"\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=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022660d55aad4394fa4bb84b796ce235dc3\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 27 MARCH 2024\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f25a59b174774fcb80e596c73b4accb0\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 27 MARCH 2024\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000002\u0022\u003EThe Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000004\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022aa5c96e53933477e87434114fe66437d\u0022\u003EKarakia/Prayers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228467fe850b2e45e19d80fcbdc3b2acb8\u0022\u003EKarakia/Prayers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u0022bcacb62e7cb34bed91d960d807f4874f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bcacb62e7cb34bed91d960d807f4874f\u0022\u003ETEANAU TUIONO (Assistant Speaker):\u003C/span\u003E 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 K\u012Bngi, 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. \u0100mene.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E[Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests, we acknowledge the King, 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=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00220836c1d603af4d73807030cf679e493d\u0022\u003ESpeaker\u2019s Rulings\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220f18d8798b2741d58dc93da1fecbd947\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u2014Answers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022b20d37bf7a7a45b5a11f61ed1f95fb02\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b20d37bf7a7a45b5a11f61ed1f95fb02\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Members, I have been concerned at the number of answers from Ministers being used to attack other parties in the House. This is not permitted by Standing Orders and Speakers\u2019 rulings\u2014Standing Orders 205(4), 205(5), and 181(3). Of course, Ministers can comment on activities of the previous Government which they have had to confront while in Government\u2014Speaker\u2019s ruling 180/4\u2014but that is not an invitation to make attacks on members of the Opposition. I don\u2019t want to have to intervene, but I will do so if the Standing Orders continue to be breached. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EHaving said that, questions with a partisan tone can expect a political answer, and there is no point in appealing to the Speaker in those situations\u2014Speakers\u2019 ruling 187/1. Questions that ask a Minister how they would respond to a comment from a member of the public fall into this category. Questions that invite comparison with policies of a previous Government also invite Ministers to comment in critical terms. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EQuestion time works best when members ask Ministers straight questions. When that happens, members should expect a straight answer, and the Speaker can assist them in getting one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b3713764bfe74fd7a5c43cebe6c9b765\u0022\u003EPetitions, Papers, Select Committee Reports, and Introduction of Bills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220e5b7fe9e36446758540a707fecfbae7\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=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022910fdfd820c4489289992223a7af13ba\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022910fdfd820c4489289992223a7af13ba\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: There have been no petitions presented. Papers have been delivered.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u0022af68208cd209453ba888925927371da1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022af68208cd209453ba888925927371da1\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E2022-23 annual reports of the Government Communications Security Bureau and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereport of the activities of the Intelligence and Security Committee in 2023 \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EBudget Policy Statement 27 March 2024.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022a42ae58e00744ff594b10d0d00d1c565\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a42ae58e00744ff594b10d0d00d1c565\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Those papers are 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=\u0022b20cedfaaf8d4d6ba69b136301c4d5d1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b20cedfaaf8d4d6ba69b136301c4d5d1\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EReports of the Finance and Expenditure Committee on 2022-23 annual reviews of:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EKiwi Group Capital Limited\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EGuardians of New Zealand Superannuation\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Productivity Commission\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EEarthquake Commission, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ESouthern Response Earthquake Services Limited, and on\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Ethe financial statements of New Zealand for the year ending 30 June 2023 and the 202223 annual review of the Treasury\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereports of the Health Committee on the:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003E2022-23 annual review of the Ministry of Health\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003E2022-23 annual reviews of the M\u0101ori Health Authority - Te Aka Whai Ora\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Blood and Organ Service, and the\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EPharmaceutical Management Agency\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereport of the Intelligence and Security Committee on the 2022-23 annual reviews of the Government Communications Security Bureau and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereport of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee on the Ng\u0101ti Paoa Claims Settlement Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022d394ed6ce1e6473cb4953f96c8d35e5b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d394ed6ce1e6473cb4953f96c8d35e5b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The bill is set down for second reading. The report on the financial statements is set down for consideration. Bills have not been presented.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022705fe9e6d9194c23bd24c584abcd96a3\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022db8236b9212a47f1ae5108c4f514b1d0\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002268e50d7ee0d84c8ab4b2e9926dbbd373\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 1\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00229c6e597068304a1a8cc0bdb93f421553\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229c6e597068304a1a8cc0bdb93f421553\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in the Minister for Disability Issues?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022 data-id=\u0022de31c73a04494815ad60b337cd461951\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022de31c73a04494815ad60b337cd461951\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, I do, and the Minister has a very important job to do, fixing a system that is, frankly, not fit for purpose which she inherited from that member\u2019s previous Government, and I am confident she\u2019s going to do exactly that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022844391ad72a5464f8e08e4553638db5e\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: On what date did either Penny Simmonds or her office inform his office that Whaikaha had changed entitlements to disability support services and respite care?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d9269ffec784f27b90f500230ac015c\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: I found out when it was released in the media.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e10bb77ae574688bae907ea303a203c\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Who made the decision to remove Penny Simmonds\u2019 ability to make decisions around disability support funding or criteria without Cabinet sign-off?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c99105b683ea413ba625e26116d6bd4e\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: That is not what\u2019s happened. All that we have said is that we expect major changes to front-line services across a range of portfolios that impact New Zealanders to be brought to Cabinet for a good discussion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002233aa74bbf21a4f90be8adf29f0c9f731\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Well, was Nicola Willis incorrect when she said, \u201CWe\u2019ve also directed, as a Cabinet, that any further decisions that the ministry makes about changing its criteria, its funding, needs to be properly consulted, properly sequenced. It needs to go [before] Cabinet before it\u2019s enacted.\u201D; if so, who made that decision?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f5888f19afa4aafbf980d94d8050ecf\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: That is correct, but we expect all Cabinet Ministers to bring forward issues in their portfolios when they\u2019re making significant changes to the front line for discussion in Cabinet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ead26fdbbd424c638f0ef8b2288581da\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: So why didn\u2019t Penny Simmonds do that before changing those\u00A0criteria?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bda239e8eef14fb0ac4968526b06364e\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: As we have said, she didn\u2019t bring it to Cabinet, and as a result there was no Cabinet discussion. That is something the Minister has apologised for, and she will do going forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022324fd0b8a6d04a80a092d766e4546c6d\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Why should the New Zealand public have confidence in the Minister for Disability Issues when he has, effectively, removed decision-making delegations from her?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221f5784527d6f45478734c85a383a79a3\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: I disagree completely. All we\u2019re saying is that all Ministers, on their portfolios, need to bring forward to Cabinet conversations around any changes to front-line services that are major and significant and that will impact New Zealanders. That didn\u2019t happen in this case. The Minister has admitted that up front, has learnt from that experience, and we\u2019re moving forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d13e565b73540ff96cd9eed62817751\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Will he commit to restoring full eligibility for carers in disability communities now that the responsibility for that has been taken off the Minister for Disability Issues?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d5f8524ebd24e3b8909c63587b97739\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: Oh look, that is a mischaracterisation of the\u00A0situation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e43a8ec421a45bc9c0e199c7489bab2\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Could I ask the Prime Minister as to whether his Government is going to be guided by what may be described as the Roosevelt principle: that we\u2019ll try our hardest but we may not always get it right, but we\u2019ll keep on trying, rather than saying that we\u2019re perfect, never apologise, and say that we\u2019re the podium of truth?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022369193cc2b67489a8a6c20034c45b426\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: I think that\u2019s right. I think when Ministers make mistakes, they admit them, and then they learn from them and they move forward. But what I\u2019d say to you is important is that this is a Minister that is actually making sure there is more money going in this year than there was last year under that previous Government, and\u2014importantly\u2014in Budget 2024, there\u2019ll be even more money in place for people who need the disabled support and resource they need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db01a9044d4b41cb863f1056c21830d4\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Does he believe the Minister for Disability Issues\u2019 claim that\u00A0\u201Csince 2018, the number of people accessing disability supports has increased by around 50 percent compared to population growth of 8.5 percent\u201D is a sign that too many\u00A0people are claiming disability support?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022902c81f5860145db8e09fdacf08e379a\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: What I\u2019d say is what we have is a Minister who is actually ensuring there\u2019s more money going in this year, over and above the Budget that the previous Government left us, and, importantly, is making sure there is more money going into Budget 2024. There is a review of disability services to make sure that, actually, money being spent has actually been going to disabled people to get the support and the resource they need. That\u2019s a good thing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250099b1a0d4b4b978f55f6d9303fe859\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was whether he felt that the Minister\u2019s characterisation that the growth of around 50 percent in disability support compared to 8.5 percent over the same period was a sign that too many people\u00A0are claiming disability support. The Prime Minister hasn\u2019t even come close to addressing that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a5f2fbd4251477daef8319d472f6cc1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, that\u2019s true, but the Speaker is not the adjudicator of the answers, as you\u2019ll be aware from your deep understanding of the Standing Orders, and I\u2019m not\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f626e4c064e047df972585e9ecf66fd2\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. You might not be the adjudicator of the answers, but you do have to ensure the Ministers address the question that was\u00A0asked.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222fd241040bb04e43a86d3588a3d18f22\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, that is true and I think he did address it, and, in the end, that\u2019s where it lies.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220ac324a50bbc4d4c806c0a7fef68fc40\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002239b9bac1-a992-4ccf-a473-9591aeb3a298\u0022 data-id=\u002221abb9cea356481bb96ad2221534a33b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002239b9bac1-a992-4ccf-a473-9591aeb3a298\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002221abb9cea356481bb96ad2221534a33b\u0022\u003ERIMA NAKHLE (National\u2014Takanini)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made on the Budget? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022 data-id=\u00220a32b6066851429eae01003d0e71f99c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220a32b6066851429eae01003d0e71f99c\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Earlier today, I released the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Public Finance Act requires such a statement to be presented to the House each year. It contains the goals and objectives that will guide the Government\u2019s decisions in the forthcoming Budget and it sets out the Government\u2019s short-term fiscal intentions and long-term fiscal objectives. And, yes, I can confirm that the operating allowance will be less than that left to us in the half-year update. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002239b9bac1-a992-4ccf-a473-9591aeb3a298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a0ffd7956af2449da086a93eaefb566c\u0022\u003ERima Nakhle\u003C/span\u003E: What will be in this year\u2019s Budget? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed7aedeb1b79454ab688fffe8f493d56\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: Members will have to wait until Budget day\u201430 May\u2014and I\u2019m so glad that they\u2019re anticipating so eagerly to see the details of this year\u2019s Budget. But in terms of the broad parameters\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282500fd28f324729b0b19ace50bba6df\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: You asked that question yourself\u2014it wasn\u2019t us. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022823d4bf821e945e0ba59c4cdb90354f3\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014I can tell members that there will be personal income tax relief in the Budget. This tax relief\u2014and Mr Parker will be pleased to hear this\u2014will be funded from within the operating allowance, and the operating allowance will be less than the $3.5 billion allowance indicated in the half-year update. This means the Government will not be borrowing extra to pay for tax relief, and it means tax relief will not be adding to inflationary pressures. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002239b9bac1-a992-4ccf-a473-9591aeb3a298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210bd802bacdc4e10a99352a1b1d6dd74\u0022\u003ERima Nakhle\u003C/span\u003E: What else will be in this year\u2019s Budget? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228abbc7ee0bc44481821698cf967374f4\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: Tax relief is just one part of Budget 2024. The Budget will also have a strong focus on public services. Spending on front-line services will be reprioritised, despite some people practically fainting at the thought that the Government could do things differently and more effectively, and the Budget will deliver on Government policy commitments, including many of those in the coalition agreements. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002239b9bac1-a992-4ccf-a473-9591aeb3a298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236497947a3e34723b03a6bff20ea8139\u0022\u003ERima Nakhle\u003C/span\u003E: What are the Government\u2019s fiscal intentions and objectives? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222d814b711b294753896d00c509312962\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: As set out in the Budget Policy Statement, the Government\u2019s fiscal strategy is to return to surplus, get debt going down rather than going up, as it has been over the last five years\u2014and as some members opposite want to continue to see it do\u2014and it will reduce Government spending as a proportion of the overall economy. The legacy we inherited of elevated, lazy spending will take several Budgets to fix, but the first steps will be taken in Budget 2024. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002217a5a6d940ba43a7bf69b9b058552f02\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022 data-id=\u002239cbf4c23b6d4e04ba53ad49cb5c8c74\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002239cbf4c23b6d4e04ba53ad49cb5c8c74\u0022\u003EDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader\u2014Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his Government\u2019s policies and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022 data-id=\u00221f5c2510fd9f4bc496a11553c2d4662b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221f5c2510fd9f4bc496a11553c2d4662b\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, and especially today\u2019s Budget Policy Statement (BPS), which is setting out the coalition Government\u2019s Budget priorities, and they are to deliver meaningful tax relief to low and middle income working New Zealanders, to identify enduring savings, to improve public services, to keep tight control of Government spending while funding high-priority initiatives and urgent cost pressures, and to develop a long-term, sustainable pipeline of infrastructure investments. The BPS charts, I think, a moderate, responsible course correction for New Zealand which will support New Zealanders struggling with a cost of living crisis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e3c7d19bfb8940b28b8538818444052c\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by the Government\u2019s decision to only increase the minimum wage by 2 percent when inflation is at 4.7 percent, which is a cut to the minimum wage in real terms?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002224d93d21ccea4ce782bfeeaf4fe55319\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. What I support, though, is actually growing our economy and making sure that we do everything we can to end the wasteful spending so we can protect front-line services, doing everything we can to give tax relief to low and middle income working families, and to make sure that we have growth in our economy. That\u2019s what we\u2019re focused on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002297c9b584e4ec47a6826f54c7a0b4f629\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: What is his response to the fact that this effective cut to the minimum wage will increase child poverty rates, given that 64 percent of families in poverty are in work?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed281585e2bd48648b32f30e0310b9d5\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: I disagree. The real opportunity for New Zealand is to grow our economy. Our economy, for four of the last five quarters, has been shrinking and been in recession. We need to grow our economy. That\u2019s how we get to lift wages for all and get people out of a cost of living crisis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b971ed3a231a45eea88a217a48eb518d\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: How are workers meant to keep up with rising food and rent costs when the Government is cutting their wages in real terms?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b82f5c3ef4041c2b54135aef118e5da\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: Well, what they need is a Government that\u2019s going to have responsible financial management, rather than an 84 percent increase in Government spending, which drove up domestic inflation, which drove up interest rates, which put the economy into shrinking, into recession, and creates a rising risk of unemployment. We need to deal with the underlying cause, which is inflation; get spending under control; bring inflation down; get interest rates down; get the economy growing; and keep people in employment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022702690e3dafd42e39ded1bebb67c0316\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: Will he commit to delivering annual increases to the minimum wage that keep up with rising costs\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d5e6307f15048738dd9ae77be0ca7fd\u0022\u003EHon Willie Jackson\u003C/span\u003E: No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c568353e0a994c9194489862d465961b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Just a minute. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b014d38fad242d2b922c8ef9d10effb\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014to ensure workers\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222ae1764f50f748d6bd478760196a6ccd\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Just a minute. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d07b7136e2f43948c3a9b24b8c6052b\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014have a livable income\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf4200cc21b84a828a48c9c374f5175c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Hang on\u2014just wait on. Can you start that again? Someone over there made a comment. That\u2019s quite unnecessary during the middle of a question. Please start the question again, and we will have people hearing the question in silence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a311e39f8ea450e872bdcbac87294c5\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: Kia ora. Will he commit to delivering annual increases to the minimum wage that keep up with rising costs to ensure workers have a livable income to support their w\u2019\u0101nau; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243faec937365472e9636550e130d4f3e\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: What we are committing to is FamilyBoost, which is a programme to give 100,000 low and middle income working families some relief so that they can put that towards their early childhood education centre costs, and we\u2019re also committing to tax relief for low and middle income workers\u2014a group, frankly, that the Labour Party and Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori used to care deeply about. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022462028de51a04b0a86d2c31ed564ea48\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 4\u2014Disability Issues\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022 data-id=\u002223431f102ba647f298e8883ff861f0b7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002223431f102ba647f298e8883ff861f0b7\u0022\u003EHon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Disability Issues: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022 data-id=\u00225587cffe83d44ab7bff2f1242c89df2e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225587cffe83d44ab7bff2f1242c89df2e\u0022\u003EHon PENNY SIMMONDS (Minister for Disability Issues):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context in which they were given.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228c41240b85484e00a99ea997e8283387\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: When she told this House last week that carers have been able to spend on \u201Csuch things for themselves as pedicures, as massages, as overseas travel\u201D, what evidence or data does she have to base that statement on? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222329071d58124f58ad871be003e425d4\u0022\u003EHon PENNY SIMMONDS\u003C/span\u003E: I had a paper that was given to me by Whaikaha in February which noted, from providers, that the fund had been used for such expenses. I didn\u2019t make any insinuation that those would be inappropriate; that was just stating what the fund had been used for at that time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250cff6f6ad6d441eaf1aaba7fbddabc9\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: Does\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228c28f1364be34e9e958d040659fbe850\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Table it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd0e5ceae7cb4e98a4a1b2dc37527573\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, when your own team\u2019s quiet, then go ahead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d1df172b6834633908f6cc64ba6d8ab\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The Minister quoted from a document. Will she table that document?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e4437b8943564d2eaa2aabfff188f209\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, you can ask the Minister if she is quoting from a document that she has in her possession in the House. If it\u2019s here and she\u2019s relying on it, then perhaps you could ask that question. Other than that\u2014do you have the document with you? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022076c06a5dcea42308e78d56bd813bb1e\u0022\u003EHon PENNY SIMMONDS\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229ff47a18e8d64369b0c6ea992d80abe6\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: OK. That\u2019s the end of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002255565afd9705421d86d0943d45c10241\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary, Mr Speaker. [Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002223d3de3d03644d30b79482e038af181c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yep, just wait for your own colleagues. Away you go.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ba36fbf120847cc9bba0d1102ab9d46\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: Does she agree with her office, who told Newshub that they didn\u2019t have any numbers but that the Minister had heard it anecdotally, and, if so, does this Minister make policy decisions based on hearsay?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022faceda23abb24f8abaecaced88c0e7a9\u0022\u003EHon PENNY SIMMONDS\u003C/span\u003E: No, I don\u2019t make policy decisions based on hearsay. I had a paper from Whaikaha which indicated that providers had stated the fund was being used for such purposes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221be9f7f1a2644fa6b1eec14ae4d4315b\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: Does she accept that her statements and actions haven\u2019t been evidence-based and have led to disability communities losing trust in her as their Minister and to the Prime Minister stripping her of her major decision-making ability in this portfolio and giving it to Cabinet?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fd1c4cb1d291491db9a297680c66b900\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Just a minute. All members in this House should be taken at their word, and what I heard the Prime Minister say earlier was that there has been no stripping of responsibility; there\u2019s been what appeared to be a return to normal practice. So I\u2019m going to ask the member to rephrase the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c9a23967705246f5b09e10e2c0743ea5\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: Does she accept, based on what her office has told Newshub, that her statements and actions haven\u2019t been based on evidence and they have led to disability communities writing in droves, saying that they have lost their trust in\u00A0her, and to the Prime Minister saying that Cabinet will be making major decisions on\u00A0her behalf?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002246d696baef084d389f786c2bda17631e\u0022\u003EHon PENNY SIMMONDS\u003C/span\u003E: No, I have not been making decisions on hearsay. I had a paper from Whaikaha that outlined, from providers, what the spending had been spent on. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b16c2c4ab4234632bd99c2cfccd9cb83\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: What is the point of her remaining as the Minister for Disability Issues if Cabinet is now chaperoning all her decisions in this portfolio\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228c61186c297a48a0ba35a5889c170821\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022796a8674e24f498db7ac6d77dc53f459\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and the very communities\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002288ce1b3a6dbb451889d7148911ebd573\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, no. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002269b7ad67c13d444d9ce79548e065ac4b\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014that she claims to represent\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d8b143014c6b4c23be07da4647b267d0\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d07b2f709594bd98ea63b62b1cd6ab2\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014no longer have confidence in her?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222e51128716834002b744b7b38982534d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, look\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d91525898046458caa9a2d4d57d887ce\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c12682dcfadc461096bff6395d072515\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member should know the system of Government we have in New Zealand. There is Cabinet collective responsibility for all Government decisions, so that question is not in line with even our system here, let alone in order for the House. Have another try, at no loss to the party\u2019s allocation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223356f8c7251241eab82e10499bfc7bac\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: What is the point of her remaining as the Minister for Disability Issues, given that there\u2019s been reporting that she will not be making major decisions in her portfolio\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022504cce2a8b2f418aa1e3b368580086ed\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, no. See, that\u2014look, I\u2019m sorry, you can\u2019t do this: you can\u2019t infer something that is not correct. No Minister makes decisions outright on matters like this. There would always be a Cabinet paper, and\u2014[Interruption] I\u2019m still ruling. There will always be a Cabinet paper, so just think about how you\u2019d ask that question\u2014it is possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8dd8353b7c34b979da3e60929391267\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d5208d838d0745f6bf1da22294dc6969\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. The Rt Hon Winston Peters was trying before\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002294143c75821949358efbc495f3027ac7\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I was first.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c7698e88d8a42c18a6d1e90ac514dfe\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, he was trying before, which\u2014frankly, I shut him down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e18191a6f4ad4f2ba3aff9a710e424a9\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019ll never be first from now on!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224aa3c723fb7747e1a605aafa7f9b4da3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, can you say it so that I can hear it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002272d0867b27f4440ca60ece05396d7e4a\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: My point is very specific. You\u2019ve got members of Parliament getting up there and then statements which they cannot in any way justify, verify, or authenticate, they\u2019re putting it in as part of their question over and over, day in, day out, and that is not the standard of this House and it should be restored to what it used to be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb4e05a267a54fb8a6609cf56b4fbc88\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And that is what I ruled on right at the start of question time, and I\u2019m just gently taking the Parliament to that place. So I\u2019ll hear the point of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002226411905016b4880993810f5d68d9c5a\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Two things on your ruling, Mr Speaker. The first is that it\u2019s actually incorrect. The Cabinet Manual does not require Ministers to consult Cabinet on every decision that they make. In fact, the Prime Minister determines which\u2014[Interruption]. It\u2019s a point of order\u2014it\u2019s a point of order. The Prime Minister determines which decisions they want the Cabinet to be consulted on or not, so that is absolutely a legitimate question. The second of which is a member claiming in their question something that has been reported is an absolutely legitimate thing to do in a question. The Minister can disagree with the reporting, but actually claiming that it has been reported is not out of order and is in keeping with past practice in the House for the entire time that I have been here. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022216089c245d243eaa4d25738dc902671\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, two things. The first thing is I\u2019m perhaps a victim of my own experience, which would suggest that if a Minister is going to be making changes to the expenses or incurring greater expense than the Budget has allowed, then they would normally take that to Cabinet. I\u2019m not going to argue with you over that. On the issue of how the answer has been given, Speaker\u2019s ruling 207/3 probably helps me get to the position I have, as does Speaker\u2019s ruling 207/4\u2014and you could go right through it. Some of these, I admit, are a little bit conflicting, but I am trying to get to a point where we have a question time that does elicit information and gets it. So would the Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan like to ask that question again with a little bit of a different focus?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002235903f70ab1d4926857ea7e17a4ca374\u0022\u003EHon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u003C/span\u003E: Sure. What is the point of her remaining as the Minister for Disability Issues, given that she has lost the confidence of the very communities that she represents in Government and has made statements about carers that her office has confirmed were based on anecdote, and, if so, will she resign?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206bce982b71f477f87c4b2b4563c4185\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It just takes time, but, sooner or later, we get there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f06940184c246c4a3e5fe5e8ea9ff57\u0022\u003EHon PENNY SIMMONDS\u003C/span\u003E: First of all, I will confirm that my decisions weren\u2019t based on hearsay; they were based on a paper that was given to me by Whaikaha. Secondly, I won\u2019t resign, because I have inherited a situation where Whaikaha have a budget set by the previous Government that was insufficient for the settings that were in place, and so additional funding has had to be given to ensure they can get through the end of this year. A review will be undertaken to put in place the systems, the processes, the settings that should have been put in place by that Government when they set the ministry up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022236137f2dd254ffd9aa6872b9f29f987\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 5\u2014Health\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022587eeeae-8af5-4e11-ac7f-a7690f9c7c3a\u0022 data-id=\u0022c2b1a4dda1a5448c8dc20bfcb01d19c7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022587eeeae-8af5-4e11-ac7f-a7690f9c7c3a\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c2b1a4dda1a5448c8dc20bfcb01d19c7\u0022\u003EDr CARLOS CHEUNG (National\u2014Mt Roskill)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has the Government made about assisting New Zealanders who need to travel to receive health treatment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u0022c89f682792a741fd830fcdf7c2f2130c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c89f682792a741fd830fcdf7c2f2130c\u0022\u003EHon Dr SHANE RETI (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yesterday, the coalition Government announced an $18 million boost for New Zealanders that have to travel for health treatment. These changes are long overdue for the national travel assistance (NTA) scheme, with its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates back in 2009. During this time, the scheme has been plagued by bureaucratic claiming processes and local variations that have seen families who couldn\u2019t afford the upfront costs of treatment having to delay their treatment or choose less-effective options. This needed addressing, and this boost will help to remove those barriers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022587eeeae-8af5-4e11-ac7f-a7690f9c7c3a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c056f911df544ca7a172e08d1585a56c\u0022\u003EDr Carlos Cheung\u003C/span\u003E: Why was it a priority to boost funding for this scheme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022565280e319a84281b321bd8ca4edddb3\u0022\u003EHon Dr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: New Zealanders have endured a prolonged cost of living crisis, making it more difficult for those who need to travel for health treatment. We know that the NTA provides critical financial assistance for those who need to travel for treatments relating to cancer, renal dialysis, diagnostics, and other complex care that can\u2019t be provided locally. It is important that we support this group of New Zealanders with increased assistance during their time of need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022587eeeae-8af5-4e11-ac7f-a7690f9c7c3a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e7e2f92cacfa4627b07db9feaf304f07\u0022\u003EDr Carlos Cheung\u003C/span\u003E: What changes to the scheme will New Zealanders see?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b3f80b0fc50741348eb18ceb9147e531\u0022\u003EHon Dr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: Those who claim the NTA will see significant changes. This boost allows for increased mileage and accommodation rates, easier prepayment and claiming options, changes to eligibility in order to better target those in need, and better promotion and awareness of the scheme. We expect that around 4,500 extra New Zealanders will benefit from this boost.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022587eeeae-8af5-4e11-ac7f-a7690f9c7c3a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a8c8c9928cf4811bdf8df0489c411c6\u0022\u003EDr Carlos Cheung\u003C/span\u003E: How will this announcement ease the cost of living challenges for those who need to travel for treatment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228d88a31d05704264af00b0b74f0f72ed\u0022\u003EHon Dr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: This boost will see the mileage rates rise from 28c to 34c a kilometre, and the nightly accommodation rate change from $100 to $140 a night. More flexible payment options, including prepayment and the ability to do more online, will also be piloted and phased in. While some districts offer prepayment options, most wh\u0101nau currently need to fill out paper-based forms to seek reimbursement. For many, this has been a challenge. We will support them with this boost.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022698dc7fb246548debca624442b918306\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 6\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022 data-id=\u0022011db4bed71e417e88678ad575749b0b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022011db4bed71e417e88678ad575749b0b\u0022\u003EHon BARBARA EDMONDS (Labour\u2014Mana)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022 data-id=\u0022a12d3c243053485eb65c7595b56b9084\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a12d3c243053485eb65c7595b56b9084\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context in which they were given. I particularly stand by my statement earlier today that in Budget 2024, this Government\u2019s spending will be targeted, effective, and within our means.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232e28b0a009b4544b5cab36bbd06ae47\u0022\u003EHon Barbara Edmonds\u003C/span\u003E: Did she confirm to reporters yesterday that Cabinet had approved additional funding for Whaikaha until the end of the financial year; if so, how much money was pre-committed against Budget 2024 for that purpose?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022699645acc8734b9193db4ef1a8fcc800\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and that figure is Budget-sensitive, so I won\u2019t be releasing it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef5ab14ef8ef4868b865c0f69a114978\u0022\u003EHon Barbara Edmonds\u003C/span\u003E: Does she stand by her statement that Whaikaha will \u201Cget vast orders of magnitude more in additional funding for front-line services\u201D; if so, why was the additional funding allocated not enough to reverse the significant eligibility changes that her Government made without any warning or consultation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002269eefd1dd6e84001837dcf14e05e059d\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: I have repeatedly confirmed in this House and elsewhere that in our Budget, more funding to provide front-line support to people with disabilities will be a priority, and that member is now asking me to comment on issues that are a matter for the Minister for Disability Issues and that are matters that that member should put on notice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205b75cb5478247dc864db8f72986198c\u0022\u003EHon Shane Jones\u003C/span\u003E: Kia kaha for Whaikaha\u2014kia kaha. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229e8bf32cd6dd42d5a84381e207f5983d\u0022\u003EHon Barbara Edmonds\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary. Will the \u201Cvast orders of\u201D\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e3694d44f4b846889bf3388a5c8ac6f2\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Hang on a minute\u2014hang on. Wait on. [Interruption] Yeah, quite right\u2014I don\u2019t know who it was either.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e41702ff7db47bf8b034683445ac9c8\u0022\u003EHon Barbara Edmonds\u003C/span\u003E: Will the \u201Cvast orders of magnitude more\u201D funding she has promised be sufficient to reinstate funding for respite care; if so, why is she making carers wait until 1 July when she has already committed to more funding?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022558bd42d5b5b4d6fabfabe1884fdea86\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: I have made myself clear already, and so I\u2019ll make it even simpler: we will be increasing funding for disability services in our Budget because we view it as a priority front-line service, and if the member has detailed questions about ministerial decisions relating to that service, she should put those questions to the Minister responsible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222dab5c3f7b444c769697a9211e2bde66\u0022\u003EHon Barbara Edmonds\u003C/span\u003E: Why won\u2019t she finalise her commitment to provide \u201Cvast orders of magnitude more in additional funding\u201D now and end the significant distress her Government\u2019s changes have caused, or are Budget pre-commitments only prioritised for residential property investors? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022599085aaf84747208965464c4ac5d6f0\u0022\u003EHon NICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: Well, there\u2019s a couple of problems with that statement from the member, which actually are similar to her last supplementary question yesterday, where she also paraphrased things quite inaccurately. Actually, what I had said in relation to vast orders of magnitude was that the additional funding going in\u00A0would be vast orders of magnitude more than the savings that were being asked for,\u00A0and then the second part of her question made another false assertion. Just this week, the Government announced significant new money\u2014hundreds of millions of dollars\u2014to ensure that low and middle income families with young children get more money in their bank accounts with our FamilyBoost childcare policy. That\u2019s a priority for us. This is a Government that understands working people have done it tough for too long with the prolonged cost of living crisis that the previous Government presided over. Our Budget will make sure that they get relief in their bank accounts and back pockets, that we target additional spending carefully to the services they rely on, and that we won\u2019t waste it like the people opposite did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224e052ac90f464e848dbf3c07a640721e\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 7\u2014Transport\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022 data-id=\u0022390bb854dda749559380fca868e4095c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022390bb854dda749559380fca868e4095c\u0022\u003EGRANT McCALLUM (National\u2014Northland)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Transport: What recent reports has he seen on the Brynderwyn Hills?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u002275e190da44844e569aa49cb7ee949c78\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002275e190da44844e569aa49cb7ee949c78\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Well, good news for Northland: State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will open tonight until 2 April, for the Easter weekend, with work currently under way to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused to allow holidaymakers to travel north. As Kiwis prepare their travel plans for Easter, the coalition Government is encouraging New Zealanders to support, visit, and explore Northland, as the region is open for business.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002290307bae95f74b52b047d02624858160\u0022\u003EGrant McCallum\u003C/span\u003E: Why is this work happening on the Brynderwyns?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220fc49c4812564e7487a2a87d4baf23fe\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN\u003C/span\u003E: Weather events last year caused severe under and over slips on State Highway 1 at the Brynderwyn Hills. The recovery works the New Zealand Transport Agency is undertaking will increase the resilience of this critical route to ensure that it is able to withstand future weather events. But the reality is that this work will only buy a certain period of time and resilience, and long-term planning is also needed. Hence why the coalition Government has listed the alternative Brynderwyns as a road of national significance in the Government policy statement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b688da00001c424b84756474afc3d5bb\u0022\u003EGrant McCallum\u003C/span\u003E: How is this work progressing?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b7ecce1e5be0464eb29eb9ed912b48d3\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I was up there yesterday with the good member of Parliament for Northland and seeing excellent progress has been made. Already, 113,000\u00A0cubic metres of dirt has been moved of the 145,000 cubic metres which need to be moved, and there is more work to be done. It will be open over Easter and completed in May. This is great progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223ca7ce95a1104f3b8ddf236fe950ac49\u0022\u003EGrant McCallum\u003C/span\u003E: What will the reopening mean for local businesses and residents?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002217a052c4f77f4ab5937781ddbddc2069\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN\u003C/span\u003E: The temporary opening over Easter will mean that people travelling to and from Northland will be able to use the Brynderwyns without having to use the alternative route. This is great news for the Northland economy but also, at the same time, the temporary closure has allowed this work to be done at pace so that this important State highway can be brought back to a more resilient standard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002271cbda00e41e4c28b79a7fff9b9037d3\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 8\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022 data-id=\u0022ba3a7203b3cd4630867ed81996e81258\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ba3a7203b3cd4630867ed81996e81258\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK (Co-Leader\u2014Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government\u2019s statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022 data-id=\u00221c4da7a4e4e94915912ac97b8f97088d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221c4da7a4e4e94915912ac97b8f97088d\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context they were\u00A0given.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002273cd28d704f34cd096e4edc7362a07b6\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his answer to me at question time yesterday that \u201Cwhat we are interested in is actually delivering on our climate \u2026 goals\u201D, and, if so, how does he intend to do that when his Government has axed the just transitions unit and emissions reductions jobs at the Ministry for Primary Industries?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222f4a8c5361944140bf60a0a1e21b7479\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: We are deeply committed on delivering our net carbon zero 2050 goals, and one of the ways we\u2019re going to do that is doubling the amount of renewable electricity in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002269d85b3b2e4e485fbfd77551f3e2a16b\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: How many climate change jobs is the Prime Minister comfortable with his Government axing?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e1216ab58364c3986699d07e9f875de\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: I want to make sure that there are more jobs for people in the New Zealand economy, and what we\u2019re doing is wanting to grow our economy. One of the ways we do that is by introducing fast-track consenting.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022588e8b927d06422dbdb906781e8d9cf3\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: Has his Government paused the appointment processes for the independent Climate Change Commission?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d4810a4c7d946978e3d3fb10136b571\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s something that I\u2019m not aware of.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4088d3e49724d94820d87bf430a7ddf\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. I seek leave of the House to table an Official Information Act request response from the Minister of Climate Change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d7dc138b7fe7422a87ba44e9b153b41e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is it widely available?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a11d8a6ee05844948e0b30c3799236ff\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff48300792f74979928e185149e0393f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Has it been released on the website of the organisation it came from?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d4c13e3610b4a80ae266f7b4a32b2d0\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m not aware of that, Mr Speaker. All right, supplementary. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b98183d5d2e24fb6bab3b76816eaa190\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the House will make its own decision. Leave is sought. Is there any objection? The member can table it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef55c6ef486f49569d6cddd323ccfe94\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: For the benefit of the country and the House and the member asking the question, could the Prime Minister tell us: what on earth would a climate change job be?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224655cd3241e94f5f9a8792c5d48a8894\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m not sure. I\u2019m really just interested in jobs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248f96e56fc9642cbb1eeaede486bfb2a\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Prime Minister guarantee that there will be no reductions in funding for the independent Climate Change Commission?