Guy Nathan: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Guy Nathan: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:671;Page:17502] 
Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister of Internal Affairs) 
: 
 I start off by remembering the people of Christchurch. We are a month on from the terrible earthquake of 22 February. I think the whole Committee offers its support for Canterbury to get back on its feet particularly those residents of Christchurch and those businesses. 
The reason I raise this is that over the last week we had the memorial service in Hagley Park. The Department of Internal Affairs was directly involved through the Visits and Ceremonial Office in organising that event. I think it did a fantastic job. If we went out to the private sector and asked it to organise an event in a park for in the vicinity of 90000 to 100000 people and said it had a bit over a couple of weeks to do it it would go into panic mode. In my opinion the Visits and Ceremonial Office did a fantastic job. 
Thinking about the terrible loss that occurred just over the hill from Christchurch at Pike River the Visits and Ceremonial Office stepped up and organised that memorial service for that community. It was difficult to organise that memorial service because of the logistics and the location but once again it stepped up and did a fantastic job. 
The Department of Internal Affairs operates across eight votes and six Ministers and had close to $230 million expenditure over the 2009-10 period. It encompasses citizens the Government and the community. A lot goes on within the Department of Internal Affairs that a lot of people do not necessarily realise happens. We have rolled out the new passport which enables people to get into 50 countries visa-free and has 50 security features. We have the very high performing Births Deaths and Marriages which is trusted by New Zealanders. We are also talking about New Zealand citizenship with 20000 to 30000 citizens heading through that process. The department is trusted by a whole lot of New Zealanders. 
I was interested in listening to the address from the Labour member. I would have thought he would talk about the integration of the National Library and Archives New Zealand into the Department of Internal Affairs because that was a huge issue to Labour last year but we did not hear anything about that. That integration has gone fantastically well. It was interesting to read in the report from the Government Administration Committee which is before the Committee today that: “The powers of both the Chief Archivist and the National Librarian are enshrined in statute”. That was a huge concern of the Opposition. I believe that the integration has gone fantastically well. 
I look forward to welcoming the new National Librarian who will start in early May. William McNaught— 
Hon Christopher Finlayson 
: Puke Ariki. 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: That is right. He comes to this new role highly respected. He is the former manager of the Puke Ariki library visitor information centre in New Plymouth. In fact I visited there over the summer holidays and I was really impressed. I look forward to establishing a great working relationship with Mr McNaught. I also look forward to carrying on the ongoing strong working relationship I have with the Chief Archivist who was in an acting role and who has now been appointed to a permanent role. That of course is Greg Goulding. 
As I say there has been nothing tonight from Opposition members about the integration which was a big issue last year. Opposition members ran around and said that it would not work. We have a real focus on front-line services and combining back-office functions and this integration is a very important part of that. I note that when we announced the merger the New Zealand Public Service Association (PSA) welcomed the protection of these statutory roles and the efforts of this Government to reduce fragmentation in the public sector. 
Hon John Carter 
: The PSA accepted it. 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: Mr Carter is right. The PSA welcomed it. 
Hon John Carter 
: What about the Opposition? 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: Opposition members have their heads in the clouds. We have just heard the rant from the member for Rimutaka. He should be particularly worried about the new National Party candidate who has been selected for that electorate Jonathan Fletcher. Mr Hipkins should get used to the sound of knocking because Mr Fletcher has been out today knocking on doors and getting a fantastic response in that electorate. It is probably only a matter of time—a few months—before Mr Hipkins says goodbye to this place. 
The other important thing I wish to raise is the focus of the Department of Internal Affairs on digital information. We have a real focus on ensuring that all of the department’s information is more accessible to the New Zealand public. That suits the Government’s focus on rolling out ultra-fast broadband ultimately to every home in New Zealand. Many many fantastic areas of digitisation and technology are happening in the Department of Internal Affairs. Recently in the igovt logon service the 1000000th log-on occurred. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I am sorry to interrupt the member but the time for this debate has expired.