Parker DavidHon DAVID PARKER (Labour): I am surprised that we did not hear in these lists of statutes that need to be repealed the Airport Authorities (Publicising Lost Property Sales) Amendment Bill. I see that Nuk Korako is here and hopefully he is going to take a call and explain to the House why it is that the members' ballot was clogged up with a bill that could have been dealt with in this omnibus piece of legislation if there was any need to deal with it. Instead it is a separate piece of legislation.The Minister who just spoke the Hon Steven Joyce heralded the fact that this is actually saving the country money by having less complicated laws on the books and getting rid of costs that would otherwise be incurred in society. I find that impossible to reconcile with the Airport Authorities (Publicising Lost Property Sales) Amendment Bill that according to the media—they describe it this way—was plucked from the members' ballot box on Thursday and added to Parliament's agenda. It would let airports 'determine the most appropriate way to advertise lost property'." i.e. let them do it as they think fit rather than have a regulated way of doing it. If that is the case you do not need the law at all. You could have just repealed it.I am looking forward to hearing from the honourable member in whose name this bill sits as to why the legislation to get rid of that old redundant piece of airport authorities rules relating to how you publicise lost property sales—why they are not doing that through the Statutes Repeal Bill so that we can save this country the hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth and it is hundreds of thousands of dollars of parliamentary time that is going to be wasted as well as stopping members using the members' bill process for more significant pieces of legislation that ought to be heard by this House.It is not just me or other Opposition members saying that. Andrew Geddis Professor of Public Law at the University of Otago said "Not only is the bill 'disrespectful to New Zealand' " but that he found it "personally insulting". He said that it stopped bills of real public significance from being put before Parliament and then he listed one or two. He makes the point that the members' ballot is one of the only opportunities for Opposition MPs to get attention to their issues and to have them debated. As others have said it makes a mockery of the Prime Minister's claim that the Government is focused on the issues that matter.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: It has been 3½ minutes talking about something that is not in the bill.Hon DAVID PARKER: That is probably about enough I would agree.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is not in the bill; that is the problem.Hon DAVID PARKER: That is the problem.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is a lot that is not in the bill.Hon DAVID PARKER: I think that is a fair point. I think I have made enough of a contribution on that issue myself but I do look forward to Nuk Korako responding to that given that he is in the House. I see him across the Chamber. I am sure other members will comment as well.In terms of the statutes that are being repealed it is good that they are. There are some very old Acts in here. The Consolidated Statutes Enactment Act 1908 is repealed as is the Counties Insurance Empowering Act. The Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority Dissolution Act is an interesting one. We have had to have some specific amendments to replace that in this legislation because evidently the authorities could not be trusted to light the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The Government thought that it was necessary to tell the people who run the Auckland Harbour Bridge that they have got to keep the lights on. "The Agency must at all times ensure that the Auckland Harbour Bridge is adequately lighted so as to provide for the safety of ships and aircraft in the vicinity of the Auckland Harbour Bridge."Hon Member: Keep your lights on at the National Party.Hon DAVID PARKER: Well perhaps. The other one that I see there—they have got a new section to prevent the unauthorised use of the King George the Fifth Memorial Children's Health Camps Federation emblem. I am not sure that that required legislative force.Paul Foster-Bell: Quite right.Hon DAVID PARKER: "Quite right." says Mr Foster-Bell. Well I am not sure that that sort of thing needs to be stated in legislation but the National Government thinks it does. Labour will be supporting this bill to select committee. It is a piece of legislation that should pass. It is good that we repeal or partially repeal the 132 Acts that are no longer needed. But I do lament the fact that the Government having made the enormous mistake of clogging up the members' ballot did not take this opportunity to get rid of that old piece of Auckland Airport legislation through just repealing it here rather than forcing us to relitigate this issue for months to come whilst Nuk Korako shepherds his incredibly important piece of legislation through the House."