Peachey Allan: Major Events Management Bill — Third Reading 
Peachey Allan: Major Events Management Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:641;Page:11446] 
ALLAN PEACHEY (National—Tamaki) 
: 
 It is a privilege to speak on the third reading of the Major Events Management Bill. Although I was not a member of the Commerce Committee that considered the bill I have had the opportunity of speaking at each of the stages. I will take a little bit of my time to reflect on the debate and the discussion as the legislation has moved through the Parliament. 
I am very very pleased for example to learn that Mr Ron Mark shares my passion for American history. I was delighted in being able to assist him in his understanding of the role of Justice Thurgood Marshall. I take the opportunity to urge Mr Mark to use his influence with his party’s coalition partner in order to temper some of the anti-Americanism that comes from that side of the House. I was also very pleased to give the Minister in charge of the bill Trevor Mallard a mathematics lesson last night and to point out to him that 1962 came after 1960. 
I have a problem with which yourself Mr Assistant Speaker and this House may be of assistance. I hope the House realises that last night there were many people out there listening to the debate—and I made reference to that in one of my Committee stage addresses. When I got back to my office at 10 o’clock last night I found a message on my phone. I think it was one of those messages that smart young people send with their thumbs and fingers. The message asked who the muppet was. I am not sure of the significance of the word “muppet”; I am not aware that it is unparliamentary so I feel free to use it. I get the impression though that that generation of young New Zealanders who were fortunate enough to get through the schooling system before the previous Labour Minister of Education got his hands on the portfolio use the term to describe somebody whom they consider may be less intelligent than themselves. Anyway the question in the message was: “Who was the muppet who did not know that 1960 comes before 1962?”. I have not answered that question because how do I tell that person—I assume a constituent of Tamaki—that it was actually the man who was the Minister of Education for 6 years? It may be a good idea if the Minister and I get together after class and I can take him through a few routines that will assist him to understand that 1960 came before 1962. I have made my point. 
I will come back to being relevant about the bill. I particularly compliment the very very fine member for Napier Mr Chris Tremain who went out there and won a seat that had been handed on a platter to a Labour member and who will be in this House for a long long time. What a privilege it must have been for that member to pay his respects to his late father in his speech. The point that Mr Tremain was making is one that I want to reinforce. This bill shortly to be passed into law is not just about a future. It is not just about a world in which major sporting events take place today with all the commercialism and that sort of thing; it is also a very significant acknowledgment of the past of New Zealand and the role that sport has played in that past. One thing that Mr Tremain may not be aware of is that the very match he was talking about where his father scored the winning try for New Zealand in a gale was also the Saturday that the Millard Stand at Athletic Park was opened. 
Christopher Finlayson 
: I was there. 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: Mr Finlayson is old enough to remember actually having been there. All credit to Mr Finlayson. 
Christopher Finlayson 
: I was five. 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: He was five years of age. I had the great good fortune to become an acquaintance of Mr Millard in the 1970s when I was a very young and junior teacher at Hutt Valley High School. Being a young and junior teacher at Hutt Valley High School in those days was a bit like being a backbencher stuck in the corner in this Parliament. We spoke when we were spoken to and we did what we were told. Mr Millard visited Hutt Valley High School one day and he recognised me. He said: “Oh you’re Mr Peachey the coach of the first XV.” I said: “Indeed sir I am.” We engaged in conversation. It was one of those conversations that people more important than me came and interrupted and I got shunted aside. When it was time to sit down I quietly disappeared with my tail between my legs as one does out to where more of my level were gathering. 
As I sat down Mr Millard—“Pasty”—came across and said: “Mr Peachey why did you walk away from me?”. I said: “Well Mr Millard you’re up there with the important people. I am just a junior teacher.” I have never forgotten what “Pasty” Millard said to me. He said: “Mr Peachey you are not just a junior teacher. You are a teacher. What is more you are the coach of the first XV of a fine school. You will have more impact on this school than those flash people over there. Are you going to come over and sit with me over there or am I going to sit with you here?”. That man like Joe McManemin whom I mentioned last night goes right to the core of the concept of community service in this country. 
That is why I was so insistent at the Committee stage and I remain persistent in my support of the anti-scalping provisions in the Major Events Management Bill. In the tradition of those fine men those men who went before who could never have envisaged a bill like this being necessary and passed in this Parliament it is an absolute insult to think that any person through good fortune or knowing somebody or luck or devious means should be able to command tickets to sport that New Zealanders love with a passion and therefore make a financial profit from that and deny other New Zealanders the opportunity to be part of the event. Scalping is a most un - New Zealand thing to do. It is distinctly unfashionable and it is great to see in this Parliament legislation that will make that message very clear. In doing that we are not only acknowledging the realities of the commercial world that future great sporting events will take part in but we are also paying respect and deference to those fine men and women who over 100 years have built a tradition of sport participation and respect in this country. 
I also want to take just a couple of minutes in the time remaining to make a quick comment about ambush marketing. Again I reiterate what I said at the Committee stage. Any person or any organisation that is prepared to invest large sums of money to make sure that an event occurs is entitled to some protections and is entitled to make a commercial benefit from that. I compare this to the great investments that drug companies for example make in new medicines and the opportunity that they have to gain a return from that. 
The only other comment I want to make is to refer to pitch invasion. I think it is indicative of how far New Zealand has come that today ordinary New Zealanders like the members in this House find that sort of behaviour unnecessary and frankly unpleasant. The days when somebody probably tanked up on alcohol thought that his or her fellow New Zealanders or our international guests were more interested in a quick look at a bit of flesh than they were in watching the game have long since gone. 
I appreciate the opportunity to have contributed at each stage of this bill. I congratulate everybody involved with it and I look forward to its being a success.