t pay attention to\u2014this is the third reading of this bill. It\u2019s a shame he didn\u2019t pay attention throughout the process, and he may have been able to educate himself a little bit more about the data, although I do note that the information that he offered in exchange was all anecdotal from his extended family, so good on him.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EHe might like to reconcile that with the fact that\u2014you know, as has already been discussed in the various iterations of these readings\u2014three quarters of people do change their behaviour when they\u2019re presented with the fact that their MDMA has rat poison in it. In fact, I would defy anybody to say it\u2019s completely illogical for people to, you know, consume and to carry on in their way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EAnyhow, summer is fast approaching, and it\u2019s probably going to be rather an unusual summer in so far as it follows a period of lockdown and two years of global uncertainty. But, across the country, there\u2019s going to be an array of music festivals, celebrations, and events planned. Although we absolutely do not condone recreational drug use, it would be completely naive to think that this broad reopening isn\u2019t going to result in young people, in particular, taking these drugs. All good legislation should try and identify a problem and address something that\u2019s an important issue, and this does. Increasingly punitive measures simply don\u2019t work and all of the research shows that. When it comes to recreational drug use, a move towards a health-based approach, providing information\u2014which this bill makes explicit; the need to be able to provide people with the correct information and offering support\u2014is the key to actual harm reduction. This is an extremely sensible piece of legislation, and it\u2019s fantastic that it has been progressed with speed and without complication to its third reading stage. It\u2019s been a real privilege to consider, debate, and now, for the final time, 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=\u0022219b672ea8ec4b7db2c7a6436d6a68a9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022219b672ea8ec4b7db2c7a6436d6a68a9\u0022\u003ESIMEON BROWN (National\u2014Pakuranga):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity to take a call on the third reading of this Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2). I just want to start by reminding people in the House, and those listening at home, that this bill started last year, after the election, and we first had the piece of legislation which temporarily allowed for these drug-checking services to be provided over summer\u2014because it was all just about \u201CWe would like to have the opportunity for young New Zealanders who go to music festivals to have their drugs checked at music festivals.\u201D Well, that\u2019s not what we\u2019re talking about here today. This is a much, much wider piece of legislation. It\u2019s a piece of legislation which allows for these services to operate at a much wider variety of places\u2014in fact, with very few limitations\u2014and I think that is a point which many New Zealanders would be very, very concerned about. And it sends the wrong message. It sends a very wrong message about what this Parliament considers in regards to illicit drug use in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve heard my very good colleague Mark Mitchell talk about the evidence, which is very clear, around what this legislation will do\u2014and the false hope that it will give to young people around what is in the substances that are being checked. The only one piece of evidence\u2014the only one piece of evidence\u2014which the Government members have been able to point to, to try and argue the fact that this will make things safer for young people using drugs, is a self-selected study put out by the University of Victoria, where they asked people to fill out a survey. They literally went and put a survey on Facebook and said, \u201CIf you\u2019ve used substances recently, we\u2019d love you to fill out this survey.\u201D And then the University of Victoria has put out a self-selected survey, which has come up with some so-called evidence, which they\u2019re basing all of the arguments on, all of the arguments about how this is going to make things safer for young people. But, when you actually dig into the detail of that survey, firstly, you can disregard it for the fact that it\u2019s not scientific; it\u2019s, basically, junk science with a self-selected bias. But, if you dig into it and you look at the questions which were asked around whether or not people would continue to use the drugs even if they were found to have substances in it that they didn\u2019t expect, about 80 to 90 percent of people said they\u2019d still use them\u201480 to 90 percent of people would still use those substances even if they went through the drug-checking service and were told, \u201CLook, yep, your MDMA has also been mixed with some rat poison. And here it is. We\u2019ll hand it back.