Foster-Bell PaulPAUL FOSTER-BELL (National): Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker for the opportunity to make a brief contribution in this debate on Clayton Mitchell's Broadcasting (Games of National Significance) Amendment Bill. I am not going to engage in quite the same level of invective that the ACT Party leader David Seymour did although I do concur with his basic supposition that—Hon Simon Bridges: That it's communist.PAUL FOSTER-BELL: —this bill is communism. I have to say that this is ironic given that earlier in the day Mr Mitchell made allegations that our colleague Mr Scott Simpson's bill on giving high earners some choice around the negotiations in their employment contracts—in the ability to negotiate out of protection that may be provided in the case of personal grievance—was fascism. I think we have to be very careful when we hurl these sorts of terms across the House because when one accuses another member of fascism—these terms should be reserved for when things are actually fascistic otherwise we run the risk of being the boy who cried wolf.But in this case I do agree with the basic supposition of Mr Seymour's that this is a communistic measure and that it seeks to socialise I think what entertainment is. Since when did the ability to turn on the television and enjoy one's favourite form of entertainment become a human right? I quite enjoy House of Cards for instance or that wonderful new TV series The Crown which shows our glorious monarch Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth from her early years—Hon Simon Bridges: What about that Prince Philip though eh?PAUL FOSTER-BELL: Oh Prince Philip—he was quite a good looker in his youth was he not Simon? But the monarch and her family—this is the most expensive TV series produced in history. It cost over $100 million to produce it. And it would not have been able to be produced in such glorious high-definition splendour with wonderful sets amazing costuming and the best actors available—John Lithgow's portrayal of Sir Winston Churchill for instance is masterful—if it were not for Netflix subscribers contributing their $15 or so a month to enable them to access that subscription service.In the same way if we want to see high-quality sports in this country and if we want to have a national rugby team that is able to continue to be the best in the world and if we want to have netball teams and cricket teams that are performing at their absolute maximum capacity then they have to be appropriately funded. Like other members I am sure I have received combined correspondence from the Rugby Union but also from New Zealand Cricket and Netball New Zealand outlining the significant shortfalls in funding for those codes that would occur should this bill pass. I have some grave concerns about that.This bill does have I suppose a good intention: to promote the availability of live free-to-air broadcasts. Increasingly of course people are accessing content on demand because the live broadcast is at an inconvenient time. We have seen this with the Rugby World Cup—when it has been played in the United Kingdom it has been at a very inconvenient time often in the very early hours of the morning that most of the games were played. This House considered these issues at some length when we were looking at alcohol licensing and the very sensible measure to liberalise alcohol licensing which in the end certainly led to no harm. There was not a great deal of drinking actually going on because many of the games were at 4 5 6 or 7 in the morning—breakfast time. People were going into the pubs to watch the games over a latte and bacon and eggs rather than to watch them over a beer in the middle of the night.Increasingly in this world that we live in people want to consume their media in a method and a style and in a mode of their choosing but also at a time of their choosing. So I think the importance of the live match is something that is Mr Mitchell unfortunately slowly dying. Those who really want the excitement of the live game will go down and buy their ticket for the stadium. But those of us who prefer to keep a civil timetable and go to bed at our usual time will record the match and save it for later viewing or will watch it on the delayed free-to-air coverage. Hon Trevor Mallard: Oh dear. Oh dear. PAUL FOSTER-BELL: I concede—I happily concede—that I am perhaps not as much of a follower of the rugby as Mr Mallard or others. There are members on this side of the House who are noted for their rugby fandom; I will watch those important games for New Zealand but I will do so on the delayed coverage.I seek leave Mr Assistant Speaker to table a letter from the New Zealand Rugby Football Union Cricket New Zealand and Netball New Zealand outlining their concerns on this measure—Jami-Lee Ross: It's public.PAUL FOSTER-BELL: —a letter to me.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch): Is this in the public domain?Jami-Lee Ross: Yes it is.PAUL FOSTER-BELL: Has it been published? It was a letter sent to me.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch): No. I am not accepting it.