Simpson Scott: Marine Legislation Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Simpson Scott: Marine Legislation Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 11 September 2012. Volume:683;Page:5096. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel) 
: 
 It is a great pleasure to rise in support of this omnibus bill the Marine Legislation Bill that is being presented to the House tonight and to hear a number of interesting speeches from members from all sides of the House—some more enlightened than others. I cannot help but just point out to the honourable member Ruth Dyson who has just resumed her seat that she said in her speech that the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage was adopted in 2008. Well in fact a quick check of the bill indicates that it was actually adopted in 2001 which would have given plenty of time for Labour to have enacted legislation and taken some action on it should Labour have chosen to during its 9 long years when it had the opportunity. 
But this is as I said an omnibus bill that amends the Maritime Transport Act. It is important in my part of the world because I represent the very fine electorate of Coromandel. It was on some beaches in the Coromandel electorate where oil nurdles—the little plastic things—and noodles as well timber milk powder and other assorted flotsam and jetsam of course washed up from the  
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. I do not think any of us would deny for one minute that the  
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 incident was anything other than a huge tragedy and an environmental blot but ours was a Government that acted I think quickly responsibly and with great efficiency. I want to take this opportunity at the introduction of this Marine Legislation Bill to thank the citizens of Coromandel—the people the volunteers the services the providers and the contractors—who assisted so nobly in the clean-up work. They did it with great enthusiasm not only because there was an immediate risk but also because they have a long-term heartfelt interest and passion in their local environment and their local area. So this bill actually goes a long way to ensuring that environmental matters are taken care of—and that provision on bunker oil is in my view extremely important. 
But I remember it well because at that stage when the  
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 did go aground I was but a mere hard-working candidate. I can remember going down on to the beach at Waihi at one point and finding there people who had just met with a fellow who had come down from Auckland in his shiny shoes for a few minutes and a photo opportunity. His name was Phil Goff. He was “Shiny Shoe” Phil—“Shiny Shoe” Phil—and at that point he was of course leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition. What a lot happens in 12 months—what a lot happens in 12 months. 
I would just like to go through for a minute or two and review a couple of the speeches that we have heard tonight. Of course the Hon Maurice Williamson introduced the legislation to the House on behalf of the Minister of Transport Gerry Brownlee. He gave I thought an excellent introduction. He set out all the relevant points about the bill and the fact it was an omnibus bill and then we had a very good and I thought quite well-prepared and well-considered presentation from Phil Twyford. So I would like to compliment Phil on that presentation which I thought was a very useful contribution. David Bennett of course made his almost always succinct topical and very presentable presentation. David Bennett is of course the chairman of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee and he will be guiding this bill through the select committee process. I am looking forward to taking my position on that select committee and being very much part of that team. 
Grant Robertson made what could be described only as yet another leadership bid speech. It was powerful. It was compelling. It was probably the best speech that an aspiring Labour Party leader has made certainly today but probably also in the most recent weeks. We will see more of Grant Robertson’s leadership speeches I am sure. And then we had Darren Hughes. Darren Hughes gave a speech and it was the first time I have been aware—[ 
Interruption 
] sorry Gareth—Gareth. It was the other—he is gone is he not? He is the one who has gone. It was Gareth. He is the one. Probably what got me interested in that was that that is the first speech I have heard given by that member where fracking was not mentioned. That would have to be a first from that member in this House. Then we heard Jami-Lee Ross give a very very good presentation. He made excellent points. I am surprised that members opposite have difficulty remembering the member for Botany’s name because his is a very very good name and he is doing a very good job. 
But the prize tonight for the most bizarre speech was of course Brendan Horan’s speech. It was a very very bizarre contribution. Brendan Horan is rapidly developing a reputation in this House for being the Forrest Gump of New Zealand politics—the fellow who is always there when action and great deeds and moments of history are there. He is always there to collect up spots of oil to take photos on his iPad and to show them or attempt to demonstrate them to the House. 
What about the bill? Well the bill amends the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act and it will of course make provisions that are far stronger than we have seen in the past. It is a timely bill. It is a bill that is I think well endorsed by all sides of the House. In particular it is a bill that seeks to substantially increase the amount of compensation payable for incidents like the  
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 and that I think is a very good thing. So it is with great pleasure that I endorse and commend this bill to the House. I am looking forward to participating in the select committee proceedings under the very capable chairmanship of David Bennett to hearing submissions on it and to bringing it back into the House once it has passed the select committee process.