Hobbs Marian: Appropriation (Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes) Bill — Third Reading 
Hobbs Marian: Appropriation (Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes) Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:643;Page:13249] 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS (Labour—Wellington Central) 
: 
 I rise to support the third reading of the Appropriation (Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes) Bill. I rise without any of the noise and angst of some of the previous speakers and in my final months in this House also without the personalisation of attack which is something I will not miss when I leave this House. 
This is a very simple bill. The current legislative framework governing spending by parliamentary parties expires on 31 December this year. This bill extends that expiry date until 1 July 2009. Extending the current framework will ensure certainty and transparency for all parties. If the legislation lapses then we will return to the uncertain unclear situation that followed the report of the Controller and Auditor-General last year. This legislation relates to the legislative framework in which rules relating to parliamentary spending are set. The legislation does not set out all the rules of parliamentary spending. The details are set out in the determinations and directions issued by the Speaker. New determinations and directions were issued only last month. They received praise even from the Office of the Auditor-General. That is the clarity we are seeking as we move forward. 
The proximity of the election made it impossible to reach agreement among parties on an enduring legislative framework. That is sad. For that very reason it is essential that we extend the current interim framework until 2009 when the tempers will be down and people are able to work together. This will allow parties to work together outside the heat of an election campaign and come up with some enduring rules that we can all agree on. 
This legislation is about providing clear transparent and fair rules so that all MPs can do their job—which continues right up to the election—and nothing else. I have just heard Bill English get up and say that we do not need this legislation. Colin Espiner wrote: “The second thing to point out is that Labour has no choice but to bring the companion piece of legislation”—the bill we have in front of us—“before Parliament. That is because to allow it to lapse would basically mean that all political parties would once again be breaking the law in the way they use parliamentary funding.” 
Like my colleague Dianne Yates I have tried very hard to keep to those rules. In the 2005 election I used to run an advertisement in the local Rialto Cinema which stated my name and phone number and invited people to come to me to tackle Government departments and roads—and God knows what else. I rang Parliamentary Service and asked whether I could keep doing that. It said that of course I could because I was not asking for money or votes but was doing my services as an MP which I continued to do. I ran that advertisement right the way up to the election. I therefore support very strongly this legislation which allows us to continue doing our work. For somebody like me who is not seeking re-election but who wants to make his or her services available right to the bitter end in order to help constituents this bill makes the rules very clear. Thank you.