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002204589eebe7ff492abd621cfab65b6097\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: What I can guarantee is that this is a Government that is working incredibly hard to deliver on our climate change commitments. That is what we\u2019re doing. We\u2019re also a Government that\u2019s determined to grow our economy and deliver on our climate change commitments. We can do both those things at the same time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227ac9b09bd0214c13b487f04858c4640f\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: So is the Prime Minister there saying that he cannot or he will not commit to reductions in spending for the independent Climate Change Commission?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dce082b683984fadaf880381030f3021\u0022\u003ERt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: What we\u2019re interested in is making sure that spending is delivering on lowering our emissions and spending is delivering a growing economy\u2014that\u2019s what our Government is fixated on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00225368dde552df4b36818f47bb122209d4\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 9\u2014Workplace Relations and Safety\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022 data-id=\u0022cf409b4827a64a4388e9e16062c70132\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cf409b4827a64a4388e9e16062c70132\u0022\u003ECAMILLA BELICH (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022 data-id=\u002268eac513f85846e1a465f3c19cf5683f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002268eac513f85846e1a465f3c19cf5683f\u0022\u003EHon BROOKE VAN VELDEN (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, I do stand by my statements. I especially stand by the statements I recently made in my speech to the Auckland Business Chamber outlining my priorities in the workplace relations and safety portfolio. My priorities to simplify and improve the Holidays Act, increase certainty for those in contracting relationships, reform health and safety, and put in place measures for the performance of front-line services will help increase labour market flexibility and improve business confidence, and I believe that these moves will be positive steps for both businesses and workers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228be51928342e446cae74fca1bdf0ee30\u0022\u003ECamilla Belich\u003C/span\u003E: Why did she decide\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e6f5b4c98c9455a9737b62cef72718f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Wait on, wait on. There are a lot of commentators in the House; we just need one questioner. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228931f7bc16d84aa3a9eec722d976867b\u0022\u003ECamilla Belich\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Why did she decide not to continue the all-of-Government response to Gloriavale Christian Community in December last year? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e87be49cb4244e194dc767b609730a3\u0022\u003EHon BROOKE VAN VELDEN\u003C/span\u003E: My understanding is that Ministers across Government will work in their respective portfolios with Gloriavale. Within the workplace relations and safety portfolio, the labour inspectorate is continuing work with Gloriavale, and I understand that other Ministers, where it\u2019s related to their portfolios, will also uphold those roles. However, it\u2019s not necessary to have more bureaucracy for us to have an overview of what is happening in Gloriavale. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a89255bfb32741da913b732e0207e0dc\u0022\u003ECamilla Belich\u003C/span\u003E: How will she ensure the important work of the all-of-Government group continues\u2014namely, that members of the Gloriavale community can work without threat of penalty, receive their minimum legal entitlements, and not face avoidable serious harm, and that those that wish to leave Gloriavale can leave freely, with appropriate support? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221334ad0ce5414e7fb781ec95d4526ac6\u0022\u003EHon BROOKE VAN VELDEN\u003C/span\u003E: I will respond in the area that I am responsible for. My understanding is that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, within the labour inspectorate, have worked in the past with Gloriavale to make sure Gloriavale are aware of the minimum entitlements and obligations under the Employment Relations Act, and they continue to do so. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f31a12b143724db0ae182c286449dc9e\u0022\u003EHon Willow-Jean Prime\u003C/span\u003E: How will the Minister ensure that the rights of children at Gloriavale will be upheld and protected, given the disestablishment of the Gloriavale - West Coast Stakeholder Group? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f7b441031dd2442aa03a5244d4148ed7\u0022\u003EHon BROOKE VAN VELDEN\u003C/span\u003E: Once again, in the area that I am responsible for, which is employment law under workplace relations and safety, I will speak to the fact that I\u2019m aware that the labour inspectorate has done work to ensure that Gloriavale are working to uphold minimum standards, and I\u2019m advised that they will continue to do so without the all-of-Government approach. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2203258495c407489cc59b8593988b0\u0022\u003ERt Hon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The all-of-Government group that we\u2019ve just referred to previously reported to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety. The current Minister has disestablished it and is now refusing to answer broader questions about the work of that group on the basis that she is only responsible for the workplace\u2014basically, the labour component of that. The Minister was previously responsible for the totality of that work and was, therefore, the answerable Minister to the Parliament. The Minister disestablished the group and, therefore, is being asked what she has done to ensure, in making the decision to disestablish the group, that that work is continuing. Her refusing to answer them on the basis that she\u2019s not responsible for them can\u2019t stand. It was her decision to disestablish the group. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a295d704d3404d4dad8333e786db8718\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m not sure that the question was asked quite so specifically as to get past that point. Clearly, the Minister doesn\u2019t have responsibility for something that\u2019s disestablished, other than the disestablishment. So I\u2019ll ask the Hon Willow-Jean Prime to ask the question again, with no loss to the Labour Party. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1f83da884884d978826bd7f71bff455\u0022\u003EHon Willow-Jean Prime\u003C/span\u003E: Sure. The question was: how will the Minister ensure that the rights of children at Gloriavale will be upheld and protected, given the disestablishment of the Gloriavale - West Coast Stakeholder Group? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c013da2a95440dd991067f6c1a239e4\u0022\u003EHon BROOKE VAN VELDEN\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you very much for the question. Look, my understanding is that it\u2019s very important for us to ensure that members of any group understand their rights and their obligations under the law, and I would expect that across New Zealand. But within Gloriavale, I am aware that the Minister for Education, for example, has members within the education portfolio working with Gloriavale to ensure that education standards are upheld. I am also aware that the Minister for community and social development has members of her officials who are working to ensure that members who leave the group also have support, and within my purview, which is workplace relations and safety, the labour inspectorate is continuing to do work to make sure that the rights of workers are upheld under the minimum standards that we expect of all people across New Zealand. It is not necessary for there to be added bureaucracy to ensure that all of these relations can happen within their respective purviews. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e8870aa303174910838346b5dbefe156\u0022\u003EHon Willow-Jean Prime\u003C/span\u003E: Will she advocate in Cabinet to ensure that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is adequately resourced to work with other\u00A0Government agencies to protect children at Gloriavale, and, if so, how will they be coordinated? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227f2eaa7dbc12411d82a13a5856f8f7f3\u0022\u003EHon BROOKE VAN VELDEN\u003C/span\u003E: I believe I\u2019ve addressed the question\u2014that I don\u2019t believe that added bureaucracy is necessary to ensure the safety of children within Gloriavale. There are specific areas of law where every one of my Cabinet colleagues who has an area of specific interest for Gloriavale and the rights of children will be working to uphold that within their own agencies. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228a3306d2aec747aea213f8a0f91d49c7\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 10\u2014Space\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022 data-id=\u0022df889311935f4578b5bd2a44e849da47\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022df889311935f4578b5bd2a44e849da47\u0022\u003ESAM UFFINDELL (National\u2014Tauranga)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Space: What recent announcement has she made in her Space portfolio?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u0022ef115dbdf2ad4937bb6c3ff1ff89ce6e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ef115dbdf2ad4937bb6c3ff1ff89ce6e\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister for Space):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yesterday\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4c83e7c2d034daaa4f7453a746a7d26\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Just hang on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf9576d4f94d420186f0721b86941760\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s so much excitement, isn\u2019t there? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f875ebc458e4b59aef62c7de907e0c7\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: At least start with a little bit of reasonable behaviour.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252bae06eed58455698a8ad0a00cf243e\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Wait till they\u2019re calm\u2014thank you, Mr Speaker. Well, yesterday, the Prime Minister and I announced the establishment of the Prime Minister\u2019s two new Prizes for Space. These will be annual awards to recognise the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand\u2019s growing space sector. There will be two prizes: one prize of $100,000 will be awarded to someone who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and contribution to the New Zealand space sector, and a further prize will be awarded to a student in years 12 or 13 and the inaugural winner will receive a trip to visit Rocket Lab space facilities both here in New Zealand and in the United States. Space is a vast field with huge potential for the New Zealand economy. Encouraging young people into this exciting area is good for them and it\u2019s good for the country and, by the way, the world.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0950513e7454bb891e3ebc0b2a76ecb\u0022\u003ESam Uffindell\u003C/span\u003E: How will this stimulate growth in the sector?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5b76e68e9ca44eeb9cd3e89d8ae7c26\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: What an excellent question. These awards raise the profile and prestige of the New Zealand space sector. They showcase the high-calibre individuals working in our space sector, including academic researchers and industry professionals, and they will inspire the next generation of innovative and talented people to pursue a career in space. There is a great opportunity for New Zealand to capture an even larger share of a sector projected to reach\u2014and wait for this\u2014US$1 trillion by 2040.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221c7d1ded0c5747759ae435c20490056b\u0022\u003ESam Uffindell\u003C/span\u003E: How does this announcement tie in with other recent announcements she has made?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ee9de7c9e65f4f9c921e70d4bf0d36b9\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Well, yesterday\u2019s announcement is just one announcement among others that I have made to show our commitment and aspiration for space. On 31 January, I welcomed an agreement with Australia that will benefit New Zealand researchers to participate in collaborative research projects through Australia\u2019s SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre; on 5 March, together with the climate change Minister, the Hon Simon Watts, I welcomed the successful launch of MethaneSAT, a state-of-the-art satellite designed to accurately detect methane emissions and contribute to global efforts to combat climate change; and just last week, we announced New Zealand\u2019s research being sent to the International Space Station. It\u2019s so exciting.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022424f5dc1b5fc4530be4198568883912b\u0022\u003ESam Uffindell\u003C/span\u003E: What is her vision for the portfolio?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b2cc7471fcd64605b8e32452b2abeace\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: I want to see space and aerospace as key contributors to New Zealand\u2019s economy, active participation across manufacturing, spacecraft being launched, and the use of aerospace-enabled data, all supported by a robust regulatory regime that keeps pace with innovation. Next month, I will attend the Space Symposium in Colorado, which will provide an opportunity to hear from representatives of the international space community, and you can be sure I will be promoting New Zealand\u2019s space sector to everyone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229ca380ec6d7044518d6aa167f4a8987c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: From\u2014sorry, I\u2019m just composing myself. I was tempted to make a comment, but I won\u2019t\u2014well, I will. So is it from \u201CCrusher\u201D to \u201CRocket\u201D now, or how\u2019s it going to work?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229313ceb3e39b424d88c336be13d593d8\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 11\u2014Regional Development\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e29c400e-467a-4398-818d-270ef48b80cf\u0022 data-id=\u00226d2a0f59b11c4e4a9dd997f458515414\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e29c400e-467a-4398-818d-270ef48b80cf\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226d2a0f59b11c4e4a9dd997f458515414\u0022\u003ESTEVE ABEL (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Regional Development: Does he stand by his statement in this House that \u201CSeabed mining has a legitimate place in New Zealand\u2019s regional economy\u201D; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022 data-id=\u0022101f12a1aa754c7c8b334cbe67f42409\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022101f12a1aa754c7c8b334cbe67f42409\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES (Minister for Regional Development):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, and given that GNS Science have provided information that the value of so-said seabed is one-half a trillion\u2014$500 billion\u2014including phosphate in the Chathams and manganese nodules in the Kermadecs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e29c400e-467a-4398-818d-270ef48b80cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de0ea4ebb5c74d8c9cf2cae9ad340de1\u0022\u003ESteve Abel\u003C/span\u003E: Did he stand aside from decision making on the proposed seabed mining projects by Trans-Tasman Resources because of the fishing industry\u2019s \u201Cserious concern that the marine environment will be materially harmed with flow-on effects for the fishing industry\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ebfc8661f32a4b21b8e519306d6d4a32\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: He is directing that question to the Minister for Regional Development, who did no such thing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e29c400e-467a-4398-818d-270ef48b80cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f66d177f5cca4edf8614110222271f7b\u0022\u003ESteve Abel\u003C/span\u003E: How does it contribute to the Taranaki region to allow an Australian mining company to suck 50 million tonnes of seabed each year for 35 years in a way that harms local fisheries and, in the mining company\u2019s own words, \u201Ctotally destroys the seabed\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022642b4e5bf4ce4f14a24e66b66c4e1871\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: Obviously, the matters pertaining to the application and the activity the member refers to are currently before a panel chaired by a retired High Court judge. The value of the principle of comity between Parliament and judicial processes should not be underestimated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e29c400e-467a-4398-818d-270ef48b80cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220793adb4d13a419687e25b9c7bcfacb2\u0022\u003ESteve Abel\u003C/span\u003E: Did he raise the concerns of environmental groups and experts, local iwi, and the fishing industry\u2014who have fought against this seabed mining for 10 years\u2014in his four-hour meeting with mining lobbyists Straterra on 23 January?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022120e0d7774c849e987809fbb0defb902\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: Well, obviously, that meeting involved me listening to that minerals sector. The minerals extractive sector has a rich, legitimate, and profoundly important place to play as we derive responses to climate change, rather than hysteria and alarmism.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e29c400e-467a-4398-818d-270ef48b80cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f8814cbef154d33a51e2e133472eea7\u0022\u003ESteve Abel\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The very specific question was: did you raise the concerns of environmental groups and experts and local iwi and the fishing industry in that meeting with Straterra?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275992101439b4b53a4e7fae6c3246fe2\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll gladly answer that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ac0342ef3294dcb9ff7cbec598b65c5\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, we\u2019ll have another crack at the answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224eec7fa041314e128ea454481378c059\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: I can confirm I did describe the behaviour of some of the pixie-like hap\u016B in Taranaki as not reflective of true tikanga M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f897f18499784761a5fb71f11cf86e34\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Can I ask the Minister as to whether he proposed to get a report into how he has been often described\u2014always described, in some cases\u2014as being on the side of the fishing industry and now being opposed to it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5c87d42b37547ca8a5e2df4f03f9351\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: At one level, I am the champion of the fishing industry. I respect the constitutional role I hold because there are many stakeholders in that industry. At the other level, I am the promoter of responses through responsible utilisation of our minerals sector to derive sensible advances in relation to climate change actions that New Zealand will need to take, not the least of which are minerals for electric bikes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e29c400e-467a-4398-818d-270ef48b80cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298f8081aa25b4a11b79c724369df5754\u0022\u003ESteve Abel\u003C/span\u003E: Further to your point about the importance of not interfering in judicial processes, does he think that it is appropriate to override the Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Authority, and all of New Zealand\u2019s environmental protection laws to fast track destructive seabed mining?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c4beb5b0b7a6416bb8a7a27f43ce78b2\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: Well, obviously, in the event that the member\u2019s referring to the fast-track legislation, it\u2019s in the House, it\u2019s before the select committee, and I encourage all New Zealanders, either private or public, to bring their concerns\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022144d58b00e624d13a7c80434972a686e\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re not telling them what\u2019s in it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223869a5654124407ab50bd5bfef5c7ce3\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and bring their ideas and improvements\u2014I don\u2019t want to hear from the galah over there\u2014and that\u2019s an open process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b0c2cb172e649d9a118d688c38733cf\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: Which activity will the Government support off the Taranaki shore: offshore wind energy or seabed mining? You cannot have both.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002290a762b2f75a4b919361feb29e2d671f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, look, the last part\u2014you don\u2019t do that with the last part of the question. It doesn\u2019t quite fit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ecb6e872a0b4a5d85640e655f1d18cb\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: I thank the member from Taranaki for that question. She would know there\u2019s endless amounts of wind from that part of the country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002218e198bc5c014dc191827bc3b4160239\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 12\u2014Statistics\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022631d9edd-77fb-4f22-8b5d-a7c81d997865\u0022 data-id=\u0022bd0027eff4a34f6fbf458ebe6d70bdee\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022631d9edd-77fb-4f22-8b5d-a7c81d997865\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bd0027eff4a34f6fbf458ebe6d70bdee\u0022\u003EREUBEN DAVIDSON (Labour\u2014Christchurch East)\u003C/span\u003E to the Acting Minister of Statistics: Does he stand by all his statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022 data-id=\u0022f8f68deee7844d2e857bb032ab1bab3b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f8f68deee7844d2e857bb032ab1bab3b\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS PENK (Acting Minister of Statistics):\u003C/span\u003E On behalf of the Minister, yes and yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022631d9edd-77fb-4f22-8b5d-a7c81d997865\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226801a429279043ceb6b84ceb2ab43124\u0022\u003EReuben Davidson\u003C/span\u003E: Does he agree with Dr Kate Prickett of Victoria University of Wellington that \u201CIn short, the cancellation of the Living in Aotearoa Survey means the government will escape being held to account for how our most vulnerable children are doing.\u201D; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220caa45aa30194ed1963cba274cf1e649\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS PENK\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister, no, I do not accept that observation. The household economic survey is being retained, whereas it would otherwise have come to an end in 2024. That\u2019s a more robust, better-quality survey to provide the information that the Government needs on which to base policy decisions in relation to child poverty reduction and other Government aims, and also to monitor the effectiveness of those policies going forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022631d9edd-77fb-4f22-8b5d-a7c81d997865\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c40360fa06d5480081689d2870f50900\u0022\u003EReuben Davidson\u003C/span\u003E: Is he concerned that this cut will limit the Government\u2019s ability to track and reduce child poverty?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d2e2a2552a74af0b367d77bf2e8d5e0\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS PENK\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister, there is no cut, and as I\u2019ve said, I do not believe, on behalf of the Government, that there would be any negative implication in terms of our ability to measure child poverty. Indeed, the chief statistician, who has statutory independence for these operational decisions regarding methodology of collecting data, has assured various Government Ministers that he does not see that there would be such an outcome either.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022631d9edd-77fb-4f22-8b5d-a7c81d997865\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff9d758782974bce9adc9afb600150ba\u0022\u003EReuben Davidson\u003C/span\u003E: What steps, if any, has he put in place to ensure Stats NZ can comply with its obligations under the Child Poverty Reduction Act to collect data on persistent child poverty?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236b6698abbc0439386f238b289b6aa58\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS PENK\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister, I reiterate my comment in response to the previous supplementary question that the Government has been assured by the chief statistician, exercising that person\u2019s statutory independence, that they will be able to monitor that data, in particular to meet the statutory objectives\u2014the 10 requirements under the child poverty Act\u2014to be able to measure that progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022631d9edd-77fb-4f22-8b5d-a7c81d997865\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ff0cc5e7d624a73a9da0692a7d2ad09\u0022\u003EReuben Davidson\u003C/span\u003E: How, given that the coalition agreement commits to decisions being made using data and evidence, will quality decision-making with and for some of our most vulnerable New Zealanders still be possible when the very measure of their needs has been quietly taken away?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c9574b99b2c4ab5b51b0f56f0454f07\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS PENK\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister, I reject the characterisation of that one particular, relatively new survey as being a sole measure or the sole measure. Indeed, there are a number of measures. I\u2019ve referred already to the household economic survey. Additionally, there\u2019s the use available of administrative data, which\u2014as per the last census\u2014conduct and analysis enables us to fill in gaps, so to speak. There are a lot of Government agencies that contribute to the ability to gain a full picture, and, in addition, I note that work is being undertaken by other Government Ministers for which, on behalf of the Minister, I\u2019m not responsible, but I know it will be very helpful\u2014for example, digitising Government services will be very helpful in this regard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022663b82f70ad34ec5932f0af745542c55\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That concludes oral questions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a48b5ed96c5744978f43be9c860a561a\u0022\u003EGeneral Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00226f48a3e498514f3fac44fc2f4de68790\u0022\u003EGeneral Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u0022d798abfa02b14f08b8f9fa4fd05a6f38\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d798abfa02b14f08b8f9fa4fd05a6f38\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN (Minister for Energy):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the House take note of miscellaneous business.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s 121 days since this Government came to office, and what a mess we are having to clean up, left behind by the last crowd on the other side. We have an economy which is in a challenging position, interest rates which have gone up sharply, an enduring cost of living crisis, the Government books having dived into red, debt has soared, and times are tough for New Zealanders. That\u2019s why the Government today released our Budget Policy Statement on the Budget, which outlines that urgent tax relief for New Zealanders is needed, and this Government will provide hard-working New Zealanders with the tax relief that they need in this year\u2019s Budget. This Opposition over there on the other side have left this Government with a mess to clean up, but we have the Government priorities and we have the Government outcomes that we know are needed to fix that. So our priorities for Budget 2024 are very, very clear.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003ENumber one, this Government will deliver meaningful tax reductions for working families to address the cost of living crisis facing New Zealanders. We will identify enduring savings across Government. And you hear them on the other side; every time we find savings, they complain, while the reality is they left this Government with hundreds of millions of dollars more being spent on consultants and contractors, and nothing to show for it. We will improve public services by ensuring that we focus on the front line. We will keep a tight lid and control on Government spending, and we will develop a pipeline of sustainable infrastructure for New Zealanders. We have been listening to New Zealanders, and we understand the priorities that matter to New Zealanders, and our Budget Policy Statement for the Budget outlines very clearly what needs to be done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EBut then you listen to what the people on the other side keep on talking about. Well, they say it this way: when the economy is good, what\u2019s the answer? More tax. And when the economy is bad, what\u2019s the answer? More tax. They haven\u2019t learnt. But the answer to every single question by the Labour Party is: more tax. I can tell you that New Zealanders up and down this country are feeling the cost of living crisis. They\u2019re feeling the pain of the challenges that they\u2019re facing, and they want a Government which will provide tax relief. They voted for a Government which will provide tax relief, and this is a Government which will deliver tax relief for New Zealanders. But we now hear the Leader of the Opposition saying the next election is going to be about tax. Well, we know what that\u2019s going to mean: more taxes for New Zealanders by that party on the other side.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EBut it\u2019s not just the Leader of the Opposition; the new finance spokesperson, Barbara\u2014and I congratulate her on her ascension to the role. Not only is it more taxes, but saying that Labour would also consider taking on more debt. Because, of course, that\u2019s the answer! After $100 billion more debt being taken on by the last Government with very little to show for it, their answer is more debt as well. And, if you\u2019ve got a problem, just ask Jan Tinetti. Just allocate it! Just appropriate it! That\u2019s the answer to every problem: if there\u2019s a challenging financial situation in a department, like we\u2019re facing across Government because of the reckless spending by the last Government, just appropriate it! There\u2019s a magic money tree; just appropriate it! That\u2019s the culture that\u2019s been left behind by the other side of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EBut, wait, there\u2019s more\u2014there\u2019s more. There\u2019s the public meeting in Auckland Central\u2014\u201CLabour Party economic myths\u201D\u2014which is coming up. The Labour Party economic myths public meeting that\u2019s coming up. Well, I\u2019ll tell you about a Labour Party economic myth, and I\u2019ll tell the members on the other side of the House: you can\u2019t tax yourself to prosperity\u2014you can\u2019t tax your way to prosperity. You need a plan for growth. You need a plan to grow the economy. You need a plan to grow incomes. You need a plan which grows businesses and opportunities in our country. But all we hear from the other side is more taxes, more debt, and a failure to actually think about the challenges facing New Zealanders and the opportunities that we have.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003ESo, on this side of the House, we\u2019re going to grow the economy. We\u2019re going to provide tax relief. We\u2019re going to get Government expenditure under control. We\u2019re going to make sure that public services are delivering value for money for New Zealanders. We are up for the challenge left behind by the other side, and we will deliver for New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u002267784ca9deca44c3821123fb0633a867\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002267784ca9deca44c3821123fb0633a867\u0022\u003EHon DAVID SEYMOUR (Minister for Regulation):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. You know, a wise woman once said the problem with socialism is you run out of other people\u2019s money. And along came the New Zealand Labour Party and they proved her correct for only $100 billion. You shouldn\u2019t joke about it, but the way this country has been left by the Labour Party, if you didn\u2019t make the odd joke, you\u2019d cry. Even Chris Hipkins is now telling New Zealanders that the country is in an awful state. Well, we know that, Chris Hipkins, we watched you do it. The problem was you didn\u2019t know it and if you had, we\u2019d all be a lot better off.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI want to talk to the people who believe in building a country where your efforts can make a difference, those people who get up early and take their kids to school with lunch, hoping that they too will learn valuable things so they can make a difference in their life. The people who wake up and they buy a property and they get it ready to rent out to another person to live\u2014mutually beneficial, win, win\u2014cast as villains by the previous Government. Those people who work out on the land, get up even earlier to milk cows, feed the world, and make an honest buck, making a difference in their own lives and the lives of their communities. Those New Zealanders who take a chance going from a steady pay cheque to starting their own business, taking that risk so they can pay someone else\u2019s pay cheque, villainised for too long as they try and build a country where New Zealanders can make a difference in their own lives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd, for too long, those people have rightfully asked, \u201CWho is this Government working for?\u201D That\u2019s what they were asking all through the last two terms of Labour. \u201CWho is this Government working for?\u201D, they asked themselves, and they got a sense they\u2019re not working for people who work themselves; they\u2019re working for anybody but. That is the great shame that has sapped the joy and the potential of this country: a Government that was out of touch, out of ideas, and out of other people\u2019s money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThat\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to be here as the leader of ACT, as part of a coalition Government that is committed to the values that people have a right to make a difference in their own lives. I watched Brooke van Velden, our Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, who says we\u2019re going to make it easier for one New Zealander to offer another New Zealander a job\u2014as if it\u2019s a positive and beautiful thing to cooperate and create wealth, not something where one party to the contract needs to be treated as a villain who\u2019s always kind of up to something, as we saw for too long with employers being beaten up on by the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI see Nicole McKee as the Minister for Courts trying to make sure that our courts are unclogged so that when you\u2019re a victim of a crime and the police come, the justice system can actually process them and lock them up so that you can feel that your hard-won assets and earnings won\u2019t be taken from you in a country where there is no justice. Because there\u2019s no point making a difference in your own life if thugs and bullies just take it off you. That\u2019s what Nicole McKee is doing in a Government committed to justice for a change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI watch Andrew Hoggard standing up for rural New Zealand, for too long maligned for the simple crime of trying to make an honest buck, care for their land and their people and their stock, and get valuable export receipts for this country. He\u2019s making sure the freshwater rules and the on-farm management is fixed up to be more realistic, and respect the fact that farmers actually want to look after their land; they\u2019re not trying to destroy their own livelihood. And the people who suggested for too long that they\u2019re that stupid have been insulting and, frankly, ignorant of how rural New Zealand actually works.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd then I watch Karen Chhour bringing legislation to Parliament very soon that will say, \u201CYou know what? If you\u2019re a kid who\u2019s been abused, we\u2019re going to help you and we\u2019re going to put you at the centre of the system. We\u2019re not going to racially profile you and put you back in a dangerous environment because we think your colour is more important than your essential dignity as a human being.\u201D All the while, Simon Court works to design a new resource management law that means the next generation will have a shot, if they do the right thing and make a difference in their own lives, of actually owning a part of this great country themselves because it will be easier to build a home.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThat is the hope, that those Kiwis who want to make a difference in their own lives day by day actually have a Government that is working for people who work, that is making this country once again a place we can all be proud to be a part of, regardless of who we are or what our background may be. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022 data-id=\u00224af720784552433fbb1c72373e7c72a6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224af720784552433fbb1c72373e7c72a6\u0022\u003EHon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Our disability communities deserve better. They deserve better than a Minister for Disability Issues who knew that Whaikaha had funding issues on 15 December, did absolutely nothing, did not alert that to her finance Minister or Prime Minister, didn\u2019t ask for more money for Whaikaha, but, instead, on 14 March signed out a briefing approving changes that were announced and implemented with immediate effect on 18 March\u2014changes that left our disability communities blindsided and, in their own words, \u201Cdevastated\u201D. These are changes that remove flexibility of funding, and I just want to delve a little bit into what that really means, because what this Minister is doing is taking us back to a time prior to when flexibility was introduced to funding pools, like individualised funding, back to a time when it was so prescriptive that carers couldn\u2019t access that funding for respite care. That\u2019s why that fund was always underutilised. When flexibility was brought in, it\u2019s not that need miraculously increased; it\u2019s that people could actually meet the needs that they had to be able to take respite, to be able to have capability to then care for the disabled person. And that\u2019s what this Minister seems to be missing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EAnd, yet, two years back, almost to the date when she made these changes this year, back on 11\u00A0March 2022, the Minister wrote an op-ed\u2014a really good op-ed\u2014that\u2019s titled: \u201CWho cares for the carers needing respite?\u201D In that article, she talks about the importance of carers and the role of caring. She talks about a survey by Carers New Zealand, and she says, and I quote, \u201CThere were also many comments from carers who said access to less respite had affected their wellbeing. These are sobering revelations and make me question how long these family members can sustain this relentless support work before they become sick themselves. It also sends a clear signal to Government that more help is needed for the carers in our community\u2014we cannot ignore their plight because we simply cannot do without them.\u201D So this is a Minister who, two years ago, knew that carers need respite in order to be able to care for the disabled person. Then, logically, one could assume that removing that access to respite will affect the wellbeing of disabled people, the very people she purports to represent in this House and in Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EMany people have emailed all of us across the House about how these changes have been shocking and how their lives have been impacted for the worse in a day. And yet this Minister stands in this House and tries to convince herself and us that no cuts have been made. How can that be true when people cannot access the support that they require and that they need as carers and as disabled people too? Because we know there\u2019ve been changes to the Equipment and Modification Services as well. Instead of taking responsibility, what the Minister does is to denigrate the work of carers, the same carers, the very carers, that she wrote about so compassionately two years ago. That was received. The implication that many are using taxpayer money for pedicures, massages, and overseas travel has been received like a slap in the face.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EAnd so what do we know? This Minister knew, back in mid-December, that her agency needed a funding top-up. She did nothing about it, didn\u2019t alert anyone who could provide that top-up, signed out changes that have changed the lives of many, no consultation on those changes, no consultation with those who\u2019d be most affected. Now this Minister\u2019s had her ability to make decisions taken off her hands and given to Cabinet. Really all this Government needs to do\u2014this Government can fix this. This Government can top up Whaikaha\u2019s funding, reinstate flexibility and do things properly\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022170312023fd04b60bf68f5c8a752ea6b\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s just making it up. Using Parliament to smirch someone else.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a4bec2b99df4589a195059311ede4c6\u0022\u003EHon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014work in consultation with our disability communities if long-term changes are needed. They\u2019ve done none of that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002287e1b69e1e8e45139f877e88e3998a7d\u0022\u003EHon Dr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order! I heard a member call out, \u201CShe\u2019s making it\u00A0up.\u201D\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e7e86311e64a4e74a9887e915e7fdb28\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ve just called you. You were offering your point of order while I was still calling you. Please start again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c992907a148b488b960185ac90a80082\u0022\u003EHon Dr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, Mr Speaker. I heard a member say, \u201CShe\u2019s making it\u00A0up.\u201D, which must be an unparliamentary remark.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c2fa815fdb84f54850ca0a2745aed10\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: If I was to rule that unparliamentary, then there would be almost silence for many days of the House. \u201CInterjections\u201D\u2014can I just quote a former Speaker\u2014\u201Cshould be rare, reasonable, and if at all possible, humorous.\u201D I don\u2019t hold out much hope for any of those, so let\u2019s carry on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f2d9cd1f8c7c4709a411569528162128\u0022\u003EHon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN\u003C/span\u003E: Members opposite think I\u2019m making things up on this side of the House. Perhaps they could read the numerous reports where it is said, for example, we\u2019ve asked the Minister\u2019s office for evidence about this claim about pedicures and so on. Her office has said they didn\u2019t have any numbers but the Minister heard it anecdotally. Or perhaps the fact that the ability to make major decisions has been stripped from her. The point is they can fix it; they\u2019ve done nothing. Minister, it\u2019s time to go.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u00221f46fd06a916490794889b401e58b137\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221f46fd06a916490794889b401e58b137\u0022\u003EHon Dr SHANE RETI (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to start this discourse by thanking our hard-working health professionals, both clinical and non-clinical, for their continued support and commitment to serving New Zealanders and maintaining our health system. Despite the obvious challenges they\u2019ve had in the past six years, they turn up to work every single day. I met some of them this morning\u2014several hundred of the clinical leaders at a function this morning\u2014and their collaboration and their enthusiasm for a move for change was, by itself, infectious and much welcomed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWith the health leaders this morning I talked about not only the work that needed to be done but also what we already have done and the success together that we have had in the past 121 days across key enablers for the health workforce, which would be, obviously, your health workforce, targets, and infrastructure. I described to them that, in the health workforce area, we have placed more GP registrars actually out with practice than many of us can recall for many years. I want to say that there are several hundreds of GP registrars now, as we speak, currently out with practices, hoping to ameliorate, and it will certainly relieve some of the challenges we have with access and the heavy workload that primary care has.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThere have been 50 new medical school places filled this year; I believe the split is 30\u00A0to Auckland, 20 to Otago. That\u2019s a good thing. There has been increased funding for nurse practitioners. Huge numbers of internationally qualified nurses have registered with the Nursing Council in the past six months. In fact, it was put to me that it\u2019s the most number of registrations of internationally qualified nurses in the past decade. This is good for us, also, when we consider that one of the hurdles across all of the health domain has been the number of nurses that we have not had.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWhen we reflect on targets\u2014remember those key enablers are workforce, targets, and infrastructure\u2014a few weeks ago, the Prime Minister and I announced the five health targets, which will set a key direction for health. Those health targets were: faster cancer treatment, 90 percent of patients to receive cancer management within 31 days of the decision to treat; improved immunisation for children, 95 percent of children to be fully immunised at 24 months of age\u2014that will be a challenge; we have never ever reached that level of immunisation, and I share that observation in the context of comments from epidemiologists, like Michael Baker, who are warning us of an impending measles epidemic, and we take this very, very seriously, as, I\u2019m sure, does the sector\u2014shorter stays in emergency departments (EDs), 95 percent of patients to be admitted, discharged, or transferred from an ED within six hours; shorter wait times for first-specialist assessments (FSAs), 95 percent of patients to wait less than four months for an FSA. Some might wonder why it\u2019s 95 percent. It turns out we could say 100 percent\u2014everyone\u2014but there\u2019s always those outliers, who, for reasons that are sometimes not clear\u2014you offer them an appointment but it just doesn\u2019t suit\u2014sit outside the measures. So we think 95 percent is more appropriate. And shorter wait times for treatment, with 95 percent of patients to wait less than four months for elective treatment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EAs well as the five headline targets, there\u2019s also been a whole body of work around the 100-day initiatives, which, again, we\u2019ve completed in this\u2014actually, 121 days. That includes actions and initiatives, such as taking our first steps to extend breast cancer screening for free to those women aged between 70 to 74; opening the 13 breast cancer screening mobile units at Counties Manukau; signing a memorandum of understanding with Waikato University to progress a third medical school; improving security for the health workforce and hospital EDs; turning the sod on the first linear accelerator radiotherapy cancer linear acceleratora\u2014called LINAC\u2014in Northland for the 520 patients a year who travel down to Auckland to receive their treatment. A big thankyou to the Cancer Society and Domain Lodge for housing our Northland people when they\u2019ve travelled and who may well be able to use the National Travel Assistance, which we\u2019ve discussed here this morning. Opening the first provincial PET/CT scanner in Whang\u0101rei, the seventh\u2014they only exist in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Hamilton. Imagine there\u2019s a PET/CT scanner in provincial New Zealand, the first in Whang\u0101rei, and what I heard from the developers was that they are looking to extend them into\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b04060eee0a24ae9bd8b8a2e03e9bb92\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Look after the regions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002244e3c884cd024a7fb1aa700d9f7449b6\u0022\u003EHon Dr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014further provincial regions\u2014you\u2019re quite right. Ten new chemotherapy chemo infusion sites in Whanganui. The member from Whanganui and I were talking about that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EPharmac has decided to retain the 8.1B exemption for children; this means that children with cancer will be able to receive their medications from Pharmac and have it administered in a hospital. The previous Government put that under review. They reviewed whether or not they would continue free cancer treatment for children. That call has been made and we stand by it. New cancer drugs for acute myeloid leukaemia and metastatic breast cancer. And, today, we announced an $18 million a year increase to the national transport allowance. We\u2019re proud of our record.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022 data-id=\u002253c9ce4e55ab4575aab12c1506c86e02\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002253c9ce4e55ab4575aab12c1506c86e02\u0022\u003EHon Dr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was flabbergasted today when I heard Brooke van Velden, the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, saying that a coordinating agency for the protection of vulnerable people was \u201Cadded bureaucracy\u201D. Gloriavale is not some quaint, outdated community. It\u2019s an oppressive, backward, harmful, and evil institution, run by a small group of controlling men. They have the temerity to call themselves shepherds.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EThere are 300 children or thereabouts at Gloriavale, and that Government is disestablishing an agency whose job it was to coordinate a series of departments to address the harms that are going on there. Progress has been made in dismantling the evil that goes on there. Assistance was being given, prosecutions were being made, and people were being assisted to leave. A public service commissioner was tasked with coordinating that work, and that Government is abandoning that work because it\u2019s additional bureaucracy. It\u2019s shameful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EBasic human rights are not a priority for this Government. Children are not a priority for this Government. Preventing an evil blot on the West Coast from spreading its hatefulness is not a priority for that Government. It\u2019s a sign of an incompetent Government\u2014a Government that doesn\u2019t care, and a Government that\u2019s too obsessed with its own chaos to look after people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EThe history of Gloriavale is a litany of harm, perpetrated at the highest level. The list of crimes prosecuted and convicted is long, but we know it\u2019s the tip of the iceberg. In 1995, the very founder was convicted of three charges of indecent assault against a 19-year-old. The overseeing shepherd, Howard Temple, is currently facing 27 charges of sexual offending. In 2023, Jonathon Benjamin was convicted of 26 charges of sexual offending. In 2021, Vigilant Standtrue pleaded guilty to three charges of assaulting three boys. In 2019, an unnamed member of their community was convicted of indecent assault. In 2019, Just Standfast was convicted of sexual conduct with a girl under 12\u2014and the list goes on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EPeople like Clem Ready, who have left the cult, talk about the prevalence of sexual offending, the concealment of that offending, the exploitation of women, premised on abuse and submission. These are matters which have been prised out of the cult. What has not seen the light of day horrifies me, and that Government is turning the other way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EThis evil community sets out its beliefs in \u201CWhat we believe\u201D. At its heart, it doesn\u2019t recognise the authority of the New Zealand Government. It dictates that the church does not hand sinners over to secular authorities for judgment. Abuse and subjugation are built into the very fabric of this community. And it\u2019s got a medieval approach to the place of women. And it says in that document that women must \u201Cnot question or correct the men.