Lee Melissa: Commerce Commission (International Co-operation and Fees) Bill — First Reading 
Lee Melissa: Commerce Commission (International Co-operation and Fees) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:663;Page:11279] 
MELISSA LEE (National) 
: 
 I begin by saying that jealousy is such an ugly thing is it not? After 9 years of terrible management of this country the New Zealand public voted Labour off and decided to go with National. What a wonderful thing that was—and with so many votes! Then after delivering a Budget that actually dealt with the worst recession that this country has ever faced and this year delivering a Budget that 90 percent of the New Zealand population agrees with and that is good for this country all we get is jealousy from members on the other side of the House. 
It is a pleasure to rise and speak to the first reading of the Commerce Commission (International Co-operation and Fees) Bill. I will take the time to take a short call. Economic growth as many speakers have said before me is what New Zealand should be focused on. This bill is all about lifting New Zealand’s economic performance. This National-led Government is focused on improving exporters’ access to overseas markets. Only by lifting our economic performance can we create much-needed jobs in this country boost incomes and improve living standards for all Kiwi families. 
This Government wants to see New Zealand companies do business as easily in Australia as they do at home here in New Zealand and vice versa for Australian companies I believe. The easier we make it for companies to operate in both countries by removing unnecessary barriers the greater the opportunities for business to make big productivity gains and take up new opportunities for long-term business growth. 
The proposals in the bill are part of the single economic market outcome framework announced by our Prime Minister and the Australian Prime Minister in August last year. This bill enables greater cooperation between the Commerce Commission its Australian counterpart and other overseas regulators. We consumers will indirectly benefit from this cooperation by regulators as will businesses in New Zealand harmed by anti-competitive behaviour or unfair trading by overseas-based parties. Stronger cooperation will increase the likelihood of detecting and successfully penalising overseas-based parties who contravene the Acts. That will promote competition and fair trading in domestic markets resulting in lower prices which is a fantastic thing a greater choice of products and better consumer protection—and as Georgina te Heuheu and I would agree better-quality and cheaper shoes perhaps. 
Prime Minister John Key and Kevin Rudd have provided a stronger new political push towards the vision of a single economic market and we now have the Trans-Tasman Outcomes Implementation Group which is co-chaired by senior officials in the Australian Treasury and our Ministry of Economic Development. The Minister of Commerce the Hon Simon Power has been given the responsibility to work with his Australian counterparts to advance 27 regulatory outcomes identified by the two leaders. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Sounds like a news report. 
MELISSA LEE 
: Substantive progress has already been made on working towards a single cross-border insolvency proceeding. Perhaps Mr Hughes should listen to some of this news; his Labour Party is not doing that great. Progress has also been made on the alignment of accounting standards for profit entities a process for achieving more ambitious intellectual property outcomes including a single-application process for patents and trademarks and a single regulatory framework for patent attorneys. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Melissa Lee— 
Nightline 
! 
MELISSA LEE 
: A bill that deals with cartel behaviour and anti-competitive behaviour to assist our exporters is definitely a step forward. Darren Hughes should actually take a lesson from that. I commend this bill to the House. 
Bill read a first time.  
Bill referred to the Commerce Committee.