O'Connor SimonSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): I wonder whether as a consequence I have lost 10 seconds on my speech now but who knows?Hon Member: We can only hope.SIMON O'CONNOR: Ha ha! That is right—it is an optimistic thought on a Thursday. I am very pleased to speak on this Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill here in its second reading. I am quite delighted as chair of the Health Committee that this bill has come up the Order Paper and is being read now a second time and I too am looking forward to it progressing through the House.I would have to disagree with the member opposite Annette King. I think this is actually proceeding at a timely pace. In fact I also want to acknowledge the Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga for the work that he is doing on this. I think really importantly this whole plain packaging or standardised packaging—and I will come to that in a moment—actually sits on a whole pile of work that the Government has done and continues to do. In fact one example that immediately comes to mind is the Minister leading during the Budget process a new bill around excise taxes—just another example of what this Government is doing to target a smoke-free New Zealand by 2025.We have heard many times in this House through various discussions about the positive progress that has been made overall but none of us particularly in the Health Committee is unaware of the disaggregated figures—that is when we begin to break down smoking into say ethnic or age categories there is still a lot of work to be done. I mention that because this legislation is not a silver bullet. I know there are some out and about in the community who feel that this alone is going to solve the smoking issue. I do not believe it will but I think actually it is about a whole suite of activities that will assist and this is a strong one within that role.I am conscious too of some of the counterarguments that have been put forward around intellectual and property rights. Although I can sort of understand that from one point of view I think it is really important to make the distinction that in this case tobacco product owners still own the property rights or the intellectual rights; they are just not allowed to use them for I think very good reason because ultimately the public good overrides it.I think it is important to really stress this is about standardised packaging; it is not about plain packaging. It is not just going to be a black grey pink or blue box. In fact as several members—and particularly the Minister—have noted there will be graphic images on these packages. There will be graphic warnings. I think people still need to be reminded of the downside—serious serious downside—of smoking but this bill is ultimately about making these packages standardised and taking away from any advantage that could be given by trying to make smoking via its packaging more acceptable. I have certainly noted—going back years past in my university days different ones who smoked would often be comparing the various brands that they were smoking and I think we are able to push that to the side.I think it is also important to note it is not actually a bill that was considered by this current Health Committee. There are members on the current iteration who were there but I think it is important to acknowledge and note Dr Paul Hutchison as the chair at the time who took this bill through the committee stage and to rightly point out the real positive suggestions he and the team then made. I am going to be interested to hear the New Zealand First approach to this ultimately Barbara Stewart because I note the minority view has New Zealand First opposing it so I will be interested to hear what is said today.Finally from me it is really important for the House to understand too that this bill is relatively simple and high-level. Ultimately it is about the passing of regulations and this bill enables that to happen. I think I heard from the Minister—and he will correct me if I am wrong—that it is into July that there is consultation on these regulations. Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga: Yeah end of July.SIMON O'CONNOR: Yes end of July. In other words if you in the listening public or those who are expert in the area are wanting to provide some opinion on what those regulations should be then you have got less than a month to go. I commend this bill to the House on its second reading.