\u201D They must \u201Csubmit themselves unto their own Christian husbands\u201D, \u201Cshow a meek and a quiet spirit\u201D. Pervading the entire document is an approach to sex which is deeply concerning. It says, \u201CGod made men and women to marry once they reach sexual maturity, and not \u2026 some arbitrary age.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003ELook, we need to recognise that the inmates at Gloriavale are stranded. They have no means\u2014physical, financial, or emotional\u2014to leave. Adolescents and young people are required to sign this declaration of commitment, where they commit to living there for the rest of their lives, giving over all their money and property to the shepherds, and they\u2019re indoctrinated to believe that if they do leave, they do so at the peril of their soul. They\u2019re cut off from families and loved ones. When they leave, they leave with nothing. No bank account, no documents, no identity. They don\u2019t even know how the world works. They\u2019re refugees in their own country. And this Government has defunded the coordinating agency because it\u2019s added bureaucracy. It\u2019s absolutely shameful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022 data-id=\u002232d25a4e7e6c4f5ebe2f7b83e58a50a8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002232d25a4e7e6c4f5ebe2f7b83e58a50a8\u0022\u003ESAM UFFINDELL (National\u2014Tauranga):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise to congratulate Minister McClay on the NZ-EU free-trade agreement, which will be gaining Royal assent on 1 May. We made sure that it came into force early, and my goodness, have there been some good wins for our exporters as a result.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003ENow, let me take you through a few of the good points of this. When it comes into force, it will increase our exports via the EU by $1.8 billion annually\u2014a substantial amount from a Government that is focused on trade and trading with the world. And I do, of course, have to acknowledge the other side for their work, but I will congratulate Mr McClay for his work and making sure that we got it into force quickly and efficiently. It notes that we will have 91 percent of duties removed when it comes into force, and 97\u00A0percent after seven years. When you consider the incredible amount of primary produce that we export, it constitutes 80 percent of our goods exported\u2014it\u2019s the backbone of our economy; it\u2019s the way we pay for our way in the world and pay for the goods and services that we need. This is a very good free-trade agreement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003EThe EU is our fourth-largest trading partner, with around $20 billion in two-way goods and services traded on an annual basis\u2014very significant amounts. We\u2019re noting tariff savings of $100\u00A0million per year on New Zealand exports.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db139aec64ad4417870e3c4f77c00601\u0022\u003EKatie Nimon\u003C/span\u003E: Game-changer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a8411acf0bb34446bea41f1950754254\u0022\u003ESAM UFFINDELL\u003C/span\u003E: It is a game changer\u2014it is. It certainly is. It certainly is for the people of Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty. It certainly is for the good people of Napier and the Hawke\u2019s Bay, and for all exporters out there. We note significant new quota access for beef and sheep meat, butter, and cheese products as well, which is very good for our primary producers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003EI\u2019m going to talk to some of those savings in particular. In the region where I come from, Tauranga\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221adc6bc492344d31b26c3b0df05f1727\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s got to be kiwifruit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad2debb5e7794b6cae012c2f1045b659\u0022\u003ESAM UFFINDELL\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014we have a lot of kiwifruit in the area\u2014you picked it\u2014significant amounts of kiwifruit, and we\u2019re looking at around $43 million in tariff savings for kiwifruit growers, which accounts to, on average, an annual saving of $16,000 per grower.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003EI want to give a little mention to the growers in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty and surrounding areas because they have had a very challenging couple of years: labour shortages during the COVID era and then some very poor weather conditions last season, which led to damaged fruit and reduction in trays being put out to market. I know the good people in my region will be very, very happy with the crop that\u2019s coming through at the moment. Zespri is gearing up to sell 190 million trays this season, which is fantastic, and there are some good savings and tariff reductions coming up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll also give a mention to our friends at Onions New Zealand. Our onion growers out there are hard-working growers, who will see tariff savings of around $6.5 million a year\u2014now, apple growers, with around $1.3 million per year; wine growers, with about $5.5 million in tariff savings per year; and, of course, manuka honey as well, getting out there, with about $3.5 million in tariff reductions per year. And while we\u2019re doing all of this, a lot of it does come through the Bay of Plenty and through Tauranga, and it\u2019s important that we keep upgrading our infrastructure to ensure we can get these goods out to market in a timely and efficient manner. We have some significant infrastructure projects under way: the Takitimu North Link, State Highway 29 bringing our goods over from the Waikato and out through our major export port of New Zealand, the Port of Tauranga, and looking forward to seeing Hewletts, Hull, and Totara hopefully upgraded in the near future, because we certainly need that investment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b978dee7-18cf-424c-8004-b165bda971ff\u0022\u003EBefore I finish, I want to give a special mention again to Minister McClay, but also to the Rt Hon Winston Peters, because they understand that the way New Zealand gets wealthy is if we get out there and we trade with the world. We aren\u2019t going to get wealthy trading with ourselves. We aren\u2019t going to get wealthy growing mega Government bureaucracies and shuffling paper back and forth. The way we do it is to grow and to export and to innovate and to improve our productivity. We have got a Government here and a foreign Minister and a trade Minister who understand what we need to do to build our relations and to build our trading networks. There are good times ahead for New Zealand. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002246269786-ecb4-40e2-972a-e287c495bdec\u0022 data-id=\u002207daad22cd3b41eb85fe243555fea1fa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002246269786-ecb4-40e2-972a-e287c495bdec\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002207daad22cd3b41eb85fe243555fea1fa\u0022\u003ELAN PHAM (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Let\u2019s not sugar-coat it. These few first months in Parliament have been bleak for all citizens of Aotearoa and our precious te taiao\u2014environment\u2014and I\u2019m particularly disappointed by this, because nature matters. When we feel the fury and experience the devastation of when nature is out of\u00A0control, we know nature matters. When we understand the true, immense value of protecting and restoring the very thing that sustains us as human beings on this planet, and our responsibility to not screw that up for our kids, our grandkids, and for future generations, we know nature matters. But some serious disconnect happens between what we know to be true, be that through an evidence base, m\u0101tauranga, or what some might simply call common sense\u2014a disconnect between that and the decisions of this Government when it comes to nature.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002246269786-ecb4-40e2-972a-e287c495bdec\u0022\u003ETheir actions and decisions to date in repealing and dismantling the pretty meagre environmental protections that we did have have been totally disjointed and ignorant to the reality of our climate and ecological crisis, a response to which could either secure or threaten our own existence within nature. They\u2019re decisions that span the full gambit of the environmental sphere, that have constituted a blatant attack on nature, Te Tiriti, democracy, and the future of our planet. From the repeal of the Natural and Built Environment Act, the Spatial Planning Act, the abolishing of freshwater improvements through the Water Services Act, and the delay in freshwater regional planning processes to the opening up of our precious environment and whenua to development, this Government has been breathtakingly reckless in prioritising short-term profits over the long-term health and wellbeing of our environment and communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002246269786-ecb4-40e2-972a-e287c495bdec\u0022\u003ENow with the Government\u2019s proposed fast-track legislation, they\u2019re going to the next level\u2014or, as resources Minister Shane Jones so accurately describes it, turbocharging environmental destruction. It overrides key environmental laws, including the Resource Management Act, the Conservation Act, Wildlife Act, Reserves Act, among others. It means almost any project could be approved. From infrastructure to coal to dams to seabed mining, it can be fast-tracked regardless of its environmental impact.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002246269786-ecb4-40e2-972a-e287c495bdec\u0022\u003EAnd it\u2019s not just environmental laws that are being overridden; it\u2019s also threatening our democratic principles. By fast-tracking projects and bypassing established legal processes, the Government is undermining the very foundations of our democracy. Equally, they\u2019re overlooking the vital importance of Te Ao M\u0101ori, the rights of iwi M\u0101ori, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the foundation of effective environmental governance and management. The Government acts as if they\u2019re blind to the fact that the tino rangatiratanga of iwi M\u0101ori, hap\u016B, and wh\u0101nau must be respected and upheld, not sidelined and overridden at the whim of Ministers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002246269786-ecb4-40e2-972a-e287c495bdec\u0022\u003EIn the biodiversity space, we had Associate Minister for the Environment, Andrew Hoggard, claiming that his Government will protect biodiversity on private land by simply \u201Cencouraging the behaviour that has already been happening\u201D. Quite astounding when his own ministry reports that over just a six-year period, our country\u2019s area of indigenous vegetation cover decreased by over 12,000 hectares, and we currently have the highest proportion of threatened species per capita in the world. The whole point is that we can\u2019t keep doing what we\u2019re doing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002246269786-ecb4-40e2-972a-e287c495bdec\u0022\u003EThis Government often trots out the vastly outdated rationale that they\u2019re balancing the environment with the economy. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment points out that only 2 percent of Government expenditure goes toward nature. If only there was balance, because, today, balance would look like wholesale environmental protection and restoration. If the Government bulldozes on with this short-sighted, reckless approach to nature, we will ultimately face dire consequences, and Aotearoa deserves much better. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022 data-id=\u00228f161d3be677483fbdb53d26887be6ed\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228f161d3be677483fbdb53d26887be6ed\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I\u2019m wanting to help the coalition Government today, so I want to give them a recommendation. It\u2019s over their Ministers\u2014and I really think there\u2019s a promotion in line for the Deputy Prime Minister\u2014and the position we\u2019ve been thinking of was broadcasting Minister, because the current Minister is nowhere to be seen. It\u2019s ironic, really, that we would be promoting, of course, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, given his long history of warring with the media. Of course, he\u2019s blamed them for everything. I want Mr Patterson to tell Mr Peters this: that, in fact, we will back him for that portfolio because, ironically, he became the best advocate from the coalition Government when Newshub closed down. Winston Peters talked about it being a dark, dark time in terms of democracy\u2014and well done to Winston Peters\u2014while the Minister of broadcasting was virtually nowhere to be seen. It was sad what she talked about. She talked about the market ruling\u2014it was a cold, sad response.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EOn top of that, not even the Prime Minister now seems to have confidence in Melissa Lee. According to Shayne Currie from the New Zealand Herald, she\u2019s been gagged by the Prime Minister\u2019s office not to do any interviews. So while the whole entire media industry is crumbling, Minister Lee has disappeared, basically\u2014incompetent. Even if you look at her Facebook, you wouldn\u2019t even know that she was the Minister of broadcasting. It\u2019s sad watching how this Minister has disappeared off the face of the earth. We\u2019re seeing a Minister completely out of her depth. As reported in Newsroom today, apparently Melissa Lee rushed Cabinet proposals through without even consulting the boss. That\u2019s Winston Peters, as we\u2019ve been saying constantly today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EThe entire media industry has to wait now while Melissa Lee grovels to the boss\u2014that\u2019s the real Prime Minister, Winston Peters\u2014in terms of trying to put a media strategy together. She can\u2019t even get the basics right. Now, don\u2019t get me wrong, we\u2019re not nasty people on this side of the House. I\u2019m not calling for the broadcasting Minister\u2019s resignation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228fd85542d8fd4dc084bf579330a9624d\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022089abffdef0246769c76823a2181112e\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m a good person, you know? But in her own words, she won\u2019t do media interviews because\u2014in her own words\u2014she\u2019s \u201Cboring\u201D; her words, not mine. And when she\u2019s interviewed by the media, she shrugs her shoulders and blames the free market and she says, \u201CLook, I\u2019m a bit incomprehensible and incompetent.\u201D, you know, and I want to help; we want to help her. But we are not, as I said, calling for her resignation; not yet, anyway. Because, you know, we think she may have something to offer, but voices within the media industry are asking for her resignation and who can blame them? The industry needs a champion, it needs support and understanding of the media landscape, not a Minister who suggests the alternative to news is to simply watch Sky and who considers media policy as boring.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EThere are solutions in the industry at the moment, solutions like the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, which you won\u2019t support despite people in the industry crying out for it; the Ashburton Guardian; the Gisborne Herald; the Otago Daily Times. This is a bill that the National Party should be supporting. It could bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the industry\u2014hundreds of millions of dollars\u2014but they won\u2019t support it because they\u2019re in the pocket of the lobbyists. They\u2019re in the pocket\u2014we all know this. They\u2019re in the pockets of the property developers and they\u2019re in the pockets of the\u2014[Speaker gets to his feet.] They\u2019re not, Mr Speaker?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d0228b2b27354f149ff38023d1f96dd7\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, no, you can\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002268d38319df004fe7997e4e4800491e5e\u0022\u003EHon Damien O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: They are; you\u2019re just not allowed to say it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250d9e7e6c7ae4722a61e1c9d0cfc1847\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Mr O\u2019Connor, you\u2019ll be withdrawing and apologising too. But just withdraw and apologise to that. You can\u2019t suggest that other people are in the pocket of someone else. The member knows himself that such an allegation has had to be withdrawn in his own case. So it\u2019s not unusual.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002212ff6f379bef44c483695eb06f3eeac8\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise, Mr Speaker. Certainly, there\u2019s some question marks anyway. In terms of why is National not supporting\u2014[Speaker gets to his feet] Oh, Mr Speaker, come on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002241d33c29588c4bdd9756fb0b470915da\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member knows; he\u2019s been here a long time. He\u2019s probably been the cause of more rulings of these sorts of matters than most other members of the House. He will know that you can\u2019t withdraw and apologise and then immediately qualify the withdrawal apology. So let\u2019s just leave it here. Carry on\u2014I hope your time has been stopped, has it? That\u2019s good. So let\u2019s make the next 45 seconds something spectacular and wonderful on behalf of the member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf80e23a361b47719a31544776253dc9\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Well, I was just saying, you know you\u2019ve got to ask the questions why they\u2019re not supporting a digital bargaining bill that will return hundreds of millions of dollars back into the industry. The industry is demanding it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EI want to finish off by saying Melissa Lee to the media industry is what disability Minister Penny Simmonds is to the disability sector: utterly hopeless.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022897ac321346f4d1bb0db7e393e283ee3\u0022\u003EHon Kieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Hopeless.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a35844a2a8b460b9d39fcc9372de53a\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: Totally agree with Kieran McAnulty there. We\u2019re worried, on this side of the House, in terms of where we are with democracy. There\u2019s a byline that everybody should know from the Washington Post, which is: \u201CDemocracy Dies in Darkness\u201D. And we see from the TVNZ newsroom job losses and massive Newshub job losses and it\u2019s apparent that democracy does die in darkness and all broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee is doing is turning off the lights. Kia ora, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d4dae97-e385-42a3-9791-5440c8cc9b3c\u0022 data-id=\u002218ca9a64da824054ad14fb95e6f6652c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d4dae97-e385-42a3-9791-5440c8cc9b3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002218ca9a64da824054ad14fb95e6f6652c\u0022\u003ENANCY LU (National):\u003C/span\u003E I am so pleased for this opportunity to speak about the National Government\u2019s latest policy, FamilyBoost. It is a policy that so many Kiwi young parents with young children in New Zealand have been waiting for. It is a policy that the National Party campaigned on really hard during the 2023 election, and it\u2019s a policy that I campaigned on with fellow National candidates and volunteers through many communities. It is a policy that will bring real help to Kiwi parents.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d4dae97-e385-42a3-9791-5440c8cc9b3c\u0022\u003EThe FamilyBoost policy is what we need in New Zealand right now, and I will give some context for everyone who is listening in. In the global environment, New Zealand families are paying some of the highest childcare costs in OECD countries. Most OECD countries pay about 14 percent\u201414\u2014of average income. However, the highest costs are observed in New Zealand where net childcare costs for working families can reach as high as 38 percent of average earnings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d4dae97-e385-42a3-9791-5440c8cc9b3c\u0022\u003ESo the National Party is working very hard on delivering on the mandate that has been given to reduce the cost of living crisis faced by ordinary Kiwis by the previous Labour Government. Ordinary Kiwi parents will be getting direct financial assistance with the reimbursement of up to 25 percent of early childhood education (ECE) fees that they\u2019ve paid for. That is up to $75 a week for working families with young children, directly reducing the out-of-pocket expenses incurred for early childhood education.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d4dae97-e385-42a3-9791-5440c8cc9b3c\u0022\u003EThe way it\u2019s been set will provide financial support for many families across the income spectrum but targeted to support the low and middle income families who have been squeezed so hard under the last Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d4dae97-e385-42a3-9791-5440c8cc9b3c\u0022\u003EFinally, help is here. The National Government\u2019s FamilyBoost policy will provide financial assistance to those who really need it the most, reducing the burden for low- and middle-income families. You may ask how we do that. We do that by targeting those families that need it the most. What we won\u2019t be doing is a one-size-fits-all blanket policy, like the Labour Party suggested during the election, regardless of family need and status. But we will be targeting our support to the low- and middle-income earners and give them the maximum level of financial support that we can provide, up to 25 percent of ECE\u00A0fees. So the higher the income, the less support they will get, so that we can target the low- and middle-income families. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d4dae97-e385-42a3-9791-5440c8cc9b3c\u0022\u003EWhy is this particularly important for me and many of my friends in my community? It is because I am also a mum of young children. I have two young children who are two and four years of age, and the photos of my young children remind me how important it is for me to send them to the early childhood centres. I will share a story as to why young children need to go to ECE and should not be sacrificed because parents have to choose between education for young children or the workforce for their career.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d4dae97-e385-42a3-9791-5440c8cc9b3c\u0022\u003EI remember one day, my oldest daughter Amber, when she was two, ran towards me from the playground. She came and hid under my legs and basically started crying. I asked her why. I said, \u201CWhat\u2019s wrong, Amber?\u201D She responded to me in Chinese. She said, \u201C\u5988\u5988\uFF0C\u6709\u4EBA\uFF0C\u6709\u4EBA\u201D. She said, \u201CMum, there are humans. There are humans.\u201D Before that, she\u2019d never been to early childhood education because I was unemployed, and I didn\u2019t have a chance to send her to it. She was frightened to meet and play with other children and interact with their families. That was the moment that I decided, no, my children, my child, my daughter Amber needs to go to ECE and learn how to communicate, learn how to socialise, learn how to be a good Kiwi child, and learn about the many, many cultures that we offer in our community and also in our ECE.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d4dae97-e385-42a3-9791-5440c8cc9b3c\u0022\u003EThis is why this policy is particularly important and helpful to many, many of the families, and since the policy was announced, I\u2019ve received an overwhelming amount of support from the communities and from parents and friends around me. They cried out for help and the National-led Government is delivering the help with the FamilyBoost support. So with that, I am so pleased I have the opportunity to speak on this today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022 data-id=\u00226365eeefe9b741bbbb12982e8a096a8c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226365eeefe9b741bbbb12982e8a096a8c\u0022\u003EHon BARBARA EDMONDS (Labour\u2014Mana):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I do want to acknowledge Nancy Lu, the previous speaker from the Government. It is a really hard decision to put your children into early childhood education (ECE), and I support the decision making that she had to make for her children, because, as a mother of eight, one of the most difficult things was making that decision as to whether I\u2019d put them into ECE. We were really fortunate that we could do 20 hours\u2019 free, because our children were three and four\u2014but I just want to acknowledge her bringing her personal story to the House in a reflection of her values and what she stands for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EBut I\u2019m going to stop there with the compliments, because, actually, there\u2019s been a bit of what\u2019s called an ear worm\u2014an ear worm. There have been a couple of songs that have been playing in my head over the last few days, and perhaps it could be\u2014I\u2019m not going to sing them just in case I get a Sony cease and desist notice. Also, I\u2019m a couple of weeks post-COVID, so there\u2019s a little bit of a cough. But, actually, one of the songs that keeps coming into my head is an Ashford and Simpson song called \u201CSolid as a rock\u201D. Now\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b9c601685a94c18beff65b63ae75255\u0022\u003EShanan Halbert\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CSolid\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022daa4328d2ea643c4a1c4620f59a01bef\u0022\u003EHon BARBARA EDMONDS\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, that\u2019s the one\u2014\u201CSolid as a rock\u201D. The reason why it keeps coming into my head is because last year, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance continually stood by their statements that their numbers were solid as a rock, or rock-solid. They consistently said that they were going to be rock-solid. They\u2019ve made a lot of promises\u2014a lot of promises\u2014and have doubled down on them since they\u2019ve come into Government. They said that tax cuts were going to arrive from 1 April 2024. It was their first priority and there would be no new taxes for working people. There would be no cuts to front-line services, then fuel tax increases would be cancelled, and the app tax was not here and was going to push up prices. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u201CNek minnit\u201D, what we have seen is an incredible\u2014an incredible\u2014U-turn. Even just this morning, a tax bill passed in this House that had two brand new taxes\u2014two brand new taxes. What we saw was that fuel taxes are going to go up by twice as much\u2014admittedly, six months later\u2014and I must have missed that part of the fine print of the National fiscal plan. Far from no new taxes, we\u2019ve seen a $50 tax on every car up and down New Zealand with National\u2019s drivers\u2019 tax, with the Prime Minister speculating there could be more, and, again, just this morning, two brand new taxes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EBut, actually, the biggest double down and the rock-solid of their numbered-ness comes down to their promise and their commitment around tax cuts, and the Budget Policy Statement today still reaffirmed their commitment to tax cuts, but yet at what cost? I think that if the members across the House don\u2019t believe me, they could probably look at \u201CPolice pay offer from govt \u2018insulting\u2019 - Police Association\u201D, \u201CCutting sorely needed supports for carers is cruel and harmful\u201D, \u201CFamilies \u2018hung out to dry\u2019 by new restrictions on disability support\u201D\u2014these are just small examples of what is going to pay for the tax cuts. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EThe most abhorrent thing is that the Budget Policy Statement has been botched. For the first time in my public service history, there is no clear indication of what the operating allowance is for the Budget. They said that it\u2019s going to be less than $3.5\u00A0billion. This is the first time I have seen this in my public service career, and so, to me, that only points to one thing: there are negotiations happening in the Government and they cannot come to an agreement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EAnother song comes to mind that\u2019s by Eminem, and it says, \u201CWill the real Slim Shady please stand up?\u201D\u2014so will the real Prime Minister please stand up, because we know there\u2019s a coalition agreement? We know, having been in Government with the Rt Hon Winston Peters, that they are absolutely solid in what their coalition agreements are. So I think this Government needs to allow Winston Peters and New Zealand First to get what they asked for and what they committed to do, because it\u2019ll be your vote of no confidence\u2014it\u2019ll be your vote of no confidence. It is quite clear from the Budget Policy Statement that those negotiations are still happening. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EThen, what other key things have been removed from this Budget Policy Statement? All the wellbeing objectives. There\u2019s nothing around climate change. Some of the objectives to help M\u0101ori and Pacific people who are in the lowest statistics across the board are gone\u2014absolutely gone. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003ESo I absolutely believe that this Budget Policy Statement goes back to\u2014maybe it\u2019s a break-up song for their marriage. No? Maybe it\u2019s a bit of Beyonce\u2014maybe move \u201CTo the left, to the left\u201D, because, actually, that\u2019s what\u2019s actually happening because they can\u2019t come to an agreement. That\u2019s why there\u2019s a botched Budget Policy Statement. So, do you know what? We\u2019re going to \u201Cwalk five hundred miles\u201D for all these people of New Zealand that need our support. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022 data-id=\u0022f324e80f1a424e22b02ca1657499b8bb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f324e80f1a424e22b02ca1657499b8bb\u0022\u003EGRANT McCALLUM (National\u2014Northland):\u003C/span\u003E At one minute past midnight tonight, State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyns reopens for Easter. I want to thank the hard-working contractors who have worked tirelessly since 26 February and made great progress towards their ultimate goal of securing this route for the next 7 to 10 years. Yes, that\u2019s 7 to 10 years. That\u2019s all the life left in this road. The rest of the work will be completed after Easter\u2014here\u2019s hoping the weather continues to play ball. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EOpening for the long weekend is great news for the incredibly patient and understanding people of Northland. In particular, the tourism and freight sectors, who\u2019ve had to deal with the challenges of the closures over the last month. I would strongly encourage the people of New Zealand to come and visit Northland over Easter. We have some of the greatest beaches and scenery in the country and some of the best hospitality. There is nothing better than enjoying a relaxing beverage and some quality seafood while overlooking the Bay of Islands or the Hokianga harbour.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3e2ef3fb8a24026be9ea3e9a8b01130\u0022\u003EHon Scott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: Or maybe the Coromandel.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe49d954c3db4b4eac9763e437b0d028\u0022\u003EGRANT McCALLUM\u003C/span\u003E: Now, now. What the opening of the Brynderwyns highlights is that while the Northland electorate is miles above the rest, its roads are not. Talk to any Northlander, who, in recent years, has added huge amounts of time in their travels dodging potholes and replacing tyres, and they will tell you they\u2019ve had enough. In the last 12 months, I\u2019ve driven more than 50,000 kilometres around the roads of Northland, so you might say I speak with a bit of knowledge and experience. Some people ask me why I drive a ute. Well, despite the previous Government\u2019s unfair ute tax, which is now gone\u2014isn\u2019t that great news for the tradies and farmers of this country?\u2014it is one of the only vehicles that can survive on our roads. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EThis is not just a Northland problem, however. The entire country has battled with low quality roading and the resulting potholes and vehicle damage. To tackle this issue head on, the coalition Government has committed $500 million to fixing those damn potholes. The actions of the last Government would indicate they either didn\u2019t realise or didn\u2019t care about Northland\u2019s roading woes. So what actions were those? In 2017, they cancelled the Roads of National Significance, which included the four-lane highway to Northland. A devastating blow for the people of Northland and for a region which has struggled economically for generations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EThe way to unlock the undoubted potential of Northland is to commit to and build this crucial piece of infrastructure. A recent NZIER report indicated that the economic benefits of just building the Dome Valley extension to Te Hana was approximately $500\u00A0million per year. If the previous Government had continued to build this road as planned, it would be close to finished and we would be about to reap the huge gains that follow. How indicative is that of the short sightedness of the previous Governments?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291be2fbbd5704a8e826b22bd89b08849\u0022\u003EHon Julie Anne Genter\u003C/span\u003E: They only just opened P\u016Bhoi to Warkworth\u2014they announced it in 2008.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220fe0725588c84402902a1b0e69158981\u0022\u003EGRANT McCALLUM\u003C/span\u003E: Typical\u2014they were either too ignorant to understand the potential benefits or didn\u2019t care about Northland, or both. Listen to them. They don\u2019t understand what it\u2019s like to live in regional New Zealand; they just live in little electorates in town. But this Government does understand and does care, as shown by our Government Policy Statement on land transport, right, which commits to the Roads of National Significance. And thanks to our coalition agreement, a new route around the Brynderwyns is top of the list. Great news\u2014great news. So whether you own a small business in Northland, you work the land, or run the port, this new, modern, intergenerational piece of infrastructure means transport security, and it\u2019s a crucial step towards unlocking the potential for you and for Northland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EAs I said in my maiden speech, the future is clear. The four-lane highway to Northland is what we need. I challenge those across the floor to open their eyes and their hearts to the people of Northland. If you want to create jobs, lift people out of poverty, and fix the housing challenges facing our wonderful electorate, we need to build the road. So I\u2019ll say that again, people: build the road. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022 data-id=\u0022c7a6cf5d3f294e63ba7a4e41a8246990\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c7a6cf5d3f294e63ba7a4e41a8246990\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Green\u2014Rongotai):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Speaker; thank you very much. Better things are possible. I know the vast majority of New Zealanders\u201486 percent of them\u2014live in urban areas. Solving our urban transport problems will benefit the entire country. The way that we do that has to be one that is actually effective. And when we invest in fast, frequent buses and trains, when they\u2019re affordable, when public transport works for people, they take it. Everywhere we\u2019ve done this in Aotearoa New Zealand, it has worked.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EIt doesn\u2019t just work in our larger cities; it works in smaller towns too. In Queenstown, for example, they dropped the bus fares to $2 for a flat fare, made the transfer free, made the buses run every 15 minutes, and what happened? They raised more revenue than when the bus fares were higher. More people were using the bus, and that meant less congestion and crowding on our roads. That worked in rural New Zealand, and Queenstown has, actually, a very small population. It worked in Dunedin. It\u2019s like\u2014public transport works, but it doesn\u2019t work if you have no idea what you\u2019re doing, which is clearly the case with this current Minister of Transport.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003ERight now, people don\u2019t have options but to use a car, even when it\u2019s for short trips in our towns and cities. The majority of our car trips are very short distances in urban areas. If we could lift and take away this burden of having to own so many cars from New Zealanders, and some of them can\u2019t drive, like anyone under the age of 16, some older New Zealanders, and some New Zealanders with disabilities aren\u2019t able to drive\u2014when we make it possible for them to get around, without having to rely on their parents or their caregivers driving them, then, again, we free up the roads that we have and they work better.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s hard to explain the enormous cost burden that has been put on New Zealanders from a transport system that forces them to use cars for every trip. But we now have the highest car ownership rate in the entire world. And our entire dairy exports\u2014$19\u00A0billion\u2014do not pay for our annual imports of vehicles and fuel to run them, which is now at $22 billion. So although it is a beautiful dream of the 1950s that building urban highways or more roads will somehow, as the last speaker said, end poverty and improve housing, the reality is we\u2019ve 70 years of evidence that this doesn\u2019t work. What is better for people is to move more people and goods, with fewer vehicles and less fuel\u2014that\u2019s a direct productivity gain to New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EUltimately, the main driving value here is giving people freedom and independence. The way we do that is to invest in better public transport in our towns and cities, to price the transport appropriately. That means if lowering the fares leads to more revenue, then lower the fares. But right now we have totally extreme and failed policies of last century proposed in the Government Policy Statement on land transport. Submissions on this close on Tuesday next week, after the Easter weekend. I encourage all New Zealanders to have a look at the Government Policy Statement, and submit on it, because there is no way that we are going to solve our transport challenges and our housing challenges by continuing to do the things that people did all through the second half of the 20th century, that led to higher reliance on private vehicles, most of which are parked, 96 percent of the time not being used, and less balance and less choice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EThe reality is, while National goes around claiming that they care about freedom and choice and economic productivity, every action they are taking will achieve the exact opposite of what they claim to care about, and anyone who knows anything at all about urban transportation or transportation economics knows this. So New Zealanders need to get in and submit and call for something that is rational and reasonable. But, more importantly, we need to start thinking about our children. The Minister was on NZ Q\u002BA on the weekend, and he was forced to admit that putting speed limits up to 50 from 30\u00A0kilometres an hour around schools only saves 15 seconds\u2014that\u2019s 1 percent of the average car journey. That\u2019s not balance, because it means that if a pedestrian or vulnerable road user is struck by a car, they have a 300 percent increased chance of fatality.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EThe reality is better things are possible, but we need to take a different approach to transport and we need to put people and the planet first.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EThe debate having concluded, the motion lapsed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002241adba220e5c41aeb4d62644da9a1f96\u0022\u003EHouse in Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002297fa379f39e948e59d6e97adc5a6e59d\u0022\u003EHouse in Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00228012e257ff6a48d79baad88df4e85420\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228012e257ff6a48d79baad88df4e85420\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I declare the House in committee for consideration of the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill and the Misuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Bill.\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=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229041f79c107f490eb33b5df80e8a4689\u0022\u003ERoad User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022bff17c608e1e4402b3a03383c29c094e\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00228c372741a9cb443fa6cd0a6c094b9f53\u0022\u003EParts 1 and 2, Schedules 1 and 2, and clauses 1 to 3\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u002294074e65027a4853985b245db2353765\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002294074e65027a4853985b245db2353765\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, the House is in committee on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill and the Misuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Bill. We come to the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, and we begin with the debate on Part 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022 data-id=\u002259e16647de234e0eb60906e035465b6a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002259e16647de234e0eb60906e035465b6a\u0022\u003EHon SCOTT SIMPSON (Senior Whip\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E Point of order, Mr Chair. I seek leave for all parts to be debated as one question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u0022513c04a256334b1cb943a8cb59a7e2ee\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022513c04a256334b1cb943a8cb59a7e2ee\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought for that purpose. Are there any objections? No objections. The question is that Parts 1 and 2, Schedules 1 and 2, and clauses 1 to 3 stand part.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022 data-id=\u0022e7590e9b7bc74c039b5876639d0aacfe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e7590e9b7bc74c039b5876639d0aacfe\u0022\u003EARENA WILLIAMS (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E I\u2019m seeking to ask the Minister of Transport five questions. The first is: does the change to the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle rate, as presented by the Transport and Infrastructure Committee, make this better law?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022 data-id=\u0022e6bbd93390dc4fcaa220e5416ae5dec3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e6bbd93390dc4fcaa220e5416ae5dec3\u0022\u003EHon RACHEL BROOKING (Labour\u2014Dunedin):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. While the Minister considers the very concise question by my colleague Arena Williams, I wanted to ask a question generally about the policy purpose of this bill. It seems that policy purpose is very limited. We have on the explanatory note that \u201CThe Road User Charges \u2026 Amendment Bill \u2026 provides for light electric RUC vehicles (light EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric RUC vehicles (PHEVs) to pay road user charges (RUCs) from 1 April 2024.\u201D So my question to the Minister is: has he considered\u2014or does he think that the bill should in fact include\u2014other policy objectives? For instance, we all know that road-user charges are here to fund the roads and that we\u2019ve had the electric vehicles (EVs) not paying them for a while, and that was to incentivise the uptake of those electric vehicles.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003EHowever, at the same time we had other policy initiatives such as the Clean Car Discount to encourage the uptake of those EVs. Of course, we know why we want the uptake of the EVs, and that is to decrease climate emissions. That would seem to be another good policy purpose. And also another policy to decrease emissions would be to encourage more use of public transport. Another policy initiative to decrease emissions would be to encourage and incentivise active transport\u2014that is people walking or scootering or cycling. I noticed that in question time today, there was some discussion around this ability for the Government with its current policy settings to decrease emissions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003EAnd the Prime Minister, in answer to questions, said the Government is going to meet its emissions budgets and it\u2019s going to do that, in part, by doubling renewable energy. And he also, at the end of the question, mentioned the fast-track bill, and, of course, the fast-track bill has no environmental protections. The economic riders can override everything to do with the environment. And if it is this Government\u2019s intention that that fast-track bill is used to decrease emissions, then can I suggest a consideration that that bill\u2014I know I\u2019m talking about a different bill here, but it relates to an increase that we could have on the policy for this bill\u2014be restricted to projects that will decrease carbon emissions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003ESo, if the Government is saying that we need more renewable energy\u2014I don\u2019t disagree with that\u2014then any fast-tracking provisions, things for renewable electricity, could be fast tracked. Things for public transport\u2014maybe they could be fast tracked too. And that piece of legislation could be tied to emissions reductions, which of course it is not. So my question to the Minister is whether he has considered other policies, particularly in light of the earlier times that he sat in that seat when he\u2019s been removing the Clean Car Discount.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022 data-id=\u0022930389d7855d4fcc8f43c43c19396e07\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022930389d7855d4fcc8f43c43c19396e07\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Green\u2014Rongotai):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Chair. I have a number of Amendment Papers that I would like to speak to during the course of this debate. But I will start out asking the Minister a question, which is, did he consult extensively with the vehicle industry before proposing the rates that are proposed in the bill, in particular for electric vehicles (EVs)?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EAt the select committee we heard a very compelling submission from a joint industry group that included the Automobile Association, the Motor Trade Association, the Motor Industry Association, the Vehicle Importers Association, and a few other organisations\u2014Drive Electric. And they made the very strong case that they fully supported all vehicles contributing to the road-user charges system and paying for some of the upkeep of the roads. And, at the same time, they argued very, very convincingly for a lower rate for plug-in hybrids and for EVs. The rate they proposed for electric vehicles was 60 instead of 78 per 1,000 kilometres, and the reason for this reduced rate is because we are very much in a period where if we don\u2019t have some sort of support or financial incentive to electrify the fleet, it will slow down, and that has very serious consequences for meeting our greenhouse gas reduction targets later in the period.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EI note that Government members seem to think about these things in a very, like, individualistic way and not consider that, actually, team New Zealand is in this as a whole. We all are working together to reduce our emissions. And what is important here are the actual outcomes. So having a policy that you consider fairer in theory means nothing if we\u2019re all worse off as a result, because we\u2019re not sufficiently reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and, as a result, we\u2019re going to be penalised under the likes of our EU fair-trade agreement, not to mention the fact that it\u2019s just a lost opportunity all around, because it\u2019s more greenhouse pollution but it\u2019s also more air pollution, and it\u2019s overall higher fuel bills as a nation, which affects our current account deficit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003ESo my question for the Minister is: did he consult extensively with the industry groups? Did he consider that we could put a price on road use from EVs and plug-in hybrids but at a lower rate than what was initially proposed in order to ensure that we\u2019re not actively disincentivising EVs at a time when we need to be supporting that. In five years, we probably won\u2019t need that financial support. But these next five years, we\u2019re importing a bunch of vehicles that will be on the roads for over, you know, 20 years. So that will impact our carbon emissions 20 years from now, 25 years from now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003ESo my other question, actually, for the Minister is whether or not\u2014I mean, this could sound tangential; I have heard the Government say that their plan for electrifying the vehicle fleet is doubling renewable electricity. However, we also heard at the select committee very clearly from people who are very involved in that industry, like Mercury, that having a national network of vehicle chargers is not going to make a difference for bringing in more electric vehicles. The barrier to bringing in electric vehicles right now is the lack of financial incentives and the lack of fuel economy standards that mean that vehicle importers are actively prioritising those cars.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003ESo they made the point that the vast majority of charging is going to be done at home or at workplaces, not at public charging stations. So while it\u2019s a nice to have\u2014public charging stations and having more renewable electricity; of course we support that\u2014that\u2019s not the solution to the current barriers to bringing more EVs in. And here today, the Minister has the opportunity to listen to the industry. I have an Amendment Paper that would reduce the rate for EVs to the one recommended by the industry, which is 60 per 1,000 kilometres, and I invite the Minister to consider accepting that amendment as he has accepted our amendments to the bill in select committee where we reduced the rate for plug-in hybrids to 38 from 52.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u0022222dac2335684f47bb2edd3e2296878d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022222dac2335684f47bb2edd3e2296878d\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair, for the opportunity to take a call on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EAs the committee will know, the purpose of this bill is about ensuring that vehicles which use our roads are contributing towards maintaining them. That includes electric vehicles, which up until 1 April have received an exemption. This bill deals with the issues that have arisen due to the fact that that exemption ends on 1 April, including ensuring there is a transition for those vehicles to move into the road-user charge (RUC) system, so those have two months to buy their road-user charge licence. It also creates a new definition and rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, rather than requiring them to purchase RUC at the full rate. It exempts light electric vehicles weighing one tonne or less from paying road-user charges. So this is a relatively narrow bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EA couple of questions have come through so far from members. The bill is in a better position, and the Government has agreed that there should be a lower plug-in hybrid rate. That is why we sent it to select committee, to test that issue, and Cabinet agreed that the rate should be $38. That issue arises by the fact that plug-in hybrids use both petrol and electricity, and the need to ensure that it is a fair approach towards how much those vehicles should pay. Ultimately, lots of other questions have been raised around fuel economy: charging infrastructure, other issues\u2014fuel economy standards. Those aren\u2019t relevant to the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022 data-id=\u00222d9c804bf4b4461caec40d520389cb7c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222d9c804bf4b4461caec40d520389cb7c\u0022\u003EHELEN WHITE (Labour\u2014Mt Albert):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. I\u2019d like to ask the question that I think most of my constituents would want to know the answer to: does it still make sense economically for people to buy an electric vehicle if they are in that setting, given the law that we\u2019re going to pass?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to acknowledge that there was really good work done by the select committee over the issue of plug-in hybrids, and I\u2019m not sure that a lot of people who are just ordinary people in the constituency would quite understand why that was important work. So I would ask the Minister to explain in his answers why there was, as I understand it, a double-whammy if we had not had that change, and how the balance has been struck in the work of the committee. My understanding is that the submitters were really concerned about that but also misunderstood that. So they hadn\u2019t understood that there\u2019d be a refund given to them if they had a plug-in hybrid for the proportion that was allocated to one form of use of fuel, which would have been petrol, where they were already paying tax. So it would be really nice if the Minister could explain that but also answer the plain question: is it still economically sensible to buy an electric vehicle? Is it still economically sensible to buy a hybrid vehicle?