\u201D\u201480 to 90 percent. So, if you think you\u2019re actually solving a problem here, all you\u2019re doing is you\u2019re giving false hope to young people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EIf this legislation was actually about creating a safer environment for those people who choose to use those drugs, why does the legislation not require the drug-checking service people, if there\u2019s a substance, if some young person comes along and says, \u201CLook, I\u2019ve got these pills. I was told they\u2019re MDMA. I just want to have them checked to make sure before I take them.\u201D\u2014put them through the machine and it comes out and says, \u201CActually, you\u2019ve got a dud. It\u2019s a bit of MDMA; it\u2019s a bit of rat poison.\u201D\u2014shouldn\u2019t the bill say that those drugs should be confiscated? If it\u2019s about reducing harm, wouldn\u2019t it make sense to actually say, \u201CHey, hey, hey, we\u2019re taking those back off you because of the fact they\u2019re not what you expected of them.\u201D And, actually, the safest thing to do, particularly in light of the fact there\u2019s an 80 percent chance that person is going to go and use them anyway, is you take them off that young person. But this piece of legislation does not do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EAnd the other fact that this piece of legislation ignores is that, in the vast majority of cases where people have lost their lives tragically because of use of MDMA substances, it\u2019s not because of some rat poison. When the coroner goes and does the investigation, it\u2019s actually the MDMA which is doing the killing. And there\u2019s a study done by the University of New South Wales which looked across 16 years, I think it was, of cases in New South Wales, coronial examinations of the cause of death, and found what the cause of death was in a drug overdose case, and it was not some impurity in those substances; it was actually the use of those substances. And so, again, we\u2019re giving false hope to our young people about the use of these drugs, which I think is very, very concerning.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EAs I said earlier, it\u2019s not just now about music festivals, which was where this all started; it\u2019s now about whether it\u2019s at your university campus, or whether it\u2019s K Road\u2014I think that example was used in one of the debates\u2014but it doesn\u2019t limit it. There\u2019s no limitation to say, \u201CActually, we know young people, you know, hang out around the school gate at high schools quite often, and drug dealers come.\u201D If you talk to principals at a number of schools, this is quite a big deal. Well, there\u2019s nothing to say that this service couldn\u2019t be offered outside the school as well. That\u2019s something that I know many, many parents would be incredibly concerned about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EBut there\u2019s other problems in this piece of legislation too. There\u2019s no restrictions on who can be doing the drug-checking service. And my colleague Penny Simmonds, the MP for Invercargill, asked a very good question of the Minister earlier this week, and a very simple question, which was: can a gang member get the licence to undertake drug-checking services? And he couldn\u2019t answer the question because the answer is: a gang member can. We know gang members are peddling drugs and peddling misery up and down New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ef7dfaf80bb4eabb78b71da43dcf00f\u0022\u003EHon Andrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: The member should have read the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206cf99deb28942168ca0acca2206a1fb\u0022\u003ESIMEON BROWN\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the Minister didn\u2019t even answer the question\u2014the Minister didn\u2019t answer the question. They are not explicitly excluded under this piece of legislation from being able to operate a drug-checking service. If the Minister was concerned about it, he would make it crystal clear that someone who is a gang member cannot be operating a drug-checking service under this piece of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EWhat about people who\u2019ve got convictions under the legislation regarding drugs in New Zealand as well? There\u2019s no restriction on them as well. This is something which is of significant concern to New Zealanders, and if the Minister wanted to be clear about those facts, he would have put it in his initial statement. He would have put it in the legislation. He would have answered the question last week which he failed to answer for Penny Simmonds.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s other issues in regards to how this operates as well. I\u2019ve talked about where these operations can happen. I\u2019ve talked about who can operate these operations, but also it\u2019s in terms of the whole process and the regulations. There\u2019s a whole lot of regulations which will have to come from this legislation, and I\u2019m assuming that\u2019s where the Minister\u2019s suggesting a whole lot of these regulations will actually happen. If it\u2019s so important, put it in the primary legislation\u2014if it\u2019s actually that important, put it in the primary legislation. Don\u2019t hope it ends up in the regulation. If something is as important as that, it needs to be in the actual legislation, in the letter of the law that this Parliament is sending, and making it very, very crystal clear.