Tremain Chris: Electronic Transactions (Contract Formation) Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTremain Chris: Electronic Transactions (Contract Formation) Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 07 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17611. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRIS TREMAIN (National—Napier): At 7.18 this evening just before we resumed this debate in the House the Hon Tim Groser released a press release. The heading of that press release said: “OECD ranks New Zealand’s service sector amongst most open”. The previous speaker Julie Anne Genter talked about the importance of having a green and smart economy. Well the service sector is very much a part of that economy and at the heart of the service sector are the financial transactions that drive that economy. This bill takes a step forward to improve financial transactions through contract law and I think that it does make a not insignificant step forward in that regard.The Hon TimGroser’s press release said: “New Zealand’s service sector ranked amongst the most open in a recent survey of 40 countries conducted by the [OECD]. … The OECD’s new Services Trade Restrictive Index aims to quantify the restrictiveness of policy measures …”. What we are talking about here is a change in policy that actually improves the ability to conduct business online and in the service sector. This survey adds to a number of international comparators that have recently been received by this country ranking us globally as one of the best countries in the world. That makes for an exciting future for New Zealanders particularly for young New Zealanders in this country.So I rise to speak on this third reading of the Electronic Transactions (Contract Formation) Amendment Bill. Can I congratulate Paul Goldsmith on having had his bill drawn from the ballot and being able to progress it through the House before Parliament rises at the end of this term.You will be aware that the Government has set four priorities—four objectives—for this term of Government. They were to return the country’s books to surplus to rebuild that beautiful city of Christchurch to build a stronger and more competitive economy and to build better public services. The Government has undertaken hundreds if not thousands of initiatives to take positive steps towards achieving these objectives. The reality is that there is not one silver bullet that will achieve these goals. However the combination of many individual initiatives such as Mr Goldsmith’s together make significant progress towards lifting the bar in New Zealand and building a brighter future for our country.The Government has made huge progress over this term and this bill adds in a not insignificant way to that progress. To reflect on that progress the Government will release a Budget that charts the surplus in the 2014-15 year. This is a huge achievement in itself and is the result of many different initiatives such as Mr Goldsmith’s. At the same time the Australian Government will release a Budget that will paint a very different picture of its Government accounts. Through the tough decisions we have made over the last 5 years we now have choices to extend funding not to contract it. The announcements made just this week in regard to a $22 million increase for budgeting services a $10.4 million increase in funding for providers who support victims of sexual violence and a $20 million increase in funding for apprenticeships are no accident. They are the result of a very considered approach to bringing our Budget back to surplus and thereby providing us with choices going forward.The Government has made huge progress with the rebuild of Christchurch. Literally thousands of large and small initiatives have been delivered to progress the rebuild. Just yesterday the Government announced a $3000 incentive for 1000 beneficiaries to aidthem in securing jobs in Christchurch to help with the rebuild. We are committed to that rebuild and to seeing it through.We have made huge progress with our third goal which is to build a stronger and more competitive economy. The Business Growth Agenda has provided the foundation for hundreds of big and small initiatives to advance that objective. Outside the Business Growth Agenda there have been thousands of initiatives made by businesses local government and many individual New Zealanders to help make the New Zealand economy grow. Thank you to all those people.Paul Goldsmith’s bill makes as I have said a small but significant contribution to making the boat go faster. The Electronic Transactions (Contract Formation) Amendment Bill clarifies the legal position on the time at which a contract is formed if the acceptance of the offer is sent by electronic communication. The reality is that we now live in a digital age with more and more contracts being offered and accepted through digital mediums. This bill advances the law in this area once again modernising our economy by improving the productivity and competitiveness of our nation.The results of the wider suite of initiatives including Mr Goldsmith’s have been stunning with New Zealand now showing huge signs of recovery. Our growth rate now puts us amongst the best-performing economies in the Western World. Interest rates remain at all-time lows inflation remains within the target band business and consumer confidence are at record highs and employment continues to grow. As we heard from Minister Joyce today manufacturing has been in expansion for the last 18 months and in just the last few days we have seen very positive news about record highs in exports and employment growth with 68000 new jobs in just the last year alone.Most particularly—and it a huge sign of the strength of our economy—has been the turn-round in migration numbers. New Zealand has had net positive migration to New Zealand of in excess of 30000 and there is a huge turn-round in the numbers migrating across to Australia. Young New Zealanders will always want to explore the world—I have no doubt about that. My own children I am sure will want to explore the world and I welcome that. But with this Government Kiwis are starting to return in their droves. This if not anything else is the proof of a strong and a competitive economy in action: Kiwis returning in their droves and foreigners lining up to get work visas. If it were not for all the hard work that has gone in to achieving this some would start calling us the lucky country not Australia. But luck has nothing to do with it. Millions of Kiwis are contributing to this effort and today Paul Goldsmith takes another small step.The Electronic Transactions (Contract Formation) Amendment Bill also links strongly with our fourth objective in Government which is to build better public services. For the first time ever we have seen a Prime Minister not just talk about improved public services but hold the Government to account on key targets. From health to law and order to education the Public Service is being held to account to deliver better services. As a result of this we now have more children than ever in early childhood education and more teenagers passing National Certificate of Educational Achievement with significant improvements in Māori and Pacific Island communities. We have more elective surgeries than ever before significantly better access to cancer treatment and hugely improved immunisation levels—once again particularly in Māori and Pacific Island communities. In law and order our police have delivered the lowest crime rate in 25 years. Once again my thanks go out to the entire Public Service for its commitment to delivering better services in very tight fiscal times.One of the Public Service targets that has a lower profile but is extremely important to a modern economy is result area 10. This Public Service target requires that for 70percent of New Zealanders their most common transactions with Government will be completed in a digital environment by 2017. Kiwis are increasingly turning to their digital devices for information and services. They want their Government to be available online. They do not want to wait in queues. They do not want to have to replicate their details time and time again. Paul Goldsmith’s bill will assist with the achievement of this target because it clarifies the legal position around when a contract is formed online. It modernises the law for our burgeoning digital economy.At the heart of the result area 10 target is the Department of Internal Affairs led by Colin MacDonald and TimOccleshaw. Central to the Department of Internal Affairs’ delivery is the Government’s information and communications technology strategy and action plan and its digital-by-default strategy. It is an exciting strategy that leads agencies across Government to continuous improvement in their engagement with citizens over the internet.One of the best examples of this has been the roll-out of passports online with over 100000 Kiwis having renewed their passports online within a 3-day turn-round period. This is an incredible result and it sets the benchmark for many other Government services across New Zealand. These initiatives will be leveraged by yet another digital initiativeRealMe which is a national solution to establishing identity online.Across New Zealand Kiwis are stepping up to drive a better country for all of us. Today Mr Goldsmith takes a small step towards achieving that and to taking the country forward as well. I congratulate him on his bill. Thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening. Thank you.