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EIt does really dovetail into the questions that I\u2019ve heard from other people about what are the wider frameworks that this sits within in terms of making sure that that is still the best choice for people if they have a capacity to buy those vehicles. I know that\u2019s an issue in my area and there are people making those decisions every day. And there\u2019s been an issue with those cars, really. We\u2019ve protected them from those charges because it has been a good incentive to do so. I understand that that policy one day had to change because everybody uses the roads. And I think, probably, most constituents would understand that that day would come, but I think that we still need to understand and really that is a basic way of grounding the question: what is the implication for people and how does this work within the rest of the framework? Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022 data-id=\u0022aff27ceb7b784b028e05d72948122b31\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aff27ceb7b784b028e05d72948122b31\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chairman. Look, I acknowledge that this piece of legislation is designed to address an anomaly which was emerging across our transport sector that electric vehicles (EVs) weren\u2019t contributing. We\u2019ve acknowledged that, and we did in the previous Government, and so we\u2019re working towards the best way to do that. I acknowledge the work that was in the Transport and Infrastructure Committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EThere are a few questions, though, that I have to ask. Firstly, is the Government committed to a transition through to a low-carbon transport fleet? I think it is important that the Minister stand up and commit to that. On Monday, I heard an interesting article on Radio New Zealand\u2014actually, it was the CEO of the Motor Trade Association, I think\u2014pointing to the reality that with the changes in this piece of legislation, there is no incentive for people to move from combustion engines into e-vehicles, because at an average of 14,000 kilometres, it will be about $1,064 paid in road-user charges (RUC), which would be equivalent to diesel on the same road. So if the Government is committed to that transition, then can the Minister assure us\u2014it\u2019s not in this piece of legislation\u2014that he will bring to the House other legislation to provide incentives to move to that lower-carbon fleet? The Motor Trade Association says there is no incentive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EIf the philosophy of the Government is to offer tax cuts to drive better economic performance\u2014that is, that incentives are going to be given to people at the top to perform better and to deliver better outcomes\u2014then it\u2019s the same philosophy of incentives for people to take up e-vehicles\u2014which we had in Government, through the Clean Car Discount but these have now been removed. So why are people going to move to EVs or plug-in hybrid vehicles?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EThe other question that inevitably arises from this new regime is that people will have trouble buying RUC. If you run a trucking company or, you know, you\u2019re used to doing it, yes you can go online, but there will be many people who are not computer savvy that will struggle. How will this be policed? How will this be policed and how many people are estimated to drive around without RUC? So that would be my question. How many people are not going to end up paying?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EThe other question is about user-pays. Sure, every vehicle that goes on the road should contribute. The relativity is something that I think is important, and we\u2019re looking at adjustments that were made for plug-in hybrid vehicles versus electric vehicles. I have to say that the Government\u2019s been praised for the adjustment, but, actually, the Government didn\u2019t do it at all; it was the Opposition that brought it in, slipped it through the select committee, and now the Government\u2019s trying to claim credit for the changes. So maybe the Minister could explain why he thought it should go from a 30 to 50 percent discount for plug-in hybrids. That would be a question that he could answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003ECan I come back to the question of relativity. If road-user charges are designed to not just be a tax but, actually, to contribute back into the roading system, then this piece of legislation could also have made adjustments across other areas of RUC that might have given us the money needed to fix the potholes. It\u2019s been said over the other side there, about fixing roads and potholes. Can I just say that a heavy vehicle is 625 times greater impact on the road than a light vehicle\u2014625. Can I ask why the Minister didn\u2019t look at making the adjustments, given the dilapidation of the roads, because, in 2012,\u00A0the National Government increased the weights and then decreased the funding for roading. If we\u2019re trying to catch up, why did the Minister not bring in some adjustment so that the $785 million paid in RUC by heavy vehicles, compared to the $1.8 billion paid by light vehicles, isn\u2019t completely out of sync with their impact on the road? If we are to talk about user pays, which is what this is about for electric vehicles\u2014and we accept that\u2014then you have to apply that principle across the board, so why didn\u2019t the Minister look at making those adjustments or, indeed, is that part of the Budget that we\u2019re going to face in May, presumably?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EThese are a number of questions. The other one is that we come back to the core question: is the Government committed to a decarbonisation of the transport fleet, and why has the Minister not made the other adjustments in the anomalies currently faced across the whole roading network, and for rural roads, in particular, where you\u2019ve got a high percentage of heavy vehicles and a lot of degradation of the roading network? How do we know that this increase in income through RUC from EVs is going to go towards the rebuilding and the restoration of those roads?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022 data-id=\u002254f7aa42304a44198797d3155f26aec3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002254f7aa42304a44198797d3155f26aec3\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Green\u2014Rongotai):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Chair. I will repeat my question, because the Minister still has not addressed it: did the Minister read the submission from the industry group\u2014the joint submission to the select committee from the Automobile Association, the Motor Industry Association, the Vehicle Importers Association, the Motor Trade Association, Drive Electric, and others? Did he look at the calculations that they did that said the proposed road-user charge (RUC) rate would create a significant disparity between small vehicles paying fuel excise duty towards the roads and electric vehicles paying RUC?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s a huge anomaly that will be created by this, where someone using an electric vehicle, which is usually relatively small, to drive between Auckland and Wellington will pay twice as much as a comparable fossil fuel vehicle that is paying fuel excise duty. Therefore, the industry group has recommended a reduced rate for RUC for electric vehicles of $60 per 1,000 kilometres. Did the Minister consider that? Does the Minister think it\u2019s important to try and have a comparable rate between fossil fuel vehicles paying fuel excise duty and electric vehicles paying for the use of the roads? Does he think it\u2019s fair that electric vehicles that are helping to reduce New Zealand\u2019s transport emissions are going to pay twice as much to use the roads as a comparable fossil fuel vehicle?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c33aa09078ee4ab18722b13deaa5aa68\u0022\u003EMark Cameron\u003C/span\u003E: They do more damage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224c719d8454884a19be368c8eb853ec09\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER\u003C/span\u003E: They do not do more damage. We\u2019re talking about vehicles that are the same weight, and so therefore is it fair that they should pay twice as much when they\u2019re the same weight as a fossil fuel vehicle paying fuel excise duty\u2014that they pay twice as much to use the roads?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247a04a02c1034a99afcd8748777abf11\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Aren\u2019t they heavier?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229ad6a644cc2f40c4b113e09f500ead0c\u0022\u003EMark Cameron\u003C/span\u003E: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa3d856fd0944fc88a2ab67a125ba03d\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER\u003C/span\u003E: The vehicle industry themselves brought in the evidence to the select committee. Perhaps the Government members do not respect or acknowledge the expertise in the vehicle industry in New Zealand, and that\u2019s why they\u2019re saying things that are at odds with what the vehicle industry is saying.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EI reiterate one more time so that maybe the Minister will answer. Did the Minister read the joint submission and consider the aspect of fairness between small vehicles paying fuel excise duty and electric vehicles paying RUC, and would he consider reducing the RUC rate for electric vehicles to $60 per 1,000 kilometres? And, if so, will he support my Amendment Paper No. 25, which is doing exactly what was recommended by the industry, with significant calculations to support that proposed rate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u0022bcbd1f6700834572a2c53df54f19147d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bcbd1f6700834572a2c53df54f19147d\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair, for those questions. A number of questions have been posed by members. The Hon Damien O\u2019Connor was asking around enforcement. All the provisions of the road-user charges (RUC), in terms of enforcement for those who use road-user charges, will apply here. How will people become aware, how to pay? Obviously, that\u2019s why we\u2019ve got a two-month transition period.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EThe New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is doing a significant education campaign, writing to all of those vehicle owners to ensure that they understand their obligations. There\u2019s a two-month transition period for them to buy their first RUC licence as well. So\u00A0it\u2019s important that that happens, but the reality is, as the member knows, hundreds of thousands of people have diesel vehicles, and the reality is it is not an unknown system. So,\u00A0yes, it will take time for people to enter it, but the reality is the NZTA is working very hard to ensure people understand their obligations. There are also enforcement provisions which are available if people don\u2019t purchase a RUC licence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EIn terms of the conversation we\u2019ve been having here around the road-user charge rate, I would point members to the departmental report\u2014I think it\u2019s page 22\u2014which discussed how the light RUC rate is set. The light RUC rate is made up of $61 of shared costs which are spread equally across all vehicle types and doesn\u2019t depend on the weight of the vehicle. So those are things like maintaining the road for weather-related damage, investments in public transport, non - weight related costs for building new roads, and installation of road signage; $10 to account for the space the vehicle takes up, $4 to account for the vehicle weight costs\u2014and, of course, being a light vehicle, that weight cost is a relatively small portion of the overall RUC cost\u2014and $1\u00A0to account for weight-based road wear.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003ESo this bill doesn\u2019t attempt to change the road-user charge rate, but it attempts to, obviously, provide a new rate for plug-in hybrids, and the reason for that is because they have two fuel sources, which means that if they didn\u2019t have this lower rate, they would be required to pay the full rate and then they\u2019d have to go and apply for their excise back, and that would cause an enormous administrative and cumbersome process. So the balanced approach through that is to have a lower rate. As I\u2019ve said, this is a temporary measure. The Government\u2019s policy is to move all vehicles to a road-user charge distance weight-based system where people pay fairly for the use of the road based on the weight of their vehicle, how many kilometres they travel, and the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002272beaf850d3341dbb0203544786314b3\u0022\u003EHon Damien O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: Use of or impact on?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220aca449cb2d84120a10c53bdd3da9a22\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN\u003C/span\u003E: Well, all of those elements that I have just outlined to the member there: $61 of shared costs, so that\u2019s the use of; $10 to account for space, so that\u2019s use of; $4 for weight; $1 for road wear. So there\u2019s a range of elements which are caused by using the road. There\u2019s a number of impacts that vehicles have, and the RUC rate is set to account for those things. So, as I\u2019ve said, it is our policy to move all vehicles to a road-user charge system where people pay the same amount based on the weight and kilometres rather than what type of fuel they use.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EI understand that the members are raising a range of questions around the fuel usage and the impact, and there is a range of variances within the system which need to be addressed. Hence why we have made that commitment to move all vehicles to a road-user charge system so that it is fair. Then, those who choose to purchase an electric vehicle or a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid, or if they require a diesel, they pay the energy costs based on that choice, but, ultimately, the money that\u2019s required to build and maintain the road is not dependent on the type of fuel that they use. So we\u2019re separating those two issues out over time. That\u2019s the intention; we\u2019ve started work on doing that. This bill, in the meantime, brings those light vehicles and those plug-in hybrid vehicles into the systems. We\u2019ve always acknowledged there are variances, we need to sort the variances out, and that is why we will be progressing at pace to move all vehicles to road-user charges.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022 data-id=\u0022a84736abf9024dfe8f9f071b7cc852df\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a84736abf9024dfe8f9f071b7cc852df\u0022\u003ESHANAN HALBERT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. I have a few questions for the Minister this afternoon. After working with the Minister when he was in Opposition, he did have some very good ideas and signalled prior to the election his direction of travel for the transport portfolio. Since coming into Government, I think that he\u2019s been quite narrow in his approach and his focus areas, particularly when he talks about getting Aucklanders, as an example, around faster and safer. The actions that he\u2019s taken in his portfolio during the past few months actually isn\u2019t going to achieve those particular things. So, while this is quite a technical bill, and in some senses I support the sense of having a fairer system to fund our roading network, our transport network\u2014which we know actually does have some challenges in it; I accept that\u2014potentially, the way the Minister is going around his decisions isn\u2019t in line with the direction of travel that I believe our transport network in Auckland and in Aotearoa New Zealand needs to go.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003EOne of my questions is around the modelling that the Minister has done on the financial implications to Aucklanders. A number of his actions since he\u2019s become Minister are quite different to the way that the National Party campaigned with their election promises of no new taxes to New Zealanders and the repeal of the regional fuel tax. What we\u2019ve seen, actually, in the Minister\u2019s decisions is additional taxes going on Aucklanders. So the cost savings here is $1.85 to the average family in T\u0101maki-makau-rau, Auckland, from the repeal of the regional fuel tax\u2014$1.85. Since then, we\u2019ve seen the Minister add on a $50 registration fee for people to register their cars. We\u2019ve seen additional cost to fuel excise, albeit in two years\u2019 time. And then here we see additional costs going on for EVs, again, to pay their fair share, I guess. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003EBut the question for the Minister that I have is, where does it end? You did promise, Minister, that there would be no new taxes. I accept that we need to fund our transport network and the need for infrastructure. At the same time, you\u2019ve taken away $500\u00A0million from the public transport network in Auckland, and we do have a significant number of Aucklanders that use our public transport system. That creates an additional cost to them: double the cost for children that did have a free ride on our buses; half price for under 24s\u2014those things have gone. So that\u2019s another cost to the cost of living for families in Auckland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003ESo I guess I\u2019m just trying to understand from the Minister what modelling he has done around the financial implications on Auckland families with these additional costs, one after the other, that he is imposing. And then the next question, of course, will be about his intent to put tolls on new infrastructure; that might be in Auckland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227dbfbd83-6770-4555-8477-85fa01511504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b55847121d174febbbda21f7731dbf50\u0022\u003EAndy Foster\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Chair. I don\u2019t think the member has gone anywhere near the bill, at least not for several minutes. All of these things are about other issues which are not related to this bill, which is a simple bill around road-user charges.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225fbfdccad21541edb705549818cca33c\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: The bill is being taken as a whole part, and I will make the call whether he\u2019s starting to veer off the path. I do take the member\u2019s point, and I think we all heard that, so I encourage the members to stick to it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226a6b8803311045f8a3bd79b4cbeaca30\u0022\u003ESHANAN HALBERT\u003C/span\u003E: Sure; thank you, Mr Chair. I disagree with the member\u2019s point of order that he has taken, because if one did care about the cost of living, actually, and the implications of cost on New Zealanders, that\u2019s actually my discussion point, which comes back to this particular bill. This Government piles on costs in its transport portfolio and that is the question that I\u2019m asking the Minister: what modelling has the Minister done to understand the financial implications of this bill on families, particularly in Auckland, alongside the other additional costs that he has loaded up on them when he campaigned, actually, on no new taxes and on ensuring that the cost of living is a priority for Aucklanders?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u00220a265b2c1efb46a18cd6350963299110\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220a265b2c1efb46a18cd6350963299110\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E I thank the member for his questions. There\u2019s a range of questions around a range of topics which aren\u2019t in the bill and so aren\u2019t relevant to the bill. But the one question was around the financial implications of the road-user charge. So, ultimately, what this is doing is it\u2019s ensuring that people who drive an electric vehicle who are currently not paying to use the road will start paying a road-user charge for the use of the roads. So, ultimately, for those people who have those vehicles, they\u2019ve had an exemption now since 2009, since the last National Government put an exemption in place, and it was said that that would run out once we reached 2 percent. Ultimately, that exemption ran out on 1 April. That decision was made by the previous Government. The exemption runs out on 1 April, and so that decision had already been made. What we\u2019re doing here is responding to that to ensure that there\u2019s a fair approach, particularly around plug-in hybrid vehicles. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EPlus, the decision around the exemption running out and the time frame was decided by the previous Government. The problem that the last Government left us with is that (1) they consulted on a 20 percent reduction in the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle rate; that\u2019s what they consulted on. We\u2019re doing 50 percent. So we\u2019ve actually made a really positive difference for people with plug-in hybrids.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EThe other point here is we\u2019re ensuring that people who use the roads pay the fair share of their use of the roads. And so, ultimately, we\u2019re also providing a two-month transition to support those vehicles in. So this I think is a very appropriate piece of legislation. In fact, I remember hearing the former Minister of Transport David Parker saying they weren\u2019t going to extend the exemption. So here we are. We are ensuring that there is a transition for these vehicles and we are providing a 50 percent reduction for those people who have plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022 data-id=\u00225df2e3399f504858afb1fd67950c7f45\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225df2e3399f504858afb1fd67950c7f45\u0022\u003ESCOTT WILLIS (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. This Government has clearly been getting dizzy by sniffing fossil fuels. It is simply impossible to get to the rapture driving an SUV, but we will see the earth turned into hell in trying to do just that. Yet I do see a little bit of hope, because, already, the Government has shown the ability to walk back bad policy by voting in select committee to reduce the road-user charge (RUC) for hybrids. So that was a great innovation; thank you, our colleagues in Labour.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003EBut could it be that the effects of sniffing fumes have worn off a little, or maybe they were just too befuddled at that point and had no idea and were a bit too embarrassed to change it. We certainly need clear heads now, because as reported in the New Zealand Herald, electric vehicle (EV) sales drove off a cliff in January, with the Clean Car Discount gone. Petrol and diesel vehicles, less than half the market during most months of 2023, accounted for 96 of new vehicle registrations in January 2024, according to the Motor Industry Association. Each new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle locks in emissions and dependence on oil from the Middle East. Each single decision to purchase an ICE vehicle and an SUV raises emissions. This is fast track, all right. We\u2019re going backwards on a fast track. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003EBut it doesn\u2019t have to be this way. It really doesn\u2019t have to be this way. Whether by carelessness or through urgency or through befuddlement through the fumes, the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill will clearly not help lower transport costs or lower emissions as it stands. Luckily, my colleague the Hon Julie Anne Genter has prepared some really useful amendments. In Amendment Paper 24, there\u2019s a clause added there to prevent the charging of RUC for EVs and plug-in hybrids until the Government has completed its work to move all vehicles to the RUC system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003EThis is, effectively, to highlight the unfortunate and sloppy lawmaking on a complex revenue system that has led to really unfair charges on electric vehicles. The intention is to stop the work until the Government moves all vehicles to road-user charges; to do it once, to do it properly, to do it cleanly, and to retain a minor incentive to choose new low-emission vehicles. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003EWe know this Government is keen on roads. We\u2019ve heard a lot about the roads. So my invitation, really, to the Government, is to chart a new road. Why don\u2019t we get on the road to Damascus, and discover the joy of climate action? Because it is time to get back on track towards zero carbon\u2014it is time to get back on track towards zero carbon, not back on baccy for the taxes for the wealthy. It is time to get back on track, and make some changes that will make a difference, and help our rural communities as well as our urban communities, decarbonise their transport systems, to help those people that want to invest and are disincentivised by sloppy lawmaking. There\u2019s so much opportunity here to take good advice from across the aisle to make a change, not just a mess; to make a change that improves law, improves legislation, and makes a difference for our communities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003ESo I just request that the members opposite, and the Minister, pay attention to Amendment Paper 24. It\u2019s a really simple one. It just improves the legislation. It just makes things a little bit better, and it is easy to implement. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022 data-id=\u002238e4fe05ae774fe7975a9e5188a6f969\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002238e4fe05ae774fe7975a9e5188a6f969\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Chair. Just a couple of other questions I have. And I know that the Government\u2014and we share their celebration\u2014has announced, of course, the implementation and ratification of the New Zealand-EU free-trade agreement. There are some obligations in that, actually, that we both\u2014that is the EU, 450 million people, and New Zealand, 5 to 6 million or whatever it\u2019ll be\u2014commit to the Paris commitments to reduce our emissions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003ESo the question I have\u2014and the Minister didn\u2019t answer it before\u2014is about whether the Government still has a clear commitment to decarbonise our transport fleet, because it\u2019s the biggest area, arguably. Agriculture is a block of emissions; it\u2019s a biological challenge. This is an area where people have options, and we hope that the Government is committed to targets towards 2030, because if we don\u2019t meet those targets and, indeed, if the EU think that we are backing away from them by reducing incentives to move to electric vehicles (EVs), then we can be challenged. I\u2019m not sure that a massive shutdown of trade opportunities is likely, but it is an ongoing discussion. So those obligations we have are important, and I want to know from the Minister whether there\u2019s a clear commitment to decarbonise, and, if so, what\u2019s the track towards 2030?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EAnd the other one is a question I have to raise because it\u2019s, again, in the same vein. I have a huge amount of respect for the Hon Simon Bridges, who\u2019s just been appointed to be chairman of Waka Kotahi. But he\u2019s also been an advocate for the trucking industry. And I know how essential trucking is around our country, but the costs, of course\u2014we\u2019re all trying to reduce them. And the question I had for the Minister before was around the disproportionate impact on the roads. And I know that road-user charges (RUC) are made up of a balance of these things, but I\u2019m wanting to make sure that the new chair is going to ensure a fair approach to this in terms of the small vehicles, which I would argue have been paying a greater portion of the RUC, so that the balance is right as we go forward. We hear from the Minister and his colleagues that we\u2019re a kind of market-led economy and we\u2019re open and balanced and we\u2019ve got to have everything fair. Well, fair impact, fair cost, fair imposition of expenses on the roading network should be paid for by those sections of the transport industry that do the damage. So it\u2019s a question I have.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003ECan the Minister, perhaps, pop up and answer those to reassure us, firstly about the targets, and, secondly, that there\u2019s no potential impacts of reducing incentives for EVs, which the Motor Trade Association has clearly stated is the outcome of this. Will that impact on our trade obligations, and, secondly, is the Minister committed to assessing and rebalancing where necessary the user-pays approach to road damage?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022 data-id=\u0022d3bb3f74dff84c4a88cb47327d41d0f9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d3bb3f74dff84c4a88cb47327d41d0f9\u0022\u003EARENA WILLIAMS (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. I am finally taking another call in this debate. I\u2019ve had 30 seconds as it goes, because I was relying\u2014for the benefit of the members of the committee\u2014on Speaker\u2019s ruling 79/4, which encourages the Minister in the chair to engage in a back-and-forth debate. Speaker Tolley ruled that if you can keep your contributions focused, five minutes is not a target. I made the most focused contribution when I asked the Minister \u201CDid the change that happened at select committee make this a better law?\u201D And the Minister couldn\u2019t even say my name when he answered the question. It\u2019s almost like he\u2019s mad at me. Is that because he rocked into Cabinet, and Cabinet told him, \u201COh well, she foxed ya. Sorry. Wear it.\u201D Is that what happened to the Minister? Is that why he\u2019s annoyed and can\u2019t say my name? I\u2019ll give the Minister a go at saying my name.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003ENow back to the questions for the Minister that we have in front of us. Following on from that question, I would like the Minister to explain to the committee: was it fair that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) would pay both fuel excise tax and road-user charges (RUCs) and, essentially, be double taxed under the rate for PHEVs that he initially introduced to the House? That question is in the context of the fact that he\u2019s taken on board the change of the hard-working Opposition members who made sure that not only was a slip drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel Office, that we had done the work on that the committee had had a good, robust, and cross-partisan discussion about the appropriate rate\u2014and good on the Minister for taking that on board. But since he did take that on board, is it then unfair what he initially introduced to the House?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EAnd my second question is: what policy objectives did he consider when he introduced that first rate to the House? Was he concerned with all road users making a contribution in a way that represented the total cost to not only the roads but also to the transport fleet as a whole in New Zealand? Because in the points that my colleague the Hon Rachel Brooking raised, which have not yet been addressed by the Minister, there is a greater cost to New Zealand of fuel vehicles and vehicle emissions than just the cost to the roads. There is also the cost of emissions and the cost of New Zealand not meeting its targets under the climate change legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EMy next question is about whether the Minister was concerned, when he set that rate, with fairness at all. Can the Minister comment on his considerations about fairness within the system when he set that original rate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to ask two different kinds of sets of questions as well, given that I\u2019m not going to rely again on that Speaker\u2019s ruling about two to tango. I want to understand this idea of choice in the context of 25,000 users of PHEVs in the in the system already. So we\u2019ve heard some contributions by heckling from the Government members that this is about user choice and that users will continue to buy PHEVs even under these settings. Whether or not you think that is true, there are still thousands of users right now who already have these PHEVs. So this is essentially a change which would affect people who have already made decisions about what they can afford as a household for their household vehicle or what they can afford as a business in using the sorts of vehicles that use both electricity and fuel. These are people like ordinary taxi drivers and Uber drivers in South Auckland who have made the calculations about whether they can run a successful business on the time that they have and on the vehicle that they have. And my question to the Minister is: how does the change in rate affect them, given that they already have these vehicles? And what will the change of the rate save PHEV owners per year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EThe next line of questions that I have for the Minister is: can he confirm that he has already asked Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport to provide advice on the transition to universal RUC in June to him, and when will Cabinet consider that advice on universal RUC this year? I ask that because I have made a number of amendments that I do wish to speak to around the purpose of this bill. This is something that Labour does support at this stage, but what I need from the Minister is some assurance that work on universalising RUC is occurring now and that this is a transitional measure, because it is important to recognise that in the context of universalising RUC for everyone, this is a measure which extends it to EVs and PHEVS now but will be something that we get a second bite at. If this process, which only gave submitters about 24 hours to submit to the committee, is to be done again, then that\u2019s a good thing, and that is a baked-in reason for us to consider it again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EAnd the need for that baked-in reconsideration of the rules around universalising RUC is something that my colleague the Hon Damien O\u2019Connor has already asked the Minister and it has not been addressed. The importance of universalising RUC in our system is that all road users should pay their way to using roads. It should depend on the kind of damage that the cars are doing to the roads, or indeed heavy vehicles. And so, once this applies to everyone, once there is a sort of baseline of the kind of damage that we do to our roads being something that is a user-pays system, then we need other incentives to provide for cars which then don\u2019t emit the same amount into the atmosphere, because if we\u2019re just pricing the damage to roads, we\u2019re not pricing the damage to our environment, and that is something which our transport plan already takes account of. This is already a policy consideration which Governments regularly use to decide the type of vehicles that are imported into the country and the type of incentives that we create around not only buyers for personal use but buyers for commercial use. And so we need to know that there is another bite at this and that Cabinet will reconsider these policy settings. And we haven\u2019t heard an answer from the Minister about that yet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EI also want to speak to my amendments, and I hope the Minister will consider some of these amendments. Speaking to those that I\u2019ve proposed for Part 1, the reason that I\u2019ve proposed some changes to clause 5(1 )\u2014and I\u2019ll take the Minister to those changes; it\u2019s on page three, about halfway down\u2014is that the words here around \u201Clight electric RUC vehicle\u201D and \u201Cvery light electric RUC vehicle\u201D may very well change That\u2019s why I\u2019ve asked for some confirmation from the Minister of what was presented by officials, very helpfully to the select committee, that this work was ongoing. So we need to know whether these words around \u201Clight\u201D and \u201Cvery light\u201D are still fit for purpose. Do we mean, in fact, that it\u2019s actually a plug-in hybrid electric RUC vehicle that is a RUC vehicle but that is also light so that we can come back and change that if it is required to be changed later? And we need to understand whether the definition of \u201Cvery light vehicle\u201D will still be relevant when these things are considered by Cabinet soon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003ESo the other amendments that I\u2019ve proposed in Part 1 include some amendments to clause 7. These are my questions that have not yet been answered but we would like some answers on before we get to the vote on this amendment, which is about the types of considerations that are baked into the primary legislation about why you would set a RUC rate or a discounted RUC rate with a discount at all, because it would be available to the Government to charge the full RUC rate, but we recognise that there is some unfairness in doing that, because there is a double taxation element. So the discount is appropriate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EAnd then, clause 7 inserts new subsection (2A), that clarifies why you would give a discount. But what is not included in the rationale for giving a discount is the other policy considerations that Governments already take into account when formulating a land transport plan, and those are policy objectives around the kind of vehicle fleet that we want at all in New Zealand, the kind of incentives that we create for vehicle owners to choose vehicles that do not emit the same level of emissions as previous vehicle fleets, as old vehicles, as old petrol-using vehicles, and old diesel-using vehicles.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003ESo if we can be assured that Cabinet is going to look at this again, maybe it doesn\u2019t need a change. But if they\u2019re not, then it really does. It needs to include those policy\u00A0objectives that this Government will be faced with as soon as it turns its mind\u00A0and attention to its climate change commitments, because the transport fleet is still one of\u00A0New Zealand\u2019s largest contributors to our emissions and it will need to\u00A0reduce its\u00A0emissions somehow. So it will need to be clear in the primary legislation that those\u00A0considerations are something relevant to take into account when setting a\u00A0discounted RUC rate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u0022ddbb421bcb4d49f0b49ed8e0631dc593\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ddbb421bcb4d49f0b49ed8e0631dc593\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. I won\u2019t talk too long on this legislation at this stage, but just thought I\u2019d give some reassurance that indeed the primary purpose here is to recognise the fact that, I think, most New Zealanders understand that people who drive on the roads should contribute to the cost of the maintenance and building of those roads. For a long period of time, we\u2019ve had electric vehicles not paying directly, as a means to encourage people into buying those electric cars. But there obviously would come a point, and there has come a point, where a significant number of New Zealanders were in that category, and if we continued to exempt electric cars, then the flow of money to maintain the roads would dwindle over time. So I don\u2019t think anybody expected the exemption of electric vehicles to continue for ever, and so that\u2019s what the Government is doing through this legislation to ensure that all the owners of vehicles on the road contribute to it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ENow, in terms of the plug-in electric vehicles, there was a change made. Of course, I think, as everybody recognises, there are a wide variety of experiences on the plug-in hybrids as to how much they are operating under electric conditions as opposed to the petrol side of the car. And if you\u2019re in a very modern plug-in hybrid and just doing short trips, you might end up spending virtually all your time on electric propulsion; if you\u2019re in an old one in a rural environment, you might spend almost all of your time on petrol. And so it is a judgment to be made as to what would be the appropriate discount, and the Government has, on reflection, decided to make changes. And of course we don\u2019t regard these as matters of minor political winning or losing; it\u2019s a matter of what\u2019s best for the country. So I acknowledge the work across the House on that issue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EI would also reassure members who have asked the question about whether it\u2019s still the Government\u2019s intention to carry on with a wider review of the road-user charges\u2014extending that to all vehicles. As the Minister has indicated, he\u2019s expecting advice on that by the middle of the year and has made it clear to officials that he expects to be moving at pace on that issue as quickly as possible. Of course, there are lots of challenges in the design of such a system. At the moment, when people pay their petrol taxes, they do it at the pump when they actually pay the petrol, and it\u2019s very hard to avoid that. With road-user charges, it\u2019s more complicated, and so you\u2019ve got to have a system that is robust. And so we\u2019re working at pace to look at that broader issue so that we can achieve, as best we can, equity across the fleet in terms of ensuring that cars that do damage to the road\u2014and there\u2019s a variation, of course, between light vehicles and heavy vehicles and they pay a different rate, and that is a good system that is a good way to operate. So I hope that answers some of the questions that have been raised.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022 data-id=\u0022798a70bd245b4abba410eb151ef93214\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022798a70bd245b4abba410eb151ef93214\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Chairman. One of the questions I\u2019d like to ask the Minister is: does he think that the added bureaucracy of road-user charge (RUC) versus excise is added bureaucracy and added costs for average Kiwis? I would suggest it is, and I think the Government has to front up to that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003ECan I ask a couple of questions about very light electric vehicles\u2014that\u2019s under a tonne, or 1,000 kilograms\u2014and they will be exempt. We don\u2019t see so many of them here, but innovative inventions offshore, mainly around Asia, where speeds on the roads are lower and we see a lot of creative vehicles. My question would be: are we, through this bill, incentivising the importation or the utilisation of those vehicles? And does that add some safety challenges or dilemmas for us on open roads? Or are we going to restrict where they may or may not be? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve just seen moves on scooters\u2014you know, on or off the footpath? Are they safe or not? Helmets or not? And so we\u2019re very creative and people will work on ways of utilising laws to incentivise commercial opportunities\u2014I\u2019m sure the Government will do that. Does that mean that they will allow the importation of vehicles under a tonne, electric vehicles that will be able to be used across the wider roading network, creating, I would suggest, because they probably run at lower speeds\u2014we\u2019ve seen, you know, even with internal combustion engines, we\u2019ve seen a lot more people in smaller cars out in the open road. Look, I try to be considerate, but they are usually travelling at about 80 kilometres an hour or slower speeds; they do create some congestion and some danger. If we end up with e-vehicles in a similar manner, we may add to that safety concern. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s a genuine question for the Minister, whether it\u2019s been considered, what is the likelihood of those under-1,000 kilogram electric vehicles coming into New Zealand and being used, and how will we manage that? And then differentiating between, you know, are they 980 kilograms or are they 1,200 kilograms? Such things will be relevant to the police officers who will be out on the roads trying to police this new RUC system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022 data-id=\u002287324e66762448f1ba5de1f2515798cc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002287324e66762448f1ba5de1f2515798cc\u0022\u003ESCOTT WILLIS (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair, and thank you to the Minister for informing us about the approach taken by the Government. It is, I guess, one way to do things, to ensure that down the track, legislation can be improved. But wouldn\u2019t it be simpler to improve what we\u2019ve got here right now when we have such a valuable discussion and amendments that are on the Table, or will be on the Table, to be discussed? I think there\u2019s an opportunity here to fix up something that was clearly rushed through, poorly thought-out, and simply there to tick some boxes off through urgency. I think we can forgive or overlook that box-ticking was mostly rejecting solutions when we\u2019ve got an opportunity to do something a bit better. And here I think we do have an opportunity to make things better relatively simply.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003EAs my Labour colleague pointed out just now, electric vehicles (EVs) are lighter and have less impact on roads than utes and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Utes and SUVs are usually over three tonnes on the roads; EVs are usually under two tonnes. We could have thresholds that would provide a fairer rate, and that\u2019s in my colleague Julie Anne Genter\u2019s proposed Amendment Paper No. 23, which creates new thresholds for all vehicles for road-user charge (RUC) charges. This includes vehicles which are between zero and two tonnes\u2014$70 per 1,000 kilometres\u2014and vehicles above two tonnes but not heavier than 3.5 tonnes: $78 per 1,000 kilometres. The current road-user charge rate is $76 per 1,000 kilometres for vehicles between zero and 3.5 tonnes. So the intention with that amendment is to have fairer road-user charge rates, recognising that EVs are less impactful on our roads than heavier vehicles. This is simply an evidence-based amendment. It makes sense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003EAnd more to that, there are other issues here with our current rate, where we\u2019re charging every vehicle, or every vehicle that has a road-user charge, no matter where they\u2019re driven. And we know that our rural roads are not good roads. Our rural roads are in a poor quality, typically, but the money that people who drive on those roads pay does not go to fixing up those rural roads. It tends to go to overbridges, to making more urban roads, to fixing up our urban highways, to fixing up roads of somebody\u2019s significance. And this is where the unfairness and the idiocy in this approach demonstrates itself. We can do so much better by thinking about what is a fair way and ensuring we have clarity about who\u2019s paying for what with the road-user charges.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003EThe amendments that my colleague Julie Anne Genter has put forward are something that I would urge the Minister to consider seriously. We are here to make good legislation, not to push through an agenda to tick boxes to prove that something can be done within 100 days. We should be here in a serious place, to make a difference for our communities, to make a difference for our rural communities as well as our urban communities, to make sure that people can have transport options that are fair and equitable rather than building overbridges in Auckland\u2014not that I\u2019ve got anything against Auckland, but I\u2019d quite like some support for the deep South as well. And I\u2019d like some support for our rural communities in the deep South\u2014Otago, Southland\u2014where there are people who want to decarbonise and are being put off by this sloppy bit of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6489ff5-e18c-4c19-958d-3cec5c52c0cc\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019ve got an opportunity here to fix it up, to improve it, not down the track, not somewhere later, but here and now. This is something that we could do if we\u2019re willing to listen and pay attention and to make good legislation together. So I just urge the Minister to consider what\u2019s on the Table, to think about what\u2019s on offer, to think about working collectively, working in Parliament to do better legislation than we\u2019ve got right now, and that can make a difference for our communities, though there\u2019s nothing to lose here. Well, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything to lose here. And I\u2019d hope the Minister would see this as an offer that\u2019s coming from our side.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022 data-id=\u0022491b3bc8e66f4b4791a6434bf953f5f5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022491b3bc8e66f4b4791a6434bf953f5f5\u0022\u003ECAMILLA BELICH (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Chair. It\u2019s a pleasure to be able to take a call, my first call in this particular committee stage. I just thought that given we have the Minister here and we also have here the chair of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee and a number of the committee members, it\u2019ll be an excellent opportunity just to talk to the Minister a wee bit about this slightly unprecedented change that\u2019s happened as a result of the select committee process, and the change from the proposed 30 percent discount to the 50 percent discount. I think people deserve to know, Minister, what exactly went through your head when you were deciding that, and the logic and reasoning for continuing with that change within the bill. I think that\u2019s a really important thing to go over before we move into the subsequent reading of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003EI wanted to also mention a few of the amendments in the name of my colleague Arena Williams. So this particular part that we\u2019re referring to is Subpart 2, in clause 15, which amends Schedule 1. There\u2019s been a change there. It was originally drafted to be 53 and the change from 30 percent to 50 percent has changed that to 38. Now, my colleague Arena Williams has suggested a number of further reductions in this area, changing 38 with 37, 38 to 36, basically providing a number of other options for the Minister to consider. And as there has been a lot of openness in this particular process to consider different rates of discount that would apply to hybrid electric road-user charges for those vehicles, I would be really interested to know whether the Minister has considered those.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003EAlso, I\u2019d be interested to know the conversations that the Minister has had with the chair of the select committee, with his advisers, around accepting this particular reduction in the rate; if the Minister in the future is going to be so welcoming of changes at the select committee process. And why, in fact, if the Minister was sure that his proposal was correct when he initially presented this bill to the House, has he not presented an Amendment Paper following the change at the select committee process? And as my colleague Arena Williams touched on earlier, does that mean that the initial proposal was deficient in some way, or has the reasoning or the fundamental thinking behind the imposition of this particular piece of legislation changed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003EI think it is important to allow the Minister time to answer those questions and to just go through with the committee the relatively significant change from first reading to select committee and now unchanged in the committee stage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003EI also would just like to give the Minister the opportunity to put on the record once and for all how much of an impact did the timing of this legislation, and the work required to put an amendment through, influence his decision to accept the particular proposal from the select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003ESo some important questions for the Minister on a relatively unusual process that has been taken in relation to this particular bill\u2014not one that I oppose necessarily\u2014and I\u2019d be interested to hear the Minister\u2019s view on that, but I think it\u2019s important that the Minister clarifies how we ended up here and why.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u0022faa0cce4fa0d47d996a8eafe10a04ce5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022faa0cce4fa0d47d996a8eafe10a04ce5\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair, for the opportunity to take a call. And I want to thank members for the questions. There\u2019s been a number of questions. Arena Williams asked about the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle rate and where it was initially set. The intention was to aim for parity with the road-user charges (RUC) rate, based on average fuel efficiency plus some consideration for the actual real-life experience of these engines and their efficiency, which is often not the same as what the manufacturers state.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EHowever, as has been outlined in my earlier replies, and also my second reading speech on this bill and my first reading speech, we sent it to select committee to test the logic and the evidence on that particular issue. And whilst the 30 percent reduction rate, of course, was based on the average fuel efficiency of these vehicles, there is a range of fuel efficiency, particularly with some of the older plug-in hybrids, and a fairer approach would be to further reduce that to a 50 percent reduction, which is what Cabinet agreed to. So we\u2019re a Government which listens. As I said, we sent it to select committee to test that. That was one of the key issues that we wanted to test. