Carter David: Real Estate Agents Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Carter David: Real Estate Agents Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:649;Page:18398] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (National) 
: 
 Again there is a particular clause in Part 2 that I want to discuss. It is clause 17 “Membership of Authority”. I want the Minister in the chair the Hon Clayton Cosgrove to confirm that he must name members of the authority within a couple of days of this legislation receiving Royal assent. If that is the case then I say to the member he should have done some homework now as to whom he is going to appoint as the seven members of the authority. I think the Minister should rise and tell us who they are. I am suspicious that we will see a repeat of what we saw at the weekend when the Minister of Conservation appointed 52 Labour lackeys to the conservation boards around the country. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: Ha! 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: The Deputy Prime Minister laughs but there is a history of this. We had a member here; nobody knew her name and I had to ask the Parliamentary Library what it was. Her name was Dianne Yates. She got shunted out of Parliament at the whim of the Prime Minister and got about three or four prize appointments. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Four. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Four appointments. Well one thing is for sure. She is too busy to be a member of this authority. [ 
Interruption 
] I am talking about clause 17. I want to know who the members are. We know that two of them will be experienced people as licensees or former licensees but that leaves the appointment of five others. I want the Minister to confirm that when we talk about the member who must have “not less than 7 years’ legal experience” that is one Russell Fairbrother. He was the member of Parliament who was told he was not allowed to go on the list and does not have a show of winning the Napier seat from our excellent candidate Chris Tremain. 
So three slots are now filled—there are four left. I want to know whether the Minister himself would consider whether he would have a conflict of interest if in fact his name were to be advanced. I notice that he is well down the list that came out the other day at No. 18. Against Kate Wilkinson in Waimakariri he will not be back as a member of Parliament so will he fill the first of the four vacancies still remaining on the membership of the authority? Then I want to know who the others are. Charles Chauvel No. 27— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Who? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Charles Chauvel. He has not been here long and he certainly has not done much to contribute. He is standing in the seat of Ohariu so he does not have a show there and he knows it. He has been put down at No. 27. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. With respect this member has been here some considerable time. One would think he might have learnt something in that time about the Standing Orders. This is a narrow debate yet here he is speculating on all the people who will not be on the authority under the pretence that he wants to know who will be. That was his opening gambit. Frankly this is a lazy indolent way of conducting a debate. It is typical of him and we could expect better. I want you to make sure he does do better. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I ask the member to continue. I had actually indicated to the member a couple of times— 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Mr Chairperson I know you waved your hands but the point I make is that within 2 days of this legislation receiving Royal assent seven members of this authority are to be named. That is in the legislation. Now that we know the date for the election is 10 weeks away there is a longstanding convention in this House that there will be consultation between at least the parties in this Parliament on the appointments— 
Christopher Finlayson 
: There was a convention. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: There used to be a convention? Well I would hope that this Minister despite his bullying belligerent and arrogant attitude would actually stick to the convention. I therefore think we have every right to know what plans he has for consulting members of the National Party about appointments to this authority. 
The authority will have a very important job to do. It will deal with these hundreds of cowboys and land sharks who Mr Clayton Cosgrove says are in the industry. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: That’s right. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: He agrees now! Only 5 minutes ago he took a call to say that there are not many of them yet he now says there are hundreds of them. 
So the authority will have a lot to do and I want to make sure that it is not stacked with Labour Party lackeys and members of Parliament who know that they are in the last few weeks of sitting in this House because they have been put down on that Labour list well and truly towards the unwinnable positions. I think it is a very fair question for us to be asking. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Lesley Soper? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: What is happening to Lesley Soper? She would probably be all right on this. But I think we have a very fair question to ask about the process for appointment—what work has been done so far to find who those seven members are and most important whether the Minister is prepared to consult before those appointments are made. They are very clear questions and I look forward to the Minister taking a call and answering them.