Simpson ScottHon SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): Well what an appalling disgrace the Minister of Conservation is on this bill. There she was this evening in the face of a very good measured well-presented logical and practical bill presented by my friend and colleague—the member for Invercargill Sarah Dowie—and the Minister of Conservation can only enhance her already famous reputation for doing nothing by again telling the House that she's going to do nothing yet again. This is a Minister of Conservation who has been Minister for nearly three years and her reputation falls before her. She is the Minister of Conservation who has done the least in that role of any previous Minister of Conservation to have ever held the role.Now here we have a very good practical sensible bill that simply regulates shark diving activity in situations where there is a tension between public who are concerned about the potential risks versus the challenges and tensions of an active tourist adventure business that wants to go about its lawful business. This is a case that has actually gone all the way to the Supreme Court. It's hard to believe that so much litigation could have occurred around something that my friend and colleague Sarah Dowie has found a simple practical solution for. This is a system that would simply require a permit to manage the conflicting local tensions. It's a good idea. It's sensible and it's practical. Unlike the Minister's solution which is just to defer to textbooks and advisers and actually do nothing here we have Sarah Dowie who brings to the House—and I want to congratulate her for bringing this bill to the House—a diligent hard-working local member of Parliament who is confronted with a local issue that has caused angst and concern in her electorate and for those visiting her electorate. She brings a member's bill to the House—that's exactly what a good hard-working member of Parliament should do. She brings it to the House and the Minister of Conservation swats it away dismisses it arrogantly—as this Government is so famous for—while offering no practical solution of her own. With literally only a month or two to go of this Government's term in office she offers no protection to the people who have a problem down around Stewart Island and who want to run a simple business. So I'm very disappointed to hear that the Minister has done this. But what's even more disappointing is the role of New Zealand First who I'm told are going to oppose this piece of legislation. I can see Clayton Mitchell nodding because it was interesting that he attended a meeting in April 2015 with none other than the Deputy Prime Minister—who wasn't of course Deputy Prime Minister at that stage—one Winston Peters. At that public meeting Winston Peters said I don't know how they"—and what he meant was the National-led Government who were in Government at the time—"could have made this decision." And Winston Peters went on to say "If I saw a hall this size and I was in Government I would listen to what they have to say." "I would listen to what they have to say." said Mr Peters. Well it seems now that—like so many things—when he's in Government he conveniently forgets the promises and assurances that New Zealand First made while they were in Opposition because New Zealand First find talk to be cheap and action to be slow and non-existent just like the Minister of Conservation. So I'm sorry to hear that the Government are not going to be supporting this bill. It's a good bill presented to the House with a pragmatic sensible solution by a hard-working member of Parliament representing her electorate in a diligent and thorough way. For the Government just to dismiss it—as they have become so famous for—I think is an appalling tragedy and a disappointment but that's what we've come to expect from this Government."