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EIn terms of the questions in relation to Camilla Belich around the process. Ultimately, Cabinet made the decision\u2014I think it was last Monday\u2014in relation to that particular issue. In terms of the pace at which we\u2019re moving, that is because the exemption ran out on 1 April, so this legislation needs to be put in place prior to 1 April. As I\u2019ve mentioned earlier, if we weren\u2019t making this change, and as the last Government left things, those plug-in vehicles would be having to pay a full RUC rate on 1 April.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d64de4c1-ef68-477e-9c50-db5cbdf99404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002269717aee7d4e49a8a6ad02e65e98802e\u0022\u003ETom Rutherford\u003C/span\u003E: They only consulted on 20 percent as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e5734bcce01043ada19ed8477501d14c\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN\u003C/span\u003E: As member Tom Rutherford mentions, they only consulted when they were in Government on a 20 percent RUC reduction, and they didn\u2019t do anything following that. So we\u2019re fixing lots of problems with this legislation. Thank you very much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022 data-id=\u002280ec5e64dcdf455495c7c5916bb583f9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002280ec5e64dcdf455495c7c5916bb583f9\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Green\u2014Rongotai):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Madam Chair. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I did want to have the opportunity to both ask some questions and speak to my further two Amendment Papers that I haven\u2019t yet spoken to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EI still haven\u2019t heard the Minister reply. Maybe he did at a time that I missed, but I haven\u2019t heard the Minister reply to my original question about what consultation he undertook with the industry and whether he has considered a reduced road-user charge\u2014RUC\u2014rate for electric vehicles to ensure that we\u2019re not actively disincentivising purchasing new electric vehicles at a time when it\u2019s really important to meet our climate commitments. As the industry\u2019s proposed, a $60 per 1,000 kilometres rate would mean that electric vehicles are still contributing towards the roads and the upkeep of the roads, but it would mean that it was slightly more in line with fuel excise duty; however, not totally.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EThe other Amendment Paper that I have besides that one is No. 24, which would address precisely what the Minister has said, which is that they have a plan; they want to move to full road pricing for all vehicles based on the use of the road, not fuel. And it would make sense to either delay this until we have done that work or to have a reduced rate for electric vehicles (EVs) in the interim, because until we have that better system that the Minister was talking about, we are going to be actively disincentivising EVs relative to petrol cars, which doesn\u2019t make sense when the Government says it wants to achieve our carbon reduction targets and a key way of achieving that is by getting more electric and zero-emissions vehicles into the fleet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003ENow, very occasionally I do use taxis\u2014it\u2019s very practical\u2014and when I do, I\u2019m always happy to find a taxi that\u2019s an electric vehicle. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f3afb962327e4ec9bb8448ee63578ceb\u0022\u003EGrant McCallum\u003C/span\u003E: But you bike?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b3800c163ff403cbf95233862be64db\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER\u003C/span\u003E: I do. I bike a lot of the time. Sometimes I take public transport. Sometimes I use a car. Sometimes I use a car-share. And when I do use a car, whether it\u2019s a taxi or a car-share\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d64de4c1-ef68-477e-9c50-db5cbdf99404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221d0417fd95364f96bae8216e4bc8929f\u0022\u003ETom Rutherford\u003C/span\u003E: What about planes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222dd00cb2170548e8b112a4c2d4492106\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER\u003C/span\u003E: And, yes, and sometimes we have to use planes because we don\u2019t have passenger trains to the extent that we would like in this country. But that\u2019s why we advocate for investing in passenger trains.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EHowever, when using a taxi, it\u2019s always great to be able to find one that is a pure EV. And I know that a number of the taxi drivers that I use have EVs, but we are hearing stories about heaps of taxi drivers now trying to sell their EVs because of the rate of RUC that is now proposed for them. And that is absolutely the opposite of what we want. EVs make sense for taxis because they\u2019re used more of the day, you know. They\u2019re used for more kilometres. They\u2019re used for more trips than your average vehicle, and if we have EV taxis, that is a good thing for New Zealand\u2019s carbon emissions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003ESo will the Minister consider either my Amendment Paper 24 or my Amendment Paper 25. Amendment Paper 25 implements the recommendation from the joint submission from the vehicle industry, which recommended $60 per 1,000 kilometres, which is not a massive reduction in what the Minister is proposing. However, it would help take the edge off because we don\u2019t want to actively disincentivise EVs. The other option, of course, is if we are going to have a much better, more accurate road-pricing system, then wait until you\u2019re ready to implement that, rather than creating this disparity between EVs and fossil fuel vehicles at this time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247fec3ffe79d4771abb3d831e493174f\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: We need to pay for the roads somehow.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b74b318091194bcfb046613e3555a2bf\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER\u003C/span\u003E: We do need to pay for the roads somehow, and it would make sense to, none the less, retain some sort of neutral playing field so that we\u2019re getting more EVs in, because if we don\u2019t have EVs, this Government literally has not a single plan to reduce emissions from transport and they should be more transparent about that, because they keep saying they\u2019re committed to reducing carbon emissions, yet every action they take is going in the opposite direction. And that\u2019s what we heard from the industry at the select committee. We heard from the industry that this is going to actively penalise electric vehicles, which is the opposite of what we need to do if we want to get more electric vehicles into the fleet in this critical period in the next five years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003EFinally, we have considered, and I\u2019ve proposed an Amendment Paper\u2014we\u2019re glad that the Minister picked up the change that we proposed at the select committee that the Government members accidentally voted for, which reduces the rate for plug-in hybrids. However, even the plug-in hybrids that have very short battery ranges, we\u2019re proposing an amendment that would just exempt owners of plug-in hybrids from paying RUC if their vehicle has 30 kilometre or less in battery range. Because the reality is that those vehicles in their use of the roads are far more akin to petrol vehicles. They\u2019re going to be paying petrol tax on the fuel they use on that plug-in hybrid and so it would just make sense\u2014and reduce paperwork, really\u2014to exempt them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u002214a53ba4241849c8b47bfe32bf834474\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002214a53ba4241849c8b47bfe32bf834474\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The member\u2019s time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022 data-id=\u0022c850185d087044a283fb52e7d82ba79b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c850185d087044a283fb52e7d82ba79b\u0022\u003EHon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Look, thank you, Madam Chair, and I thank the member for her question in regards to the joint submission, which was from the industry. The joint submission was provided to me prior to the select committee process. I invited them to contribute to the select committee, and I thank the\u00A0committee for reporting back with its views on the submissions. So I think that answers that question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EOn the question in relation to the cost of running vehicles, page 4 of the departmental report has a very good analysis around the average running costs of different vehicles based on what type of fuels. Electric vehicles are very much at the bottom of the range because their operating costs are so much lower. And the reality is, what this does is it shows that the operating costs are a lot lower than driving a petrol or diesel vehicle whilst also meaning they\u2019re paying a fair amount to use the roads, which is the intent. As members can see, based on page 4 of the departmental report, there is variance and that\u2019s why we need to move all vehicles to pay a road-user charge based on distance and weight rather than based on the type of fuel that they use. And we\u2019ve already started work on that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s been a number of tabled amendments. The member the Hon Julie Anne Genter proposed to establish a power to set a reduced rate for EVs\u2014sets the rate at $60. That\u2019s inconsistent with the purpose of the Act. The legislation doesn\u2019t propose to change the road-user charge rate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EAnother one by the Hon Julie Anne Genter proposes an exemption for plug-in hybrids with a battery range of less than 30 kilometres. Implementing this would require the New Zealand Transport Agency to determine how to measure a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle\u2019s battery life, and, so, would you base that on what the battery life is when they purchase the vehicle? Would you measure that based on the actual life? If it\u2019s an older battery, it may not\u2014actually, it may be sold as saying 40 kilometres but now it only operates at 20, 25. Ultimately, that\u2019s why we\u2019ve reduced the plug-in hybrid rate, because there is a variance in that issue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s a proposal by Arena Williams in relation to a whole range of changes of definitions and words and titles, ultimately, and commencements, ultimately. It\u2019s this Government\u2019s intention that the exemption ends on 1 April. That was the last Government\u2019s intention and we\u2019re making the required changes to ensure that that happens as smoothly as possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003EThe Hon Julie Anne Genter proposed a new commencement that delays the bill until all vehicles pay RUC. This would mean there is no transition period. Ultimately, what we\u2019re proposing to do here is to transition those vehicles into the system, have a temporary RUC rate for plug-in hybrids to acknowledge the fact they use electricity and petrol, whilst work is done to move all vehicles into a road-user charge system, which will take more time. But, in the meantime, we believe it\u2019s fair that all vehicles using the road help contribute towards use of the road.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u002298c9f864aff0415597cb6d4744c0bf74\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002298c9f864aff0415597cb6d4744c0bf74\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m going to take a call from Arena Williams, but I think we\u2019ve just had a very comprehensive answer from the Minister around the Amendment Papers. So I\u2019d like it to be something new, please.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022 data-id=\u00227000c68ea8a847088c814634d76201fa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227000c68ea8a847088c814634d76201fa\u0022\u003EARENA WILLIAMS (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. Madam Chair, thank you for the opportunity to ask the Minister of Transport two further questions that relate to the Amendment Papers, and, look, just to thank the Minister for his engagement in this committee stage in a back and forth that was also the mood of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee room. It was a robust discussion about some of these issues, particularly plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVS), and I\u2019m glad that we could continue that on in the committee tonight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EThe two remaining questions that the committee needs to know before voting on these Amendment Papers\u2014and, you know, this is in the context of Labour members having tentative support for the Minister\u2019s proposal now and intending to vote for the bill, so it is important for us to appreciate, you know, whether anything will be amended about it. The two questions are: what will the change in the rate of PHEVS save owners of PHEVS per annum on average? I appreciate that the Minister might not have an exact figure for different types of PHEVS and there is some variance in that, but I\u2019m seeking to understand what an ordinary PHEV user can expect to save because of that. And, then, conversely, what does the change of rate from the $53 per 1,000 kilometres proposed in the original bill to the $38 per 1,000 kilometres in this current bill cost the land transport budget?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EOnce we understand those answers, I\u2019m sure that we can agree to some level of support for this bill. We\u2019ve made some changes here which will be long-lasting for people until\u2014you know, we don\u2019t have an answer on when Cabinet will consider the universal road-user charge for all vehicles, but we look forward to debating that with the Minister then in the same spirit that he has engaged in this committee stage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022 data-id=\u00220daf329f04be4526b7a3d4102dca65dd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220daf329f04be4526b7a3d4102dca65dd\u0022\u003EGRANT McCALLUM (National\u2014Northland):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That debate on this question now close.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u00226ecb84040b7343e8a44a26b59e7a19d7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226ecb84040b7343e8a44a26b59e7a19d7\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendments to Part 1 be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022c382f2deb09649b8a4e4300ca88ea7d2\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 amendments be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendments not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u00226c0099d77cbd495aa562051b7bb48cc5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226c0099d77cbd495aa562051b7bb48cc5\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that the Hon Julie Anne Genter\u2019s amendments set out on Amendment Paper 26 be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00228d87243ca02945dcacc45a5b645d9b3c\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 amendments be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendments not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u002222e7cd180d2543eab528a1661bb511cd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002222e7cd180d2543eab528a1661bb511cd\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that the Hon Julie Anne Genter\u2019s amendments set out on Amendment Paper 25 be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u002248c1d7503b9448a988923c4398e867a7\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 amendments be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendments not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u00222abb4eaa922444439b4d1b795225c50a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222abb4eaa922444439b4d1b795225c50a\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m just going to take some votes on Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendments, and my advice that I\u2019ve received is that we don\u2019t need to put every number for each amendment up to the vote. We are able to take a representative sample, so you will notice that we are going to move through the numbers, not putting every amendment up. Standing Order 315(4): \u201CWhere amendments are proposed that, in the opinion of the chairperson, are the same in substance, the chairperson may select amendments on which to put a question, in order to test the will of the committee.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022 data-id=\u00224ad4924f97034aa89633a78e04a1e513\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224ad4924f97034aa89633a78e04a1e513\u0022\u003EARENA WILLIAMS (Assistant Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Point of order, Madam Chair. Thank you. I appreciate that it is absolutely within your discretion to do that, but providing for the committee some extra context around that original ruling, the purpose of that was to avoid a situation where members were putting forward amendments that were all essentially the same and did not fit within the intent of the Minister or the Government or with anyone else in the Chamber. The issue here is that this is the first time in a committee stage that we have been dealing with a change that a Minister has actually taken on board from Opposition members, and so I would suggest to you that this is an opportunity for you to test the will of the committee on each one of those amendments, given that the select committee has decided on a change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022b3176657224a4c70bf198e60f36c0f6b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b3176657224a4c70bf198e60f36c0f6b\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you for the point of order, but I think we\u2019ll get an answer by testing a selection of those amendments, rather than having to go through each one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EThe question is that Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendment to clause 15(2) replacing \u201C38\u201D with \u201C37\u201D be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00220e2e8fb011b7489483b9074ef6e78c87\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022e9fb4a8844b54469aebc907e74ea5494\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e9fb4a8844b54469aebc907e74ea5494\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendment to clause 15(2) replacing \u201C38\u201D with \u201C25\u201D be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u002204797d4f0a0843dd8d6dca7a9ee4ebea\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022368c66cfa74545489e972433e6b6a557\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022368c66cfa74545489e972433e6b6a557\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendment to clause 15(2) replacing \u201C38\u201D with \u201C15\u201D be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022c013f5b2cb5f46fe8192205d6e0ec36b\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u00227dbefe003f234761aab54db59f468ecc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227dbefe003f234761aab54db59f468ecc\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The committee has voted on a representative selection of amendments to clause 15(2). The will of the committee having been tested, Arena Williams\u2019 remaining tabled amendments to clause 15 are ruled out of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EThe Hon Julie Anne Genter\u2019s amendments to Part 2, set out on Amendment Paper 23, are out of order as being inconsistent with the objects and principles of the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EThe question is that Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendment to clause 1 inserting \u201Cand Discount for Plug-in Hybrids\u201D be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00220b361442cb274d5da96a664a3ab85d2e\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022361ff0f77fd6436d97418ffb2cbb05a4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022361ff0f77fd6436d97418ffb2cbb05a4\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendment to clause 1 inserting \u201CExtension of Exemption Period for\u201D be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022c83ba6ce24d745e5848a7e044b27ab2b\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022d2f5d13aa3784c82b1719d3cda73235b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d2f5d13aa3784c82b1719d3cda73235b\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendment to clause 1 inserting \u201CTransitional Period before Universal RUC Scheme for\u201D be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00220893c1b2cf674d15a9cfa9e3a4dbab43\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u00227d7a3b06e9a7454584c5c4f5461bf79a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227d7a3b06e9a7454584c5c4f5461bf79a\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendment to clause 1 deleting \u201CLight\u201D be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00226a3e597857fb4b1c9dacf47bd96001ee\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u002289cf73dceb574e9ba4777a3cfcc03a90\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002289cf73dceb574e9ba4777a3cfcc03a90\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendment to clause 1 to replace \u201CRUC\u201D with \u201CRoad-user Charges\u201D is ruled out of order as not offering a serious alternative form of words.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EThe question is that Arena Williams\u2019 tabled amendment to clause 2 replacing \u201C1 April 2024\u201D with \u201C8 May 2025\u201D be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00220e9ee527801947a08e2844de22e214ea\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022cf0b8c3401784c379de8a61f1c1510e0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cf0b8c3401784c379de8a61f1c1510e0\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that the Hon Julie Anne Genter\u2019s amendment set out on Amendment Paper 24 be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00226004f2cef3ec4782bb62485dc19bc4a7\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 55\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000501\u0022\u003EParts 1 and 2, Schedules 1 and 2, and clauses 1 to 3 agreed to.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000502\u0022\u003EBill to be reported without amendment.\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=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002207215252165543dda733388c5b06628a\u0022\u003EMisuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022851629d3d86641f59bc4182a18d70462\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00222956edeebc8f498991b69c467d06e1c9\u0022\u003EParts 1 and 2, and clauses 1 to 3\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u00229bc544f2c343444f94137c14a231ad93\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229bc544f2c343444f94137c14a231ad93\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, we now come to the Misuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Bill. We begin with the debate on Part 1. Part 1 is the debate on clauses 4 and 5: amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. The question is that Part 1 stand part. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257c0c650-e6a0-4475-b66d-5281ede8b1e3\u0022 data-id=\u002256da086fdc1f466b9387ab2fc7f82128\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257c0c650-e6a0-4475-b66d-5281ede8b1e3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002256da086fdc1f466b9387ab2fc7f82128\u0022\u003ESUZE REDMAYNE (Junior Whip\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E Point of order, Madam Chairperson. I seek leave for all parts to be debated as one question. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u002239163e8e3db94b618be90864c8dd5d6f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002239163e8e3db94b618be90864c8dd5d6f\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to the leave being sought? There is none. The question is that Parts 1 and 2, and clauses 1 to 3 stand part. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022 data-id=\u002238bd45c9da68429180c9e1813b9f8490\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002238bd45c9da68429180c9e1813b9f8490\u0022\u003EINGRID LEARY (Labour\u2014Taieri):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair. As we have said in our first reading speeches, yes, we will be supporting this bill to go through to law, but with a bit of a caveat, because we believe that pseudoephedrine is only safe if it is stored appropriately, and I will be tabling an amendment later to that effect. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EBut first, I just want to ask the Minister some questions about the process that was undertaken, because we do agree that pseudoephedrine is a useful medication for people to have. It\u2019s particularly relevant at this time of year, when lots of people are kind of going down in flames with coughs and colds and sniffs. Anything to help dry up the nose and mask the symptoms is usually gratefully received, and we do realise that the workplace now is different than it has been in the past. People are very mindful of not wanting to be symptomatic around colleagues because of the fear that it could be COVID, and just having a little bit more personal space, but also the environment and context around methamphetamine\u2014and methamphetamine production, in particular\u2014is quite different from when we had this problem previously, with people making meth at home. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve seen a change to meds coming across the borders, and we\u2019ve seen the cost of meth go down. So the question has been raised\u2014probably quite rightly\u2014to say: do we need to relook at this medication, is there the danger that there was previously in pharmacies stocking it and people having access to it, and should we be able to reclassify it so that people can have better access? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EWe do agree\u2014and, as far as I\u2019m aware, it wasn\u2019t in the impact statement. But we are mindful that there are barriers for many of our people to get medication, so a visit to the doctor would be that barrier, and perhaps having to have a prescription to go to a pharmacy would stop some of our people being able to get pseudoephedrine. So there\u2019s a whole lot of reasons where we agree with the Minister about why this would be a good thing to do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EI\u2019m not sure that we thought it necessarily had to come in this quickly\u2014this winter. It would have been good to see perhaps a more fulsome process, because at the moment in this Parliament, we are the \u201Cfastest lawmakers in the West\u201D. It doesn\u2019t always lead to the best outcomes, and there are some reservations that some of the submitters had around the process, too. So I will be asking the Minister some questions around the process. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EJust for those who are following it at home, what this very small bill does is it reclassifies pseudoephedrine from a class B2 to a class C3 controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations determine which class of drug that goes into. But we did do, as the Labour Party, a dissenting view in the select\u00A0committee report, and that was to express our disappointment with and concerns about the process but also, as I\u2019ve alluded, around the safety of how the drug will be\u00A0kept in pharmacies. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EWe deliberately put some quotations from the Minister\u2014which I would like to ask him about now\u2014because the main body of the report kind of did a very once-over-lightly about what the Minister had said. But we picked up on some of the language that, for us, is indicative of perhaps a little bit of a cavalier attitude, in our view, to the communities that will be impacted, and also the type of process that was undertaken. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EFor example, we asked questions about the reclassification, which seemed unusual to us, because usually the body that is classifying the medication is made up of experts, and this time it looked and sounded from the questions that we asked as if the Minister and Cabinet were doing this reclassification. When we asked the Minister about that, he said that there was a \u201Cpublic interest justifying the fast-track of this bill through the House and select committee [for] \u2018an additional winter, so long as the pharmaceutical companies and Medsafe play ball\u2019\u201D, and we wanted to know what that meant. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EThere was a bit of a discussion, and question and answer, about that, and the Minister agreed that, in effect, this was about politicians classifying the medication but that Medsafe still had the ability, if it didn\u2019t want to play ball, or if it disagreed, to actually not give the approvals, which would have then rendered the political judgment or decision invalid and would have then meant that no pseudoephedrine products would have been available through Medsafe. If I recall rightly, the Minister\u2019s justification for that was that he said that he felt that the original decision to reclassify it upwards originally in that different environment was a political decision. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003ESo one of my first questions to the Minister will be just to talk us through the process of Medsafe. What is the point of having the Medsafe committee meeting to perhaps second-guess political decisions? Is that an appropriate use of the committee and the committee\u2019s expertise? Does this set a precedent now for the committee to be taking direction from Government Ministers or Cabinet decisions, or is this just a one-off situation? Is it an exemption because he wants the public to be able to have this medicine available to them this winter? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EThe second part that I would like to ask the Minister about is his comments in select committee, where he said that this was about rationalising our approach with our Five Eyes partners. That was an interesting one for me, because I\u2019ve heard Five Eyes mentioned in the context of security and defence, interoperability of equipment, and so on, but I\u2019m wanting to know the medical reason for rationalising a methamphetamine classification with Five Eyes when this doesn\u2019t change the border settings. I know that my colleague Ginny Andersen will have some questions around the assumptions to do with the border settings and the cost of methamphetamine later on, but I\u2019m curious to know why it is important for New Zealand to rationalise this approach with Five Eyes, given that the changes made by this bill don\u2019t have anything to do with changing the border settings, as far as I\u2019m aware. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EMy third question is also asking the Minister about his comment to the select committee when I asked him about what further evidence he had sought on impacted communities\u2014so those were communities impacted by methamphetamine, and we did hear some pretty harrowing submissions. There weren\u2019t many, but there were people with lived experience of drug use who were adamant that they didn\u2019t want to see a methamphetamine problem in their community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EHis response to that was to say that \u201Cit was better to focus on the information available \u2026 rather than seek further advice\u201D by impacted communities. So there seems to be a bit of a cost-benefit analysis in his own mind, if I\u2019m correct, as to the value of putting more resources into finding out about those communities. That tells me that there\u2019s been a little bit of a cavalier attitude to the harm that this could cause, or maybe not\u2014I\u2019d want to know the thinking as to why he wouldn\u2019t want to seek further advice on impacted communities. We know these are the most vulnerable communities in New Zealand\u2014those who have been impacted by meth problems\u2014and anybody who\u2019s had exposure to methamphetamine in their own family will understand the devastation that I am speaking about. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EThe fourth question that I have, which I think is No. 4 for the Minister, is that he also assured us that when we spoke about people shopping around for methamphetamine\u2014so,\u00A0an organised syndicate of purchasers, which has happened in the past, to be able to get a bulk amount of tablets to make meth. Now, I appreciate that we\u2019ve had submissions to say that it would take a lot of packets and a lot of shopping around, but that hasn\u2019t stopped people previously. We\u2019ve also heard from submitters that drug addicts are not necessarily rational, and so we have to allow for the possibility that this could happen. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EThe Minister\u2019s response when we raised that was that he said he would monitor sales to see if further regulation was appropriate. My question to the Minister is: how would he even be able to monitor the sales if the register is not there in the first place? It seems to be a bit of tautology, because without the register, you can\u2019t monitor, but you\u2019re not going to monitor because you\u2019re going to keep an eye on it. So I\u2019d be very keen to know what methodology the Minister is planning to use to see if further regulation is necessary. Will it be like a formal process of keeping his eyes on it, and will he be instructing officials to do that? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EMadam Chair, I\u2019m going to stop my contribution because I can see that the Minister is really feeling frustrated at how many questions I\u2019ve levelled at him. I do have a number more, and so do my colleagues, but I\u2019d love to hear\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022006b89bb98974108b0d7a094120912d5\u0022\u003EHon David Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s actually not the quantity; it\u2019s the quality. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222e8eccf3b15a45fc8759864726543c21\u0022\u003EINGRID LEARY\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014his responses. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022db641c5235f9470f9b45b00e4fc757e8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022db641c5235f9470f9b45b00e4fc757e8\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: No, we won\u2019t debate from the chair, thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022 data-id=\u0022df6c33d3386d4dc6b4355d49174a7317\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022df6c33d3386d4dc6b4355d49174a7317\u0022\u003EHon GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair. Look, it\u2019s good to be able to speak on a bill, and we\u2019ve made it clear that we support the availability of over-the-counter pseudoephedrine, provided that the Government does act in order to curtail any potential harm that we might see. I think it\u2019s important to state that I was actually involved in the recoding of this, back in the day when John Key was the Prime Minister, and tackling methamphetamine was the strategy that I was seconded into the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to work with, alongside Health, Justice, and Customs officials. This was one of the changes that was done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EAt that point in time, the market for illegal methamphetamine was predominantly done through manufacture in New Zealand, and we\u2019ve seen a significant shift over that period of time for there to be the vast bulk of meth coming in pre-made over our borders in a range of creative and different ways in order to smuggle that into New Zealand. That has shifted, and so we see that there are good grounds to revisit the classification of this drug in order to make it available for law-abiding New Zealanders who have a cold and need to still keep soldiering on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EThe two questions that I have to the Minister really go to the heart of the concern about our pharmacies. If they are stocking a drug that is potentially\u2014we want to look at seeing what that does to the domestic market. There is the potential, as outlined in the regulatory impact statement, that we could see changing domestic manufacture once this drug once again becomes more readily available. In the past, we did have instances of pill shopping, where you would see people go around and, I guess, do stand-over tactics to pharmacies in order to get the medicine. So I\u2019d be interested to know what\u2019s in place for the safety of those pharmacies, both in terms of stand-over tactics\u2014that has occurred in the past\u2014but also the more recent occurrence of ram raids or going in and breaking into a pharmacy in order to steal pseudoephedrine.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EI know there have been some questions raised in and around how pharmacies will be storing\u2014you know, it\u2019s a bigger requirement for them to put all the higher-risk drugs in some kind of a safe area. We want to make sure that we\u2019re doing everything we possibly can to make sure that they\u2019re not accessible to criminal groups or criminal individuals who want to exploit the increased availability that this medicine would have.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EI think it\u2019s also important that we turn our mind to what\u2019s happening at our borders. While police have seen, and Customs as well have seen, record numbers of seizures of methamphetamine, particularly over the last four or five years, each seizure seems to be growing in size. That is a reflection of the size of the market. There is far more methamphetamine coming into New Zealand than we\u2019ve ever seen before, and that\u2019s a real concern. So what I\u2019m interested to also know, as we make this drug more readily available, is how we are resourcing Customs to make sure\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e8280615209343fab6e351abeb3ad828\u0022\u003ETim van de Molen\u003C/span\u003E: The last Government was soft on crime.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225135446d6b5c405a89589b3acf9330c8\u0022\u003EHon GINNY ANDERSEN\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sure Customs aren\u2019t soft on crime, but what would\u00A0be soft on crime is a 6.5 percent cut to the Customs budget. That would be really soft on crime.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003ESo we want to make sure that there are resources in place at our border so that if there is increased pressure on the border as a result of international organised criminal networks\u2014we want to understand how we are resourcing Customs to be able to look into those containers, look into all those instances, to be able to make sure that they\u2019re doing their job appropriately. There is real concern if there are voluntary redundancies being offered up in that space; we want to make sure that there is resourcing ongoing to make sure that this change doesn\u2019t open up the floodgates for other things to be happening and a squeezing out of the market into different ways.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003ESo I think it\u2019ll be incredibly important to be watching what this change does both to our domestic market but also any changes we see in how new importation methods might be coming in. I look forward to the Minister addressing those questions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002228503e94-a5c6-4364-92b7-dc1da041fc50\u0022 data-id=\u002284ef8970c127465aa3d6c37e6457dae2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002228503e94-a5c6-4364-92b7-dc1da041fc50\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002284ef8970c127465aa3d6c37e6457dae2\u0022\u003EH\u016AHANA LYNDON (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Madam Chair. The Green Party cautiously support this bill as we move forward in this discussion. I want to support the sentiments of my colleagues from the Labour Party in terms of the way in which we need to take a holistic approach with the management of this drug coming into our community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002228503e94-a5c6-4364-92b7-dc1da041fc50\u0022\u003EI am coming from a Tai Tokerau perspective, an iwi M\u0101ori perspective, in worrying about the mitigations in terms of treatment. What services are available for those who are already gripped by the addiction, and then what services will be supported to increase its capacity, increase access for those who will become addicted as we release this drug into our community? Let us not forget that the coordinated shoppers\u2014the aunties that get together and who might be tools for supply of meth could come back into our community and then start cooking in their k\u0101inga, and knowing the current social circumstances of many wh\u0101nau who might be desperate in this drug space, could start cooking again in their k\u0101inga, putting at risk both their wh\u0101nau and also the wider community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002228503e94-a5c6-4364-92b7-dc1da041fc50\u0022\u003ESo I do worry about monitoring of access and if there will be a register established for the monitoring of the live sales\u2014who will do that in terms of the Government response to the release of pseudoephedrine within our community? Will we have officials that will be watching the sales and those who are making purchases? And then, from there, what will be the measures put in place for those that are caught in coordinated syndicates of purchasing?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002228503e94-a5c6-4364-92b7-dc1da041fc50\u0022\u003EBut treatment of those who are in the grips of methamphetamine is a concern within our k\u0101inga. As we know, many are already facing this addiction in reality right now, but also into the future, as we could see more methamphetamine, because we know it might even get cheaper. So what will that look like? I think about Te Ara Oranga, a Tai Tokerau - based kaupapa, very successful, evidence-based approach to supporting those with methamphetamine addiction. Can we increase access to services such as Te Ara Oranga and then also access across the country, referral services, and pathways for wh\u0101nau affected, as well, to receive support?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002228503e94-a5c6-4364-92b7-dc1da041fc50\u0022\u003EConsidering the way in which this bill has been rushed through, we could call it the \u201CFast-Track Again\u201D. We know that submissions were only open for a small window of time. In the number of submitters that we did receive, we heard a diversity of concern and thinking also about targeted engagement with our pharmacist community and those businesses who will have to bear the burden of holding this product. Now, not everyone might have the large safe to securely store the quantities necessary to serve a community with pseudoephedrine. So I\u2019m wondering about the storage practices but also what is determined as safe storage and what are practical solutions for those who will have to administer this medication in our communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002228503e94-a5c6-4364-92b7-dc1da041fc50\u0022\u003EWhen thinking about our communities as a whole, and particularly in the pharmacy space, what can we do in terms of engagement with the sector now to ready them for implementation? Will there be supports available, and also monitoring and regulation in place to give them surety that as they open up for these services and the delivery of pseudoephedrine back into our community, that they will be able to safely administer access to this drug?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002228503e94-a5c6-4364-92b7-dc1da041fc50\u0022\u003EMay I also speak to Amendment Paper 22 that my colleague Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick has tabled, and the opportunity for us in considering this amendment bill is to look at a way with which we can examine the entire Misuse of Drugs Act. In the Amendment Paper that my colleague has tabled, it calls for us to come back to the table together on 1 January 2026 and look at how we\u2019ve operationalised the Act and then look to, as a part of that review, bring a report back to the House with suggested opportunities for improvement. Now, that\u2019s been something consistent from the Green Party, that we\u2019re calling for a review of the Misuse of Drugs Act in its entirety so that we can take a holistic hauora approach, which is evidence-based, and take a harm reduction approach; we know wh\u0101nau M\u0101ori and many of our community are impacted. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022 data-id=\u002270eefc74464343adbff46ce969b63260\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002270eefc74464343adbff46ce969b63260\u0022\u003EDr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for the opportunity to ask the Minister some questions about this bill, the Misuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Bill. As my colleague Ingrid Leary and as my colleague the Hon Ginny Andersen have both said, we are supportive of this bill in so far as we agree that there should be flexibility in our system to allow for people who need to get the things they need to get, and we also are very supportive and have a history of being very supportive of our local community pharmacies. And we demonstrated that, certainly, with our minor ailments bills and removing prescription charges so that people weren\u2019t dissuaded by those $5 prescription charges and therefore could better utilise their community pharmacies, because often it\u2019s the community pharmacy that knows people and knows the community really well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EThat leads me to have a certain level of concern for those community pharmacists, because whilst I think there\u2019s been variance in the feedback and in the concern, I think that together the fact that this process was quite quick\u2014and, as other people have said, characterised it as being rushed\u2014I don\u2019t think the pharmacy communities themselves have really had much of a chance to think about what this might mean to them. And we\u2019ve heard other contributors throughout this very short process talk about the fact that pharmacies don\u2019t have to stock pseudoephedrine, which is obviously correct, and that\u2019s as it should be. But then it kind of puts that commercial impetus or that commercial imbalance\u2014and as someone commented not that long ago, at what stage does someone who wants to ram-raid that pharmacy know that they\u2019re not one of the pharmacies that are stocking pseudoephedrine? Is it just something you find out after the damage is done?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003ESo I think there are some questions that the Minister hasn\u2019t taken to his feet yet to answer in relation to particularly community pharmacy safety and also storage. Because when we think of other controlled drugs, I can understand why it\u2019s not just about controlling drugs, is it. It\u2019s not just about installing safe places or safe cupboards; it\u2019s about having a double sign-out sort of system where people are responsible for checking and no one can just get their hands or dispense controlled drugs that quickly. I can understand that in this case that might not have seemed particularly attractive if we\u2019re expecting the volume of people that are going to come into pharmacies and wanting to do that. But that shouldn\u2019t be the reason why you don\u2019t control drugs. The controlled drug methodologies, which are there to protect people\u2019s local practice and their professional registered practice\u2014because every person who is a registered professional is responsible for their own practice\u2014are there for all of those protections, and it\u2019s not a matter of simply removing those protections so that it\u2019s convenient for the public, per se. So I think there\u2019s some questions around that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003ENow, I know that someone mentioned the register, so I would like the Minister, maybe, to give us a little bit more information, because I\u2019m sure that he\u2019s looked at these various aspects that are of concern to us. But the real-time register that we know that is used in Queensland\u2014not a perfect system from what I understand, but it is something that could have been a starting point. No need for us to reinvent the wheel. We know Te Whatu Ora have mentioned getting something online, but why the rush? If we don\u2019t have that scaffolding and that infrastructure to support the safe delivery of pseudoephedrine to the community, then does the Minister have any kind of time lines, any further information? He can tell us during this process about the latest innovations with regard to that with that real-time monitoring and registering sort of process\u2014well, both monitoring and registering, because, obviously, they\u2019re two different things.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003ESo I think that that would be a good start. I have some further questions\u2014just as a wee heads-up\u2014about the concept of rational actors in markets, but I\u2019ll leave it there. And if the Minister would like to answer that, that would be fantastic.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u002297170c348e714e8fa18e4ba5204b470a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002297170c348e714e8fa18e4ba5204b470a\u0022\u003EHon DAVID SEYMOUR (Associate Minister of Health (Pharmac)):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks to those who have risen to their feet. I just want to preface my comments by referring to the Standing Orders. It is very clear that the purpose of the committee stage is to verify and inquire if the bill as drafted actually fits with the objects and principles that were decided at the second reading. There\u2019s been quite a lot of commentary that, frankly, doesn\u2019t fit that criteria, but I will try and address as much as I can anyway. There is, for example, a suggestion of an amendment on storage; I look forward to debating that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThere were some questions about the process gone through to make the law, but it was actually a reference to the regulations made under the Medicines Act rather than anything to do with this bill, which is an amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act. There was a question, the danger to pharmacy, that came up in various ways. There was an acknowledgment that the prescriptions and doctors visits are a barrier to people getting pseudoephedrine. That\u2019s certainly true. Somebody asked if there was a cavalier attitude to cough medicine. I don\u2019t think you can have that, but they asked about some comments I\u2019d made about \u201CIt\u2019ll be here by winter if Medsafe and the suppliers play ball.\u201D Well, again, you know that is in relation to the regulations made under the Medicines Act. That\u2019s actually quite separate from this bill, but it is certainly true, for the member\u2019s information, that Medsafe must allow a specific product to be allowed in. That\u2019s quite different from the definition of pseudoephedrine medications, in general, becoming a restricted medicine under the regulations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen there\u2019s the question of my comments about the Five Eyes partners. I think it\u2019s pretty obvious that this has got nothing to do with defence, security, or intelligence; it\u2019s just cough medicine. However, I did use Five Eyes as shorthand for the five countries\u2014Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States\u2014that, along with New Zealand, make up the Five Eyes networks. Those other four countries all have near identical, if not identical, approaches to pseudoephedrine cough medicine, as New Zealand has, or will have very soon if this law passes. And that was the only point I had wanted to make with that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003ESomebody said that I\u2019d said it was better not to seek information from affected communities. I think the wider point there is that, actually, you can have paralysis by analysis. I think what we need to do is make clear that we are introducing a regime of regulating cough medicine similar to the four other countries that we most often compare ourselves with. I think that, you know, we can safely say that people have had the opportunity to submit, and I listen to the likes of Know Your Stuff NZ, who know a lot about drugs; they have been pretty clear about the fact they don\u2019t believe it\u2019s viable to manufacture methamphetamine.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd then, finally, there was a question of how sales will be monitored. Again, this is not part of the legislation. There was no agreement at second reading to talk about monitoring sales. So it\u2019s not really in order for the committee stage to talk about that, but I\u2019ll answer anyway just to try and, you know, entertain the member. Look, first of all, pharmacies do actually have to record them. They are increasingly using e-prescribing, so I suspect that the amount of information available is only going to grow with technology. But in terms of how I could monitor sales, or anyone could, Medsafe have to let the stuff be imported. So we\u2019ll have a pretty good idea of how much is coming into the country if you wanted to monitor sales. