Hawkins George: Unit Titles Bill — In Committee 
Hawkins George: Unit Titles Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:661;Page:9862] 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Labour—Manurewa) 
: 
 The Unit Titles Bill as noted earlier was introduced into the House by the Hon Shane Jones. I think it was taken over by Phil Heatley who looked after it for a while and now the Hon Maurice Williamson is the Minister in charge of the bill. 
Although the Labour Party goes along with the bill quite willingly I have to say that the process has been really poor. The Social Services Committee looked at the bill came up with its report and away went the officials. Nine days ago the Government knew what amendments were going to go into this bill—9 days ago. But of course the Opposition did not get them until the day that the Committee of the whole House started its consideration of the bill. 
We had promises from John Key when he went around the country electioneering about the things National was going to change— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: And Tim Macindoe. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes. Mr McClay looks away; he is putting his hand up. The trouble is that things have not changed. I know that when Labour was in Government sometimes we did those things but everything was going to change under National. Things were going to be different. 
We have a pile of amendments in Supplementary Order Paper 112. The amendments to clause 5(1) include a new definition of a “unit plan”. That is quite important. 
The Act that this legislation replaces the Unit Titles Act was passed in 1972. I think things have changed quite markedly since that time. The building industry the style of housing and the style of units that people live in are far different from what they were back in 1972. 
Todd McClay 
: You’ve noticed have you? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes I have noticed. 
Paul Quinn 
: Did you notice the leaky housing problem? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes I remember leaky houses. Houses were built using untreated timber approved by a National Government. That was its legislation and that member should not forget that. 
But when we get back to what this bill is about and when we look at the process I think we see that the Government should acknowledge that it is guilty for not having gone about it properly. When there is goodwill on both sides of the House for legislation the quickest way to wreck that goodwill is to try to be secretive until the last minute. That is what this Government has done. That is not good. If it wants people to support legislation and to work in a positive way it has to bring people into the picture a lot sooner. The National Government must bring the Opposition and other parties into the picture sooner. 
I thank the Hon Maurice Williamson because he made his officials available to brief our spokesperson on housing Moana Mackey and I think that is fine. But that was only one small step. We needed much more than that. I think the officials were put in a very bad light which was not their fault but because the Government did not do its job. Obviously we will have a lot to say about a lot of other things in Part 1 but I believe that the Acting Minister of Housing should answer those questions and tell the Committee why it took so long for him to make sure the Supplementary Order Paper was available. Why did that happen? Was it a printing problem? Was it a deliberate move by the National Government? Was the Government too busy dealing with other things such as mines and wrecking conservation land? I think the Minister should get up take a call and tell the Committee why it did not let the Opposition see the Supplementary Order Paper much earlier.