Brown Peter: Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 2) — Third Reading 
Brown Peter: Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 2) — Third Reading 
[Volume:637;Page:7804] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I intended to take a short call—I do not think that it would have been of any length. But I found the speech of the member who has just resumed his seat John Hayes very interesting. I am not sure that he actually touched on the bill at all. He spoke about the problems in the Hamilton East electorate—I do not doubt there are problems in that electorate but I cannot find any reference to them in the Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 2). He spoke about the potential for the next ambassador to Spain who is hopeful of learning Spanish in time for the appointment. He spoke at some length about a function in the Beehive that was put on by National members—one has to conclude that he was at that function for some little while. He spoke briefly about tax on winegrowers and I thought: “Ah! He is getting to the bill.” So I furiously looked through the bill for information about the excise tax and there is some reference to it. But there was not even one word of protest about that tax by the National member who is on the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee. 
He then moved on to the subject of Zaoui. I personally would like to expound my opinion on Zaoui—and it would take quite a long time—but I do not think it would be appropriate to do so in this debate on the Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 2). We then got on to the subject of the member sitting in Cuba Street—and I found this most unusual—spying on bike riders. I have to say that the mind boggles as to what he saw and why he was doing that. Then he moved back on to the subject of tax on winegrowers. Again I thought he was talking on the bill because somewhere there is a clause in the bill that deals with the indexation of rates of excise duty on alcohol and tobacco. I thought he was going to get to that clause but he moved on again. He made the categoric statement that National supported the bill because of the wonderful officials. I have no doubt that the officials are wonderful but I have to say that I have never heard that as a reason for supporting the bill. 
New Zealand First supports this bill. We were not on the select committee. We are happy with the purpose of the bill and we are happy with the bill as it is written. We note that there were four submissions only one of which came before the select committee. The Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee received advice from the New Zealand Customs Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I can tell members that a Minister like the Rt Hon Winston Peters would have given the committee very very good advice so it is no wonder that the select committee got this legislation correct. It also received advice from the Regulations Review Committee and the Parliamentary Counsel Office. 
We need to support the customs people in this country. I note that the select committee did not get the bill quite correct. The Minister had to bring in a Supplementary Order Paper to tighten it up in terms of the Customs Service people having the authority to hold people a bit longer than the bill provided for. I think this bill should go through the House speedily and with the support of every political party. New Zealand First is most definitely in support of this legislation.