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EThe other point I\u2019d like to raise in regards to this is around the process through which these drug-checking services\u2014so if a gang member wants to get their drugs checked, there\u2019s no restriction on him then going out there and saying, \u201COh, look, I\u2019ve checked my substances with the KnowYourStuff people down the road at K Road. So if you buy from me, you can know I\u2019m selling the good stuff.\u201D Well, that\u2019s not exactly what we want to see in New Zealand either, because, actually, we\u2019ve got a situation where we know we\u2019ve got gangs peddling misery and peddling drugs. They\u2019re the ones who are often the supply chain for these substances, and this piece of legislation doesn\u2019t put any limitations in place and this opens up significant risk around how they are going to be marketing their substances and using their substances out there in the community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003ESo, in conclusion, this piece of legislation does not leave our young people any safer. It will be giving them a very false sense of security, a false sense of hope. If this legislation was really about protecting young people, it would be sending a much clearer message and it would at least\u2014at least\u2014be saying, \u201CIf there was a contaminant in those substances, those drugs should be confiscated.\u201D But that\u2019s not on this piece of legislation. The National Party cannot support legislation which sends a soft-on-drugs message. The soft peddling of illicit substances in New Zealand is something we cannot support. We do not commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022 data-id=\u002218bf871d00b54ab087b32e77c96d464b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002218bf871d00b54ab087b32e77c96d464b\u0022\u003ESARAH PALLETT (Labour\u2014Ilam):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to stand for the third reading for this excellent bill. Before I go any further, I just wanted to say that, whilst I hold Mr Mitchell in high esteem, he and I probably would count among the members of this House who may possibly not be as connected with young people as we\u2019d like to think. And I say that because the young people that Mr Mitchell was talking about have actually shown confidence in this Government to the point where the December 31 festival pass is sold out. So maybe not quite as connected as you hope.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003EBut I just wanted to say that our starting point is, here on this side of the House, and our end point is that the safest option is always, always not to take the substance. But the reality is that some people will, and, like our excellent needle exchange programmes which did actually visit quite a few of the pearl-clutching opposition arguments that we\u2019re hearing today, this is a pragmatic piece of legislation that will substantially reduce harm. I highly commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022 data-id=\u0022726cfa4be860461ebe4a0279751fc3aa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022726cfa4be860461ebe4a0279751fc3aa\u0022\u003EDr ELIZABETH KEREKERE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora. Today, I rise to speak on behalf of my colleague Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick, who has actively worked with community and in the Health Committee to progress this bill to this point. With great disappointment that she is not here, I would like to thank some people on her behalf\u2014and I quote\u2014\u201CHolly Donald; Ralph Hall; Wendy Allison; Jez Weston; KnowYourStuff volunteers; Fiona Hudson and her post-grad field students; the brains behind Splore Festival; Ross Bell; Kali\u201D\u2014aroha mai if that\u2019s incorrect\u2014\u201CMercer; Sarah Helm; Gary, who without COVID restrictions would be sitting up there in the gallery in his weed suit; Dakta; the 6,000 people who signed our petition; and Ministers Nash, Little, and Clark, who used their political will to make this happen. There\u2019s so much more to do, but this is a crucial victory for drug harm reduction.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EWe note this omnibus bill amends several of our current laws and it allows the Director-General of Health to allow certain providers to be gazetted. So not an ad hoc system; a very organised system to operate these drug-checking services legally so they can operate with legal certainty and they cannot be prosecuted. It enables them to maintain the privacy of those who check, because in the same way that people will not line up for a very, very long time to have their drugs taken off them, they also don\u2019t want their personal details being used anywhere else.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EImportantly, it is funded. We note that any investment in prevention, in this and all other manner of health measures, it not only supports that harm reduction approach\u2014but it saves money\u2014but it reduces the pressure on our already overwhelmed health and mental health systems.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EThe Greens have a long whakapapa of campaigning to improve the laws around drug and substance use in this country, including to legalise cannabis for medicinal and recreational purposes, and in supporting the Government last year addressing the synthetic crisis. We acknowledge the work of Green MPs: the legendary Nandor Tanczos, Metiria Turei, Kevin Hague, the Hon Julie Anne Genter, and, of course, Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick herself.