McClay Todd: Game Animal Council Bill — First Reading 
McClay Todd: Game Animal Council Bill — First Reading 
[Advance Copy - Subject to minor change before inclusion in Bound Volume.] 
TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) 
: 
 It gives me great pleasure to stand and speak on the Game Animal Council Bill. Can I say that the last speech from the Opposition was a load of puffery and posturing but it was very good to hear at the end that it is likely to vote for this legislation. What great confusion there is on the other side of the House! But at least they are showing that in some things they are consistent and that is in opposing absolutely everything. 
A great disservice was done to Mr Dunne actually. Mr Dunne started on this journey along with hunters and recreational enjoyers of the outdoors in New Zealand some years ago. In fact I think Mr Dunne’s first discussions were held under another Government when Labour was on this side of the House. Can I say to you on behalf of hunters in New Zealand I recognise your commitment and the hard work that you have put into making sure that they have a seat around the table and a voice around the table. I think that recognition certainly is there. 
The reason it gives me pleasure to stand and speak on this bill is that I want to declare an interest. I am a member of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association and whenever I have an opportunity I enjoy going out and hunting. 
Andrew Little 
: An honorary membership surely. 
TODD McCLAY 
: There is the interesting thing—already we have Opposition members calling that into question. If you live in a city you probably do not understand fully what this legislation is about but in provincial New Zealand parts of the country where we hold all of the seats this is very important. 
All over New Zealand hundreds of thousands of recreational huntsmen and others enjoy going out and spending time in the wild. One of the larger concerns I have had in the 4 years I have been the member of Parliament for Rotorua—an area where we have fantastic hunting by the way—has been that there is not enough recognition of the recreational side of this activity. 
Although hunters come together in groups are responsible and care as much about the environment and management of species as anybody else does they do not have the same amount of say as they should. The very important thing here is that this bill recognises everyday New Zealanders. It recognises that they are in pursuit of their leisure activities and allows them to come to the table and have greater involvement—not control but involvement—in decision making in some of the areas that affect them. 
Can I say to the members of the Opposition and to the last speaker Grant Robertson I can confirm that as a species Mr Robertson is not covered by the scope of this bill so he can now relax. I want to recognise a couple of people particularly and the work that they have done. Tim McCarthy— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order! I think that comment was unnecessary and I ask the member to withdraw it. 
TODD McCLAY 
: I withdraw and I will carry on without debate. Can I say that I want to recognise Tim McCarthy the National President of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association for his work. I certainly want to recognise Alec McIver from Rotorua who is the immediate past-president of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association and put a huge amount of work into this. I also recognise Garry Ottmann who has also spent many many years getting people from the recreational community together in one thought and one voice on the way we should move forward. 
I want to make a very special mention of someone who emails me a lot and I am sure emails other members a lot and that is “Honest Dave” from Serious Shooters in Rotorua—a passing comment about him. But again what I want to say is that very clearly this legislation is about recognising the rights and obligations of everyday New Zealanders in the pursuit of their leisure activities. 
I commend the Minister of Conservation for working equally hard over the last couple of years to deliver what I believe is a very important and very good piece of legislation to this House. Can I say that I look forward to it going to the Local Government and Environment Committee passing through the committee’s consideration quickly coming back to this House and entering into law because many people on all sides of this House actually support this legislation for reasons other than those pretended at by members of the Opposition. Kia ora.