Gilmore Aaron: Christ’s College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Gilmore Aaron: Christ’s College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
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AARON GILMORE (National) 
: 
 Unlike some families in seven generations there has never been a Gilmore to have blessed the grounds of Christ’s College as a student and I suspect that in the next seven generations there probably will not be one either. I think that in the 160-year history of Christchurch Christ’s College has represented all the things that are good and bad in Christchurch. In my own little world I attended a school on the other side of town called Shirley Boys High School. We had constant battles against Christ’s College on the rugby field and occasionally on the cricket field. 
It gives me great pleasure to stand here today and support the further progression through this House of the Christ’s College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill. Christ’s College has an enviable reputation in Canterbury and in New Zealand and this bill will help to enhance that. I just heard someone say jokingly before that left-handed rifle shooters will no longer receive scholarships. As a left-handed shooter I am a bit devastated by that I must say! I believe this bill puts into place in the legislation a tidy-up and a change of intention that I believe the people who made those bequests would be very happy about. 
I have had the pleasure of working on similar bills to this one that have been before this House—in particular the tidying-up of similar trusts relating to Anglican and Catholic societies which had large numbers of trusts with small amounts of money. This bill in a very similar way goes towards tidying up uncertainties that may exist and applying them to things that make sense. It was good to see the Government Administration Committee put forward some of those tidy-up changes with regard to the Charitable Trusts Act. The same problems existed with regard to the Anglican and Catholic bills that came before the House. 
It is also good that this bill has been brought to the House by the wonderful member Nicky Wagner who I know has spent many years living in the area close to Christ’s College. The land and the issues around the college have been very close to her heart. 
I will share a little story about Christ’s College that I remember vividly. I had the misfortune of playing a game of cricket there a number of years ago. It was a two-innings game. In the first innings I was out first ball which was very embarrassing. But I had the very great fortune— 
Hon Member 
: No kidding. 
AARON GILMORE 
: Yes that was very embarrassing but in the second innings of the game I managed to get 100 not out. I always remember that story about Christ’s College and remember what a great school it is. The person who bowled me out with the first ball ended up playing cricket for New Zealand and he was one of the great players from Christ’s College. The reason I did not get out in the second innings was that he tore a ligament and could not bowl in that innings so I was very happy about that. 
Now I have a 7-year-old son. We constantly drive past Christ’s College and he always calls it the Harry Potter school. Some members may know the grand hall that exists in Christ’s College. It is very similar to the grand hall that is used in the Harry Potter 
movies. The fact that it survived the earthquake which Rahui mentioned earlier on is an interesting example of how great that school is and of how well it was built. 
The funds discussed in this bill could be applied to the school in future to send students there to get the benefit of the great education that the school provides. I look forward to more good students coming out of that school. It has been pointed out that Dr Michael Cullen was an ex-pupil as was Robbie Deans one of the great Cantabrians who has been lent to Australia to basically ruin his career and blot his copybook before he comes back and takes the Canterbury Crusaders to another Super 15 title which is what I think will happen. 
One of the interesting things about the bequests and changes is that a number of very wealthy former students of Christ’s College have not been touched on. They may be able to donate their own funds in future to this school or to some of the trusts. There are people like Bill Hamilton the founder of HamiltonJet. He was one of New Zealand’s great business people. That gentleman was an former pupil and he did a lot of good things not just for the school but also for the community of Christchurch and New Zealand. Another great former pupil of the school is Sam Neill a famous New Zealand actor. I suspect that he will also donate handsomely to the school and maybe even to some of the trusts and organisations. That may occur with these changes. The school has had some other great former pupils like Sir Charles Upham New Zealand’s only VC & Bar. The spectrum of politics sport and business shows us of the breadth of students who have come from this fine institution. 
This bill in terms of where we are in its second reading goes only to help enhance the quality of students in the future and not just so that we may have left-handed shooters or the situation where one scholarship was awarded to the person who came second in the under-15 hurdles as Mrs Wagner just informed me. I say good on the person who had that scholarship put into an enactment but this legislation’s tidy-up will mean that many other students will benefit from it for many years to come. I think that is a good thing. Thank you very much.