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EThe Greens policy commits us to supporting measures to enhance people\u2019s capacity for informed choice, which is what drug checking does. It also says that we make decisions and we build our policies on evidence and science, actual research that\u2019s beyond asking people\u2019s opinions or refuting the finds of peer reviewed reports from universities. We know from the research, then, including from KnowYourStuff and the Drug Foundation, that, consistently, people will change their drug behaviours and be less risky when they know what that substance is. That\u2019s the core of the bill, that we support making sure that these predominantly young people make good decisions based on good information without being judged or penalised, because this bill is not about whether young people will take drugs or not\u2014they will.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EI am also a person who has never taken drugs. I\u2019ve never smoked anything, and I understand that I\u2019m an unusual person in that regard. I\u2019m not going to judge our wh\u0101nau or any other person for their choices. I want to help, though. I want to make sure they have the information they need to make good choices and make sure we have a health system that\u2019s going to look after them no matter what. I agree that this focus on just our summer festivals and the things that are happening is not enough. It doesn\u2019t address the more problematic drug issues that are happening in, particularly, our lower-income communities of colour. But we always look for solutions, then, that look at health, education, housing, and social issues that affect our communities and look for solutions based, again, on evidence but on local community insight. There are many organisations out there who are very, very skilled, very knowledgeable, in these areas, and they\u2019re working hard in their local communities. We welcome the recommendations of He Ara Oranga that recommended decriminalising users, and Turuki! Turuki!, which went even further and suggested legally regulating certain substances.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EI was very heartened to hear my colleague Dr McLellan just before say that the punitive approach doesn\u2019t always work. I look forward to having further conversations on that, because that\u2019s certainly a Green way of looking at things.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003ETo conclude, this is a world-class framework for drug checking. It needs to be applied to more places than festivals. We hope to see this compassionate, non-judgmental nature applied in other circumstances, especially where there are young people and regardless of where they come from or whether they can afford to go to these festivals or not\u2014along with a complete restructure of our health and mental health systems. We look forward to the overhaul of the Misuse of Drugs Act. We see this as a springboard to decriminalise, starting with cannabis and then moving into more detail for other things. But for now, thank you. We commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022 data-id=\u00224a583018a153447587507a16afc35461\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224a583018a153447587507a16afc35461\u0022\u003EBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise on behalf of the ACT Party this afternoon in support of the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2). There are two clear arguments that have been made about this particular legislation\u2014one that\u2019s for it, and one that\u2019s against it. The first argument is that changing the status quo will increase risk and increase harm to our young New Zealanders. The alternative view is that the status quo isn\u2019t acceptable, and by changing it, we will reduce harm and reduce risk for our young population.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003ENow, there are credible arguments on both sides, but the ACT Party takes the view that we should ask a simple question, and that is: should Parliament prohibit people voluntarily wanting to help each other in New Zealand? We say that we shouldn\u2019t prohibit that. That\u2019s what this bill is about\u2014it\u2019s about volunteer organisations wanting to create a safer country for each other. So when you take those two arguments, we fall on the side that informed choice is better, that the status quo is not acceptable and that it could be better. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EThat\u2019s because we understand the reality that young people, every summer, do go off to festivals. There are young people who take risks, and we don\u2019t believe that one episode in someone\u2019s life of maybe wanting to rebel from their parents and have fun for a summer should impact their entire lives. We believe that if they are going to make a choice that their parents might not agree with that they should have informed choice, because that is a safer reality for our young New Zealanders. We know, every summer, that people do go off to festivals, and parents want to provide their children with support and advice from a young age about what is the right thing to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EYou know, we tell kids, \u201CDon\u2019t take things from strangers.