O'Connor Simon: Marine Legislation Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
O'Connor Simon: Marine Legislation Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 11 September 2012. Volume:683;Page:5100. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tamaki) 
: 
 It is my pleasure to stand here and talk to the Marine Legislation Bill. I am going to be brief so shall we just dive right in? The other side has carped on about this bill but I am very pleased to stand here in unambiguous support of it. The Opposition has suggested that there is something fishy about this bill but I would like to assure the House that I am giving it my seal of approval. They have tried to distract us with talk of the  
Rena 
 about blood-alcohol levels and how they relate to driving and so forth. We have even had attempted distractions around the date of the bunker oil convention which we now know definitively was ratified in 2001. 
But you see Opposition members have gone on and on just for the halibut and if they are going to object they should at least have a porpoise. Of course they just sat around and did nothing and that has been one of the themes coming from us tonight—that the Labour Party in particular sat around for 9 years and did nothing. You might say that they had no net effect. 
We need to get this bill through the House because this National Government will not leave the environment and the economy floundering. We have had a whale of a time—a whale of a time—listening to their arguments but they are rather shallow if you get my drift— 
Phil Twyford 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member is confused between the adoption and ratification of a convention— 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Order! That is not a point of order; that is a debating point. We do not use points of order to enter into the debate. 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: Yes absolutely fishy fishy. It is semantics really—no good puns on that. All puns aside this bill is a serious matter. I think we need to acknowledge and thank Minister Brownlee for sponsoring this bill Minister Williamson for moving the first reading and of course I add my voice to the chorus of support for the chair of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee David Bennett. 
I am deeply committed to legislation that is clear and concise and my colleagues have clearly outlined the elements of this bill so I am not going to continue to go into it. I do want to acknowledge of course that this bill is continuing to modernise transport law. We have had similar changes in the areas of civil aviation and of course in land transport later. This should hold us I believe in good stead until we deal with space transportation in the future. 
We are a world leader. New Zealand is a world leader when it comes to health and safety. This is also important in terms of New Zealand. This is an economy built around shipping. Needless to say we all came to this country by ship and shipping is in our blood. I am sure that every member of this House will agree that the protection of our environment and our economy is a major concern for all New Zealanders and I am looking forward to seeing this bill supported by all sides. This bill should not be the one that got away. 
Bill read a first time.  
Bill referred to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee.