Davis Kelvin: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
Davis Kelvin: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:15117] 
KELVIN DAVIS (Labour) 
: 
 As we debate clause 1 which is the name of the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill we obviously know that we are talking about the Rugby World Cup and that it will be held in 2011. But whether it is an empowering bill—empowering for the Rugby World Cup Authority—is the point that we want to make. It is a moot point because the Rugby World Cup Authority set up under Part 2 is eclipsed by the powers given to the Minister for the Rugby World Cup under Part 4. So a possible name for this bill could be the “Part 2 is a Waste of Time Bill” because the bill goes through the whole description of setting up the Rugby World Cup Authority and then in Part 4 totally ignores it by giving the Minister unfettered power to do what he wants. 
Let us remember that the Rugby World Cup Authority is an authority in which a retired judge or a lawyer of at least 7 years’ standing has to be appointed as the chairperson and another member who is a lawyer of at least 7 years’ standing has to be the deputy chairperson. The Minister must ensure that the authority has available to it sufficient members with the knowledge skill and experience relevant to the authority’s function. I think it is really good that the authority should have that but then the Minister who does not necessarily have the knowledge skill and experience can come and override the decisions that the Rugby World Cup Authority makes. So this bill could also be called the “Put Murray McCully on a Pedestal Bill” because that is really what is happening. He is being put up there with this unfettered power to override any decisions that the Rugby World Cup Authority makes. 
We on this side of the Chamber have said that that is not right and that the Rugby World Cup Authority made up of these experts—lawyers and judges—with the knowledge necessary to make decisions around the Rugby World Cup should have the unbridled power. That group should be able to make those decisions and those decisions should stand. Labour does not agree that the Minister should have the power to override the authority. This bill could be called the “Clayton’s Empowerment Bill”—with all due respect to our colleague Clayton Cosgrove—because it is the empowering bill one has when one does not actually have an empowering bill since the only person being empowered is the Minister. Again as I said Labour disagrees with that. 
There is also the whole issue of forgetting that it was Labour that made sure that New Zealand won the right to host the Rugby World Cup. That issue has been continuously downplayed and overlooked. It was Labour that got the Rugby World Cup to come to New Zealand. So perhaps it could be called the “Acknowledge the Great Work Done by the Previous Labour Government Bill” as Labour made sure that the Rugby World Cup came to New Zealand. We could go through this bill and give it any number of names. They pop into our minds quite easily because of the unfettered overriding power that the Minister is given in Part 4. We could call it the “Take Part 4 Out of this Bill Bill” because as I said it is not right that the Minister has all this authority to override any decision of the Rugby World Cup Authority. That is not good lawmaking and it is not good democracy. I guess we could call this the “Labour Party Really Does Support Democracy Bill” because we are talking about setting up this authority to represent people and make sure that the unfettered and unchallenged power that the Minister has will not be misplaced or abused. 
Again I say that we need to make sure everyone realises that it was the previous Labour Government that got this event here through the great work of our previous Prime Minister. Labour still disagrees with Part 4. The Minister should not have this power to absolutely override anything that has been decided by the Rugby World Cup Authority if he so decides.