\u201D I\u2019ve had this imprinted on my mind since I was a little girl that if anybody offered me something, I shouldn\u2019t take it, but people do. You know, people grow up and they think, \u201CI\u2019m invincible. I\u2019m just going to take this thing. It can\u2019t possibly be me that will be adversely affected by this.\u201D I think we should allow for people to have an informed choice so that they don\u2019t ruin the rest of their lives by taking something that they didn\u2019t expect to be taking.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EWe also know that there are parents out there that instil in their children that they shouldn\u2019t take drugs, and it doesn\u2019t really matter to a child growing up whether or not they\u2019ve been given as much advice as possible about the adverse effects of drugs. Some kids do just grow up thinking, \u201CThis summer, I\u2019m going off with my friends and I\u2019m wanting to be an adult and I\u2019m wanting to have fun.\u201D, and they might make a decision that would not be supported by their parents. But people do have to acknowledge that that is a reality.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EWe want to make New Zealand a safer place for our young people. So the ACT Party is supporting this bill, because we know that young people go off to festivals every summer. We want to make sure that adverse effects, that risks and harm are minimised as much as possible for the people who might be taking those drugs. This bill is about allowing volunteers to help New Zealanders keep other New Zealanders safe. For that reason, we commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022 data-id=\u0022ee71b4edf5b64b0ead6b0e0a62c221e8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ee71b4edf5b64b0ead6b0e0a62c221e8\u0022\u003ETANGI UTIKERE (Labour\u2014Palmerston North):\u003C/span\u003E Kia orana, Madam Speaker. I\u2019m happy to follow the member, Brooke van Velden, and her party in support of this bill. At second reading, I indicated that I joined the Health Committee at the tail end of this consideration, but the number of changes that have emerged through the committee of the whole House process has made this particular bill, I think, better than at the start of the process, given the conversations that have taken place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022\u003EI have read the bill, and I did wonder whether Mr Brown had taken the opportunity to read the bill, because there seemed to be a lot of conversation and monologue\u2014which turns out, I suggest, to be absolute nonsense\u2014around the suggestion that the gangs would suddenly set up and head down to the local service provider and, effectively, make use of that. If Mr Brown had looked at the bill, I would draw his attention to the new section that\u2019s proposed to be inserted, which is 35DA, and it says there: \u201CThe Director-General of Health may licence drug and substance checking service providers under Schedule 6.\u201D, which outlines the criteria.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s very clear that there is a requirement for the director-general to provide the authorisation in terms of the licensing capacity and ability for those that would undertake the service. So if Mr Brown had looked at the bill, he wouldn\u2019t have had to waste the House\u2019s time, actually, hypothesising around that particular question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262ff759d-9586-405a-a6e6-208ad65adeb5\u0022\u003EWhat\u2019s really important, I think, in terms of this legislation, is that it acknowledges the level of service of those who would be providing this particular service to members of the community. It does, in terms of timing, flow on from the temporary regime and approach to the 2020-21 summer period. As we\u2019ve heard, the empirical data indicates that 75 percent of people who have availed themselves of this opportunity have changed their mind, and that alone is a great basis to be able to support this bill. I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022 data-id=\u0022edbd030bbade416d8618f8eae50b97f9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022edbd030bbade416d8618f8eae50b97f9\u0022\u003ECHRISTOPHER LUXON (National\u2014Botany):\u003C/span\u003E Look, it\u2019s a pleasure to take a short call on this third reading of the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2). I want to rise and say that we continue to oppose the bill for the reasons that have been outlined by my colleagues over previous debates. And I have to say upfront that I agree with my colleagues that Andrew Little is, in fact, a very well-intentioned person and Minister. I personally respect him a lot. I think he\u2019s a good person. I also appreciate the work of the select committee. I haven\u2019t been a member of that committee but obviously there\u2019s been work that\u2019s gone on to make a bad bill slightly better, and that\u2019s probably a good thing as a parliamentarian. But, ultimately, as we\u2019ve talked about, we are opposing it really for several reasons. I think my colleagues have spoken very well about that. I think it\u2019s been very unfair the way the other side have picked on Mark Mitchell in particular. He is actually quite cool. He\u2019s actually down with the kids, and I just thought that was a bit mean if I\u2019m really honest with you. But anyway, we\u2019ll get into that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002270476f2c8dc046c88fad01daa1e5d16c\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re not allowed to mislead the House! That\u2019s against the Standing Orders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022784c1dd40db64f8eb7e675d76cb42251\u0022\u003ECHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: Ha, ha! Sorry, I withdraw and apologise. I have misled the House! And I\u2019ll get back, as you said.