Whaitiri MekaHon MEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti): E Te Māngai o Te Whare tēnā koe. E ngā mema o Te Whare nei tēnā tātou katoa. I'm pleased to rise in support of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission/Te Waihanga Bill. Can I say from the outset that this is a bill after my own heart. It's a bill that's not only strategic but smart. It's got a way of unifying the political divide from what I've heard in the House today because no one's going to argue that long-term investment into infrastructural development in the infrastructural market of New Zealand that expands out to 30 years to help guide Government to where we put the $42 billion in the next three or four years—I believe is the right thing to do.So we've had this bill presented by the honourable Minister Shane Jones—the prince the champion of the provinces—and I can attest that in places like the Tai Rāwhiti like Wairoa like Hawke's Bay he walks on water. He walks on water. Of all of the things that could bring productivity in places like Tai Rāwhiti it is the work of the honourable Minister that local government and iwi and other service providers talk about. But back to the bill because it's important that we talk about the attempt or the aims of the bill. It's been traversed by previous speakers but clearly having an arm's-length commission that advises the Government both in the areas of strategy and planning functions but also in the support functions as well is something that needs to be commended.Like other previous speakers I come from small communities and towns on the East Coast where water roading housing—but also on the positive side they are trying to grow the local economy trying to maximise getting our produce to markets through roads that don't close down every winter because they get washed out; to explore other transport systems because once the roads close down we can't get our produce to market. So a commission like that that can influence and help provide advice to the Government is something that we need to support and commend and like I say I'm excited about that.The Minister in his press release talked about the infrastructural commission obviously working with the second-largest asset holder which is local government. I want to put a plug in there for the Māori economy. I want to put a plug in there that as the Māori economy grows to about $50 billion as we morph into post-settlement entities—and this isn't just about settled iwis; these are land incorporations large whānau trusts that are operating as we speak small businesses for example. As they develop and evolve over a certain time what you will start seeing in my analysis is a purchase into local utilities—whether it's ports or whether it's the provision of electricity power for example. So if there was a potential area that we could expand who this commission will be working alongside I'd just like to put a holding pattern in there for our iwi authorities around the motu. I mean it would be silly that if we are working down in the South Island we aren't obviously considering Ngāi Tahu similarly with Tainui in the middle of the North Island but also factoring in other iwi organisations like Ngāti Whātua etc.It is a commitment that we want to invest in our local communities. We see the benefits that it derives not just from an iwi perspective but for everybody that comes from those particular communities—that we do have safe roads that we are exploring wider transport systems that can allow both the transport of people and goods to market but also ensuring that we've got the housing infrastructure to meet the growing demands and the growing population in those communities. It's also ensuring that we've got good safe drinking-water.It is a really good bill. I'm excited that it's been brought to the House. I want to commend the Minister for bringing it to the House and the work of Cabinet and other Ministers that have had a hand in bringing this bill to the House. It's important that people get the opportunity to submit on it when it goes to the select committee. I commend this bill to the House.