Cosgrove Clayton: Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill — Procedure Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Cosgrove Clayton: Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill — Procedure Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:657;Page:6216] 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour—Waimakariri) 
: 
 This is one of those interesting occasions—in fact we had one in the last bill that was passed under urgency—when there is general support for a bill but the parties are divided on a number of issues. Being a Cantabrian I cannot speak on the issues that will affect Auckland by the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill with the authority of Mr Twyford who is an Aucklander but some of those issues on which the parties are divided are heritage and the nature and environment we live in. 
I note with interest that the former Minister in the chair the Minister of Defence Wayne Mapp was good enough in the previous bill to also take the chair. It was a finance bill and National rolled up the Minister of Defence whose name is “Paris Hilton” I think. We call him that from time to time—affectionately I must say. For the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill we got the 25-pound howitzer out and the Minister of Defence again took the chair. He has now become what we call the Sonny Bolstad for those of us who are old enough to remember him of the New Zealand Parliament. Members may ask who Sonny Bolstad is. He was the New Zealand axe champion for many many years. He pre-dated me. I have not picked up an axe. Occasionally in politics one has to. 
Chopper Mapp came out. He is an Auckland member and his solution as a supporter of the big end of town is to just mow down the trees Operation Desert Storm style. He is the Minister of Defence after all. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Give us a break. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: The Minister in the chair Dr Smith says “Give us a break.” Well if anybody needs a break and a wee lie-down it is him. We know that for a variety of reasons. We know that Dr Mapp has the developers’ interests at heart. If National gets its way through the force and tyranny of the majority it will be possible for developers to come in mow down all the trees build 20 or 30 boxes and vote for Dr Wayne Mapp the Sonny Bolstad of Parliament. 
We have proposed a compromise in Supplementary Order Paper 40 as I understand it to allow people to do some surgical tree doctoring and a bit of trimming of their trees. If they want to go further than that they can get an expedited consent from the council and away they go. National wants to push through its Draconian measures. National is the party that said it was against red tape and against bureaucracy and that it wanted to cut cost. We know that given that there will be massive opposition to the wholesale flattening of the natural environment within Auckland if Wayne Mapp has his way that opposition in itself will create further bureaucracy. 
I will quote from the  
New Zealand Herald 
 which states: “Each tree must be assessed mapped and described a consultation process carried out and a possible court appeal defended at the end.” Those who are in favour of the other option—or in fairness perhaps even an extreme option the other way—should use their constitutional rights to try to hold back the tide. Dr Smith who has said he is the champion of mowing through the bureaucracy and cutting down the red tape ought to take a breath and have a wee think about this situation. I think there is a moment in Parliament when we can promote a compromise. A logical compromise has been put up. I think we all agree that the status quo was a wee bit over the top but Labour has put up a compromise that I think is relatively balanced. 
I say in this short call that we have again an illustration of the extremes in politics: those who are prepared to promote a compromise and find a balance between development interest in the big end of town and protecting the natural environment and those like Dr Mapp who would be out there with the axe and the grindstone sharpening it up and mowing down trees. He has the flat-earth philosophy— 
Hon Shane Jones 
: Rhinestone cowboy. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: My colleague says Dr Mapp is a rhinestone cowboy. Rhinestone? I do not know. Cowboy? He may be. Being an Auckland member Dr Mapp has a simplistic view of the world if he thinks that that sort of flat-earth philosophy should run. It is not just about the big end of town and about those who provide big dollars doing big developments; it is all about those people who actually want to protect their environment and have a balance in life. 
I ask National in a bipartisan way whether perhaps now that Dr Smith is in the chair and Wayne Mapp is on the benches it might consider our proposition.