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EThe first real reason I\u2019d like to say is that it\u2019s actually a little bit too broad. I mean the thought going into this process was that it was going to be limited to summer music festivals; that was all the go, that was what we were being led to believe. But, in some ways, we\u2019ve sort of been a bit misled, it feels, because we\u2019re now legalising pills everywhere and anywhere, and with very few limitations, fundamentally. And you\u2019ve got mobile checking services roaming around, going to playgrounds and small rural towns and bars near you anywhere across the country. We need to probably specify what exactly the purpose was for festivals and maybe some other locations in this legislation, but that actually hasn\u2019t happened here. So what started off as a very narrow scope has ended up being, I think, just way too broad.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EThe second thing, and a lot of colleagues have spoken about this before from our side of the House, talking about just the inconclusive evidence that exists. The evidence that it contributes to harm reduction is inconclusive. I mean, the one study using the self-selected sample is a real problem. And, I guess, the question for me is: why wouldn\u2019t the Government take the time to get the evidence that it needs to make the case to the New Zealand people that there is, in fact, going to be reassurance that it won\u2019t, in fact, drive consumption? I think that\u2019s been really important. And it\u2019s a good thing to be able to do, to be able to find the evidence, make the case, take people with you, and get them on board with what they\u2019re doing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EMeanwhile, Government says it\u2019s about people making smart\u2014we\u2019ll get to that in a minute, because Government says it\u2019s about people making much smarter choices, but let\u2019s be really clear: there\u2019s no smart choices when you\u2019re deciding to partake of MDMA; that\u2019s a really dumb decision, and it leads to, actually, this false confidence to take MDMA and it kills people. And that\u2019s the bottom line of this. It\u2019s not the additives, it\u2019s actually the drug itself that\u2019s the problem, and it causes some serious issues. And the medical folk on the other side will understand it: it causes respiratory depression, it causes cardiac arrhythmia, it causes coma, and it increases the risk of sudden death. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EI think there were some comments made by my colleagues Mark Mitchell, firstly, and Simeon Brown, which I thought they made two good points in their recent discussions. Mr Mitchell\u2019s point was really about not making sure that we don\u2019t give the drugs back. If they\u2019ve been tested and they\u2019ve got bad stuff in them, why do we hand them back? If we\u2019re really serious about avoiding those deaths that we just talked about, then why do we actually give them back? And, in many ways, the risk that KnowYourStuff actually becomes a marketing endorsement for criminal activity, and then those results cannot be used or are inadmissible in court, I think is a big, big problem. I used to work at a place called Unilever in P\u0113tone, and we used to go get endorsements for Persil laundry detergent from Fisher \u0026amp; Paykel washing machines, and said, \u201CThese things will be really good for you.\u201D In many ways, that\u2019s the same kind of process here: it\u2019s a marketing endorsement. I\u2019m sure that good people like Greg O\u2019Connor, a very well respected police officer, must know that this isn\u2019t a good part of the process\u2014not a good part of the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EThe other piece I\u2019d say is that what became very obvious to us is that now the taxpayer\u2019s paying for all of this testing. It\u2019s not user-pays, it\u2019s actually the taxpayers paying for it. It\u2019s publicly funded. And we said that it would be about $800,000\u2014I think the Minister said. You know that\u2019s going to go up when it\u2019s being tested anywhere and everywhere all across the country. So if you want it tested, you pay for it, but don\u2019t make others who don\u2019t want to pay for it pay for it. There are lots of alternatives for those taxpayers\u2019 funds. At the end of the day, it\u2019s not the Government\u2019s money; it\u2019s the taxpayers\u2019 money, and why do they have to fund something that they don\u2019t want tested?