McAnulty KieranKIERAN McANULTY (Labour): Thank you Mr Speaker. What a difference a week makes. Only a week ago we were in this House listening to the National Party contribute to the first reading of this bill and we heard two different arguments from the same side. It's something that we should get used to but some members were saying they supported it and other members were saying they didn't support it. But at least today they've come together and it seems they now support it. So good on them—good on them for finally realising common sense and supporting this bill which supports the racing industry of this country.They do have some reservations which I am absolutely certain in a week's time they probably will no longer have. They've complained about the process despite the fact that there was a significant consultation period on the Messara report where the industry had every opportunity to express their concerns about what is facing the industry—which is exactly what this bill addresses because what this bill does is it sets up the transitional process. That's it. The other bills that are going to come after this—the second and third tranche if there is indeed a third tranche. But certainly the second tranche that comes up next is going to go through the full committee process because that will actually be proposing the recommendations that the Government adopts that came through from the Messara report and the consultation period.So there's actually no cause for concern here because what this is is a first step. What this does is it takes the first step under the leadership of the Rt Hon Winston Peters a man who wants to preserve the racing industry for generations to come. For those that enjoyed racing when they were young—and they might be old now they might be turning retirement age soon—and they look back to when racing was in its heyday I want to ensure that heyday comes back so that when I am facing retirement in 31 years' time I can say that we played a part—SPEAKER: That will be the mid-point of the member's career.KIERAN McANULTY: Sorry?SPEAKER: It will be the mid-point of the member's career just like for me. Thank you.KIERAN McANULTY: That's right Mr Speaker. With public speaking like this I happen to agree with you.Now the point here is that we've had a bit of scaremongering going on on this bill. We have heard that sports is going to be decimated because of the changes that are not proposed in this bill. Now that's a very special type of scaremongering to say that something's going to happen because it's not mentioned. But what the select committee process—now keep in mind that the National Party have said that the select committee process was inadequate but despite that the Transport and Infrastructure Committee have taken on board the concerns and they have included a provision which the Government supports to require the Minister for Racing to consult the Minister for sport on any potential consideration around the revenue for sport.There have also been suggestions that the revenue for sport that is coming in through this bill and what it proposes is not enough and there's not enough focus on sport despite the fact that the New Zealand Racing Board has always existed for the preservation of racing in this country. It wasn't until sports betting was allowed that the sport became an aspect of it.So what this bill actually does and what it's proposing is that once the transitional process is complete sport are going to have a say in the body that replaces the New Zealand Racing Board—something that doesn't exist now and the National Government had nine years to fix but now it's only because it's this Government's idea that they are concerned about it. But I know for a fact that organisations like Sport New Zealand are not concerned because I don't know if that side has listened to the submissions or read the submissions but what they said was that what's proposed in this bill is good for racing and it's good for sport.Hon Member: There you go.KIERAN McANULTY: There you go—there you go. The organisation that that party on the other side of the House is supposed to be expressing concerns about has no concerns. So that's absolutely fantastic.The point here is that this bill simply introduces the transitional process so that we can move from what currently exists—which in my view and the view of my colleagues on this side of the House is an unsustainable model—towards something that is going to save racing and make sure that the huge significant economic impact that racing has on this country be it in the provinces like where I live in Wairarapa or be it in places like in the Waikato where my good colleague Jamie Strange lives where breeding is king—not only the product of racing but exporting the horses as well. And then there are the jockeys and the trainers and the owners. Racing is a significant contributor to our economy. This bill will go a long way to ensuring that it continues to be so in the future.