Leary IngridINGRID LEARY (Labour—Taieri): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. The Opposition have asked what our position on this bill is and I can say very clearly that I would like to support this bill for a couple of reasons and I won't be supporting it for a reason. I'll tell you why. First I'd like to support it because I have a great deal of respect for the member in whose name this bill is. Chris Penk is a member who conducts himself with dignity who enables business to take place in a dignified way. As we've seen in the debate tonight you know when I see bills that are pulled in his name or when I hear arguments in the name of Chris Penk I know that I'm dealing with someone who's collegial intelligent and respectful and so it makes me look at the bill seriously and say Does this have merit?" The reason that is relevant is because it is very difficult sometimes in this House to take some members' bills seriously because of the type of behaviour that I personally see as a member. So for that reason alone it would be great to be able to support the member's bill. The reason that I would also like to support it is because it does make sense. There is a place for this bill and as has been said by other speakers that will happen in the omnibus legislation. But as has been so passionately argued by Anna Lorck the previous speaker on this side of the House this bill really is using up a lot of House time and it would be such a shame to be able to take the floor and speak to something so small without referencing what is the opportunity cost here that we're missing. We've got some serious work to do in this House. We have a mandate for transformational change. There are huge expectations on us. We need to be looking at wellbeing and an area that I'm really passionate about is how we can measure wellbeing outcomes as we look at issues like housing as we look at reforming our health system as we look at rebuilding better after COVID and as we look at outcomes for Māori and Pasifika—and it's such a wasted opportunity to be even speaking on this bill let alone considering putting it through a select committee process when there are so many issues that require our attention. Just yesterday I went and watched colleagues across the House receive a petition from—DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member should come to the bill. This is not giving a commentary on what might happen in the future or what happened yesterday. It's about the bill. You need to speak to the bill. INGRID LEARY: Sorry Mr Speaker. I guess the point is if I refer to what the member in whose name the bill was drawn said he said that the bill was about "creating an environment where business can do so without anomaly … and without intrusion". Therefore I reference my comments around the fact there has been considerable intrusion in the affairs of this House trying to do its business because we have not been able to do so because of some of the behaviours. But I turn my attention to the bill and it really is a very small very technical piece of legislation. If we were not wasting so much time speaking about it and if we did not have more pressing matters to get on with I would like to support the bill as I said simply because I have a great deal of respect for the member in whose name it's drawn. However there is going to be an omnibus regulatory systems bill which will be introduced later this year. That has been referenced by my colleagues. The National Party had nine years in Government to actually correct this anomaly so it seems rather strange that they would now be wanting to turn their attention to this what I would say is minutia when there are much more pressing matters at hand. So for these reasons I'd really like to just say I'm really sorry to the member. I have a great deal of respect. Please continue in the way that you have. Despite the behaviours that are sometimes around us in the House we will always consider your comments and your bills seriously. In the meantime we won't be supporting this bill through to the select committee but certainly we are happy to wrap it up in that omnibus legislation. So therefore I will oppose this bill. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chris Penk—five minutes in response."