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003ESo I think, in closing, it\u2019s way too broad. It\u2019s now everywhere and anywhere; testing pills can\u2019t be guaranteed as safe, it\u2019s going to build false confidence, and MDMA is what\u2019s the killer. The taxpayers, frankly, shouldn\u2019t be paying for it\u2014make it user-pays\u2014and that\u2019s why National opposes this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022 data-id=\u00227ab747cc05e5439b8a51b4ac0ad06e0b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227ab747cc05e5439b8a51b4ac0ad06e0b\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR (Labour\u2014\u014Ch\u0101riu):\u003C/span\u003E As members of Parliament, we bring our life\u2019s experience to this place and when we are discussing bills and hearing bills discussed, we dig back in for an innate understanding. I go back to the early 1980s, when I was attending the Sweetwaters Music Festival as an undercover police officer. I went to that festival with a group of\u2014no other police officers knew I was there. I went there with a group of people who were quite heavy drug takers. As I\u2019ve been listening to this debate today and hearing some fairly naive comments from across the aisle, I recall that at that festival, there was a drug that was going around\u2014my memory of it, it was LSD and it was purple Popeyes, and it was a particularly bad drug. It had people throwing up. It had one young man going for a swim in the Waikato River and drowning. It had ambulances coming and taking people away. People behaving in all sorts of manners. I remember sitting with this group of experienced drug users who were very afraid of the substances they were taking. Now, those Opposite will say, \u201CWell, they just didn\u2019t need to take them.\u201D Well, they didn\u2019t need to take them. However, they were going to take them and other people there were taking this substance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EAs I have heard this debate unfold, they were actually bringing people in to check their substances so that they could discuss about whether they were safe to take or not. And I couldn\u2019t help but think that if what we are proposing here in this legislation was available, how sensible it would have been for this group of experienced drug users\u2014these weren\u2019t even kids\u2014to have had somewhere to take and test this substance. They wouldn\u2019t have gone there if they were going to lose the substance, whatever, they just wouldn\u2019t have bothered. They\u2019d have taken it anyway. So leave the levity out. We all come\u2014there are politics. The National Party have chosen to oppose this legislation, which I really can\u2019t understand why. I see Chris Bishop there shaking his head. I can imagine the debates that would have taken place in the caucus room around this. It\u2019s a silly thing to do, guys, because your kids, your grandkids are going to be the ones that are affected by it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EMr Mitchell, you sit there and say, \u201CWhat does Greg O\u2019Connor thinking about this?\u201D Well, I think this is actually one of the most sensible things that has come through this House. People shouldn\u2019t take drugs. We will, as Mr McAnulty said, discourage them at every level from taking these drugs, but they will. So let\u2019s at least give them the opportunity to stay alive and not be affected by it, because it is real, it is not politics. You know, play politics on all sorts of other things, but don\u2019t play politics on things like this. This just makes sense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EThe ACT Party, who are further to the right than the National Party are, they\u2019ve seen the sense in this. So, please, play politics with something else, but don\u2019t play it with something that is so eminently sensible as this piece of legislation. So when your kids and grandkids do go to the music festival, do things that, of course, they shouldn\u2019t do, of course, you advise them not to do, but at least give them some chance of making sure they know what they are putting into their body. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EWhenever I stand up here and speak about this, there\u2019s two names that always come to my head: Sally Anne Enoka and Alistair Te Korumariri. Two people who took heroin and died of heroin overdoses in Wellington in 1977. Both of them I had arrested earlier in the week, and both them died of overdoses. They were heroin users. There was a lot of heroin came into town that was extremely potent and a lot stronger than the usual heroin they took. They were two of the people that I knew that died of it. And, OK, that wouldn\u2019t have been relevant to this, but they didn\u2019t know what they were taking. At least give them the opportunity to know what they\u2019re taking. I actually 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=\u00228ef8c86266db45c9bab06c06ea8ad366\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228ef8c86266db45c9bab06c06ea8ad366\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, this debate is interrupted and set down for resumption next sitting day. With thanks to the Chamber team and also to the Clerk\u2019s team, the House stands adjourned until 2 p.m. Tuesday, 23 November.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202111183ca322af8dc14b478ee701094215a344000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 4.59 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"