Patterson MarkMARK PATTERSON (NZ First): I rise to give New Zealand First's strong support to this Canterbury Earthquakes Insurance Tribunal Bill—Hon Nicky Wagner: How much time do you spend in Christchurch?MARK PATTERSON: —which establishes the Christchurch Earthquakes Insurance Tribunal. I was actually in Christchurch on Friday Ms Wagner.We strongly support this. This is an absolutely common-sense piece of legislation. After nearly nine years since the September 2010 quake the first of that massive series of quakes that so devastated Christchurch—and even if you go there as I was on Friday into the central city or if you go out to the eastern suburbs there are still significant implications from those events. It is still a city with a substantial rebuild in front of it. Of course not only have we got those 500-odd claims in the courts but we've got those nearly 2500 claims sitting outside that process still wanting to be settled.I have listened aghast to the National Party's position on this. All I have heard is pedantic nonsense and frankly it's a shame. Nothing I don't think underscores the tin ear and the leaderless rudderless Opposition than voting against this absolutely common-sense piece of legislation. We have heard about the wellness survey with the Canterbury District Health Board that shows the significant stress and mental health issues involved for people that are still going through these processes after eight or nine years. There is an incredible power imbalance between individuals with their house insurance issues. For an example there was one I know that was referenced in my first reading speech. There was a 93-year-old and an 82-year-old a couple that were still battling for their insurance payout eight years after the quake. It's for those people that we need to bring this measure in. They've been thoroughly neglected.The only issue with this bill actually is that it should have been brought in three or four years ago and that is a shame. The Opposition are sitting here in this House today and railing against a thoroughly sensible measure a long-overdue measure that will provide a circuit-breaker for those people that have been really struggling with these insurance issues for those major events that they've had to go through.This bill and this tribunal will put control in the hands of the claimants. It addresses that power imbalance and it gives the policyholders not the insurers or the Earthquake Commission (EQC) the ability to be in the driving seat. It may not settle all the claims but there is still the court process to go to. There are other avenues but this provides a cost-effective measure that will take some of the stress and add some support around those people that have been struggling for so long with this incredibly serious issue. Of course for the insurance companies and EQC they've still got the courts there as their recourse as well.It will be cost-effective. How can something with no fee not be cost-effective for the claimants? I note the establishment costs listed were budgeted for and provisioned in last year's Budget at $6.5 million and the operational costs are sitting at $1.5 million. When you look at the scale of this event and the billions and billions of dollars that have gone into rebuilding Christchurch and the mental health issues coming at this end of the process that money can so easily be justified and quantified by the Government to try to help some of its most vulnerable citizens deal with such a traumatic set of circumstances.It will also unclog the courts. As we hear there's 500-odd claims in the District Court alone—or is it the High Court—that Duncan Webb was referring to in his earlier contribution. So if we can just take some of those out of the High Court. We know that waiting times are quite long in some cases and justice delayed is justice denied. So New Zealand First will absolutely be supporting this bill; this is a common-sense measure and something that we are noted for. So we absolutely will support this bill. We note the select committee and some of the changes that have been made as appropriate and commend Brett Hudson and his stewardship of the Governance and Administration Committee in bringing this through. But it's a pity that he could not convince his colleagues of the merits of actually putting some support round some of the most vulnerable citizens in our country that have gone through so much. So we've provisioned for it in the Budget it's a common-sense idea and time for it has long ago come and New Zealand First has much pleasure in confirming our support for this bill. Thank you.