Jones ShaneHon SHANE JONES (Minister of Forestry): Apologies Madam Deputy Speaker for not alerting you to a slight change in the batting order. Part of what the honourable member Mr Brownlee talks about deserves my support certainly the part about being vigilant against officials'—to borrow a term given to me by a former National Minister—treacle-riddled feet. And the member's now standing. That's very important that we remain vigilant as Ministers. But this bill will pass and I just want to remind the House: where do we get our mandate to make such a fundamental change towards property ownership in New Zealand and the numbers of non-Kiwis holding such a privilege? We fought an election on this particular issue.Hon Dr Nick Smith: And who got the most votes? Who got the most votes?Hon SHANE JONES: We brought to the attention of the public our desire to restrict the ability of international purchasers to bid Kiwis out of existence and to thwart the ambitions of garden-variety Kiwi households to become property owners. Now I know that certain elements on the other side of the House are still wending their way through the stages of grief and we are unlikely to see an immediate cessation from the Nelson member but the reality is we've been given the privilege of governing for three years and a cardinal feature of this side of the House and their narrative is that there will no longer be the ability for all and sundry to rock up to New Zealand and to imagine that they can buy multiples of houses and leave them vacant and pursue a non-taxable gain whilst there are people living in cars and in other dire circumstances in Auckland.So this bill will pass. Why are we doing it? Governments are entitled to make big fundamental calls and this Government through this bill is exercising that right. Now when the bill goes to the select committee no doubt people will endeavour to change some of the provisions. Some might say they're too restrictive. Some might say we shouldn't let Aussies enjoy the privilege that we ordinary Kiwis have. That can all be teased through in the select committee and that select committee will ensure that we meet the time commitment foisted upon us by that side of the House in relation to the ill-conceived Trans-Pacific Partnership. Now being a supporter of international trade my good self does not mean that our rules and regulations should completely open the gate and leave Kiwis constantly outbid. I won't refer to any particular transaction that might be exercising the minds of us in the House but know this: the housing market in New Zealand the homeownership market in New Zealand is now going to change. We are desirous of creating a market that is driven to suit driven to fulfil the interests of us Kiwis of us putting our interests first before an unmitigated flood of people continue to bring their money here and continue to outbid Kiwis seeking the most simplest of opportunities: to house their families their whānau and their children.It might be said that there is a case for expanding the rights of other migrants when they come to New Zealand to enjoy the privilege of homeownership. I say to their advocates and I say to the other side of the House as they look for people who will continue to find reasons to oppose this bill—which will actually because of arithmetic and the coalition agreement pass irrespective of what select committee it goes to; irrespective of what mischief members of that select committee might get up to. Now the reality is once this bill gets there this bill will actually affirm that New Zealand—unlike the other side of the House this side of the House is going to affirm New Zealand is not for sale. That side of the House ran a political narrative. They ran an ideology where they were prepared to put Kiwis to the side in order to accommodate overseas interests at the expense of Kiwi interests. Those days are over. Now in another three years we'll have an audit—it's called an election—but by that time this bill will be law.Let me talk a little about Mr Parker. Mr Parker said we as a Government are particularly keen on seeing a continuation of foreign direct investment. For those reasons as the House's hard-working forestry Minister it has been my desire and we're making a wee bit of traction to ensure that people who want to come and invest in the country in particular in forestry have not only the opportunity but they have not quite a primrose road but the opportunity is there for them to come invest in New Zealand grow the forest estate increase the size of the nation's lung to deal with the consequences of Mr Nick Smith and others failing on the climate change front for many many years.But I want to let no Kiwi leave their time whilst listening to this speech—that those days of overseas capital coming into the country in an unfettered form are over. Should applicants bear the cost of wending their way through the Overseas Investment Office process? Absolutely. Should the professional providers of services such as lawyers real estate agents and accountants—well it's the last regime that imposed those costs on them anyway through anti - money-laundering so it's not as if these professional service providers are strangers to the fact that they already have to provide that level of reassurance if they want to continue to trade in that particular service area.In the process of the select committee there will be particular concerns expressed: Is this too cumbersome a process?" Now the reality is if you want the privilege of owning assets in our country accept that for this category of asset the rules have changed. If you don't like those rules then you have an option to reflect your preferences in three years' time. But in the select committee we are not going to be bullied by the other side of the House corralling stimulating and exciting people—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I think that is an extremely unreasonable allegation that's just been made by the Hon Shane Jones. There is a select committee process; those processes are always held with a high degree of decorum and for him to make the statement he has I think is deeply offensive.Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I thank the member. I must confess I was slightly concerned about some of the imputations in the Minister's speech about the processes. Parliament makes these decisions and select committees are the creatures of Parliament and Parliament votes in the end on legislation.Hon SHANE JONES: Thank you very much. Yes observing the sensibilities of the honourable member Brownlee however the reality is that after the select committee process has taken place—and it's a load of nonsense to suggest that the select committee process truncated though it might be is demeaning the integrity of the House. That is not only fiction; that is to continue a line of reasoning that suggests that when that side of the House pursued that strategy somehow it had a greater level of virtue.The category of applicant who is a permanent resident is actually quite an interesting question because there are variations and gradations of people who hold different migrant permits—if I can use it and visas in that term. But we have started in this bill—and subject as you pointed out Madam Deputy Speaker to what the select committee eventually reports back to the House and how the House actually votes—with a very narrow definition because we do not believe that we should water down the privileges of New Zealand citizenship and the opportunities for Aussie residents coming over here or permanent residents.But beyond that it's up to an applicant to make their case; it's up to a submitter to make their case to the select committee but that case will bump into a political reality. The political reality is that this side of the House fought an election to put Kiwis first. This side of the House is not going to back down just because of the ideological pretensions of our Opposition colleagues and as Mr Parker has said the rules and the game have changed. We have not a doubt in our mind that we have a mandate to introduce this bill. We also have the numbers to cause this bill to rewrite the rules of fairness and equity in New Zealand in particular as they pertain to sensitive land and now housing. The bill is a success and I'm sure it will pass."