Simpson Scott: Summary Offences (Possession of High-power Laser Pointers) Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSimpson Scott: Summary Offences (Possession of High-power Laser Pointers) Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 23 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19441. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel):It is a pleasure to rise in support of this very good bill in the name of my friend and colleague Dr Cam Calder the Summary Offences (Possession of High-power Laser Pointers) Amendment Bill. I have not participated in this debate previously nor did I sit on the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee but I have had an opportunity to hear some of the debate—some of the very good debate—that has occurred in the lead-up to this third reading. I have got to say that I am disappointed to hear from the members opposite who somehow want to discount the role and right of this member Dr Cam Calder to bring his bill to the House to have it debated fully and properly and have it adequately considered by this House because they think that their bill somehow has some kind of precedence or some kind of greater moral importance or substance than Dr Calder’s bill. That is an arrogance of enormous proportion but it is an arrogance of proportion that we see so often particularly from members of the Green Party and the Labour Party.It is a very big day for Dr Calder. I have had the very great privilege of knowing Dr Calder for a good number of years. In fact in a previous life I was chair of the northern region of the National Party and I well remember a conversation had maybe about 10 years ago when Dr Calder asked to meet with me and he had an important matter to discuss.Hon Member: In Auckland?SCOTT SIMPSON: We were in Auckland at that stage. Dr Calder said that he had an important matter that he wanted to discuss me and so I met with him over coffee I think and he revealed to me that he wanted to pursue a parliamentary career. He wanted to offer himself to the National Party as a candidate. He said that he wanted to take his voluntary role further to the next step to become a candidate and then ultimately a member of this Parliament and he did that. He has worked hard and diligently all that period of time. He sought selection a couple of times then ended up as a list MP and has done six very good solid years not only on behalf of his party but on behalf of this Parliament and the people of New Zealand. I want to congratulate him and I want to share my words of support along with other members who this evening have also wanted to express their support and congratulations on his very fine valedictory speech delivered this afternoon.This bill is one that is very important. I do not share the view of Opposition members that it is somehow of minor importance. This is a bill that is all about closing off an area of potential harm and risk to New Zealanders particularly when they are travelling. I think that it is a very important matter. I like the way that the select committee has relabelled the bill to indicate the better definitional approach to the naming. To call it the Summary Offences (Possession of High-power Laser Pointers) Amendment Bill does I think more accurately reflect the type of laser it seeks to control. Those possessing these lasers will be treated in the same way as someone who maybe is carrying a knife in a public place without lawful cause or purpose and I think this is very appropriate. As a previous speaker—my colleague Mike Sabin from Northland—said there are some irresponsible ratbags who are part of our society. They are irresponsible. They are irresponsible in their actions and they are irresponsible in the way that they use these devices with real harm and potential harm being done to people on public transport particularly aircraft.This is I think a very good bill. It is a bill that has been well considered both at the select committee and in this Chamber. Currently there are no laws to govern the possession of hand-held lasers in a public place. One would think that even with modern technology moving quickly it would be the responsibility of this House to keep up to date with these things. That sometimes is not the case and so sometimes it is beholden upon members to use the member’s bill process in this manner to achieve the result that Dr Calder has been able to do.It is very appropriate that tonight on the same evening that Dr Calder has given his very fine valedictory after six very successful years of contribution to this House to the National Party and to the Parliament of New Zealand we should be passing this bill in his name. It is my absolute pleasure and delight to stand here as one of the final speakers in this debate in support of his wonderful personal achievement. I congratulate him and endorse this bill with enormous energy to the House for its finest commendation. Thank you.