O'Rourke Denis: Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board Empowering Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Rourke Denis: Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board Empowering Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 12 August 2015. Volume:707;Page:5726. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]DENIS O’ROURKE (NZ First): New Zealand First also has no objection to this bill and will be pleased to vote for it. I see that the matter has had quite a long history and that initially church property for the various churches concerned was held in the names of elders of the congregations. You can understand the practical difficulties that might have arisen from that and that did in fact occur resulting in new legislation in 1908 when a board was incorporated under the Religious Charitable and Educational Trusts Act 1908.But even then it did not solve the problem because I see there were doubts as to the board’s ability to legally hold the properties vested in it and that a private Act of Parliament was necessary and was enacted. That was the Associated Churches of Christ Church Property Act 1929 which did contain a provision defining the trusts upon which the board was to hold the real estate and indeed other property concerns. So it took rather a long time even to get to that position which is quite extraordinary.But of course even now it is not a satisfactory situation because over the years as you would expect a number of church properties have been sold and the proceeds of that have to be invested and then applied for the purposes of the trust. As it has transpired of course the legislation and the definition of the powers—especially the administrative powers under those trusts—have not been adequately set out. So we now find that there is wording that does create significant doubt about how the funds can indeed be applied. That is the matter that this bill specifically addresses.I also see that the churches have had a conference back in 2013. They have formed a new trust. Real and personal property held by the board now needs to be transferred to that trust and the specific terms of new trusts need to be properly set out. That is what the bill provides for—those two things: the transfer of the property and provisions to widen the administrative powers of the trustees so that they can apply to property especially the proceeds of sale of church property for the purposes of the trust. It has been determined that such a transfer would require a further Act of Parliament for the purpose.The terms of the new trust are wider than in the previous legislation. They will allow the churches to consider their wider mission and outreach not only in terms of buildings but also in using their funds for other activities of the churches. New Zealand First certainly approves of both of those objectives: the updating of the legislation to ensure that for this day and age the church property can be held under a new trust with new legislation and wider powers to create the administrative ability that the trustees need to properly administer those funds and that property for the purposes of the churches involved.So it remains only for New Zealand First to congratulate the churches and the trustees involved and to wish them well in their future endeavours in the administration of this property under the new Act and with those new powers.