Cosgrove Clayton: Statutes Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Cosgrove Clayton: Statutes Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:641;Page:11511] 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Associate Minister of Justice) 
: 
 I move  
That the Statutes Amendment Bill be now read a second time 
. As the House will be aware the Statutes Amendment Bill is a useful vehicle for making minor technical and non-controversial amendments to a number of Acts. It allows amendments to be made that would not usually receive sufficient priority to be progressed. The bill was reported back by the Government Administration Committee on 10 August 2007. 
Hon Member 
: A very good committee! 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: Indeed it was. I thank the Government Administration Committee for its careful consideration of the bill and I endorse the committee’s recommended amendments to the bill and note that they are consistent with the overall purposes of Statutes Amendment bills. 
The bill amends 50 Acts. The amendments proposed by the bill include the following. The amendment to the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 empowers District Court judges and other specified court officials to authorise the use when executing certain warrants under the Act of facsimile copies of the warrants in question. 
The amendment to the Defence Act 1990 changes references from “Chiefs of Staff” to “Chiefs of Service”. This reflects changes in terminology used by the armed forces. 
The amendment to the Gas Act 1992 ensures that regulations can be made to enable gas consumers to switch gas suppliers. 
The amendment to the Racing Act 2003 relates to the nomination of an advisory panel that advises the Minister for Racing and the appointment of certain members to the New Zealand Racing Board. The amendment provides for a panel member who is to be absent from a panel meeting to designate a person to participate in his or her place at that meeting. 
The amendment to the Biosecurity Act 1993 provides that inspectors in conducting inspections of a transitional facility or a biosecurity control area may seize unauthorised goods along with risk goods if unauthorised goods are found. Risk goods are goods that may harbour harmful organisms while unauthorised goods include imported goods that have not been declared or goods that have been cleared using misleading or fraudulent documents. This amendment will simplify an inspector’s powers to seize non-risk unauthorised goods. 
Further amendments to the Local Government Act 2002 provide that third parties wishing to carry out works on or in relation to the water supply assets of Watercare Services Ltd meet the same requirements that apply in respect of work on or in relation to local authority waterworks. These requirements include notice provisions and the need to obtain consent to carry out the work. 
The bill contains an amendment to the Real Estate Agents Act 1976. It makes clear that references to a salesperson includes persons engaged as well as those employed by a real estate agent. The amendment makes it clear that licensed real estate agents must retain custody of certificates of approval for every salesperson working for them including the majority of salespersons who are independent contractors. The Government has agreed that this provision be removed during the Committee stage and the matter dealt with as part of the wider review of the Real Estate Agents Act 1976 which is currently underway. 
The bill also contains an amendment to the Public Audit Act 2001 relating to the Register of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament that was established in 2005. The House established the register through inclusion in the Standing Orders of the House rather than by legislation. The Auditor-General’s role in reviewing the returns and in inquiring and reporting on any specific issues is included in the change to the Standing Orders. However it was not possible to include the necessary powers to carry out this role in the Standing Orders as such powers should more rightfully reside in legislation. At the time of introduction all parties and independent members supported this and saw it as appropriate for the Statutes Amendment Bill as it simply reinforced the Standing Order provisions. It now appears that this will not proceed as some parties no longer support giving the Auditor-General power to look into the Register of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament. 
The examples I have mentioned in the Statutes Amendment Bill clearly demonstrate the value of these bills in advancing legislative amendments for a wide range of practical and useful purposes. I would like to thank all members of the House for the cooperative approach adopted towards the Statutes Amendment bills and this bill in particular. 
Phil Heatley 
: No problem! 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: Thank you. In response to feedback from some members in future it is the Government’s intention to employ a slightly amended process for Statutes Amendment bills with the aim of regularising the time of such bills as far as it is practicable. This will provide greater predictability around the timing of such bills to assist members to build time into their annual parliamentary diaries and schedules to consider amendments proposed for Statutes Amendment bills. 
Again I thank the members of the Government Administration Committee for their careful and helpful consideration of this bill and I commend it to the House.