Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Military Manoeuvres Act Repeal Bill — First Reading 
Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Military Manoeuvres Act Repeal Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:666;Page:13813] 
KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) 
: 
 I move  
That the Military Manoeuvres Act Repeal Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be considered by the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee. It gives me pleasure as a first-term member of Parliament to introduce my first member’s bill which was selected from the ballot at the first attempt. I hope to retain my personal record of keeping my speeches short and sweet and hope that other contributors to this debate will follow in my footsteps by keeping their speeches short and sweet as well. 
The Military Manoeuvres Act of 1915 was enacted in the second year of the First World War and provides that the Governor-General may by proclamation declare that any land for a period specified be made available for military manoeuvres. After the manoeuvres are completed the officer commanding the forces engaged in them must as far as possible restore the land to its former condition. To the best of the knowledge of the New Zealand Defence Force the Act has not been used for the last 30 years largely as it was enacted specifically to deal with the extraordinary circumstances of mobilisation for the First World War. It is believed that no current proclamations remain in force and that there are no outstanding claims relating to past proclamations and military manoeuvres. So the Act sits on the statute book for no purpose and the bill we are debating today will repeal the Act. 
Some people might ask why we should bother to repeal this Act—it may be obsolete but surely there are hundreds of obsolete Acts just like it. This is precisely the point. The Military Manoeuvres Act is representative of a very vital problem—that redundant legislation on the statute book must go. The New Zealand Institute of Journalists Act 1895 and the District Railways Purchasing Act 1885 are totally obsolete. Other Acts such as the Tourist and Health Resorts Control Act 1908 the Rent Restriction Act 1924 and the Patriotic and Canteen Funds Act 1947 require revisiting and re-examination as to whether they should be retained. 
A member’s bill is one way to start the job but Parliament needs to look at a more comprehensive approach. In case anyone thinks this is nonsense the Law Commission has said that our statute law lacks coherence and is untidy and can be difficult to understand and use. My colleague the Hon Chris Finlayson has said that for the rule of law to be strong in New Zealand our statute law must be clear and accessible. I am sure the whole House will agree with this and support the efforts of the Parliamentary Counsel Office and the Law Commission to tidy up the statute book and make it easier to understand. 
The Legislation Bill is being considered by the Regulations Review Committee at the moment. It will modernise and improve the law relating to the publication availability reprinting revision and official version of legislation. My member’s bill the Military Manoeuvres Act Repeal Bill highlights an important problem and I hope it will help to make the House aware of it. I look forward to the support of the House in passing this bill.