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EGinny Andersen mentioned pharmacies and drug shopping. Again, not strictly part of this stage of considering the bill but, none the less, I think it\u2019s pretty clear that the evidence that\u2019s come through the Health Committee is such that people don\u2019t believe it will be viable to manufacture methamphetamine in this way. The price has come down dramatically. People have better ways of getting it, sadly, and that\u2019s why they don\u2019t believe that this will be an issue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EH\u016Bhana Lyndon brought up, again, very interesting issues, but they\u2019re not part of the legislation that we\u2019re considering right now. The question is the drug counselling for those addicted; I think schemes like Te Ara Oranga are well worth funding, but that\u2019s not what we\u2019re considering as part of this legislation; that wasn\u2019t what was agreed at the second reading of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd finally, what if you\u2019re caught pill shopping? Well, you would be misusing a drug, and there are penalties in return for doing that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022b0adfd86b81f4a44ac40a38202b65c06\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b0adfd86b81f4a44ac40a38202b65c06\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger)\u003C/span\u003E: The time has come for me to leave the Chair for the dinner break. The committee of the whole House will resume at 7.30 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 6.03 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u0022fec1360940d44d95ab183fbe284c507c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fec1360940d44d95ab183fbe284c507c\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, the committee is resumed. When we broke for the dinner break, the committee was considering the Misuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Bill. The question, again, is that Parts 1 and 2, and clauses 1 to 3 stand part.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022 data-id=\u00220215335088cb49c3bf820a874744ee4f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220215335088cb49c3bf820a874744ee4f\u0022\u003EINGRID LEARY (Labour\u2014Taieri):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair. First, I\u2019d like to thank the Minister, the Hon David Seymour, for his considerable contribution just before the break. I appreciate his comments that he thought some of the things were out of scope, but actually I would put it to him that this was a bit more interesting and on point for, particularly, members of the public, who are interested in this issue, instead of going through a line-by-line analysis of the legislation. So I thank him for responding in a very sincere and genuine way to the questions that we put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EI hope that, in that spirit, he will also consider a very genuine and sincere suggestion for an Amendment Paper which has been submitted. I\u2019m sure the Minister has had time to read it. And this is about saying Labour agrees with the policy on the balance of considering public harm and the benefits that would flow from this bill. We do think it\u2019s a good idea to support it, for all the reasons I\u2019ve said before, but there is one really critical area where we feel the risks could be mitigated, and that is with appropriate storage. And these are the risks to the pharmacies, the pharmacists, but also to those who work in the pharmacies, who don\u2019t necessarily have the same level of choice about opting into the scheme, which the Minister has made very clear pharmacists can do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EThis Amendment Paper is in the name of my colleague the Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall. It, basically, proposes to replace clause 9, page 2, lines 23 to 25, with \u201C9 Regulation 28 amended (Custody of controlled drugs) Revoke regulation 28(4)(e).\u201D There\u2019s a whole explanatory note. I don\u2019t need to take up the committee\u2019s time with that. What I will do, just briefly for people following at home, is say that the context is that the current bill, in clause 9, removes any safe storage requirement for pseudoephedrine. We understand that pharmacists can opt into the scheme. So, in some ways, they may or may not be opting into any of the risks that that poses for people to ram-raid their shop or burgle their shop or their pharmacy, or whatever. But also, as I said before, this is about the staff who work there. They don\u2019t have that choice. They have families to feed. And so this is about protecting them as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EI note, in putting this amendment there on behalf of my colleague, that we had comments from pharmacists who said they were constantly burgled when pseudoephedrine was on the shelves. One of them said 12 times per year, and the select committee did ask advice around the storage of medicines and equivalent medicines\u2014one could say \u201Canalogue\u201D medicines\u2014and we were told that, with this kind of quantity, codeine was a good comparator. And codeine, in fact, does seem to be under lock and key. So it would be appropriate, in our view, to make sure that pseudoephedrine has the same level of safety.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EThis Government really needs to do everything it can to protect pharmacists and those who work in pharmacies from the risks of the declassification. So it is with real sincerity and an amount of pride, actually, for the work that we did as a select committee to tease out the issues, to really understand the context, understand what the real risks were about pseudoephedrine to the community\u2014it\u2019s very easy to have moral panic and hysteria. We understand that now there seems to be a pricing reality, with meth coming over the border, that it is unlikely people will make pseudoephedrine at home. It is unlikely that they will go and shop around, although we are very keen that the Minister will keep an eye on that for all the reasons named across the House. But I would like to see the Minister adopt this Amendment Paper.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EFor us, that would really seal the deal on being able to give full-hearted support to this bill instead of just the cautious enthusiasm for it. We want people to have the benefit. We don\u2019t want to stop people from getting pseudoephedrine because they have to go to a doctor or have it on prescription, but we need to keep our pharmacists safe, we need to keep their staff safe. Ram raids are still happening. This Government said they wouldn\u2019t happen when they got hard on crime, whatever. Ram raids are happening, and I hope the Minister understands the responsibility he has if and when there are ram raids if he doesn\u2019t adopt our Amendment Paper. So I\u2019m very keen for the Minister to adopt it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022 data-id=\u00228eb1b8b3429f4c178c2abaf0c58911b5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228eb1b8b3429f4c178c2abaf0c58911b5\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E E te M\u0101ngai, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou e te Whare. This is a really short piece of legislation, and the Amendment Paper in my name is what I\u2019d like to speak to today, but I\u2019d just like to contextualise that Amendment Paper within the reason that we have this amendment bill before us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ESo, as I outlined in my first and my second reading speeches, within the Misuse of Drugs Act (MODA) there is a self-fulfilling prophecy which continues to entrench an anti-health or anti - evidence-based approach to substances as classified within MODA 1975. To that effect, there is a requirement that if you are to introduce a new substance for classification, and therefore to bring along with it new criminal penalties, you only need to pass an Order in Council, which is typically rubber-stamped and waved through Parliament within a few minutes. However, if you are to declassify or to down-classify a substance, you need an entire amendment bill, which is the reason that we have this Misuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Bill before us today. Obviously, the intent of this Government is to try and get this passed before Christmas, which is the very reason that we\u2019ve had the deeply truncated select committee process, but what this speaks to is the fact that there are fundamental flaws within the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ESo that\u2019s where I now get to, the Amendment Paper in my name. This Amendment Paper would insert new clauses 4AA and 4AB and, effectively, would require that the Minister institute or create or commence a review on the operation of the broader Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. This is entirely consistent with the need for us to operate in a direction which is an evidence-based and harm minimisation approach to substances and, I\u2019d say, entirely aligned with the very arguments and rationale that the Minister in the chair, David Seymour, is making when it comes to this reclassification or down-classification bill when it comes to pseudoephedrine.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ETo that effect, we have seen it reflected in the Law Commission\u2019s work from 2011; from He Ara Oranga, the mental health and addiction inquiry; and Turuki! Turuki!, the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group review\u2014all of which, effectively, said we just need a straight-up repeal and replacement to replace the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 with a health-based, harm minimisation type of approach. But in lieu of having that political consensus, why not add another review to the pile so that, hopefully, a Government further down the track does the right thing when it comes to the evidence and a harm minimisation type of approach.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI guess that\u2019s just the baseline appeal that we would like to make across the House today as the Greens: entirely consistent with the approach that we have taken on cigarettes, on alcohol, on cannabis, and on all other substances, including pseudoephedrine, let\u2019s take an\u00A0evidence-based, harm minimisation approach, but let\u2019s apply that to substances across the\u00A0board. Why not have an entire review of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, because as the Minister is underscoring in his rationale for this legislation in front of us today, the classification schemes and the moral panics that tend to be associated with them simply are\u00A0not working and are not fit for purpose.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022 data-id=\u0022f861f45a63a54e7dac3b840a54a5b910\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f861f45a63a54e7dac3b840a54a5b910\u0022\u003EHon GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Chair\u2014thank you. Look, I\u2019ll just take a short call. Even though it was an incredibly short time for select committee to hear submissions and gather evidence around what the impact of this bill will have on communities, one of the points that I thought was really interesting is that there\u2019s a proportion within New Zealand of people who have either complex drug and alcohol\u2014a\u00A0range of issues, that will take whatever\u2019s going at the moment. At the time, that once was synthetic cannabis; other times, there\u2019s been new kinds of drugs\u2014fentanyl was a real risk that we\u2019ve seen in other countries. But one of the observations is that as pseudoephedrine becomes more readily available, the group of frequent drug users in New Zealand will use this drug and, potentially, use it to manufacture methamphetamine.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003ESo I think with that power to change the law for the Government, there also comes responsibility to talk about what types of addiction services will be made more readily available to those people in our community who need that assistance but aren\u2019t yet still receiving it. So I would be really interested to hear from the Minister: if there is going to be more readily available pseudoephedrine within the community, then what are the steps that will be taken to provide communities with the support, treatment, and ways of having more wellbeing, more supported transitions, and therapeutic communities that assist people to make positive choices and to move away from harmful abuse of substances? When you\u2019re making a substance like this, which can be potentially harmful, more readily available, it would be good to have an understanding about what the Government\u2019s plan is to provide assistance into those areas where they might be more harmful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022 data-id=\u0022bae6c24ea3404e77aaa42e32bf0f1612\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bae6c24ea3404e77aaa42e32bf0f1612\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR (Labour\u2014\u014Ch\u0101riu):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I\u2019ve just got some questions of the Minister; they\u2019ll be around the context of this. Now, I accept this is a very simple bill that by itself, out of any context, merely changes the legal status of a substance. However, as the Minister knows, nothing ever happens in isolation, and I think it\u2019s important to note that the difference with methamphetamine from every other drug, virtually, that we deal with\u2014some of them being mentioned by my colleague previously, Ginny Andersen\u2014is that this starts life, as does every ingredient which goes into it: every precursor is legal when it starts life, and it\u2019s only when they are put together that you have an illegal substance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll give an example of that. When I was a younger police officer, we had a major heroin epidemic in New Zealand, and it was not unusual to have two or three heroin overdose deaths in Wellington. Now, that was cured overnight, because the Mr Asia syndicate\u2014the very efficient Mr Asia syndicate\u2014had been bringing basically all the heroin into New Zealand. So when they were busted, they fell apart quite badly\u2014ended up with one of them handless and headless in a quarry in northern England. As a result, the whole syndicate collapsed and there was no heroin in New Zealand for quite some time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EThe next lot of heroin arrived because the very resourceful criminals and drug addicts who were left actually started to make heroin, what we called homebake heroin, using codeine-based products\u2014very resourceful. We hadn\u2019t had a problem for about three or four years; all of a sudden, we had a problem again, where this homebake heroin, which actually turned out to be more of a problem than heroin itself, was actually harder on the body and resulted in more deaths than heroin did itself.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003ENow, coming forward to the question that I\u2019m asking here: has the Minister, in bringing forward this legislation, considered what may happen here? It was a very unlikely scenario that a country awash with heroin all of a sudden would have no white powder available, and the same thing could actually happen. New Zealand has relatively secure borders, unlike most countries where you can drive into or sail into\u2014well, you can sail into New Zealand but you lose control of the product. It\u2019s actually quite conceivable in New Zealand that we could end up with very little heroin around, as we did during the COVID lockdowns, I might say, when it was very difficult to obtain this. Now, with this product now available\u2014there are other products; the main ones, things like red phosphorus, some of the acetic acids whose names I could never quite pronounce, let alone remember, but there was about four or five basic core ingredients that went into this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EHas the Minister considered the importance of ensuring that there is a monitoring regime so that by, for example, working out how much red phosphorus is being sold, another essential ingredient\u2014some of those other core products are actually being sold,\u00A0so if the amount of them being sold, stolen, or otherwise acquired starts to rise, is there anything that the member has considered? Certainly, there\u2019s nothing I can see in the bill that will just give that security that this simple bill won\u2019t result in us going back to the old homebake heroin situation or allowing young amateurs around, particularly, school kids. Also, bearing in mind, we have a regime now where things are much more readily available through mail order, through various sales regimes, where those other ingredients are much easier to get hold of now. So is the Minister happy that we\u2019re not actually re-establishing the conditions where we could actually end up with a problem in the future without some sort of monitoring regime to make sure that we have that reassurance that it won\u2019t happen?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022f4c6ea93f197420db1e388ccc8682b82\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f4c6ea93f197420db1e388ccc8682b82\u0022\u003EHon DAVID SEYMOUR (Associate Minister of Health (Pharmac)):\u003C/span\u003E Well, I just want to acknowledge a couple of members that have risen to their feet and made speeches or asked questions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EIn Ingrid Leary\u2019s case, an Amendment Paper that she is speaking on, on behalf of Ayesha Verrall\u2014the basic thrust of the Amendment Paper is that pharmacies would be required to keep cough medicine, or pseudoephedrine-based cough medicine, in safes. This is something that was actually submitted on during the select committee process. I\u2019m advised that pharmacists have made it clear to the Ministry of Health that that is impractical for them to do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003ESecondly, I need to make it clear to the committee that it is actually not currently a requirement to keep pseudoephedrine medications in safes in pharmacists. So the notion that this legislation is taking away that requirement is untrue, and not only is it untrue, it couldn\u2019t be true, if somebody knew that basic fact. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EFinally, I\u2019ll just make the point that there\u2019s nothing to stop a pharmacy from keeping their pseudoephedrine-based cough and cold medicine in a safe. To legislate that they have to do it would make their business unworkable. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a responsible thing to do. The Government does not accept that particular Amendment Paper. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EWe had a speech from Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick which appeared to be completely out of order, trying to promote another policy area that is not actually a part of this debate because it is not part of what was agreed to at the second reading.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002227bc485093f34698b26cea51d4321c22\u0022\u003EHon Dr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s not your job. We have someone else to do that for us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce962488bd56420eb27a9656e439c360\u0022\u003EHon DAVID SEYMOUR\u003C/span\u003E: Somebody said it is not my job. Well, actually, reading the Standing Orders to know what a committee stage of a debate is about\u2014that actually is a part of my job, and it might surprise the member to learn that it is part of his job too. If only he opened the Standing Orders, he might be astonished what he could learn.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EFinally, Greg O\u2019Connor\u2014and I\u2019ve got to say, while I was listening to Greg O\u2019Connor, Hello Sailor\u2019s \u201CBlue Lady\u201D was ringing in my ears. Greg O\u2019Connor has got to be one of the best recounters. What I took from his story about heroin in the 1970s being replaced by homebake\u2014I think what he is saying is that were the current supplies of methamphetamine, which are more voluminous, more available, and cheaper than anything available the last time we had pseudoephedrine-based cough medicine in pharmacies; were that supply to cease the way the supply of heroin ceased with the Mr Asia syndicate was blown up, I think in the 1970s\u2014it was before my time\u2014then perhaps there would be some other substitute; for example, people trying to manufacture meth again. I think, sadly, it is unlikely that anything we\u2019re doing right now is going to stop that supply. It seems to be a strong supply.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EObviously, the Government is doing everything it can to stop. But were it to stop, hypothetically, if I\u2019m following Mr O\u2019Connor\u2019s analogy correctly, then, certainly, the Government will look to stamp out any other sources of P, including anything relating to the manufacture of it with other precursors or other manufacturing components, such as\u2014I think he talked about a chemical, red metal\u2014you might be able to help me, but I\u00A0haven\u2019t written clearly enough the chemical he mentioned, but\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250cd3a31860a49818733cbedf93e1a34\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: Red phosphorus.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022430ccd3cf4c54d038e673abe2aab7885\u0022\u003EHon DAVID SEYMOUR\u003C/span\u003E: No, red phosphorus, yes. I think Mr O\u2019Connor would know that the police in their enforcement activities might well look for those kinds of things, but it would be wrong for the Parliament or the Government to tell them exactly what to do, because we just don\u2019t direct the police in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EFinally, there were some comments from a member\u2014I think it was Ginny Andersen\u2014who asked about support for the drug harm in the community, very similar to earlier comments by H\u016Bhana Lyndon, which I\u2019d also addressed. In my response to those comments, I pointed out that while I think it is very noble thing to have initiatives such as Te Ara Oranga in the community, it is not strictly connected to this piece of legislation we\u2019re debating tonight. The assumed need for it suggests that this legislation will increase the availability of methamphetamine, when all the evidence and most of the submissions that came into the select committee told us that the opposite is true. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022 data-id=\u00229ab803900a654f67808f14b14e0caba9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229ab803900a654f67808f14b14e0caba9\u0022\u003EDAN BIDOIS (National\u2014Northcote):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That debate on this question now close.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u00229876ffb20bd245d29b1896f34971a9fd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229876ffb20bd245d29b1896f34971a9fd\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh)\u003C/span\u003E: Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u2019s amendment to insert new clauses 4AA and 4AB, set out on Amendment Paper 22, is ruled out of order as being outside the scope of the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EThe question is that Dr Ayesha Verrall\u2019s amendment to Part 2 set out on Amendment Paper 27 be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022254783ff418d46588d360d6ac9f526fc\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 amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 34\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 34.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 83\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 49; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000594\u0022\u003EParts 1 and 2 and clauses 1 to 3 agreed to.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000595\u0022\u003EBill to be reported without amendment.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000596\u0022\u003EHouse resumed.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d19bc3c4e41147f393e02d5e561ebee7\u0022\u003EReport of Committee of the Whole House\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228d9afa6d3e0648549df9fc23a87759bb\u0022\u003EReport of Committee of the Whole House\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u002279cd1a1bd397464ab4d4042ea85066db\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002279cd1a1bd397464ab4d4042ea85066db\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh)\u003C/span\u003E: Madam Speaker, the committee has considered the Misuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Bill and reports it without amendment. The committee has also considered the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill and reports it without amendment. I move, That the report be adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EReport adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a460a2ec22634e8da5182bf7f71f2892\u0022\u003ERegulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00228ec974dff86c4e348ce2899766e70137\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022 data-id=\u0022926f6bde7acb452da47c22cef74f0006\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022926f6bde7acb452da47c22cef74f0006\u0022\u003EHon ERICA STANFORD (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E I present a legislative statement on the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3fbdf25258143519b3f649f39c29891\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh)\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=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022960fba8991ec4e03937ceb4c993c0678\u0022\u003EHon ERICA STANFORD\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill be now read a second time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EDuring the consultation period, I had the privilege of being a member of the Education and Workforce Committee and hearing the concerns of stakeholders in the public regarding the matters of this bill. I want to start by, first and foremost, thanking all of those who took time to make submissions on the bill. I\u2019d also like to thank all of the other members of the committee for their consideration of this bill, which makes some very technical amendments to maintain the effectiveness of education regulatory systems, including continuing the legacy of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion as well as benefiting learners who receive support from the Pacific Education Foundation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe committee received nine submissions on the bill, covering a range of views and suggestions. Some of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion company associations made submissions and provided their views on these proposals. The majority of submissions were supportive of the changes that were proposed and suggestions from submitters have made useful improvements to the bill. The committee proposed amendments to the bill that mainly refine and clarify the original provisions which were unanimously agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThis bill makes changes to the Ngarimu VC and 28th (M\u0101ori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Act 1945 to confirm the Ngarimu VC and 28th (M\u0101ori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board as the successor to the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion Association. This change will enable the board to authorise the use of words and emblems related to the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion and the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion Association under the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe bill also creates a new position on the Ngarimu scholarship fund board to be held by a person of M\u0101ori descent who has or is currently serving in the armed forces. This proposal is intended to preserve the legacy and mana of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion into the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe Education and Workforce Committee recommended two changes to clarify this proposal. First, the committee proposed, in addition to the bill, to state that this new position is to be appointed by the Governor-General. This provides clarity on who will be responsible for appointments to the new role. The Governor-General is the appropriate person to make this appointment as they already appoint other individual positions on the Ngarimu VC board. The Governor-General would decide who to appoint into the role on advice from the Minister of Education and in accordance with the Public Service Commission and Cabinet guidelines for appointments to boards where the Crown has an interest. This will ensure that the appointment process is transparent and consistent with other individual appointments to the Ngarimu VC board.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe committee also recommended a change to this proposal to clarify that the new position should be held by a person of M\u0101ori descent who is serving or has served in the armed forces rather than the New Zealand Defence Force more generally. The reference to armed forces in the bill relates to the definition of \u201Carmed forces\u201D in the Defence Act 1990, which constitutes the navy, the army, and the air force, collectively. This change will make sure that the position is held by someone with a military background rather than civilian staff, to preserve the military legacy and mana of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe bill makes several amendments to the Pacific Education Foundation Act 1972. The Act governs the Pacific Education Foundation, which promotes and encourages strong education outcomes for Pacific peoples in New Zealand. The board of the foundation administers different kinds of support for Pacific peoples living in New Zealand. The changes to this bill to the Pacific education Act include amending the Act\u2019s membership and purpose provisions to enable the foundation to more effectively promote and encourage the education of Aotearoa Pacific people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EOne of the key amendments to the Pacific Education Foundation Act included in this bill is to update the definition of \u201CPacific person\u201D who can receive support from the foundation. The new definition of \u201CAotearoa Pacific person\u201D refers to a person with indigenous Pacific cultural heritage from a broader list of Pacific places compared to the previous definition. The bill also enables the Governor-General, on the recommendation of the Minister of Education through an Order in Council, to update this list to ensure it reflects the diverse Pacific population of New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe committee recommended an amendment to the bill so that it sets out the factors the Minister of Education must take into account when making a recommendation to the Governor-General to make changes to this list of Pacific places. These factors include the location of the Pacific place, the population of those with indigenous cultural heritage from the place living in New Zealand, and any other consultation with that Pacific community. This change will ensure that any directions to make changes to the list of places is appropriate and transparent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe bill also updates the foundation\u2019s authorised expenditure for purposes not specifically identified in the Act, from $500 to $10,000 a year, as this amount hasn\u2019t been updated since 1972. The committee has recommended a minor change to the bill, which modernises the language of this authorised expenditure provision.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe bill also makes technical amendments to two sets of regulations that impact the education sector. The first is an amendment to the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 so that the police vetting requirements for workers at limited attendance childcare centres, such as malls or gym creches, are consistent with the requirements in the Children\u2019s Act 2014 and the Education and Training Act 2020.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe second amendment updates the Children\u2019s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children\u2019s Workers) Regulations 2015 to include reference to the Kiwi Access Card as an acceptable form of identity, reflecting the name change of the 18\u002B Card. The committee did not propose any changes to either of these amendments.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EThe bill makes changes that uphold the mana and the legacy of the Ngarimu VC and 28th M\u0101ori Battalion, supports the work of the Pacific Education Foundation, and ensures that the education regulatory systems are fit for purpose.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EJust before I finish, I\u2019d just like to say that I, as the chair of this board, the Ngarimu board, was very honoured to host the awards ceremony last week in Gisborne where we presented about 13 awards to quite brilliant young M\u0101ori achievers. It was an absolutely fantastic day, and I know that it means so much to them and their families to be carrying that legacy with them. It\u2019s incredible mana for them and the day couldn\u2019t have gone better, and I\u2019d like to say a big shout-out to the board, who put on an incredibly good awards ceremony.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000621\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EAnd with that, Madam Speaker, I commend the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u00229a39319fcb26433e840385fab8fb0ce7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000622\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229a39319fcb26433e840385fab8fb0ce7\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh)\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=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022 data-id=\u0022ab98d179b06a4b4ab3c5374d3ff1e7bf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000623\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ab98d179b06a4b4ab3c5374d3ff1e7bf\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I\u2019m delighted to take a very short call on the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill. As the Minister has pointed out, this bill has a number of changes to several Acts, and it really is one of those omnibus bills that tidies up some issues that have been seen and found within the legislation. It has made amendments to the Ngarimu VC and 28th (M\u0101ori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Act 1945, amendments to the Pacific Education Foundation Act 1972, amendments to regulations of the Children\u2019s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children\u2019s Workers) Regulations 2015, and the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000624\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003ECan I thank very much the work of the Education and Workforce Committee at the time in the last Parliament, who took this work through. It\u2019s actually nearly a year to the day that the first reading of this bill occurred. It was 29 March when we had the first reading. So it\u2019s been a wee bit of time, even though there were only nine written submissions and only three oral submissions for this particular bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003EAs the Minister has quite rightly pointed out, most of the submissions were in favour of the bill. In fact, some of those that were against the bill gave no reason why they were against it. It was just a flat: \u201CWe don\u2019t agree with this bill.\u201D So most of the submissions that came in were very fulsome in favour of the bill itself. As the Minister has pointed out, the select committee had very minor changes that came back that tidied it up somewhat, that made it a bit more of a bill that people could see as usable and understanding of that bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003EThe one thing I will say is that when the first reading did occur, almost a year ago, the then Opposition members were quite scathing of this bill and didn\u2019t seem to think that it did much at all. I\u2019m sure they understand now, when they\u2019re on the other side, that sometimes there are pieces of legislation that do make the legislation better. And it doesn\u2019t matter what they see as only minor changes to it, it is important to the people for whom this legislation allows them to operate. And that\u2019s exactly why these changes have been made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000627\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003ESo I did say that I was going to take a very short call on this. I think that the bill is a very good bill and I have no hesitation in commending it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223cc9806d-f7ef-4e23-a218-442f20bf8591\u0022 data-id=\u0022f8946a7ba8054823addb6cfcc155c873\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000628\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223cc9806d-f7ef-4e23-a218-442f20bf8591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f8946a7ba8054823addb6cfcc155c873\u0022\u003EDr LAWRENCE XU-NAN (Green):\u003C/span\u003E I want to, first of all, echo what my predecessor also said in terms of the different elements of this particular bill, the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill, and the fact that it\u2019s an omnibus bill that looks at various components. Also, I was not around when this bill was going through first reading nor select committee, but upon again reading the notes to, and the Hansard of, the first reading, I am glad to see that Minister Stanford is now in support of this bill. Particularly, I am delighted to hear that she said the \u201Cwonderful and amazing and talented young M\u0101ori\u201D that she has met as part of the award ceremony. I\u2019m hoping that this will change her mind from the stance that she took in the first reading, that this is not going to help the achievement and the root cause of some of M\u0101ori and Pasifika performance, as we have seen in the first reading.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000629\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223cc9806d-f7ef-4e23-a218-442f20bf8591\u0022\u003ESo, in terms of this particular bill, a couple of things I would like to bring up as well, particularly around the Ngarimu scholarships\u2014and just to again highlight the fact that the Ngarimu scholarships are designed to inspire, reward, and support M\u0101ori achievements and their success in education. Ceremonies include doctoral, masters, undergraduate as well as vocational education and training, which is absolutely fantastic to see that it cuts across all levels of tertiary education, and also in the scholarships aimed to support the opportunities for M\u0101ori students to reach their full potential by reducing some of the financial barriers to study and/or training\u2014again, fantastic to see.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223cc9806d-f7ef-4e23-a218-442f20bf8591\u0022\u003EIn terms of the Pacific Education Foundation Act 1972, when we\u2019re looking at that particular thing\u2014and again, please indulge me as I kind of go into some of these in a little bit more depth\u2014the general purpose of the foundation should be to promote and encourage the better education of Pacific people and to provide financial assistance for that purpose. And for that we the Green Party agree that the omnibus bill and also the results and the responses from the select committee report have achieved that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000631\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223cc9806d-f7ef-4e23-a218-442f20bf8591\u0022\u003EA couple of additional things that I would like to point out that are particularly noteworthy in this particular case as we are looking at things around M\u0101ori and Pasifika student performance and also achievement are: number one, to look at the fact that the authority expenditure in this case for the Pacific Education Foundation Act has increased from $500 to $10,000 in reflection of the inflation, but also, most importantly, in reflection to the cost of our education. I think I would like to take this opportunity to remind people again that in these cases they shouldn\u2019t have to take foundations and funding, that education should be a public good and it should be free for all students.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000632\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223cc9806d-f7ef-4e23-a218-442f20bf8591\u0022\u003EThe authority for unspecified expenditure in this case particularly was used for making grants for uniforms and other equipment to Pacific learners and their families. Again, I would like to point people to the recent investigation by the University of Otago around the cost of new uniforms, which can range, on average, from $80 to over $1,200 per single student. I am an educator, after all, and I know the kind of financial burden it places on the students and their wh\u0101nau.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000633\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223cc9806d-f7ef-4e23-a218-442f20bf8591\u0022\u003EThere are also several steps that I think the New Zealand Government needs to take to actually alleviate some of this when it comes to school uniforms, including making subsidies for uniform costs more accessible and less bureaucratic, and the Government should legislate this particular State funding for school uniforms for high-needs students.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000634\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223cc9806d-f7ef-4e23-a218-442f20bf8591\u0022\u003EThe other angle to look at in this particular bill, which I think we hear in this House repeatedly, is that the independence of M\u0101ori and Pasifika funding sources in this case is absolutely crucial\u2014on their funding sources that are determined by M\u0101ori and/or Pasifika for M\u0101ori and Pasifika. In this particular case, I would like to highlight the Ministry of Education submission, which is that this particular move is informed by wider engagement and discussions with Pacific communities through the Ministry of Education and, most importantly, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples from 2018 to 2023.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000635\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223cc9806d-f7ef-4e23-a218-442f20bf8591\u0022\u003ESo, with all of that in mind, again, the Green Party is in support of this particular bill. And, most importantly, we are in support of the fact that we are looking at better opportunities for our M\u0101ori and Pasifika students, as well as their families, in order to get the best educational outcome. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228f20b644-642a-4c85-ade9-d5af32dc690b\u0022 data-id=\u0022e727c1de9d094e37a4b489df59582ed2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000636\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228f20b644-642a-4c85-ade9-d5af32dc690b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e727c1de9d094e37a4b489df59582ed2\u0022\u003ELAURA TRASK (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you. I stand in support of the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill. This is, essentially, an omnibus bill, and it\u2019s essential that we have our education regulatory systems fit for purpose. So we definitely stand in support of this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000637\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228f20b644-642a-4c85-ade9-d5af32dc690b\u0022\u003EI acknowledge that they\u2019re just minor changes, especially to the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion to preserve its mana into the future. Hardly any members of the battalion are still alive today, so this update in the legislation will ensure that M\u0101ori soldiers or veterans are represented on the board for the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000638\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228f20b644-642a-4c85-ade9-d5af32dc690b\u0022\u003EIn relation to the Pacific Education Foundation, this bill will expand the list of Pacific people to encompass the true representation of who Pacific people are today here in New Zealand and who may now benefit. It updates the board\u2019s constitution and expenditure, which hasn\u2019t actually been updated since 1972. So we feel that is very fair to do so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000639\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228f20b644-642a-4c85-ade9-d5af32dc690b\u0022\u003EWhen it comes to the amendments to the Health and Safety at Work Act, for the regulations to ensure that police vets and risk assessments are undertaken for workers at limited-attendance childcare centres before they begin work, we feel that this is very fair. It will create consistency and will bring it in line with other children\u2019s workers\u2019 requirements. And that goes for the same thing around the safety checks. We think that it\u2019s very fair that the 18\u002B card is an acceptable form of identity, with the Kiwi Access card as well, to reflect the name change that has occurred.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000640\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228f20b644-642a-4c85-ade9-d5af32dc690b\u0022\u003ESo a really short call, but, in essence, we support this bill, and I commend it to the House. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022 data-id=\u0022815d1ea59cf54951b779cb9bd0617154\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000641\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022815d1ea59cf54951b779cb9bd0617154\u0022\u003ETANYA UNKOVICH (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E One of the things I\u2019m enjoying about being a new parliamentarian is learning about all of these laws and pieces of legislation, many that I\u2019ve never heard about. I\u2019m very pleased to be speaking on this, because this is one that has educated me quite a lot. I\u2019ve made some really great notes, which I\u2019m going to share, because I feel that is something that will not only reinforce the value of this legislation but it will also enable me to remember it a bit more as I\u2019m explaining it to others, because I really do like to share with everyone what I do when I\u2019m in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000642\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003ENew Zealand First is going to support the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000643\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210982a667a8d4a7c84ec54d164ef47ca\u0022\u003EHon Dr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: Well, you are in Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000644\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002261418745ef3c4900994d36bd1b04605c\u0022\u003ETANYA UNKOVICH\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, did I hear a heckle over there? No, not yet. No, not a heckle.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224680255c0c3b497cac40b91083898400\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Do you want me to heckle you?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000646\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002295bb4e9276d34eec8b278bb3d1ea7845\u0022\u003ETANYA UNKOVICH\u003C/span\u003E: No, I don\u2019t need any heckling. No, just be kind.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000647\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022022925b430e24998bce13cb03c3fb6d5\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Great job! Great job!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000648\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222727d8ae27ef422aa5ca656fd9967868\u0022\u003ETANYA UNKOVICH\u003C/span\u003E: Oh dear, heckling from behind. That\u2019s something I didn\u2019t expect, Madam Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000649\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003EThis bill addresses key regulatory frameworks within the education sector, aiming to streamline processes and improve governance structures. Now, the bill seeks to enhance the effectiveness of existing legislation and also to better serve the needs of students, educators, and educational institutions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000650\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003ENow, this bill makes changes this way: it amends the Pacific Education Foundation Act 1972 by updating things such as eligibility criteria and also fostering greater education and opportunities. The other bill that is amended is the Ngarimu VC and 28th (M\u0101ori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Act 1945, also known as the Ngarimu Act. This ensures proper recognition and support for veterans and their contributions, and it\u2019s one way to ensure that their legacy remains as well, which is incredibly important.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003EThis bill also strengthens safety protocols by updating regulations governing safety checks for childcare workers. Now, everyone wants to ensure that their children are safe, so this is a very important part of the bill. This will ensure that there are heightened standards, and also it will give piece of mind for parents and guardians. Now, these targeted changes aim to address specific needs within the education sector, promoting efficiency for all involved. To be a little bit more specific, the bill will amend the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016\u2014that\u2019s another thing I\u2019ve had to learn as a new parliamentarian: to be able to say these long names. This is done to ensure a requirement to ensure that there is a police vet and to conduct a risk assessment for any workers at a limited attendance childcare centre. This will be done before they commence work\u2014it is an extra precaution.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000652\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003EThe other thing that this bill amends is the Children\u2019s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children\u2019s Workers) Regulations 2015 to include an additional reference to Kiwi access cards, reflecting the name change of the 18-plus card.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003ESo how does New Zealand First feel about this? Well, New Zealand First, as a party, we\u2019re very committed to equitable and efficient processes and regulations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000654\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b98b09e3709b4b8aa50dbb78728661ff\u0022\u003EHon Rachel Brooking\u003C/span\u003E: Good to hear!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000655\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7d8f48fee7c4f69b879e32a5cae0702\u0022\u003ETANYA UNKOVICH\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, we are indeed. And we always support sustainable development that enhances the wellbeing of all New Zealanders. New Zealand First\u2014in our principles we prioritise collaboration, transparency, and accountability. That is very important, especially when it comes to regulatory processes. So we ensure that the policies are implemented fairly and effectively. New Zealand First also believes in the importance of access to education, for all New Zealanders, to ensure lifelong learning opportunities for all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000656\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a7726e6b0ba7465ab87d6da2e179957c\u0022\u003EHon Scott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s in the coalition agreement too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000657\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022874ecd1c088245bb884c131d4ef8674f\u0022\u003ETANYA UNKOVICH\u003C/span\u003E: I believe that it is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000658\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022087c2a619a654036b8ea0ef4351579d9\u0022\u003EHon Scott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: Very good.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000659\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b21beb09-9d9b-4414-9bb1-ddba249459d5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c4c58d7fc4dd42a182981d9d193cc309\u0022\u003ETANYA UNKOVICH\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I believe it is. So why would we support this bill? Well, New Zealand First\u2014we believe that the proposed amendments aim to enhance the governance structures and they promote equitable access to education, particularly in the rural areas and areas where people cannot get to easily. Also, it aligns with our policies to improve access to education and support, as I\u2019ve said\u2014lifelong learning opportunities for all. It reaffirms our commitment to building a quality public education system. That is something that we really want\u2014all of us in the coalition\u2014and we want to prioritise and ensure the wellbeing of all New Zealanders, which is why I will take the honour of commending this bill to the House on behalf of New Zealand First.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u00226c08bae75ea74165a6590ac4422a4129\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000660\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226c08bae75ea74165a6590ac4422a4129\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh)\u003C/span\u003E: This next call is a split call. The first call I\u2019ve got\u2014the Green Party is the second call, so I\u2019ll take Dr Hamish Campbell.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222837c142-c937-468e-9984-bc646d066687\u0022 data-id=\u002268a03cfa848e40e0b8dcc782471114e1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000661\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222837c142-c937-468e-9984-bc646d066687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002268a03cfa848e40e0b8dcc782471114e1\u0022\u003EDr HAMISH CAMPBELL (National\u2014Ilam):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is a great pleasure to rise to my feet to talk about the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill. It\u2019s always a great topic when we come to talk about education. I think education is the key to actually lifting the quality of life of all people, and it\u2019s actually something that was a key theme of my maiden statement. I think it\u2019s very important, education, so I\u2019m very grateful that I\u2019ve been given this opportunity to stand up and talk about this amendment bill. A lot has been mentioned about this bill already. It\u2019s talking about maintaining the mana of the M\u0101ori Battalion and the legacy that they have forged in the theatres of war; we much honour their sacrifices that we have freedom because of their willingness to go to war.