Shearer David: Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill — In Committee 
Shearer David: Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill — In Committee 
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DAVID SHEARER (Labour—Mt Albert) 
: 
 I distinctly recall that when I was last speaking on this clause everybody was on the edge of their seats waiting to hear what I was going to say further on the Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill. I have been so looking forward to this bill coming back to the Committee of the whole House today. 
I was talking about GST. I was saying that under this legislation in the transfer of this land no GST will apply unlike— 
Chris Tremain 
: That’s right. Now I remember. 
DAVID SHEARER 
: The senior whip remembers distinctly. He has thought about it for the last 2 weeks as this bill has gone from one members’ day to the next members’ day. Under this bill GST is not applied unlike the situation for everybody else in New Zealand who has to pay GST at the inflated rate of 15 percent. The rate of GST was increased by the National Government which went against its election promise in 2008. It promised not to put up GST. John Key specifically said that yet National put up GST from 12.5 percent to 15 percent and broke that promise. The promise has been broken again. We are seeing the same things emerge in regard to Working for Families and the various excuses that have come out as a result of the Christchurch earthquake. 
I am referring directly in this speech to clause 8(b) regarding the goods and services tax which does not apply in this case to Parana Park. Would it not be great if the goods and services tax did not apply not only to Parana Park but also to fresh fruit and vegetables? If the goods and services tax did not apply to fresh fruit and vegetables then they would be much cheaper for ordinary New Zealanders. Ordinary New Zealanders would not have to pay that tax and fruit and vegetables would be cheaper. We know from scientific studies that have been done throughout the country that the uptake and consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables would increase if they were cheaper. 
The bill in some ways is leading the way in terms of the goods and services tax not being levied. I would like to think that Parana Park and fresh fruit and vegetables go together in not having GST apply to them. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: I think we need to come back to clause 8. 
DAVID SHEARER 
: I come to a second point that we raised in the consideration of a couple of the other clauses in the bill. Clause 3 sets out the area known as Parana Park. The title of clause 8 states: “Vesting of land not gift supply of services or disposition for certain purposes”. If we are vesting land there we want to know pretty exactly what land we are in fact vesting. It is not clear and we brought up the matter in some of the earlier comments on the bill. I would appreciate clarification from David Bennett who brought the bill into Parliament. He has our support but I think he has to clarify the issue. Perhaps he has had the chance in the last 2 weeks—if he was in his electorate; I am sure he was—to check out where that 0.4 of a hectare which is nearly 1 acre has disappeared to. Perhaps he could clarify that in a response to the Committee and to all of us here who are supporting the bill. 
None of us has anything against the bill. We think it is visionary. We think George Parr was visionary. He was a man of vision and a person who had a plan for this area of the country. He was a man quite unlike the Prime Minister for example who does not seem to have a plan or vision for the country. But Mr George Parr had a vision. 
Perhaps the member could give us some indication as to where 0.4 of a hectare of Parana Park has disappeared to. It may have been converted into a dairy farm. I doubt it; I do not think 0.4 of a hectare would necessarily be good for a dairy farm in the middle of central Hamilton. I suspect that it includes the house that is currently occupied by the Hamilton City Council grounds staff. They occupy one corner of the park and use it to administer the park. Perhaps that is the answer but I do not wish to put words into the Min— 
David Bennett 
: Yeah. 
DAVID SHEARER 
: —into the member’s mouth. I nearly said “Minister” then. I would like to hear—and I am sure people on our side of the Chamber also want to hear—what has happened to the nearly 1 acre of land. 
I imagine 1 acre of land in the middle of Hamilton is very valuable. Let us face it: people could put apartments on it or subdivide it into eight or nine blocks and sell it all off. We would not want to see any inappropriate use of that land. We would like to see it being used in the way George Parr intended it to be used: for the children for historic value for recreation and for its reserve status in the middle of one of New Zealand’s urban centres. We would like to see it being used appropriately. I am sure the Tainui Maori Trust Board which spoke on the bill also has some concerns because that 0.4 of a hectare is close to the river. Thank you.