Calder Cam: Immigration Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCalder Cam: Immigration Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 13 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11165. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Dr CAM CALDER (National):I find myself actually agreeing with the previous speaker Iain Lees-Galloway in one sense in that New Zealand is known as a good neighbour. We are peace loving and our skills at peacekeeping are well recognised. We are firm people and we are fair people but we are not a soft touch for those folk who would seek to profit from others’ misery.I had occasion this very day to go to a celebration at lunchtime here in Parliament that was run by the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees honouring the journey of refugees to our country to New Zealand. These were refugees who had gone through the process of being accepted by New Zealand to come and live in our country. I must say that it was compelling testimony.There was one young man who spoke beautifully. He had not been here for very long but he spoke beautifully of his wish to contribute to our country. He left an African country. He had to leave in the dead of night he had to cross the border at night to avoid being shot and he was in a camp with his sister for a couple of years. Eventually he applied for and was accepted by New Zealand and he has been making his life in New Zealand for the last 5 years. He is a person who went through the approved processes and mechanisms and we welcomed him to our country. We welcomed him along with approximately 700 other refugees each year. New Zealand does have a proud record of fulfilling its obligations to the international community. We also get 300 asylum claims each year of which approximately a quarter are approved. I want to make that point. This Immigration Amendment Bill is to protect the most vulnerable who are being taken advantage of by those who would seek to profit from bringing them into our country.I must say time and time again from across the House we hear classic reasons why those in the Opposition are not fit to govern. One of the reasons has come out today. I have to say that I have a lot of admiration for some of my colleagues across the House but as a group a collective group they are not fit to govern. And why is that? Well they are unfit to govern because they display a huge lack of imagination. Time and time again we have heard: “It has never happened. It has never happened.” as though it will never happen.People laughed at the Wright brothers. No one had ever flown before. But surprise surprise people now fly around the world in large aircraft. In fact my colleague from across the House Denis O’Rourke who came within an ace of supporting this legislation was making the point that people could actually fly across the Tasman not come just in vessels. We know that it is very possible to come in vessels. A gentleman came across in a kayak sadly losing his life within kilometres of the coast. People sail across at regular intervals. There is no reason to suggest that because something has never happened it never will happen and it need not be considered.This is just another reason why members across the House have proven—have proven to any thinking person in the electorate—that they are not fit to govern. I mean some of them presumably have been boy scouts. I think I see a boy scout across the House right now. A boy scout should be prepared—be prepared—and that is what this Government is doing. “First do no harm.” is a great aphorism in medicine. We want to protect the vulnerable from themselves and from being abused and seduced by unscrupulous folk who would smuggle them into this country by sending a very clear message of deterrence.This bill sends a clear message of deterrence to any of those who would seek to come to our country and avoid the normal mechanisms of doing so. The overall package is firm and fair and it sends the message that New Zealand is not a soft touch. It has a range of measures to deter future attempts and better manage one should it occur. We are sending a clear message as I say to potential smugglers that we are not prepared to be an easy target. The changes will in fact bring us more into line with Australia with which we are cooperating on this issue.There are formal transparent and well-established processes by which persons can seek to reside in New Zealand. We applaud those being available. We welcome those people to our society. I am happy to be based in Manurewa one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in New Zealand and I acknowledge the cultural and economic benefits that migrants bring to our country but I do not condone nor does this Government condone people trying to enter the country through the back door. I commend this bill to the House.