King Annette: Racing Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
King Annette: Racing Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:606;Page:3955] 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Acting Minister for Racing) 
: 
 I begin by thanking those members who have worked hard to support this bill and to bring it back to this Chamber largely unchanged from the Government Administration Committee. I know that most members in the Committee tonight support the bill and that the racing industry will welcome that. 
I was the Minister who brought this bill to the House. I became Minister for Racing when we came into Government at the end of 1999. Very early on I met the racing industry and it brought to me its many concerns about the industry and its future. Members of the racing industry said to me how worried they were. There had been little change in the 9 years previously and little emphasis and concentration on this very important industry. I told them that this Government would take the racing industry seriously but that if we were to have a racing bill and make changes to the racing industry then I would want agreement on the bill that would be brought to the House. The hallmark of this industry is that there has been a lot of argument a lot of dissention and a lot of division. I was not prepared to bring a bill to the House—and I can understand why other Ministers for Racing have been reluctant—if there was no agreement in terms of the approach that was about to be taken. 
Whilst it is a bit fun to give the bill all sorts of names—and I acknowledge that we ought to have a little light heartedness in this Chamber—I take exception to the stop start and stagger speech made by Mr Hutchison. That was a rather unfortunate and mean-spirited speech. I could have said that it was a stop start stagger and stagnate approach from the previous Government. I have decided that once I have made this speech I will not go back and rake over the old coals because I am interested in passing a bill for the good of the industry. 
I know that is Mr Tisch’s approach and he has been very positive in it. I am just disappointed that Mr Hutchison does not take the same approach. It does take time to get agreement and it took some time before the industry brought a bill to me that it agreed on. Members need to know that the bill that was introduced into the House is basically the industry’s bill. Our role in that industry must be to ensure a proper regulatory framework and to let it get on with running its own business. Members of the industry brought the bill they wanted to me. There were lots of arguments about it but finally they said: “We agree on this.” 
The matter of the report has been raised. It was a report that was done to look at the economic benefits of the racing industry. Members of the industry said to us that for years members of this Parliament have not recognised the economic impact of racing in New Zealand—the number of people employed and the income it generates. They wanted to look at the economic impact and future of the racing industry and that report which looked at what impact it had and what changes could be made was carried out. It was agreed long after the industry had agreed on this bill. It is important for members to know that many of the industry groups opposed the working group’s proposals. They also said that many of the working group’s proposals could be implemented if the industry wanted to do so without any recourse to further legislative change. So that is a red herring. 
I was disappointed in the speech from the New Zealand First member because it is obvious that he has had no association with the racing industry. To talk about whether harness racing or the dogs should be in this legislation shows that he has never talked to those two other codes that make up the racing industry. This bill came in with the agreement of the harness racing industry the thoroughbred racing industry and the greyhound racing industry. Members of those codes sat down and agreed. I say to that member that this legislation is not rushed but considered. It is the result of the work that went in by those members of the different racing codes in order to give us a bill that they believe would work for their industry. That is not say that there are not a few people who nibble around the edges but at the end of the day the industry has informed me that it wants this bill to proceed and to proceed as soon as possible. 
I thank members tonight for their attention to ensure we can get this bill through the Committee stage and passed. I know that the racing industry will thank us for that. I hope we can carry out the debate in the proper spirit as we ought to over a bill that will assist a very important part of the economic structure in New Zealand. 
Clause 1 agreed to.