Brown Peter: Smoke-free Environments Amendment Bill — Referral to Health Committee Procedure In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Brown Peter: Smoke-free Environments Amendment Bill — Referral to Health Committee Procedure In Committee 
[Sitting date: 15 October 2003. Volume:612;Page:9236. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 We have heard at least twice in this debate that the vast majority of the public will support this legislation. So why did the people who support it turn down the opportunity to give the public a referendum as we proposed? If there is confidence that the public will support the bill let us give them the chance to support it. 
I listened to Dr Scott in her two contributions. She is way out of line and clearly does not understand what this bill is all about. But at least she had the gumption to defend the bill. I do not hear anybody from the Government defending it. It was a very pathetic speech from the member in the chair and she failed to address— 
Hon David Carter 
: Inaccurate too. 
PETER BROWN 
: It was inaccurate and she failed to address the questions that have been raised in this Chamber. I will put them to her right now so that she clearly understands them. I will speak slowly so that Steve Chadwick understands them clearly. My first question is this: did the member know that public money was funding the lobby groups that are lobbying MPs to support this bill? This Committee deserves to be given an answer to that question. If she knew that why did she not disclose it when she was asked? If she did not— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: The whip is telling her what to say. 
PETER BROWN 
: Well if she takes notice of the whip telling her what to say she is less of a person than I give her credit for. If she did not know about the use of that public money why did she not support the bill going back to the Health Committee as proposed by Peter Dunne in order that the lobby groups could front up to the committee? Those are three questions and I ask her to take a call and address each one of them. 
This bill is a disgrace to Parliament and it is a disgrace to Government members. I wonder why Damien O’Connor sits there and supports such garbage. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: He won’t support it. 
PETER BROWN 
: Will he not? I would like to think that he will not but he will sit over there on the Government benches and undermine the working people in this country—and he is a working man. This Government right now— 
Shane Ardern 
: A long time ago Peter. 
PETER BROWN 
: A long time ago? This Government is funding lobby groups to advocate that we stop smoking. I think that everybody in this Parliament would discourage people from smoking—even the people who smoke. We would not encourage people to smoke but we do not believe in imposing our will on everybody. The Government pays money to the lobby groups; it pays the Prostitutes Collective between $50000 and $60000 a month to encourage prostitution. That is where this country is going—where this Labour Government is taking us. This legislation is an imposition on law-abiding citizens—the people who fought for this country in the war. 
I ask members this: who will police this legislation? Will Government members go along to gang headquarters when people are having a cigarette there and say to gang members that they will be taken to court and fined for smoking? But they will go next door to the Returned Services Association— 
Hon Damien O'Connor 
: Read the bill. 
PETER BROWN 
: Will Damien O’Connor go to the Returned Services Association? Will he walk in and tell people to put their fags out or otherwise he will take the manager to court? Will he do that or will he rely on someone else having the gumption to do so? Will Damien O’Connor walk into Returned Services Association premises where one or two people are smoking and put the manager on the skids? 
R Doug Woolerton 
: No he won’t. 
PETER BROWN 
: No he will not. He will depend on someone else to put the pot on. Does the Government really believe that this legislation will be policed effectively in the little country areas and the little country pubs? 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: It will be ignored. 
PETER BROWN 
: It will be ignored. It is absolutely stupid to bring in something like this. It is absolutely stupid. Legitimate smokers who have been law-abiding all their lives will feel guilty— 
R Doug Woolerton 
: And still are law-abiding. 
PETER BROWN 
: And still are law-abiding—and have to go outside. But the gangs will not do that. They will show the fingers to this Government and to anybody who wants to stop them smoking wherever and whenever they want to smoke. The only place where people can smoke in this country will be in the prisons. So law-abiding people if they want to have a smoke indoors in some sort of comfort will have to commit a crime and go to prison. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Or they can go to hospital. 
PETER BROWN 
: Or they can go to hospital. Does that actually make sense to any member sitting over there on the Government benches? Those members should take a call instead of just sitting there and making inane comments. They should take a call and explain that. Is it reasonable that a guy cannot have a cigarette in Returned Services Association premises but that if he commits a crime and is put in prison he can?