Tabuteau FletcherFLETCHER TABUTEAU (Deputy Leader—NZ First): Oh thank you so much Madam Deputy Speaker for this opportunity to speak on this Patents (Advancement Patents) Amendment Bill. I'd just like to take this first opportunity to congratulate the member Parmjeet Parmar. It's an unusual circumstance to have two member's bills under one member's name being debated on the same evening. So congratulations on that although if I'd spoken after some of the previous speakers in the last debate I would not have had anything nice to say about their contributions or the legislation—and that was just the interjections.On this unfortunately Ms Parmar you have drawn from National's box of redundant pieces of legislation to take up the House's time a piece of legislation that is past its use-by date and that unfortunately does speak—as previously noted—to an Opposition that is absolutely out of touch. I think the best way to summarise it is to put it in these words: this is an apparent solution looking for a problem.Now let me be very clear and let me use the words of New Zealand business and let there be no doubt in the House tonight that New Zealand business did not ask for this and they most certainly do not want this legislation to be passed in the House this evening. I am so glad that we have a Government with a bit of common sense—that might be a nice way to put it.What we see here is the introduction of a two-tier system. Across the world we have seen the two-tier system fail almost like a stack of dominoes. Two bigger modern economies come to mind: the Netherlands and—despite the words of Mr Bayly which don't make any sense whatsoever—Australia. What we have seen is the introduction of these two-tier systems and what that has meant—and I'll quote here—is The low [innovation] threshold has proven more harmful than helpful including (perversely) for [small to medium enterprise]. It has encouraged a multitude of low value patents … and created uncertainty for other innovators who are unsure whether they are infringing on another party's patent." The issue then is that our small to medium sized enterprises are wondering—and Fisher & Paykel was a great example used by the Minister Kris Faafoi—about their legal position when it comes to innovative development of their businesses.What we are seeing around the world and funnily enough here in New Zealand you'll be surprised to know and in Australia according to the numbers I'm quoting—in Australia the predominance of these tier-two patents funnily enough belong to large multinational corporates who are using that low threshold to rig the system as it were. And what's the language here? In my words—I can't quite find a quote—they're perversely loading the system—Hon Kris Faafoi: They're gaming it.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: They're gaming it so that small to medium sized enterprises are unable to innovate—Dr Parmjeet Parmar: Read my bill.Hon Kris Faafoi: That's why we voted against it.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: —and develop good business which is supposedly the claim of the Opposition.Ha ha! It is quite distracting.Dr Parmjeet Parmar: Read my bill.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: I have read your bill several times and taken advice on it from New Zealand businesses who don't like it.Actually it's probably a good opportunity to end there. I think I heard the bell ring over the furore from the other side. Unfortunately this is a bill out of time and out of place. New Zealand First absolutely cannot and will not support it and I thank the Deputy Speaker for the time this evening. Thank you."