Barker Rick: Coroners Bill — In Committee 
Barker Rick: Coroners Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:633;Page:4683] 
Hon RICK BARKER (Minister for Courts) 
: 
 I want to pick up on a couple of comments made by the previous speaker Richard Worth who is normally a very thorough and accurate person. It is an extremely rare case that one can pick up Dr Worth for being wrong on a point of substance. It is very rare. He is a very learned colleague he debates constructively and favourably in the House and his being wrong is an unusual situation. But we heard an example of it tonight when he made an observation that the chair of the Justice and Electoral Committee had not participated in this debate. He said that she had not. 
I suggest the member checks the  
Hansard 
 record because I recall sitting in this very chair and listening to Lynne Pillay making a contribution earlier on in the Committee stage. I can only assume Dr Worth was asleep or in deep conversation with a colleague and failed to admit it or was somewhere else; I am not sure. But I want to say that he was very unfair to Lynne Pillay. I do not want to be ungenerous to Dr Worth; I think he could have been mistaken. It is unusual for him to make a mistake like that. 
The second point I want to come back to is that I was challenged earlier about the fees for coroners. I want National Party members to get hold of the bench and brace themselves for this. This is what the Government has done after 9 long years of neglect by National of coronial fees when it did nothing for coroners. The previous fee for deciding after receiving a report of a death not to make further inquiries was $40; the new fee is $80. For completing an inquest lasting less than 2 hours the previous fee was $250; the new fee is $400. Those are substantial increases. 
The other point that should be made to Dr Worth is that we do not have an employee-employer relationship with coroners. That is the first point that needs to be made. It is a very clear point. When he looks to consider these positions in terms of normal industrial law he has the wrong basis for doing so. But I also say to Dr Worth that when one reads the legislation one sees that schedule 3 is very clear. 
Dr Richard Worth 
: Clause 3. 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: Clause 3. I made it very clear to him. 
The other point I want to make briefly before concluding is in response to Anne Tolley’s comments about the East Coast and other places. The whole principle of change for this bill is to ensure we have as a previous National Party speaker said national standards that apply across the country. We want the highest level of professionalism possible in coronial services. I have seen quite considerable variation across the country and I think everybody in New Zealand should be entitled to the finest coronial services possible. That is the purpose of this legislation. When the transition is going through members can be assured that we will be very mindful of those particular issues in terms of the location of coroners. I have every confidence the chief coroner will ensure that we have excellent coronial services throughout New Zealand. 
I am also equally sure that when we look back on this legislation in 10 or 20 years’ time people will say it is good legislation. I have no doubt about that. It will move coronial services forward and all the issues that were raised by Dr Worth about coronial databases and accurate information will be there as well. I think Parliament has done itself proud with this legislation and I thank everybody who has participated in the debate.