Dean Jacqui: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
Dean Jacqui: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:14821] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) 
: 
 I might start with a geography lesson for Trevor Mallard. Clearly he and other members of the Labour caucus do not know the South Island terribly well. Their presence down there is not notable. In fact Temuka is part of the Rangitata seat held by the most excellent Jo Goodhew who is doing a wonderful job down in Rangitata. My own electorate of Waitaki goes round that area and contains a lot of the middle of the South Island. In fact a member in the Chamber had designs on that electorate but seems to have given up. Perhaps that is another story for another day—[ 
Interruption 
]—although we can talk about it now. 
In the Committee stage of the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill I will continue the theme of the geography lesson which is so clearly needed by the members opposite. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: How many games are there going to be in Waitaki? 
JACQUI DEAN 
: I thank the member so much. Trevor Mallard asked me the most wonderful question. It leads me on to what I want to talk about in my contribution. The question really highlights the ignorance of Trevor Mallard who lives somewhere in the North Island—goodness knows where; his constituents certainly do not. The question was: “How many games are going to be held in the electorate of Waitaki?”. I will tell the member what is going to be held in the electorate of Waitaki and that is the Golden Oldies Rugby Festival which will be part of the Rugby World Cup festival celebrations. That is good news. That is good news for regional New Zealand and that is exactly the spirit of this Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill. So I thank Trevor Mallard who is woefully ignorant about the geography of the South Island as is his colleague who has given up on the electorate of Waitaki. I can tell members that I am committed to the Waitaki electorate and I am very excited about the opportunity that the Rugby World Cup presents to the provinces of New Zealand. 
Those of us who are committed to the provinces are taking full advantage of the opportunity that is being given to us through the Rugby World Cup and that has its voice in the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill. I will start in the northern part of the South Island in Nelson which is the electorate of Nick Smith who is a most excellent member of Parliament for Nelson and has been for many years. He has been working closely with his local authority the Nelson City Council which is really on top of its game in terms of the Rugby World Cup and the opportunities it presents. I visited Nelson last week—many National members of Parliament visit Nelson; we are a very busy caucus—and I was able to visit the city council. It is grasping the opportunity of the Rugby World Cup. It is speaking to its community it is speaking to its business community and it is hosting a couple of teams—and I invite Trevor Mallard to name those teams. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Which ones? 
JACQUI DEAN 
: No he does not know. But I can tell the Committee that those two teams are Italy and the United States of America. I am sorry that Trevor Mallard is so out of touch but clearly on this side of the Chamber we are not. Nelson is taking full advantage of the opportunities that have been presented to it. 
I will go a little bit further south now to Waitaki and to the town of Oamaru which is my home town where we are hosting the Golden Oldies Rugby Festival. It will be the Waitaki Wasps versus the rest of the world. If that is not a small community taking full advantage of the opportunities that the Rugby World Cup is presenting then I do not know what is. 
Chris Tremain 
: And this man wants to put it all at risk. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: Well I cannot speak for the Opposition but I can say that Government members of Parliament are fully behind the Rugby World Cup are fully behind the opportunity that the Rugby World Cup presents and are fully behind the intention of the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill. 
Opportunities are being presented by this legislation to the North Otago Rugby Football Union which is a small but I have to say very successful rugby union on account of its contesting the Meads Cup against Wanganui next Saturday. I would not mind wagering a chocolate fish with anybody that it is going to be successful. It is one of those small rugby unions that are taking the mettle— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Chester wouldn’t eat it! 
JACQUI DEAN 
: Yes well I am very willing to wager a chocolate fish with Mr Borrows at any time because he is another member of Parliament who is fully committed to his own electorate which is Wanganui.