Brown Peter: Crown Minerals Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Brown Peter: Crown Minerals Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:610;Page:7999] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 My contribution will not be long because I was not on the select committee. My knowledge of this bill is what I have received in my briefing from my colleague Brent Catchpole who has detailed knowledge of this issue but unfortunately could not be here this afternoon as he is away on other parliamentary business. I have gained further personal knowledge from what I have read of the bill and from outside literature. 
New Zealand First cannot support this bill. I listened intently to Mark Peck who is an MP whom New Zealand First regards as a straight shooter—as it does the Hon Harry Duynhoven. They do not play the political game terribly often and we believe that they address the issues in general terms pretty forthrightly. But I think they have got it wrong and that this legislation is not doing the job it should be doing. 
I accept what Mark Peck said—that previous legislation did not address mining issues clearly. That is putting it as bluntly as I can. I would like to suggest to the Government that this might clarify the situation but it does not address mining issues fairly. I note that the last clause in a 7-page document talks about no compensation. New section 119A in clause 24 states: “No person is entitled to compensation from the Crown in respect of any losses arising from—…”. It is not necessary for me to read out the rest of this new section. It implies that people in this industry will lose and the Government is accepting of that. 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: No windfall claims! 
PETER BROWN 
: It goes a little deeper than that. Let me quote— 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: Don’t quote from the  
Independent 
. 
PETER BROWN 
: That is exactly what I am going to do. 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: The  
Independent 
 ran the most biased series of articles. 
PETER BROWN 
: Maybe it did but this is a sentence I must read to the House because this is absolutely shooting straight from the heart. It states that the Crown Minerals Act is “essentially anti-mining anti-private enterprise legislation” and that it “doesn’t recognise the miner’s need for security of tenure.” 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: Passed by the National Government. 
PETER BROWN 
: That may be so but I suggest to the Minister that he does not have it right. He might have clarified what he thinks the National Government should or should not have done but he has not put legislation in that is fair. After reading something like that—that is that the Crown Minerals Act is “essentially anti-mining anti-private enterprise legislation”—Government members should take that on board. That was reported in the  
Independent 
 newspaper on 16 April 2003. After reading that Government members should ask: “Have we got it right?” because this is a Government that prides itself on being pro - private enterprise. 
Pansy Wong 
: What? 
PETER BROWN 
: Yes it does! Government members talk to business people. Did the member not hear the questions in the House—patsy questions I admit—this afternoon? The questions were trying to give the impression that this Government is pro - private enterprise. The  
Independent 
 states that this legislation is anti - private enterprise and anti-mining. 
We could take huge advantage of the mining industry with huge economic gains and benefits for this country not only in employment but also in all other ways. However there has to be a proviso. There has to be some stipulation that the mining fraternity look after the environment—in other words it leaves it in the same pristine condition that it was before the industry set about mining in a particular area. 
We are disappointed in this legislation. We believe there is an underlying problem here but we do not believe that this has been addressed properly or fairly. When we do not have fair legislation then we get legislation that does not sit comfortably with the public. There will be amendments. If I heard the Hon Harry Duynhoven correctly he alluded to that in his speech and that he expects amendments for this bill. 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: With regard to coal and methane. 
PETER BROWN 
: I missed the content because a lot of talking was going on. I suggest to the Minister that there will be amendments in mining-type legislation before too long. New Zealand First cannot support this legislation. With the best will in the world we cannot support this.