Cunliffe David: Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Cunliffe David: Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Advance Copy - Subject to minor change before inclusion in Bound Volume.] 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour—New Lynn) 
: 
 I would like to acknowledge the Hon Damien O’Connor in his leadership on this issue amongst the Labour caucus and I would like to take a call to express my deep disappointment in the process that the House is right now debating. I note that the Government sees fit to override the normal provisions of the Standing Orders in order to rush this crucial legislation the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill through the parliamentary process but that it is not important enough for National MPs to take calls. Is that not extraordinary? I hope the public at home are noting this feature.  
I want to begin with a little homily on a closely related—as you will see—matter although in a different industry. In my first term as a backbencher I sat on the Finance and Expenditure Committee and a private bill came before the committee to demutualise the New Zealand Stock Exchange. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order! This is a very narrow debate and it is all to do with the report-back time which has been reduced. The member must relate to that. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I apologise if I did not make the linkage clear. The stock market demutualisation bill had a short report-back time and rather like this bill it was put to the select committee before there was a clear regulatory structure around the demutualisation. On that occasion I felt so strongly about it that I led a backbench revolt against our own Minister— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order! This is a very narrow debate. I refer the member to Standing Order 286(3). We are discussing those points. The instruction that we are debating here is that the bill be reported by the select committee in 4 months or less. You cannot go and get involved in anything else. If the member does not bring it back I will terminate the speech. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am by analogy going precisely to the issue of the report-back time. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch) 
: The member has been speaking for 3 minutes and has not come back to the point that I have made. The member must come back now to what this debate is about. It is a very narrow debate and it is to do with the instruction that the select committee report in 4 months or less. That is what we are debating. That is what the instruction is.  
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: The point is this. If it was good enough for us to hold up a bill to prevent an undue truncation of the consideration and to guarantee a proper regulatory framework I appeal to members of the National caucus to exercise their conscience and good judgment and do the same with this bill. I appeal to members opposite to stand up to defy the whip and to stand up for future generations of New Zealanders— 
Hon John Banks 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think this speaker should be wound up. Standing Order 286(3) is clear. It has nothing to do with National members sitting in the House listening to this debate. It is very tight it is very narrow—it is probably the narrowest tightest procedural debate that we will ever have in this Parliament—and he has not come back to the point. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I thank the member and this will be the last time that I will ask the member to talk specifically on the instruction and the limited provision that it is. Otherwise I will terminate the debate. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: The following are some of the reasons why this House may wish to refuse to grant the motion that is before it. Those reasons with your conscience—those matters are as follows: firstly the importance of Fonterra as the earner of one dollar in five of New Zealand’s export income. Of its status— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Come back to the debate. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek your guidance.  
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I have given my guidance very clearly. We cannot talk about Fonterra its principles or its objects. This is the last time. If the member deviates from what I have already ruled on that is it. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am in no way seeking to trifle with your ruling which I accept and partially understand but I do seek your guidance. I seek your guidance because I am unclear how a member can address themselves to the grounds of this motion which is to truncate the normal select committee timetable for this bill around the structure of Fonterra— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order! I have heard the member. If the member had been here earlier or had been listening to previous debate there were some very good speeches specifically on the subject and they were very well received. This is the last warning to the member. The member must come back to the instruction—that is the report-back time is 4 months or less. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: The report-back time is too short. The report-back time is too short. The report-back time is too short. The report-back time is too short. The report-back time is too short. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order! The member is trifling with the Chair. The speech is terminated.