Collins Judith: National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna MAtauranga o Aotearoa) Bill — Second Reading 
Collins Judith: National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna MAtauranga o Aotearoa) Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:607;Page:4730] 
JUDITH COLLINS (NZ National—Clevedon) 
: 
 I must commend to the House that extremely good speech made by Mr Brian Donnelly and I have to say that I agree with every single word he said. It is not often that we can so agree. The National Party has agreed to support this bill and I commend to the House the work of our representatives on the Education and Science Committee in particular the work done by Dr Paul Hutchison who will also be speaking on this bill this evening. As Dr Hutchison pointed out to me it was his idea to go and visit the National Library. There is nothing like a bit of practical knowledge. Some of us actually visited the library before we came to Parliament as MPs. It is stunning—not only have I visited the prisons; I have also visited the National Library. 
John Carter 
: Are they the same? 
JUDITH COLLINS 
: No I say to Mr Carter they are not quite the same but I am sure I should discuss it all with his mother—and one day if Ms Pettis is a good enough girl I will take her along to visit the library. I do commend the National Library to the House. It is one of New Zealand’s absolute treasures. I particularly enjoyed being able to search the records and find details of when various ancestors of mine first came to New Zealand and how they registered for and fought in the wars that now form part of our history—not that that will get me too many votes in this House— 
Hon Georgina te Heuheu 
: You never know. 
JUDITH COLLINS 
: As Georgina te Heuheu says “You never know.” I particularly enjoyed looking at those records. A provision in this bill is about the requirement to have knowledge of the Pacific and I commend that to the House. New Zealand has a history of work in the Pacific. At one stage we had a colony—our only colony—Samoa which was then called Western Samoa. Samoa relies on New Zealand to assist it in relation to record keeping and details. My husband who is of Samoan Chinese and American heritage was particularly pleased to be able to find details relating to the American side of his own family going back to when they were pilgrims to North America. Some of us might ask what that has to do with New Zealand. It actually has quite a lot because it shows the depth of knowledge the National Library holds. I note that the Minister nods at that. 
I am a little interested in the title. However I will not speak further on what Mr Donnelly said because I do agree with him in respect of tokenism. I am deeply offended by any tokenism towards Maori Pakeha or anyone else in this country because at the end of the day we are all New Zealanders. Having said that I do wonder and perhaps the Minister or somebody who was on the select committee—probably Ms Pettis—could take a call. I know she is always very willing to speak in the House although not always by taking calls. 
Jill Pettis 
: I am the shy retiring type. You’ve got me mixed up with somebody else. 
JUDITH COLLINS 
: Yes and the member is always so eloquent too. I think “library” is an unusual description these days because my understanding from the many people who used to be called librarians is that they are now called researchers. Libraries are now almost uniformly starting to be called research centres or information centres. The reason is that libraries are no longer just about books. They are about all sorts of other things and I am particularly interested in the oral histories that the National Library is able to keep. 
One of the things that often amazes me in this House is the amount of time that is devoted by select commitees to bills such as this that are very non-contentious and the expense of that process when I would have thought they could be dealt with by way of amendment to the existing legislation which in this case is the National Library Act. I compare that with the amount of time this House has not devoted to for instance the question of the coalition of the willing and Iraq. We have to look at the priorities that this House often seems to have and I am sure that John Carter’s mother listening on her crystal set in Northland will be wondering about exactly that point. I am sure she will be very very worried about that. 
As well I am interested in clauses 30 and 35. I note the provision for notice of requirement for public documents. In my past life as a lawyer the National Library forwarded me a notice requiring me to forward to it three copies of my documents—documents that I had written or had taken part in writing. I found it quite interesting that those documents were so required. I have to say that if people want three copies of what a person has just published it would be nice to occasionally ask. I find it really insulting as someone who has done all the work to get a letter from a person I have never met requiring me to send copies to the other people who co-benefit from it. Of course now I am expecting very soon to receive a note from the National Librarian asking for three copies of  
Collins Comments 
 the newsletter of the MP for Clevedon—myself. I have to say that it is in extreme demand. I am expecting a call right now from the National Librarian who no doubt is listening to this speech and saying: “I have to have three of those. One won’t do.” 
Georgina Beyer 
: Send them six. 
JUDITH COLLINS 
: Georgina Beyer is the member of the Labour Party for whom I have the most regard. She wants six copies. It can be done but I tell her that I do mine electronically because I am into electronic communications. It is so much quicker so much cheaper and saves forests. I see that Mr David Benson-Pope wants three copies too. No it is six copies he wants. I must say that he would learn a tremendous amount from my  
Collins Comments 
 newsletter as I note would several other people. Tonight I attended a function outside of the House and received three more requests for copies and those were from people who do not even live in the brilliant electorate of Clevedon— 
John Carter 
: One is going to my mother. 
JUDITH COLLINS 
: Yes one is going to Mr Carter’s mother. I have to say that the brilliant electorate of Clevedon has everything that any MP could want including I have to say a good majority. Those are the sorts of things that make us feel particularly good and I am proud to represent that electorate. 
One of the issues Mr Donnelly raised was the Official Information Act and he spoke tonight about the fact that the Official Information Act was brought in to stop Governments from having secret information—not that any particular Government represented in this House would have that sort of thing—and hiding it from members. At the moment documents just turn up with great big black marks all through them—such as we get with sports funding issues. But it is great to see that there is to be some provision to allow the Rt Hon Winston Peters to talk about his side of the coalition talks which no doubt is what Mr Donnelly was referring to. Having said that I am sure there will be another set of documents for the other side of those particular coalition talks. No doubt at some stage Mr Peter Dunne would like to discuss his discussions with the Labour Party and the Progressive Coalition which no doubt were so valuable. I see my friends in United Future for whom I must say I also have very kind feelings as they know—and they are waving to me now. I am sure they will all have their own views. There was a slight wave—a movement of the wrist. Amongst we members of the right—and I am sure those members want to come on our side; they are desperate to—that is a secret signal we have. 
I commend this bill to the House. It is so nice to be able to support something that the Government has put up.