Bennett David: Telecommunications (TSO Broadband and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Bennett David: Telecommunications (TSO Broadband and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:673;Page:19306] 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 I congratulate the Maori Party on its support of the Government and the Telecommunications (TSO Broadband and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. That shows the true nature of the Maori Party’s desire to have a stronger New Zealand where not only is there economic growth but also there are community linkages we can grow so that we can provide better services to our people and so that our people can have better interaction within themselves and also with the modern world which this technology will enable. The Maori Party is very progressive in understanding that in these very troubled and difficult economic times we must still look forward in a progressive way. 
It is a shame that Labour is not so progressive. It has tried to create a whole lot of issues around this bill and it has failed in doing so. Labour has shown a lack of desire to see this country go forward. Labour has no intent for economic growth or to see New Zealand progress as a country. That does not fit in with the Labour mantra of how it rules by control. It is very interesting to see Labour members trying to pick holes in legislation like this which is in the best interests of New Zealanders and in the best interests of building growth and a dynamic and growing economy. 
I will quote a section from the commentary to this bill. The commentaries of bills are very rarely read by anybody but Labour members pore over these commentaries and spend hours on them in select committees. I want to remind Labour members of what they said on this bill. The commentary states: “New Zealand Labour supports the need to improve New Zealand’s telecommunications infrastructure as it will encourage productivity innovation and export-led growth.” That is what Labour members said in their minority report. They said that improving New Zealand’s telecommunications infrastructure is a good idea that it promotes growth and innovation and that it encourages productivity. Why then can Labour not vote for this bill? Why can Labour not support those things? Labour members say they do but they do not act on it. 
The New Zealand public has seen false rhetoric and no action time and time again from Labour. From a National-led Government with our partners the Maori Party the public gets an action-led Government that delivers solutions and provides that avenue for growth and success. 
This is a good bill. 
Hon Craig Foss 
: Economic transformation. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: It is about economic transformation. I congratulate Mr Foss who led this bill through the Finance and Expenditure Committee and the Minister for Communications and Information Technology as well. Mr Foss has moved on to bigger things but this bill is something I know he took a lot of pride in in the select committee. We had to battle an Opposition that did not want to see New Zealand grow did not want to have this development in our country did not want our schools to be connected by broadband did not want our hospitals connected by broadband and did not want cities like Hamilton to be the first cabs off the rank in getting broadband developed there. 
Labour did not want that. Labour was more interested in playing petty politics and trying to pit people against people in this country when we need to be working together to build a stronger country not trying to pit people against each other as Labour has done in Opposition. It is very sad to see those members having to resort to that in this election year. 
This bill is a good bill. It is good for growth. It is part of the infrastructural development that New Zealand wanted and has received from this Government. The people of Hamilton are very very happy with this bill because we were the first ones to get the contract to go ahead and the Hamilton community will benefit from it. Young people growing up in Hamilton will have the opportunity to access ultra-fast broadband a generation earlier than they would have under a Labour Government. A generation earlier we will have a stronger country and a stronger city of Hamilton to deliver even more economic growth for our future and for this country’s future. Thank you.