O'Connor GregGREG O'CONNOR (Labour—Ōhāriu): I'm glad that enlightened member opposite Chris Penk knows that 2017 comes before 2018 and 2018 comes before 2019. He may know that day becomes before night. On this side we are in daylight; on that side—it would appear—eternal gloom. But could I please come right back to the motion because I have been a little confused by some of the arguments made across the road. What the motion actually says—and if I can it does something that we'd all really love to be able to do. In our lives we are all so time-poor; what this motion does is creates time. Now those sitting at home will be a little concerned. They'll be thinking My gosh this means that somehow we're going to be rushing people through here that they won't get their time they won't get the opportunity." Actually if I can go back to the actual motion it says that the House can now sit "during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House and outside the Wellington area." They are things that do not normally occur. So anyone listening at home that is concerned that somehow their opportunity to give evidence on this bill to come and speak with us will be somehow lost actually no. What this incredibly insightful motion by the Minister of Justice does do is that it enables us to create—not actual time—not time but debating time. It actually enables us to create time—extra time—where those members who are watching will be actually enabled to have more time.Just to let those who are listening know: what normally happens is that select committees only ever sit for about three hours on a Wednesday and on a Thursday. Now if you're like me a member who is on the Justice Committee the extremely hard-working Justice Committee that actually last year sat 75 percent of the time of all committees—but I'm not here to show off or skite; I'm just here to say I worked 75 percent harder than people who were on other committees last year but that's neither here nor there. Just to add to that I was also on the Social Services and Community Committee which also was the second-highest sitting committee. So I'm not standing here saying that I'm holding this place together myself; that may be for others to surmise from that irrefutable evidence. However what it is—and the point I'm trying to make to those at home is "Don't worry. If you want to come and make a submission on the bill the time available to you to do so actually is likely to be greater than otherwise." So to those there who choose to be in the dark—and again I reiterate that day does follow night so be optimistic—actually the opportunities will be there. It may even help if I actually go to those Standing Orders that have been set aside to enable this to happen. Standing Order 191 "Except by leave of the committee a select committee may not meet on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting at the House." Well now we can sit on a Friday. We've created a day. We've created a Friday. It's like—Dr Duncan Webb: Thank God it's Friday.GREG O'CONNOR: It's TGIF—I think there was a whole range of bars: "Thank God it's Friday." Well so those who wish to submit on this bill will now be able to say "Thank God it's Friday." because now they'll be able to come and submit on a Friday whereas before Standing Order 191 prevented them from doing just that. But it gets better because we go to Standing Order 193. It's even better because normally select committees sit in Wellington. I don't know—Wellington I'm rather fond of the place: the Ōhāriu electorate is the best electorate in New Zealand if not the world but certainly in New Zealand so I'm proud to be here. But I'll admit sometimes the weather's not—sometimes the airport is a little closed sometimes it's a little bit difficult to get here. So what this motion does is it actually enables the committee to go to where the people are."Oh no." you might say "We demand they come here under the Standing Orders." But no again we're not only creating time we're creating places. Mr Smith we could go to Nelson a wonderful place and I'd hope that if we do decide to sit in Nelson—I'm going to put my hand up to come to Nelson. As you will know I have great family ties to Nelson: people who arrived there in the 1840s. I'm proud to call myself half-Nelsonian half - West Coast. So if we create that time if we create that space I put my hand up to come to Nelson and be part of the select committee. Again those sitting at home if you are in Nelson listening you don't have to get—and someone's complaining it's a $500 return fare to Wellington for Air New Zealand. Mr Smith can probably confirm that if you turn up at the airport to buy a return ticket. That's a long way to come but we'll come to you because Standing Order 193 allows us to do it which is an important part of this motion.But it gets even better. Those who are sitting at home excited about what's going to happen try 194(1) because 194(1)—and wait for it I wish perhaps a drumroll from those up there—"(1) When meeting within the Wellington area a select committee may not meet—(a) during oral questions:"—these are the normal Standing Orders. These are Standing Orders that this motion suspends when it passes. That's an hour. In fact sometimes—today you may have noticed there was a lot that went on. I think we sit for an extra 10 minutes today. I don't think we actually got to the business of the House until about 10 past three. So there we've created up to another hour and a half for the people at home because this committee now is permitted to sit during question time.But it gets even better than that. I know you'll be thinking: is it possible? We go to 191(1)(b) "during a sitting of the House except by leave …". So normally a committee cannot sit during a sitting of the House except by leave of the committee. But now we can. So even now while we're here while the business of the House while the world is focused on this Chamber—do you know that under this motion this brilliant motion of the Minister of Justice it'll be possible for a select committee to be sitting in one of the select committee rooms out here? That's something that's banned. So again this creation of time and space—that perhaps they come together at this stage. But it doesn't finish there—this is like the Ginsu knives of parliamentary business: Standing Order 194(1)(c) "during an evening (after 6 pm) on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House." Normally come six o'clock in the evening the ability for a select committee to sit to discuss this important matter and any important matter is curtailed. People leave this House. They toddle off. Some of them go to Copperfields. A good meal at Copperfields—I recommend it; good value for money and open to the public when the members are not here. But they can go further. They can go down Lambton Quay. There are some excellent eateries around here and I find that my culinary needs and desires can be met. But what I can't do alas—alas I can't do and nor can any other members of the public—they cannot come here and give evidence before a select committee after the doomsday hour after six o'clock: the bewitching hour. It hasn't been possible. So now as a result of this enlightened—enlightened—motion by the Minister of Justice 194(1)(c) "during an evening (after 6 pm) on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House."So what this magical motion does—what this incredible motion does—is create time and space and perhaps even a visit to Mr Smith sorry Dr Smith the Hon Dr Smith's own electorate of Nelson or Invercargill or the far north. So anyone listening here sit back in your chair relax. Don't listen to the terrible doom and gloom you've just heard and may even hear more of across the opposite side of the House. It is darkness there. We haven't created daylight for them yet but we have created daylight for those of you sitting at home those who want to partake and participate in this incredibly important democratic process. So for that reason I absolutely recommend this enlightened motion to the House."