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000662\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250b769c6c29649669be63e8dc4df0143\u0022\u003EHon Scott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: This Parliament is a war memorial as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000663\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222837c142-c937-468e-9984-bc646d066687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b7327e1a02d24c22bb89c821b4c7a521\u0022\u003EDr HAMISH CAMPBELL\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, actually, that\u2019s a good point. This Parliament is a war memorial, and we honour not just the M\u0101ori Battalion but all battalions that have fought for our safety and our freedom.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000664\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222837c142-c937-468e-9984-bc646d066687\u0022\u003EBut getting back to this bill, of course, the policy objective of this bill is to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of the regulatory systems established by the principal Acts that it amends. And I appreciate that\u2019s a very complicated way of saying that really what we need to do is modernise this legislation that will stop the need for us to have to keep on coming back and editing it or modifying it, amending it. We need to make sure that we modernise it to make sure that we can keep that mana going forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000665\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222837c142-c937-468e-9984-bc646d066687\u0022\u003ENow, of course, there\u2019s a whole range of things that this bill is going to do, but I think probably we do have support right across the House, which is great. But I think it is great that we can actually have scholarships which we can then give out to students, which can give them encouragement to continue on into education so they can reach the aspirations and dreams that they have. And, of course, it was just last night that, actually, we had Rocket Lab here at Parliament, and we think of the students that now can reach for the stars. We can definitely encourage more students into STEM and actually help lift the quality of life of all New Zealanders. But I do digress. I appreciate it is very much a passion of mine that we do increase our scientific literacy of our students.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000666\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222837c142-c937-468e-9984-bc646d066687\u0022\u003EBut this bill contains a range of minor and technical changes, as I say, aimed at modernising and updating legislation. And, of course, we\u2019ve talked about this scholarship fund Act broadening the range, updating the definition of a Pacific person who can benefit from this foundation. I think it\u2019s very important that we acknowledge that and can continue to elevate Pacific people in New Zealand. And, of course, we\u2019ve talked about changing the name of the ID card. Just once again, this shows that we need to make sure that this is a modernised piece of legislation that will actually achieve what we need it to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000667\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222837c142-c937-468e-9984-bc646d066687\u0022\u003EAll parties have indicated their support for this bill, and I do believe there have been some submissions through the select committee process\u2014all in favour of this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000668\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002256c735ea320f40b09224d71b25e5aa7e\u0022\u003EHon Scott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: With unanimity across the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000669\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd8ec5f1f54e4f9b8e3dc7fe055c26fc\u0022\u003EKatie Nimon\u003C/span\u003E: Amazing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000670\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222837c142-c937-468e-9984-bc646d066687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6772603bfac4589b2e04352fae8c02e\u0022\u003EDr HAMISH CAMPBELL\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s absolutely amazing. I think really the key messages are we need to preserve the legacy and the mana of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion into the future, we need to support the work of the Pacific Education Foundation, and we need to ensure that the education regulatory systems are fit for purpose. And so, therefore, I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022 data-id=\u00227466d70d64fc4bf4bf8fd2ad5b379bbd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000671\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227466d70d64fc4bf4bf8fd2ad5b379bbd\u0022\u003ERICARDO MEN\u00C9NDEZ MARCH (Green):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s a pleasure to rise in support of the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill. Like other Opposition MPs, I\u2019d like to welcome the National Party speakers to the right side of supporting this piece of legislation. I was looking at the Hansard record of the proceeding, and there were some really interesting comments. But before I touch on some of those comments, I did want to acknowledge the comments from my colleague Lawrence, who spoke earlier around the importance of the independence of M\u0101ori and Pasifika funding sources and that those are determined by M\u0101ori and Pasifika for their own communities, and also recognising the importance of the Ngarimu scholarships and how they actually resource and inspire M\u0101ori students and celebrate M\u0101ori achievement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000672\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022\u003EWhich then takes me to the other points of the speakers from the first reading, because I think this bill is actually about lifting achievement. It is about celebrating and supporting M\u0101ori and Pasifika students. And yet in the first reading, there were several comments from the Minister when she was in Opposition. She said, \u201CAgain, some noble intentions, but misses the main point of the fact that our kids can\u2019t do reading, writing, and math.\u201D And she also said, \u201CNothing in this bill around achievement for M\u0101ori and Pasifika\u2014again, a missed opportunity.\u201D For example, if we look at Penny Simmonds\u2019 comments in the first reading, she said, \u201CWell, here we are again debating things with little to do with education without hitting the real issues in the education sectors, but, however, we\u2019ll have another go at it.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000673\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022\u003EI think, to me, this just talks about the need for members to engage with bills in a substantive way so that they actually look at the legislation in a way that is accurate. I don\u2019t know if it was submitters actually helping them to open their eyes or the advice that the Minister received now that she\u2019s in Government, but I\u2019m really pleased to see that now we\u2019ve gotten to a place where we\u2019re all supporting this bill. And this will be one of the few times that I\u2019ll be commending the ACT Party, because I was looking at the Hansard record and I\u2019m glad to see that they had at least a consistent position in this piece of legislation, which is great. We do support people being consistent with their values, but when they\u2019re not, at least it\u2019s good to see them come to the right side.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000674\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022\u003EBut coming back to the bill. This is a bill that we are happy to support because, ultimately, what it does is it updates support that exists for M\u0101ori and Pacific students. It continues ensuring that we celebrate that achievement. And, at the end of the day, as Lawrence said, there is more that we have to do to ensure that our education system is fully accessible for all, but ultimately the things that we\u2019re updating here and maintaining the effectiveness and efficiency of the regulatory system still support that broader participation of people in the education system. For those reasons, we commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022 data-id=\u002235ddbb3c48114b9da379843512173924\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000675\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002235ddbb3c48114b9da379843512173924\u0022\u003EKATIE NIMON (National\u2014Napier):\u003C/span\u003E I\u2019m really pleased to be standing here to speak to the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill, and specifically to shed some light on some context. On Friday, I was really privileged to join Minister Stanford in Gisborne to attend the Ngarimu VC and 28th (M\u0101ori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships awards. For those of you that don\u2019t know, my electorate goes all the way up into Gisborne and boundaries with that of my good friend and colleague Dana Kirkpatrick, to the southern area of Gisborne District. So I was very privileged to be there and present with my friend Dana, who knows so many of the community. It\u2019s quite amazing to see her be greeted by people with such joy. It was a real privilege to be there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EErica did a fantastic job of acknowledging the very importance of, particularly, the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion but also the Ngarimu VC scholarship awards and the history, and some real history was shared on this particular scholarship fund while we were there. One of the points\u2014and there were so many points; the whole ceremony was five hours, in the glorious Gisborne sunshine, might I add. The history was that there was money put aside in recognition of Ngarimu after his life was lost in the war, to acknowledge the descendants of his family. I believe that about \u00A37,500 was raised by parliamentarians at the time in support. And with inflation, I think you could calculate it, it would be in the millions in terms of what money was raised. As that has gone on over time, it has raised a significant amount, so we\u2019ve actually been able to contribute to the careers of the most incredible, bright, young M\u0101ori people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000677\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EI just make a point as to why some of these changes in this bill are so important. One young gentleman, Heremia McGarvey, I met at Lake Waikaremoana earlier this year when I was with Minister Potaka\u2014[Interruption] Yes, a fantastic Minister. We were opening the Lake Waikaremoana track with T\u016Bhoe iwi. Heremia is part of that iwi, and I met him there. I thought, \u201CWhat an impressive young man. He\u2019s going to go a really long way.\u201D I have to say it was one of the most proud moments when I sat down in the audience at the awards on Friday to see Heremia McGarvey\u2019s name in the programme, receiving a scholarship. He is studying law in Wellington, and I thought, \u201CMy gosh, he really is an impressive young man.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000678\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EThis award recognises men like him and some of the other men and women who receive these scholarships. They were not just undergraduates. There were also those with a doctorate, a Master\u2019s, vocational education, and there were some incredible video acknowledgments made. One was to the head girl of Rangitoto College, which the Minister acknowledged herself, being a former student of Rangitoto College as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000679\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EThe point here in this bill is the change that is necessary to be made, which is to modernise the language so that we can protect organisations like this. The descendants are very important to this, and it was hosted at C Company Memorial House. But it\u2019s important that the fund is administered and acknowledged to be in the right place. The other thing to add\u2014and we were very privileged to have Willie Apiata VC in our presence. It was an incredible thing, I\u2019ve got to say. One of the highlights of my day was meeting Willie Apiata, a true hero\u2014and, yes, he is tall. He spoke off the cuff. He didn\u2019t know he was meant to be speaking and he spoke off the cuff to his experiences and why this scholarship award is so important. He made the point so perfectly himself that you\u2019ve got to keep this going so that those that receive it and those that go on to receive it understand how important it is and what it means to the future of these young people\u2014and, actually, they are not all young people. Some are incredibly successful people in their 50s and 60s who have led incredible lives and continue to study and contribute.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000680\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve made acknowledgment of the board members and so one of the points in this bill is about the board members of the Ngarimu VC scholarship and the scholarship fund Act. Of course, we have representatives from M\u0101ori electorates, many of whom were there on the day. I acknowledge my colleague Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, who is the member for Ikaroa-R\u0101whiti and was there representing her electorate. I think the point is that we\u2019ve got our Minister of Education, our M\u0101ori electorate MPs, and we have also got representatives from the various companies within 28th M\u0101ori Battalion. But to have a new M\u0101ori representative position on the board, this is fundamental. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EJust to draw your attention to it, there is on the board someone that has served or is currently serving in the New Zealand Defence Force. Now, that might be one Willie Apiata VC. Now, I\u2019m not going to do the Governor-General\u2019s job and decide who it is that\u2019s going to take that position. But it felt quite interesting to me, sitting in the audience and wondering why it was that he wasn\u2019t on the board. He was such a significant part of that organisation. He was there representing, but it\u2019s because there is not a provisional place for him on the board. Now, this amendment would allow that. Now, as I say, that\u2019s not to say that he necessarily will take that board position, but for this amendment to create a position for him, I think, is something that will take this bill a really long way. So, look, I say that that particular aspect of the bill is really important to me, and I say I\u00A0have experience with it\u2014just to see the importance of what happens when you really continue the legacy of something so fundamental to our country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000682\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EThere is something to point out on the next aspect\u2014and, obviously, this is a three-part bill. A lot of people have referred to it as an omnibus bill. It does cover a lot of points, but the next aspect is the Pacific Education Foundation. This is something really interesting, and I\u2019ve made a couple of points here. Under the Pacific Education Foundation, the amount that was meant for each financial year hasn\u2019t been changed since 1972. My good friend and colleague Hamish Campbell made the point of modernising this bill so we don\u2019t have to keep changing it. What we\u2019re doing here is allowing ourselves to have this information change with time without having to constantly go back in and make further changes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000683\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EAnother point to make is about the \u201CAotearoa Pacific person\u201D, a person who is living in New Zealand, who is granted a permanent residence but is from a Pacific nation. Now, I think this is really interesting to acknowledge. We\u2019ve got an upcoming trip, a delegation, to the Pacific Islands. Actually, it\u2019s a Speaker\u2019s delegation, and one of the countries that we are visiting is Niue. There\u2019s a really interesting background on Niue: 1,950 people live in Niue but more of them live in New Zealand. It\u2019s important for us to acknowledge those people under this programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000684\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EI hear members opposite scoffing at this, but, actually, this was their bill, and had this bill gone through under their time, I have no doubt they would speaking to all these points in such depth. Now, all of a sudden it doesn\u2019t sound as important to them as it did when this bill was under their watch.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000685\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EThere are some really fantastic aspects to this bill, and I think that it\u2019s important that I highlight these. Unfortunately, some of these things are really necessary for us to change and one of the points that I\u2019ve got here is about the childcare centres. I am actually\u2014and it\u2019s amazing that it\u2019s taken me this long to bring it up\u2014the chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, and just recently we heard from the Associate Minister of Education who\u2019s responsible for early childcare education centres. What\u2019s been identified during his time as the Minister is that for some of these childcare centres that are attached to, perhaps, gyms, for example, or malls, actually it hasn\u2019t been a requirement for these people to have police vetting. And so it\u2019s really important. Some of the interesting information in this bill is that employers\u2014although they\u2019re already required to police vet, it\u2019s not before they start employment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000686\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003EI know from my experience managing a bus company that you have to vet all of your staff. It is a fundamental part, but, actually, they need multiple police vets. If you were a firefighter and you were a bus driver, you need to have two checks. It doesn\u2019t matter that you don\u2019t need to necessarily go across both of those. And so when you start in one of these roles, it\u2019s so fundamental that you are checked by police. My good friend and colleague Carl Bates, known in Whanganui as the \u201Ceverywhere man\u201D, has two young children in early childhood education, and an example for him would be knowing that if he were to take his children, when he was going to the gym, to a childcare centre, they would have the same health and safety expectations and that his children would be safe and with people who are fit and proper. Just to summarise the points we\u2019ve got here, there are three key aspects to this bill, and I think it\u2019s really good.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022 data-id=\u0022182f2403462744f9b9e0da0c12086321\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022182f2403462744f9b9e0da0c12086321\u0022\u003ECAMILLA BELICH (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much for the call, Madam Speaker. I didn\u2019t think I was going to get an opportunity, such was the passion of the chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, Katie Nimon, on matters relating, somewhat, adjunctly, tangentially to the subject matter of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000688\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003EBut this is a good bill and I was very pleased to be on the select committee when we considered this bill, and I want to acknowledge\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000689\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e9d936eb0c34501b79b8803dcf9e0fb\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, were you the chair, then?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000690\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022838f8b77e3964a1485b804da3d26a7cb\u0022\u003ECAMILLA BELICH\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, I was actually the chair then, and I just want to acknowledge the Minister at the time, Jan Tinetti, who brought this bill to the House, and also acknowledge the current Minister, who was actually on the committee when we considered it, as well. So it\u2019s a very interesting bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000691\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003EOne of the things that I have learnt being in Parliament is that this particular bill is an omnibus bill. It does lots of things that might be considered minor to some people but, as members have elucidated in their speeches, some are very significant things to particular groups, including the 28th (M\u0101ori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund. So there are some very important things in here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000692\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003EI won\u2019t go, as other members have, through every aspect of this bill, but two aspects that I wanted to highlight are, firstly, the regulatory changes in relation to early childhood education. It is really important to have good, solid safety regulations in early childhood education\u2014perhaps one of the most important areas that we regulate in New Zealand. In education, some of the most important regulations are in that early childhood space. The reason that those are so important is because they help to keep some of the most vulnerable people in our society safe. When we take our children to childcare centres, as many in this House have done in the past, do currently do, or will do in the future, we need to be absolutely certain that all of the checks and balances are in place to ensure the safety of those children.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000693\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s been heartening to see the change of tone from members opposite in relation to these regulatory matters. We have heard a lot of criticism about regulations in early childhood education recently from members of the coalition Government. I would just like to emphasise at this point that this shows how important regulations are. Of course people should go through a police check when they are looking after your children, even if it\u2019s for a short period of time in a mall or a gym or other such location. So it just shows you that when we talk about regulations, some of them can be incredibly important.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000694\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003EI want to commend the former Minister Jan Tinetti for bringing this bill to the House. I want to commend the committee for considering it, as we did very carefully. We looked at a lot of the definition words very carefully, we heard from representatives from the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion, we made sure that we took this bill\u2014although it\u2019s not a bill that\u2019s going to revolutionarily change the country, we took it really seriously, and we did, I feel, bring back a few changes. But also, having gone through that scrutiny process, which is so important, we were assured that this bill does what it says on the tin.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000695\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a503e324-3a0b-4efd-bf44-ec6740ec9a62\u0022\u003ESo the only thing I just wanted to lastly talk about, which hasn\u2019t been mentioned, is that this is a very unusual bill in that it has a picture of an emblem as part of the bill, which is 28th M\u0101ori Battalion and a picture of that in Schedule 1. I just want to draw the House\u2019s attention to that, because it is quite unusual to see a pictorial element of a particular piece of legislation in the bill, and very beautiful and full of history. So I just want to acknowledge all those, as other people in the House have, who served in the M\u0101ori Battalion, and those who continue to focus on the M\u0101ori Battalion\u2019s legacy as this bill does. I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022 data-id=\u002267ebd58692c54349986e095912949c4f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000696\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002267ebd58692c54349986e095912949c4f\u0022\u003ECARL BATES (National\u2014Whanganui):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you for giving me the opportunity this evening to speak on the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000697\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002284d3b56bccdd4aa089d147052e352b72\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: An important bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000698\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205363f63758e4fa0ab20d45230659c11\u0022\u003ECARL BATES\u003C/span\u003E: It is an important bill, and it reminded me, actually, my wonderful colleague the MP down there in Christchurch, Hamish Campbell\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000699\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002289809535-e289-43e8-ad08-668cf3046ffb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a72ed4ad51044983becc4f5189d13ba0\u0022\u003ECameron Brewer\u003C/span\u003E: Doctor.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000700\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e6857b34d6a47b2834341485e052e2c\u0022\u003ECARL BATES\u003C/span\u003E: Dr Hamish Campbell\u2014thank you\u2014Dr Hamish Campbell speaking about maiden speeches, and it reminded me of something that I said in my maiden speech: that this House must make choices about what the role of Government is and what it is not. We cannot and should not do everything, nor attempt to solve every problem. And it\u2019s bills like this that make sure our legislation is clear about what the Government will do and what it won\u2019t do, what the responsibility of the board is and what the responsibility of the board is not. And I think, as we navigate our way through legislation and regulation in this House, it\u2019s important to reflect on that pivotal moment at the beginning of our journey in this House, about why we are here and what it is that we intend on achieving while we\u2019re here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000701\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EThat brings me to my colleagues on the Education and Workforce Committee. I just have to acknowledge the great mahi of our chairwoman, Katie Nimon\u2014her excellent speech just before where she traversed this bill, I think, very fully\u2014and I acknowledge her recognition of those members who have families and have children and how a bill like this will just fix that little challenge that there is when it comes to childcare. But I\u2019ll come back to that, colleagues, a little later in my opportunity to share this evening.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000702\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EI also want to acknowledge the great member for the Wairarapa, great new member, outstanding member, one of my rural and provincial colleagues, Madam Speaker, as are you, from one of the strong national parks of the country. And, Mike, it\u2019s been great learning from you on the Education and Workforce Committee. You always have questions that really do hone in on the challenge that we\u2019re identifying. And, of course, to Grant \u201CMcNational\u201D, I\u2019m looking forward to your contribution on this bill this evening.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000703\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EI also want to acknowledge Minister Erica Stanford, Minister of Education and chair of the Ngarimu Trust. I think the opportunity that Katie Nimon and Dana Kirkpatrick had last week to be in her presence when she spoke about the value of these scholarships and the opportunity that they provide for the recipients sounded like it was really an event not to be missed. I know what it takes to drive long distances in a provincial electorate to get to events like these. And I just want to acknowledge the work of our two members, of Napier and of East Coast, to get to an event such as that and ensure that those 12\u2014am I correct? Twelve? Thirteen?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000704\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216af12ec3cb44c9aa1e955ec076c94b9\u0022\u003EKatie Nimon\u003C/span\u003E: Twelve.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000705\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f3e8b48682a4bf4872f855d5548f006\u0022\u003ECARL BATES\u003C/span\u003E: Twelve recipients on the day\u2014yep, 12 or thereabouts\u2014were well recognised by the local members.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000706\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EI also touched briefly in my maiden speech on a business that I\u2019d been involved in founding, and that happened to be in the space of creating boards and appointing boards. So, with the amendment in this bill this evening, around the addition of the role of the Governor-General in appointing an additional member to the trust board of M\u0101ori descent, it just takes me back to that time. I spent 16 years, in fact, being involved in appointing boards here in New Zealand and around the world. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000707\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EThe role of having diversity in the boardroom is really important, particularly when it relates to the history and the reason for existence of the trust of the organisation, and I think it\u2019s a great step this evening that we are ensuring that opportunity to have the appointment to this trust of someone of M\u0101ori descent to carry on that legacy of the 28th\u00A0M\u0101ori Battalion. It is really important to ensure that the right individuals receive these scholarships. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000708\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EIn fact, late last year, I suppose, as part of the \u201CMr Everywhere\u201D\u2014thank you, Katie Nimon, that you referred to before\u2014I happened to be in Stratford and I attended the air cadets\u2019 final parade for the year. It was the first time a local member of Parliament had attended their final parade in Stratford in a number of years. In fact, it was long ago; they couldn\u2019t remember the last time a local member of Parliament had attended their final parade. But it makes me wonder whether one of those young men or women could be a future recipient of this scholarship. So I\u2019m looking forward to seeing in the years to come who the recipients of these scholarships are. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000709\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EI want to come to the third part of this bill, which is around the addition of the police-vetting amendment. The amendment is to ensure that not only do all childcare workers in these part-time facilities have to be police-vetted but that they are police-vetted before being employed. I think, personally, that that\u2019s quite a critical point. There\u2019s no point in employing the person, adding to the red tape of that small business or that business that\u2019s providing this service to parents like myself and my wonderful wife, Candice\u2014it\u2019s ensuring that they\u2019ve had that police vet before they\u2019re actually employed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EIndeed, Candice and I used these a lot, particularly when we lived in South Africa. The particular gym that we used to go to had one of these facilities where you could have your child go into it for half an hour, an hour, or a couple of hours, and they were fantastic. They gave us the opportunity to actually get that bit of time to keep healthy and fit and engaged. But what made me wonder was what would parents be able to do now with the confidence that they could have their young children or tamariki go in and spend an hour, a half an hour, or two hours in the confidence that they were being looked after by people who had been police-vetted, and I had, I suppose, what you would call an epiphany. I realised\u2014[Interruption] This\u2019ll be good, guys. I realised that they\u2019re going to be able to take that opportunity to go and spend\u2014because many of these parents will be from households earning under $180,000, and they will be able to take their FamilyBoost tax credit and they\u2019ll be able to go and spend it. They\u2019ll actually be able to take some money that the Government has given them, with the confidence and the safety of knowing that their children are being\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000711\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d1b86dd11784de0b1dc07cc5f6fdf34\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh)\u003C/span\u003E: Can I just bring the member back to this particular bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000712\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da75ae63a774424db2c31050bfea136d\u0022\u003ECARL BATES\u003C/span\u003E: I will come back, Madam Speaker. But I just thought that that was such an important context that parents will be able to use that, because they know and have confidence that their children are being looked after by people who have been police-vetted. It\u2019s critical. But I won\u2019t go on then to just share the detail of that announcement around FamilyBoost with the House to sort of demonstrate and reinforce the point about why parents will have that confidence, and I will, as you request, come back maybe the more substantive point of the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000713\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003ESo I want to just talk about the preservation of the mana of our 28th M\u0101ori Battalion, because the other\u2014[Interruption] And I want to acknowledge the presence\u2014oh, I\u2019m not allowed to acknowledge the presence, but I want to acknowledge the chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, our great MP for Northcote. Northcote is pleased to have a new MP in Dan Bidois, and I\u2019m looking forward, actually, next week to taking him to meet some\u00A0of, potentially, the cadets that I spoke about when he was in the wonderful electorate of\u00A0Whanganui. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000714\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EBut I want to talk about the mana of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion in terms of the protection of their name, because having been in businesses that have had to protect their trademarks over many years, I understand the importance of names and badges. As my colleague from the other side of the House referenced earlier, I think it\u2019s outstanding that this bill is ensuring that there is clarity around the ownership\u2014who is holding and who is looking after that badge and that name for years to come\u2014and it won\u2019t be a lack of clarity in that regard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000715\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229634e377-7e76-4353-9662-fb444eb2ec9d\u0022\u003EFinally, I just want to touch very briefly on the change in recognition for Pasifika people in New Zealand. We have a much broader remit now for the scholarships for those who have the opportunity to apply for\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u0022cbcab5c15f564a3ea375d9bf824b0930\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000716\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cbcab5c15f564a3ea375d9bf824b0930\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh)\u003C/span\u003E: The member\u2019s time has expired. This call is a split call. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022db7fcb82-2c50-44e1-9f32-d9138c14006e\u0022 data-id=\u002291c91c9ff8af47e6bee0d54f642e5c07\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000717\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022db7fcb82-2c50-44e1-9f32-d9138c14006e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002291c91c9ff8af47e6bee0d54f642e5c07\u0022\u003ELEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE (Labour\u2014M\u0101ngere):\u003C/span\u003E Lau afioga, Fofoga Fetalai. Fa\u2018afetai lava mo le avanoa. Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. Wh\u0101ia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei\u2014seek the treasure you value most dearly; if you bow your head, let it be to lofty mountains. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000718\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022db7fcb82-2c50-44e1-9f32-d9138c14006e\u0022\u003EI am very pleased to take a short call on this bill, and I won\u2019t traverse all the points that have been raised by colleagues across the House. What the bill does is it\u2019s an omnibus bill that brings together three Acts and two sets of regulations. As a Pasifika person raised in Aotearoa, I wanted to just touch on a few points of who will benefit from this amendment bill, and it\u2019s really important that as a representative from the Pasifika community and also living in South Auckland, it has huge benefits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000719\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022db7fcb82-2c50-44e1-9f32-d9138c14006e\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s really important for my colleagues, some of whom have travelled the world in terms of their own caucus, but I know on this side of the House we\u2019re very pleased that this bill is a good bill, it has a lot of benefits, and it needed to be updated with the important changes. As a member of the previous Education and Workforce Committee, it was important that we have the k\u014Drero. I want to acknowledge our previous Minister of Education, Jan Tinetti, but also the current Minister of Education, who was also a member of the select committee at that time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000720\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022db7fcb82-2c50-44e1-9f32-d9138c14006e\u0022\u003EAnd so, the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill\u2014it\u2019s important that this House understands that many of our tupulaga, many of our talavou, many of our young people across the motu, there\u2019s actually a growing number in terms of their whakapapa. They\u2019re actually from Pasifika and iwi. And so that is a growing population, and this bill will benefit some of those students.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000721\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022db7fcb82-2c50-44e1-9f32-d9138c14006e\u0022\u003EI do want to acknowledge and recognise now the Ngarimu VC and 28th (M\u0101ori) Battalion Scholarship Fund Board because the tupuaga, or where this fund has come from\u2014it\u2019s really important that some of our rangatahi, some of our talavou have got some real challenges when it comes to education accessibility and this bill will benefit those young people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000722\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022db7fcb82-2c50-44e1-9f32-d9138c14006e\u0022\u003EThe importance of the relationship of Pasifika with tuakana tuahine\u2014there are many in our future that will carry that legacy of Aotearoa. When we went through the first amendment on select committee, it was the definition of Aotearoa Pasifika person. What this bill does is update that just in terms of recognising that definition, but also the distinction of a Pacific person in Aotearoa that they had to meet those regulations. So what is important in the changing demographics is that it is a recognition of Pasifika young people or an Aotearoa Pasifika person, and they understand what they can apply for in terms of tertiary education. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000723\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022db7fcb82-2c50-44e1-9f32-d9138c14006e\u0022\u003EAnd the other, final point is around the change of what it used to be, the authorised expenditure of $500; it will now be changed to $10,000 because it hadn\u2019t been updated since 1972.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022db7fcb82-2c50-44e1-9f32-d9138c14006e\u0022\u003EJust lastly, on this side of the House, my Labour colleagues, including myself, have traversed across Aotearoa, because we\u2019ve attended all of the Pasifika festivals that have\u00A0been going for quite some time, probably the last couple of months: Northland, Dunedin, recently Pasifika Festival, and last week, ASB Polyfest. Over 100,000 young people attended those and this bill will benefit many of those young people, and we\u00A0wish them every success. Fa\u2018afetai.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225665380b-62fd-4d75-85e0-0ed801a402e0\u0022 data-id=\u00221c39c22780924ade8c775c2f998fee91\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000725\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225665380b-62fd-4d75-85e0-0ed801a402e0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221c39c22780924ade8c775c2f998fee91\u0022\u003EMIKE BUTTERICK (National\u2014Wairarapa):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have real pleasure in speaking to this bill, and I\u2019d like to acknowledge those that have fought and sacrificed so much for our country, including the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion for whom this bill will continue to support and honour their legacy. This bill\u2019s about ensuring legislation\u2014some written in the mid-1900s\u2014is still able to do the job that it was intended to do. This bill also takes an omnibus approach and makes changes not only to the Ngarimu VC and 28th (M\u0101ori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Act 1945 and the Pacific Education Foundation Act 1972 to ensure continued support for learning but also to the Ngarimu Act to clear up legal confusion over who can manage the use of the M\u0101ori Battalion\u2019s names and emblems and to the Pacific Education Foundation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000726\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225665380b-62fd-4d75-85e0-0ed801a402e0\u0022\u003EThe minor amendments will continue to allow an education path for those that received funding through these Acts, and it\u2019s quite simply a logical step to take. It\u2019s also intended that these minor changes will assist to uphold the mana of the 28th Battalion and preserve their legacy into the future. Ngarimu VC and 28th (M\u0101ori) Battalion memorial scholarships are awarded annually in honour of the battalion for the education of any M\u0101ori or for the purpose of promoting the study and encouraging the maintenance of the M\u0101ori language and of M\u0101ori history, tradition, and culture.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000727\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225665380b-62fd-4d75-85e0-0ed801a402e0\u0022\u003EThese scholarships exemplify excellence in education as well as service and commitment to the community, with applicants assessed on their ability to describe characteristics they possess that are similar to those of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion soldiers. In the 2021-22 year, 10 scholarships were awarded to deserving recipients who have offered the following insights into the value they offer. I quote: \u201CReceiving the Ngarimu scholarship and being recognised and identified as a M\u0101ori individual with similar characteristics to those who voluntarily fought and supported the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion in response to Great Britain\u2019s call to arms is a great honour and privilege.\u201D And I quote again: \u201CI associate this scholarship with academic excellence, hard work, resilience, and a hunger to serve. I look at the name of the scholarship and admire the long list of wh\u0101nau members who have served within the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion. This scholarship will give me the resources necessary to complete my degree.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000728\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225665380b-62fd-4d75-85e0-0ed801a402e0\u0022\u003EAnd I quote again: \u201CThe scholarship will not only benefit me and my studies but also be a tribute to my wh\u0101nau, as I will be one of the first to gain a qualified trade, and that is a huge privilege. I am grateful beyond words to be a recipient of this prestigious award.\u201D And I quote again: \u201CThis award emphasises the courage, struggles, and the sacrifices our t\u016Bpuna went through to ensure a better life for us.\u201D For another participant, the story is closer to home, with their father having served in C company of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion, and I quote: \u201CReceiving this scholarship allows me to honour him. The scholarship is a reminder of the soldiers who have passed on in their legacy for us to remain connected to our marae, wh\u0101nau, hap\u016B, and iwi.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000729\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225665380b-62fd-4d75-85e0-0ed801a402e0\u0022\u003EThis bill\u2019s been through a rigorous select committee process, which included the bill being examined for quality. Public submissions were called for and closed. The report was subsequently released, and it unanimously passed its select committee process. I would like to finish with a final quote from another scholarship recipient, and I quote: \u201CI intend to honour them with this award by ensuring that I maintain these traits and characteristics by utilising them not only in my studies but also in my daily life.\u201D Madam Speaker, I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022 data-id=\u0022f79b87a7b2024b92983b931384203cc5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000730\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f79b87a7b2024b92983b931384203cc5\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Madam Speaker, and thank you for the\u00A0opportunity to speak on this particular bill. I\u2019m excited, as a former board member of\u00A0the Ngarimu VC trust\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000731\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224bb77ec4300e4704bd8e857207754811\u0022\u003EArena Williams\u003C/span\u003E: And recipient.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000732\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247125c74aaa3498db24ac7f6c585d732\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and recipient\u2014and also sitting next to a recipient\u2014and also the grandson of the final commander of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion. It truly is an honour to be able to speak to this, and while I endorse all of the words across the House about the need for the modernisation, sadly, the modernisation wasn\u2019t just brought about by the need to make sure that the trust can function in the modern environment, but, sadly, it was brought about because of the passing of the vast majority of the survivors of the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion. In fact, we only have one left\u2014Sir Bom Gillies\u2014and it was recognised a number of years ago, under the leadership of Nolan Raihania, that the M\u0101ori Battalion trust could no longer continue, because there just weren\u2019t enough survivors of the war to be able to continue to administrate for the trust. Therefore, there was a need to make sure that the function and the symbols and the songs and everything else that\u2019s held dear to the M\u0101ori Battalion can be cared for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000733\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAnd it was seen, actually at the time under the leadership of the Hon Hekia Parata and then under the leadership of the Hon Kelvin Davis and then, of course, more recently of my colleague the Hon Jan Tinetti\u2014to make sure that we can modernise the trust, to make sure that it can, one, function in the new environment; two, continue to protect much of the old taonga, the treasure of the symbols that have already been mentioned and are in a schedule to this particular bill. Because what\u2019s happened\u2014and, Mr Speaker, you and I, we\u2019ve seen this; we\u2019ve been to the \u014Ctara market. While I appreciate what some of our very clever relations are doing in selling clothing that symbolises what\u2019s dear to M\u0101ori, they\u2019ve taken the M\u0101ori Battalion symbol and changed the words on it to be about te reo M\u0101ori. And while I don\u2019t begrudge them for doing that, because, of course, our tupuna fought for te reo M\u0101ori when they went to World War II, it was important to ensure that the honour and the tapu of that particular symbol was protected, which is why it was important not only to shift the symbol into the Ngarimu VC trust, but if the members want to dig a little bit deeper, they\u2019ll find many of the songs that I know many of us know the words to are also protected by the trust\u2014songs like \u201CM\u0101ori Battalion March to Victory\u201D\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000734\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002279359e63d8264b04a24320e729485fc5\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Keep going!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000735\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222dc6b688dbd14484a0dc4e163bd472fb\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014so that the copyright for those songs actually belongs to the trust. Hey! You know, seeing as we\u2019re name-dropping I can do a bit more. But it is important\u2014we see cultural appropriation or misappropriation of cultural goods and taonga ever more prevalent in today\u2019s society. So protecting these is actually what we\u2019re doing in this particular bill, and I\u2019m really proud\u2014as a former board member and a recipient, and sitting next to my friend and colleague here, a recipient as well\u2014to continue to honour the fine men and women who serve in the defence force. Giving the opportunity for a current or past serving member to be able to be part of the board is really important to continue to bring the defence force element into the consideration. And I can say that as when I was a board member, I was also the Minister of Defence at the time, and the Defence Force holds the memory of the M\u0101ori Battalion dearly. In fact, the evidence is being heard right now in claim Wai 2500, which recently sat on M\u014Dtatau Marae four weeks ago to hear about the experience of veterans from the M\u0101ori Battalion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000736\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EI don\u2019t want to continue to prolong this. There\u2019s agreement right across the House for a very important bill to bring the likes of the Ngarimu scholarship board into the future, but also to remember and to protect the taonga of the past. I heard the member for Napier talk about perhaps the opportunity there might be for Willie Apiata VC to serve on the board. He\u2019s already a strong adviser and supporter of the board. And I just wanted to make clear to that member that Willie Apiata\u2019s great-grandmother and my great-grandfather are brother and sister, so, yeah, name-dropping. But I think the purpose of that is just to show how rich this heritage is, not just for this country but for this House. As we look around the names on the walls of this whare, we remember the battles of the likes of Ngarimu VC, who died in the Tunisia campaign, and it\u2019s important that we continue to make sure that we protect this taonga into the future, and I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022 data-id=\u0022bf00c240062d44609ae46dadc22a2f1d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000737\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bf00c240062d44609ae46dadc22a2f1d\u0022\u003EGRANT McCALLUM (National\u2014Northland):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s with a great privilege I rise to speak on this bill, the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill. And I\u2019d, again, like to acknowledge the great work of the Education and Workforce Committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000738\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to acknowledge the work of the current select committee, where we have our great chair, Katie Nimon. The MP for Napier does great work. She even manages to talk about buses in a speech like this, which I thought was quite incredible. Then there is the \u201Ceverywhere man\u201D, our deputy chair, Carl Bates, from Whanganui. He has to tell me he\u2019s everywhere, but he\u2019s everywhere but here right now. And then there is the great MP for Wairarapa, Mike Butterick\u2014a man who does actually go everywhere. He works really hard for his people, and I would like to acknowledge him. And the other member of the committee on our side of the House is Dr Parmjeet Parmar, a list MP for ACT. It\u2019s great to have her on the committee as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000739\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003ELook, I think it\u2019s important, with this bill\u2014I thought I\u2019d start off, because the M\u0101ori Battalion actually has a very significant part to play in our history. I think it\u2019s really important. So what the bill is doing is really establishing and recognising that\u2014helping recognise that and the importance and the history of that. And as was acknowledged by the previous speaker, this Chamber recognises a lot of the battles that the M\u0101ori Battalion fought in. For example, we have El Alamein up behind us, Cassino along there. These were great battles. And the members of the M\u0101ori Battalion really fought with pride and did their people and our country proud.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000740\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EIn fact, I\u2019ve got a few little notes here about the history of the M\u0101ori Battalion. It was formed in October 1939. The Government agreed to establish an all-M\u0101ori unit, and they called it the 28th M\u0101ori Battalion. And M\u0101ori were eager to prove their equality with their P\u0101keh\u0101 comrades as warriors and to earn the full benefits and privileges of citizenship, which seems ironic given some of the discussions we have today. Even in 1939, the M\u0101ori sense of being accepted as equals with the New Zealanders was marginal, which seems quite incredible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000741\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EThe M\u0101ori Battalion was organised on tribal lines under tribal leaders. Overall command initially went to George Dittmer, a P\u0101keh\u0101 professional soldier and First World War veteran. At first, there was some resentment towards a European commander, but this was rapidly overcome by Dittmer\u2019s professional competence and strict discipline. Later in the war, the battalion was commanded by a number of M\u0101ori officers, including lieutenant colonels Tiwi Love, Fred Baker, Charles Bennett, Reta Keiha, Peter Awatere, and Sir James H\u0113nare. I think it\u2019s a privilege to have you in the House here today, sir. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000742\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EThe battalion trained for three months at the Palmerston North Showgrounds. And on 1 May 1940, approximately 780 members of the M\u0101ori Battalion left for Egypt as part of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, second echelon. It would be followed by 12 contingents of reinforcements and remain on active service for almost six years. The battalion was diverted to the United Kingdom for the rest of 1940 to help defend southern England.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000743\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EAnd then into the battles. But actually there were battles in Greece\u2014also up here\u2014Crete, and North Africa. In 1941, the battalion departed from England for North Africa. From Egypt, it embarked on its baptism of fire: the defence of Greece. After its first battle at Olympus Pass, the battalion made an exhausting withdrawal, evacuating to the island of Crete. In the Battle of Crete, the M\u0101ori soldiers developed a reputation as feared opponents in close quarters combat, and it was a reputation that continued to follow them through the war.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000744\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EThe battalion fought through the North Africa campaigns of 1941 to 1943. It was involved in taking Sollum and Gazala in Libya, the breakout of Minqar Qaim in Egypt, and the Battle of El Alamein\u2014a truly legendary battle. Against great odds, it captured the key features of Tebaga Gap and Takrouna Pinnacle in Tunisa. Second Lieutenant Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu was posthumously rewarded the Victoria Cross for his courage at Tebaga Gap. The battalion is one of the reasons we are here today. The battalion\u2019s hard fighting was reflected in its casualty rate: 270 dead and 815 wounded. And every Anzac Day, as we acknowledge the sacrifices of all the soldiers that fought in the various wars, it\u2019s those sorts of stats that really hit home. And once again, as we hit Anzac Day, we will once again be remembering those battles and the sacrifices.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000745\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EOf its seven commanders during this period, two were killed and three were wounded. Initially, between 1943 and 1945, they fought in two battles in Italy, and the battles were sobering. Its attack on Orsogna in December 1943 was rebuffed, with more than 50 casualties. But it was at Casino where two of its company sustained horrendous casualties during a failed attack on the railway station, in February 1944. Of the 200\u00A0men who started out, 128 were killed, wounded, or captured. The advance on Florence came next, followed by fighting around Faenza in December, before the battalion took part in the final race to Trieste.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000746\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EWith the exception of 270 men who were deployed to Japan as part of the divisionary cavalry regiment, the battalion returned to New Zealand in January 1946. Throughout the war, they had 15,744 people who volunteered. Now, that\u2019s something you have to remember: it was an entirely voluntary force. While a lot of non-M\u0101ori were conscripted to fight, the M\u0101ori volunteered, which I think is something we always must remember. And they performed with distinction, both at home and abroad. The total M\u0101ori population at the time was just under 100,000. More than 3,600 men, all volunteers, served with the M\u0101ori Battalion. The battalion suffered 2,628 casualties: 649 of them were killed, 1,712 were wounded, and 267 were taken prisoner or were missing. That\u2019s almost 50 percent more than the New Zealand average, which just showed the quality and the fighting spirit of the men involved. The unit received 99 honours and awards\u2014the highest number among New Zealand infantry battalions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000747\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003EWhen you hear the history, you can actually go and now visit a great display\u2014I\u2019ll just bring this one up, so I can get this right too. There is a really great display up at Waitangi, and the Te Rau Aroha Museum. I commend you all, this Easter, to travel over the Brynderwyn Hills up to Waitangi\u2014to go and visit and see this great display. It\u2019s divided into three galleries and it\u2019s really worth going to see\u2014it\u2019s very emotional and I commend it to you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000748\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002230f9e8fe-eafb-4967-8d4d-306525ae2340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dfaa811afc6845528e572ad788ce5af7\u0022\u003EKatie Nimon\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ve seen it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000749\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225835bb5001a04853b9b00e7ba42473ef\u0022\u003EGRANT McCALLUM\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Katie; I appreciate those comments. I\u2019m just recently in the process of being admitted on to the Waitangi National Trust, and the Hon Peeni Henare is a current member of that trust, and, of course, Sir James Henare was one of the last commanders of the M\u0101ori Battalion. So it\u2019s an honour to be part of that and to be part, a little bit, of actually helping to bring that history to the people of New Zealand and to the people of the North, given the sacrifices all made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000750\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003ESo I really look forward to welcoming you all up there over Easter. I think commending this bill to the House is a really important thing to do, because of the history of all involved. So I commend the bill to the House. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u00220be25ee588b644e69c3a89ccd822bf81\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000751\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220be25ee588b644e69c3a89ccd822bf81\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you to the member, and thanks for the invitation. I guess it\u2019s your shout!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000752\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000753\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EBill read a second time.\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=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000754\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022eb1344a2ad99425db9aa2be3c23bcc84\u0022\u003ERegulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000755\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002228675862d1e849a5bb3cbf17a5c23de4\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022 data-id=\u00229fb2dd4218bb4e428d143b0035ab40d0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000756\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229fb2dd4218bb4e428d143b0035ab40d0\u0022\u003EHon TODD McCLAY (Minister of Agriculture):\u003C/span\u003E I present a legislative statement on the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000757\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002285ba9bb8e3ee46538992dfc8bcdb5ff0\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono)\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=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000758\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022361e61a9e19e4eac905b37554cb001df\u0022\u003EHon TODD McCLAY\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Primary Production Committee to consider the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000759\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a pleasure to rise this evening to bring this bill to the House. This is a bill all about good regulatory practice and reducing regulatory burden, cutting red tape. Each change in the bill is small by itself, but collectively they will provide benefits across the primary sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000760\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThis is an omnibus bill introduced with the agreement of the Business Committee to make minor technical and uncontentious changes to a range of legislation affecting the primary industries. There\u2019s a very broad range, from the Animal Welfare Act to the Wine Act\u2014not quite the A to Z, but very close. The bill amends 19 Acts, as well as a handful of associated regulations and other instruments that affects legislation across five ministerial portfolios\u2014from agriculture, biosecurity, food safety, forestry, and oceans and fisheries\u2014held by three Ministers: myself, Minister Jones, and Minister Hoggard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000761\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThe bill will improve the quality of regulation affecting the primary industries. It will reduce costs and inefficiencies to benefit businesses and the wider economy. Updating the legislation will reduce regulatory burden for businesses, enabling them to focus on their work rather than outdated regulatory requirements. Part of the good regulatory practice is adopting settings, as needed, and avoiding future problems. That\u2019s what this bill is about: making those minor technical adaptations so that the legislations serve New Zealand better, not waiting for a big reform to try and fix everything all at once.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EImprovements are being identified all the time, and I\u2019m keen to make full use of this opportunity that the bill represents for repairs and maintenance to primary industries\u2019 legislation. I will invite the Primary Production Committee to consider and seek public submissions on proposed additional amendments to the bill, at the same time as they consider the bill as a whole. This allows for public and select committee input, making the bill as effective and efficient as it can be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000763\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to give the House a few examples of the kinds of changes this bill will make. The bill will repeal five Acts that no longer serve any useful purpose. From time to time, Parliament passes legislation that has a one-time use; it might be to regulate an industry or make a suite of changes to existing legislation. But some of those Acts still hang around long after their provisions have expired, cluttering the statute book. This bill will repeal five such Acts. These are Acts to disestablish the Hop Marketing Board, a process that was completed by the House in 2004; or to transition from the old Meat Act to the Animal Products Act, a process that was completed in 2006. This legislation is no longer doing anything and it can and should be repealed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000764\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThe bill will amend the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act (ACVM) to include references to inhibitors. Inhibitors are compounds used in agricultural production to modify certain biological or chemical processes to mitigate environmental or climate change impacts, as an example. The ACVM Act currently deals with these indirectly, so we\u2019re making sure they are squarely included in the Act. Inhibitors are important all through our primary producers to improve environmental sustainability, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving water quality.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000765\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EIt will make changes to the Animal Products Act. If an individual is travelling overseas and they want to take some animal product with them as gifts or for personal use\u2014say, a jar of m\u0101nuka honey\u2014they don\u2019t have to register as an exporter to do so, provided, of course, that the honey they are taking meets all of the requirements for the country that they\u2019re going to. But if that same person wants to send that same jar of honey overseas, whether as a gift or some other non-commercial purpose, they do have to register as an exporter. This bill will enable an exemption so that whether you\u2019re travelling overseas or sending goods overseas as a gift, you won\u2019t have to register as an exporter in order to do so, as long as you\u2019re not doing so for commercial purposes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000766\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThrough this bill, we\u2019re also going to simplify the job of biosecurity inspectors and the New Zealand Police. Currently, the Biosecurity Act requires an inspector executing a search warrant to be accompanied by a constable. The Ministry for Primary Industries trains its inspectors in executing search warrants. So there\u2019s often nothing for a constable to do, but they have to be there because the law currently says so. Removing that requirement for an inspector to be accompanied by a constable will the reduce time and effort required for a relatively simple task. The option will remain\u2014and I want to stress\u2014for an inspector to request a constable to accompany them should they deem it necessary. The point now is that it can be an option, rather than a requirement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000767\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EStaying with the Biosecurity Act, the Act sets out the procedure for giving directions or making requirements for any number of things via a written notice. However, the notice, if not physically delivered, can only be sent by fax or email. We recognise that the world has moved on and we don\u2019t use faxes anywhere near as often as we used to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000768\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022add8e0a7cb434c17a4d33f0064c693ff\u0022\u003EHon Peeni Henare\u003C/span\u003E: Except in Northland!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000769\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f28978bfc0ee42f8af0d63cfee6d1e06\u0022\u003EHon TODD McCLAY\u003C/span\u003E: I did say \u201Cas we used to\u201D. There are likely to be future ways of sending information that we haven\u2019t\u2014it says \u201Cthought of yet\u201D, but\u2014been told of yet. So this amendment allows for a notice to be sent by any electronic means, including email. This is futureproofing the Biosecurity Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000770\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003ESo, to round off, there are a couple of very minor proposed changes that are worth mentioning. The Commodity Levies Act requires a levy body to table their annual report in this House. But we don\u2019t table annual reports in the House anymore; they\u2019re presented to the House. So we\u2019re updating the terminology to reflect that the times have changed and the procedures have also changed with them and moved on. For example, there is a bracket in the wrong place in the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act (NAIT). At the moment, a literal reading of the Act implies that wild cattle are part of the NAIT scheme, so we\u2019re going to fix that. I think everybody agrees that wild cattle should not be part of the NAIT scheme, but it\u2019s a drafting error that needs to be tidied up, to take away any uncertainty.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000771\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThis bill will make a measurable difference to New Zealanders across the primary sector. It will make legislation more effective and more efficient. Taken in its totality, it does much more than any one small part. I overwhelmingly commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022 data-id=\u0022d978b3423e694c6cbe7e297576af6321\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d978b3423e694c6cbe7e297576af6321\u0022\u003EHon JO LUXTON (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. It\u2019s a pleasure to rise and take a call on this piece of legislation. Can I acknowledge the Minister, the Hon Todd McClay, for bringing this piece of legislation to the House and actually sending it to the select committee where it will have its full process, which is something that we haven\u2019t really seen a lot of from this current Government. I\u2019d also like to acknowledge the Hon Damien O\u2019Connor for the introduction of this bill, which was a Labour bill, and that is why we are supporting this piece of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000773\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EThis piece of legislation is pretty much what I would refer to as a housekeeping bill. It\u2019s tidying up. As the Minister mentioned, it makes minor amendments to existing Acts that are administered by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). It is difficult to find time within the parliamentary calendar to bring pieces of legislation like this to the House in order for them to be processed and moved through, because we have things such as annual reviews, which we are just going through now, and then we\u2019ve got Estimates, etc., etc. So this is a really good opportunity to have this as an omnibus bill which deals with a lot of those housekeeping issues, as I referred to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003ESome of the reason that we have this bill coming to the House for this housekeeping tidy-up is because, currently, agencies are having to work with legislation that is perhaps out of date or not quite fit for purpose. As the Minister mentioned, there are several amendments to this piece of legislation, and each one in isolation perhaps doesn\u2019t mean a lot, but the collective changes of this piece of legislation will provide significant benefits across the primary sector, which will reduce the administrative burden and make it easier for businesses to operate in the regulatory system. It does improve the regulatory framework for the primary sector by increasing efficiency, and it removes the complexity, which means our farmers can actually get on with the job of what it is that they want to do, which is farming.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000775\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002270d482a7bf9240f88e835b5d5a050982\u0022\u003EGrant McCallum\u003C/span\u003E: My, you\u2019ve learnt! Geez.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000776\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b534f9bc54be4ac49a9dfc9e7467b0ff\u0022\u003EHon JO LUXTON\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s a couple of things that I wish to\u2014yes, that is correct and that is what I believe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000777\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229346780515bc4cec956766698f01b406\u0022\u003EGrant McCallum\u003C/span\u003E: Good\u2014can you educate your colleagues?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000778\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a38210e874fa40059f5d8867b6432885\u0022\u003EHon JO LUXTON\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s a couple of points which I wish to highlight, Mr McCallum, thank you very much, with regard to the biosecurity changes. So, for example, clause 88, amended section 35: the amendment will enable inspectors in biosecurity control areas to request documentation relating to imported goods, which, under section 35, officers can only require and make copies of a passport or other evidence of identity, but no other documentation. Inspectors can ask for goods to be made available for inspection but cannot request or copy documentation that relates to those goods, and the absence of this power makes it more difficult to make a risk assessment. Another point in another clause, and another change in the biosecurity space, clause 101: it enables the seizure of risk goods at the border to include seizure of evidence of offending. So, currently, MPI can seize risk goods but cannot seize evidence of offending, which creates both evidential and potential biosecurity risks when evidence of offending cannot be obtained at the border. These are really crucial to protecting our border. We are susceptible to incursions\u2014biosecurity incursions, in particular\u2014at our border, and so I think this piece of legislation will strengthen that. I only hope that the cuts that we are seeing to MPI do not further risk this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u0022abebf31efab2441697b90c3a4955eaa9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000779\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022abebf31efab2441697b90c3a4955eaa9\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono)\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=\u0022e29c400e-467a-4398-818d-270ef48b80cf\u0022 data-id=\u0022d2421bd450db4b5db6c3aa4819446547\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000780\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e29c400e-467a-4398-818d-270ef48b80cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d2421bd450db4b5db6c3aa4819446547\u0022\u003ESTEVE ABEL (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yes, I mean, there\u2019s not much more to say about this bill, except that it simply serves the purpose\u2014as well described by the Minister, and my colleague Jo Luxton from Labour\u2014of fixing and making minor amendments to multiple Acts, therefore lifting administrative burden and reducing the risk of legislative failure. I particularly have been troubled for many years\u2014as the Minister pointed out\u2014by that comma, and I\u2019m glad to see it going, along with a lot of other minor things that are important for making functional legislation. This is a thing that we will support\u2014that is, the Green Party, obviously\u2014and we hope that the Minister finds it a productive process to be sending this legislation to the select committee and that that is what is done with future legislation by this Government to the relevant select committees. We support the legislation. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226cac9fcd-1934-4007-b10a-4b9d301a0af1\u0022 data-id=\u00229a472d96fdc747da866843b87b2aa048\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000781\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226cac9fcd-1934-4007-b10a-4b9d301a0af1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229a472d96fdc747da866843b87b2aa048\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW HOGGARD (Minister for Biosecurity):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to take a call on this bill today. This bill is going to improve the quality of regulation in biosecurity, food safety, and animal welfare portfolios. These small amendments will reduce regulatory burden and cut red tape across the primary sector, ensuring that our legislation does what it needs to do without unnecessary cost, duplication, or effort\u2014and that is essential.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000782\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226cac9fcd-1934-4007-b10a-4b9d301a0af1\u0022\u003EThere are a lot of amendments to a wide range of Acts in this bill, so I\u2019d just like to touch on how they affect my portfolios and what effect they\u2019re going to have. Firstly, in the biosecurity space, the amendments relating to biosecurity are about clarity, efficiency, and making sure that our people on the ground have the tools that they need to manage biosecurity risks. For example, at the border, biosecurity officers can often seize goods that people are trying to bring into New Zealand, but that\u2019s all they can seize. If the risk goods are hidden in a suitcase, for example, biosecurity staff can\u2019t seize the suitcase. That creates problems with evidence in the case of prosecution, and it obviously also creates biosecurity risks if the suitcase, or whatever it might be, is contaminated by contact with risk goods.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000783\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226cac9fcd-1934-4007-b10a-4b9d301a0af1\u0022\u003ESome parts of the Biosecurity Act and other Acts require particular consultation methods. And when I say particular, I mean the Act says in section 114A that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has to use a specific local or specific metropolitan newspaper to inform the public about a whole range of things. This bill will update the way MPI informs the public so that consultation methods become a list to choose the\u00A0most appropriate action from; rather than use a specific regional newspaper, MPI could use all the major newspapers or publish the information on their website or in the New\u00A0Zealand Gazette.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000784\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226cac9fcd-1934-4007-b10a-4b9d301a0af1\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to turn my attention to products that fall under my food safety portfolio, and echo the Minister of Agriculture\u2019s comments around inhibitors. Inhibitors are agricultural products that claim to reduce nitrate or methane emissions. Obviously, this makes them a very important practical tool to ensure that our farmers and producers can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions on farm. Currently, they aren\u2019t included in the Act, but this bill will capture inhibitors under the definition of an \u201Cagricultural compound\u201D as part of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000785\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226cac9fcd-1934-4007-b10a-4b9d301a0af1\u0022\u003EThis bill also sets the rules and registration requirements for a whole range of products, but it doesn\u2019t allow for someone to renew their registration. When it expires, a person or company has to do a whole new application; even if nothing\u2019s changed, they still have to start from scratch. So this bill will create two new sections that set a pathway to renew agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines registration, reducing the amount of paperwork that\u2019s needed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000786\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226cac9fcd-1934-4007-b10a-4b9d301a0af1\u0022\u003EAlso in the area of food safety, and as members are well aware, New Zealand has a joint food standards system with Australia. This system was established by a treaty back in 1995. A key objective of the food treaty is ensuring that the same food standards apply in both Australia and New Zealand. However, the treaty does not acknowledge that there will occasionally be exceptional circumstances that mean jurisdictions need to take their own individual steps. Temporary food standards are an example of these and can be used to address issues affecting public health or safety, or environmental concerns. These have never found their way into New Zealand law until now. This bill will create provisions relating to temporary food standards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000787\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226cac9fcd-1934-4007-b10a-4b9d301a0af1\u0022\u003EFinally, let me come to animal welfare. This bill makes a tweak to the matters that must be taken into account when considering an application for an animal welfare export certificate. This bill amends section 43 of the Animal Welfare Act to require any history of breaches of previous conditions to be taken into account when considering an application for a new certificate, helping to protect our reputation for high animal welfare standards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000788\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226cac9fcd-1934-4007-b10a-4b9d301a0af1\u0022\u003EI look forward to further opportunities to improve the quality of regulation. This is a start; there is more to go. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022 data-id=\u0022349877402cb2417cb9108eb41fcf199b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000789\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022349877402cb2417cb9108eb41fcf199b\u0022\u003EHon MARK PATTERSON (Minister for Rural Communities):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s a pleasure to rise on behalf of New Zealand First to support the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill, and as has been referenced by previous speakers, this is a tidy-up bill for the statutes and regulations, some of which have become redundant, and just fixing up some inaccuracies. Of course, this is absolutely critical as it underpins our primary sector\u2014some 80 percent of our export earnings. And wasn\u2019t it a pleasure, those of us tonight that attended the Zespri function and saw the primary sector at its finest, a market-led, an R \u0026amp; D - led company that\u2019s taking a magnificent product to the world and on the verge of meeting our goal of doubling our exports in the next 10 years? I would like to congratulate the team over in the glass tower at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). This is somewhat of a magnum opus of trainspotting of regulatory deformities, and they have done very well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000790\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EMinister Jones has asked me, on behalf of the fisheries ministry, to make a couple of comments in terms of some reasonably substantive changes to the Fisheries Act 1963, in particular deemed values. They are charges imposed on commercial fishers for each kilogram of fish they take and are unable to balance their annual catch entitlement. Deemed value rates are currently set at the beginning of each fishing year. However, given that information on fishing activity is available much more quickly through electronic reporting, we can actually update these balances much more quickly and amend the values accordingly, in relation to the market. So this will be welcomed by the fishing industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000791\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EThere is also a technical amendment for the taiapure, which is a local fishery significant to iwi or hap\u016B. They are managed by local communities, and before one can be established, a public consultation and a tribunal hearing in the M\u0101ori Land Court must be held. This bill would allow for that process, where there is general consensus by all parties for that to be agreed outside of that regulatory process, or outside that Land Court process, making it a much more efficient and cost-effective measure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000792\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EBut you can imagine my excitement, Mr Speaker, as the Associate Minister for Agriculture with the delegation for wool, when I saw the demise of the Wool Industry Restructuring Act 2003. The wool industry has, like I\u2019m sure Minister Hoggard could ascertain with the dairy industry and the meat industry\u2014farmer politics makes this place look like the Mother Teresa Appreciation Society! Going back to the great wool acquisition debates of the early 1970s and the disestablishment of the Wool Board in the early 2000s\u2014now, there was a dispute about this that got drawn out. Farmer money has been burnt. It ended up in the pockets of Auckland and Wellington lawyers, in a dispute over some merino marketing. But the farmers that were disaffected threw the Wool Board out, or got it merged with the Meat Board, to establish Meat and Wool New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000793\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EThen the farmers, of course\u2014another group of grumpy farmers\u2014decided to throw that out and get rid of the levy altogether, which I am now having to pick up the pieces with. But, in that process, there was a disestablishment process. That finished finally in 2014, after much money being burnt. But could I appeal, please, to the Primary Production Committee, if you can get to the bottom of the greatest mystery in agriculture: what happened to the Wool Board art collection? That is the burning question that sits at the base of every farmer meeting. If you can unlock that conundrum, I would thank you greatly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000794\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003ESo, for New Zealand First, this is a very sensible bill. I commend Minister McClay for bringing it to the House. I commend MPI for pulling it together, and we look forward to the select committee bringing it back. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000795\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002244967dc4-6cc7-4567-b8ef-cc3a9b354544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002256d5db2175244608a4b985f2bece1ba4\u0022\u003EGrant McCallum\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker, I rise to speak\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u00224aae5182d50b474893755c9bb32aa65a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000796\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224aae5182d50b474893755c9bb32aa65a\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: I am going to choose, because we have folks that are not here. I\u2019ll call Arena Williams.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022 data-id=\u0022dac1494e15a846fb84717a94943a1d08\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000797\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dac1494e15a846fb84717a94943a1d08\u0022\u003EARENA WILLIAMS (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to take a short call on the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill. This bill, as we have heard from many speakers around the House, contains a number of sensible changes. You\u2019ve heard it described by my colleague the Hon Jo Luxton as a housekeeping bill about improving our regulatory systems and ensuring that those decisions which appropriately sit in primary legislation do so and that this House has taken the time to make sure that we are working through the issues which are included in this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000798\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EMay I acknowledge, also, the work of the former Minister of fisheries, the Hon Rachel Brooking, for her contribution to this bill. And, with that, I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f4833d76-15d7-484b-8e84-94c4aea8a510\u0022 data-id=\u0022853a5d4ed760431baae08067123b8651\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000799\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4833d76-15d7-484b-8e84-94c4aea8a510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022853a5d4ed760431baae08067123b8651\u0022\u003EMILES ANDERSON (National\u2014Waitaki):\u003C/span\u003E I\u2019m very happy to rise in support of this bill, the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill. This bill covers a lot of territory, as we\u2019ve already ascertained in the House, across 19 different Acts, with around 250 minor or technical changes, with the purpose of improving the quality of the regulation. Throughout the 2023 campaign and into Government, our message has been clear: needless red tape and bureaucracy holds New Zealand\u2019s primary industries back, and any changes that can be made to stop duplication and streamline processes is a top priority for this Government, so the premise of this bill is something that I wholeheartedly support.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000800\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4833d76-15d7-484b-8e84-94c4aea8a510\u0022\u003EThis bill will end up before the Primary Production Committee, which is the best select committee in the Parliament, and will be able to be looked over by myself and my friend Mark Cameron in ACT, Suze Redmayne from National, Catherine Wedd from National, the Hon Jo Luxton and Cushla from Labour, and Steve Abel from across the way there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000801\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c6a45d537c248e4b56e18c5865008db\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: He\u2019s got one job.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000802\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4833d76-15d7-484b-8e84-94c4aea8a510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222f16765210d2490091fa548b01de2cf5\u0022\u003EMILES ANDERSON\u003C/span\u003E: Yes; not wrong. So, many of the suggested amendments are simply common sense and, for example, people currently wanting to send goods overseas for personal use, as the Minister said, have to be registered exporters, which is just simply nonsense. So, by making a small amendment, we can free up an entire area to be more cost-effective and easy to navigate. The bill also addresses a number of drafting errors, so it makes sense to attend to these errors at the same time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000803\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4833d76-15d7-484b-8e84-94c4aea8a510\u0022\u003EAnother section of changes empowers our authorities to have the correct tools within legislation to perform their duties. Currently, the Ministry for Primary Industries, as we have heard from Minister Hoggard, can seize risky goods but cannot seize evidence of the offending, something that you would think is common sense. This creates both evidential and biosecurity risks. Closer to home, drafting errors in the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act have unintentionally applied to wild animals on a farmer\u2019s property. It was never meant to, but due to the punctuation error, the bill could be read to include wild cattle. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000804\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4833d76-15d7-484b-8e84-94c4aea8a510\u0022\u003EIn New Zealand, there is an issue with feral cattle in some places. Several years ago, when I was the meat and wool chair of Federated Farmers, I had a number of landowners contact me about this specific issue. One case I remember in particular was a couple who had bought a block of land bordered by forest. From this forestry block, feral cattle had moved on to their land. Due to the anomaly in the law, they were deemed to be responsible for these animals and were also in breach of the law because the animals were not National Animal Identification and Tracing tagged. This is one example of the 250 changes that this omnibus bill seeks to address.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000805\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4833d76-15d7-484b-8e84-94c4aea8a510\u0022\u003ESo, in summary, this bill is going to reduce regulatory burden and also each amendment is going to be assessed to ensure that they are consistent with the Government\u2019s policies. This bill will allow for small fixes to be made in a timely and cost-effective way. This will deliver flow-on benefits to businesses in our primary industries and the wider economy. The changes are small, uncontentious, and are anticipated by industry. The fact that this one bill contains as many changes as it does highlights the importance of this House looking back at regulation and making sensible amendments, further working to make it more functional, to provide a more efficient environment, and, overall, remove red tape and unnecessary regulations. I commend this\u00A0bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022 data-id=\u00227fe95e8af7c1427f925a06c486728ccb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000806\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227fe95e8af7c1427f925a06c486728ccb\u0022\u003EHon Dr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Mr Speaker. That man, the member for Waitaki, I believe, should have a job in the Parliamentary Counsel Office, because his obsession with punctuation, giving us a steer on wandering cattle\u2014I thought it was an outstanding speech\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000807\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4833d76-15d7-484b-8e84-94c4aea8a510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed17c2601e7c433facc915a738644b77\u0022\u003EMiles Anderson\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re all about detail over here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000808\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002209d3df8e38e343799662b87da1f95edd\u0022\u003EHon Dr DUNCAN WEBB\u003C/span\u003E: You are all about detail. You know, here we are. It\u2019s getting a wee bit late; you\u2019re getting a bit fractious over there. This is a classic tidy-up bill. I do admire the Parliamentary Counsel Office for going through such an insidious task and repealing the Hop Industry Restructuring Act 2003, which, did you know, doesn\u2019t have a portfolio? There you go. And as for the Wool Board art collection, I think it\u2019s been fleeced! \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000809\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225811fbebfdc8463f8f53e6cbc29d3655\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: Well done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000810\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a2ebd6fcdfd742199e92914e796b449b\u0022\u003EHon Dr DUNCAN WEBB\u003C/span\u003E: And that is where we\u2019ve got to tonight, with the Government filibustering its own bill because they haven\u2019t got enough work up their sleeve. So I\u2019ll leave them to it. Good bill\u2014we\u2019ll support it. Good legislative stewardship\u2014let\u2019s get on with some proper law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257c0c650-e6a0-4475-b66d-5281ede8b1e3\u0022 data-id=\u002243c2773a1e5845519a4287275a30ee7d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000811\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257c0c650-e6a0-4475-b66d-5281ede8b1e3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002243c2773a1e5845519a4287275a30ee7d\u0022\u003ESUZE REDMAYNE (National\u2014Rangit\u012Bkei):\u003C/span\u003E As a Government, we are laser-focused on increasing productivity and growing the economy. We\u2019ve proven over the last 119 days that, as a Government, we are relentlessly focused on outcomes. Over-regulation is a burden on our economy and a barrier to productivity. Reducing regulatory burden and cutting red tape is a priority for this Government, and this bill delivers just that. Getting Wellington out of farming, and allowing our farmers to get back to doing what they do best\u2014farm\u2014is a priority too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000812\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257c0c650-e6a0-4475-b66d-5281ede8b1e3\u0022\u003EI am a proud farmer from Turakina in the mighty Rangit\u012Bkei, and I can tell you that farming today is very much about being effective and efficient, in accordance with best practice. The objective of this omnibus bill is to improve our regulatory systems so they too are effective, efficient, in accordance with best practice. This bill will benefit farms and businesses in our primary industries and in the wider economy. Industry wants these changes, and they are waiting. This bill simply serves to update and repair legislation in line with its original intent and function. And I had another bit of paper!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000813\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257c0c650-e6a0-4475-b66d-5281ede8b1e3\u0022\u003ELet me give you an example: \u201DIn Biosecurity Control Areas\u201D\u2014[Interruption]. You need to listen to this: \u201CIn Biosecurity Control Areas\u201D\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000814\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223824f0107ea842ed917f6891298befce\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m all ears!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000815\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257c0c650-e6a0-4475-b66d-5281ede8b1e3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022360aa2df5abc424d8f12e8e664a8c37b\u0022\u003ESUZE REDMAYNE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014\u201Couter clothing is regularly inspected for biosecurity goods\u201D, and I quote, \u201C([like] observing for fruit-shaped bulges)\u201D\u2014you can\u2019t make this stuff up. \u201C[T]his is [currently] done under \u2026 implied powers in section 35(7)\u201D of the Biosecurity Act 1993. \u201CThe power for inspectors to check outer clothing \u2026 is implied rather than explicit.\u201D, which creates uncertainty around the legality of this practice. \u201CMPI considers that the practice needs to continue without legal uncertainty.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000816\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257c0c650-e6a0-4475-b66d-5281ede8b1e3\u0022\u003ELike all of the other changes detailed in this bill, the power to check outer clothing at the border was assumed in the original policy intent. This change simply makes the original policy intent explicit in legislation. It\u2019s a simple change that will provide greater protection for passengers and inspectors, and it will reduce biosecurity risk.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000817\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257c0c650-e6a0-4475-b66d-5281ede8b1e3\u0022\u003EWhile the impact of each amendment is small in isolation, collectively, they will remove administrative burden, reduce the risk of localised legislative failure, and make it easier for businesses to operate right across the systems that the Ministry for Primary Industries is responsible for. This Government is focused on growing the economy and getting rid of red tape, and backing our farmers and our primary industry businesses to succeed and to get ahead is a huge part of that. I am proud to commend the bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022 data-id=\u00225e1e10c3390142edb9a64eed66b14676\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000818\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225e1e10c3390142edb9a64eed66b14676\u0022\u003EHon RACHEL BROOKING (Labour\u2014Dunedin):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to speak on this Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill, and I\u2019ve got it here. I just want to show everyone Damien O\u2019Connor\u2019s name on it, because, of course, it is a fine piece of work that the previous Government did to do all of this laser-focused stuff that everybody\u2019s been talking about today, and I commend all those members for their deep interest in these pieces of legislation. I also note the importance of food safety, and we\u2019ve heard from the Minister for Food Safety about the importance of our treaty with Australia. So it\u2019s good that we\u2019re honouring the treaty there, Minister Hoggard!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000819\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003ESo, with that, I\u2019m very pleased that this bill is going to the select committee. It\u2019s going to the select committee, and it\u2019s going to have a good discussion at the select committee, and I know that many of the new members in this House won\u2019t actually know what it\u2019s like to be speaking on a bill that\u2019s going to select committee in its first reading. And then they\u2019re going to have the benefit of hearing submissions from the public. Such a good thing to do. And so, on that happy note, I\u2019m going to commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a00bf4f5-c63a-49a0-b0e1-d3b37311377b\u0022 data-id=\u002266e0bb9316e94d3d9d1abe1d614a4987\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000820\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a00bf4f5-c63a-49a0-b0e1-d3b37311377b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002266e0bb9316e94d3d9d1abe1d614a4987\u0022\u003ECATHERINE WEDD (National\u2014Tukituki):\u003C/span\u003E Well, it is time to be aspirational for our food producers here in New Zealand. Our farmers and growers are the backbone of our economy and they drive productivity in this country. But for the past six years, there has been a war on our primary sector, with red tape, compliance, regulation\u2014it\u2019s been an avalanche. The brakes have been put on and ripped the heart out of rural New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000821\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a00bf4f5-c63a-49a0-b0e1-d3b37311377b\u0022\u003EI come from Hastings, Heretaunga, the fruit bowl of New Zealand, which I like to actually call the Tuscany of Europe\u2014the engine of horticulture in our country. At the moment, we\u2019re in the thick of our harvest season, where we\u2019re harvesting apples, onions, grapes, maize, and that produce is going off to the port and off to markets all around the world, where we see produce sold on the global stage at a premium. Ordinary apples from Hawke\u2019s Bay coming to life on the red carpets around Asia, adding value to the premium produce that we grow here as a small trading nation at the bottom of the world.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000822\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a00bf4f5-c63a-49a0-b0e1-d3b37311377b\u0022\u003EBut, on this side of the House, we know how to harness opportunities by removing red tape, compliance, and making it easier for our growers to grow, our farmers to farm, and our exporters to export. Look, I have worked in the Hawke\u2019s Bay horticulture industry for many, many years, and I have seen the bureaucratic red tape put in place here in Wellington, and it\u2019s very restrictive. And this bill is all about taking away that regulation; practical, common sense, which helps grow our export industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000823\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a00bf4f5-c63a-49a0-b0e1-d3b37311377b\u0022\u003ELet me just give you a few examples. In 2008, we were exporting 12,000 apple containers from Hawke\u2019s Bay. Under a National Government, we doubled the number of apple containers by 2017, exporting a record crop and on target to be a billion-dollar industry by 2022. Our apple industry was booming, and it was the envy of the world. In fact, in 2016, the New Zealand apple industry was rated as the world\u2019s most competitive performer. But, in the past six years, the brakes were put on, the industry was strangled, and we haven\u2019t seen the growth since, because our growers have been restricted by red tape, regulation, and compliance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000824\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a00bf4f5-c63a-49a0-b0e1-d3b37311377b\u0022\u003EIn the latest situation and outlook document, it says, \u201CHorticulture export revenue is forecast to decrease\u201D\u2014decrease\u2014\u201C1 percent to $7.0 billion in the year to 30 June 2024.\u201D We shouldn\u2019t be going backwards; we should be going forwards. We need to grow our exports. On this side of the House, we are aiming to double our exports in value in the next 10 years, and the way to do this is by enabling our food producers and stop strangling them with unnecessary rules and regulations. Look, tonight I\u2019ve been at the Zespri kiwifruit launch, and it\u2019s just wonderful to see these innovative companies out there exporting to the world, growing our economy, providing jobs and opportunities for provincial New Zealand. And that innovation and investment is going into provincial New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a00bf4f5-c63a-49a0-b0e1-d3b37311377b\u0022\u003ELook, this bill that we\u2019re debating tonight is all about reducing red tape, and common-sense, practical solutions around less regulations and enabling us to grow as an economy, as a country, as New Zealand, and harnessing \u201CNew Zealand Inc.\u201D and making sure that we are harnessing those opportunities here in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000826\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a00bf4f5-c63a-49a0-b0e1-d3b37311377b\u0022\u003ELook, I will just take one little amendment here, because I think it\u2019s quite interesting\u2014interesting for Hawke\u2019s Bay, actually, because it\u2019s the Wine Act 2003. It aims to clarify the definition of fruit wine. It will remove ambiguity on the status of certain grape-based alcoholic\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u002242be289880a04ec1ad239fe6d8c436dd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000827\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002242be289880a04ec1ad239fe6d8c436dd\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: The member\u2019s time has expired. Oh, the applause!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000828\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000829\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EBill read a first time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u002284965043c75f444dbdfeaa4b290233e6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000830\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002284965043c75f444dbdfeaa4b290233e6\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is, That the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill be considered by the Primary Production Committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000831\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000832\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EBill referred to the Primary Production Committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u0022fd54f2276b664b54ab2cac2ff362164d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000833\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fd54f2276b664b54ab2cac2ff362164d\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, it is time for me to have a cup of cocoa and a lie down. The House stands adjourned until 2 p.m. tomorrow.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000834\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 9.55 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id202403274f0b38e393954b2286e1ab34c173af05000835\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"