Carter David: Christchurch City Council (Robert McDougall Gallery) Land Vesting Bill — Procedure Second Reading 
Carter David: Christchurch City Council (Robert McDougall Gallery) Land Vesting Bill — Procedure Second Reading 
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Hon DAVID CARTER (NZ National) 
: 
 I was pleased to hear Mr Clayton Cosgrove assure the House that at the end of this debate when leave is sought to try to progress this bill through all its stages tonight it will not be denied by the Labour Party. The National Party is very keen for this bill to pass through all its stages tonight. The only thing we sought at the start of the debate was the ability for our interested Canterbury members to make a contribution. After quite lengthy points of order that opportunity was denied to us by the Labour Party. Why it did not want local National Canterbury members speaking to this legislation I do not know. It was interesting that as Mr Cosgrove finished his contribution he acknowledged that it is in the interests of Parliament and of Christchurch people to see this bill progress through all its stages tonight. I know that it is the intention of the National Party to seek leave for that to be done. Let us see once and for all whether the Labour Party intends to assist this bill through all its stages tonight. 
I rise with pleasure to support the bill. I recall a contribution I made when this bill was given its first reading in the House. I talked about the tremendous contribution that the McDougall family amongst others has made to Christchurch and to arts and culture within our city. No doubt when he made his decision to vest a substantial amount of money to the city of Christchurch for an art gallery which opened in June 1932 he had not given much thought to the future and had not considered the fact that 70 years on Christchurch would be the proud owner of a tremendous new art gallery which was opened earlier this year. 
To bring just a tinge of sadness in terms of that particular opening it is interesting to note that no National members of Parliament were asked by the city council to attend. It occurred on a Saturday morning. I was quite happy to spend my time in the electorate office looking after all those constituents coming to me. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: Who’s the mayor? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: The person in charge of the guest list was none other than the mayor Garry Moore—that well-known Labour Party lackey of Helen Clark. If Helen Clark and Garry Moore get a huge sense of satisfaction in going through the guest list for the opening of the new Christchurch gallery and taking off names like David Carter Gerry Brownlee and Brian Connell because they do not want National members of Parliament at the opening that is their business. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: They didn’t know who you were. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I say to Mr Cosgrove that that is the level of petty politics that the Labour Party sometimes stoops to. I also think it is the level of petty politics that it will again stoop to at the end of this second reading debate when there will be the opportunity by leave of the House to move immediately to the third reading and to pass this legislation through all its stages tonight. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: We tried once. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: So did we! It is important that Mr Burton tell the truth—something that that particular political party is very economical with at the moment. He talked of a deal that was done in the Business Committee. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: That member wasn’t there. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I was not there but Mr Brownlee was and he disputed what Mr Burton said. He then invited him to table the minutes of the Business Committee. We have waited. Throughout the dinner break when Mr Burton went up to his office he had the opportunity to get the minutes but he has not tabled them. It is obviously over to the House to draw its own conclusions as to why Mr Burton has not tabled the minutes of the Business Committee. He has not done so. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: I have no need to table the minutes. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: He is absolutely right; he does not have to table the minutes. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: I told the truth. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I do not know about that because we get so many questions here about that side about the truth and open government. We had questions only today about the “corngate” inquiry and the Prime Minister’s intention to cooperate with full disclosure of the facts and we are getting a litany of suggestions that that is not happening before that select committee. 
I want to talk about the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. I was commenting on the tremendous benefactor to our city that Robert McDougall was in establishing this art gallery. What Labour members will also not remember is that his family was a tremendous benefactor in establishing the Nurse Maude Association which was the subject of a local bill about a year ago that I was pleased to be involved in. That is the sort of people Christchurch often has—people who are prepared to donate huge amounts of money to make sure that our city is richer certainly in its arts and culture. 
I want to move to the interest that the National Party has shown in this particular legislation. It was with some pride that I took Bill English Lynda Scott Lockwood Smith and Nick Smith past the Robert McDougall Art Gallery about a month ago. I pointed out the extreme importance of this locality and the way it knits so closely to our museum which is a remarkably good complex and the way it sits on the edge of our Botanic Gardens. So Bill English Lynda Scott Lockwood Smith and Nick Smith are well and truly appreciative of the fact that this bill should be passed tonight. I hope we will see that happen. 
Gerry Brownlee informed us of the reason it is important to have this legislation passed. He talked about the 8000 pieces of art—contemporary Canterbury art and historic Canterbury art—in storage at the moment that could soon be displayed in this particular building now that it has been vacated with the opening of the new art gallery. 
David Benson-Pope 
: There is nothing in it! 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Mr Benson-Pope says there is nothing in it. I think the 8000 works of art should be seen on public display; it would be nice to see them. I guess he is hoping there is room for a little bit of the more contemporary artwork that is around Parliament at the moment. Maybe Helen Clark is in her office now doing another painting that she may sign or she may not sign. She may get Alec McLean— who I think was the artist but did not get to sign it because Helen Clark could not get there quick enough to sign it—to do one. Maybe that sort of art could be displayed in the Robert McDougall Art Galley. Maybe that is why Labour members now perhaps do not want this legislation passed with alacrity; they want to give the Prime Minister more time to prepare her artwork. 
Pansy Wong 
: Is that the reason? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I do not really know. But it is vital that this legislation is passed. 
David Benson-Pope 
: Hold it up then why don’t you? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Let  
Hansard  
know that I have to hold the legislation up for the senior Government whip who I think suffers from Alzheimer’s because he does not realise what piece of legislation we are debating. For the benefit of Mr Benson-Pope it is the Christchurch City Council (Robert McDougall Gallery) Land Vesting Bill. 
The reason the bill has to be passed is so that Christchurch can enjoy the magnificent arts precinct that has been created over a generation. The museum and this particular building are contiguous and are situated almost opposite the arts precinct—the old university site—and the boulevard leading up to the new art gallery and further on for the benefit of Mr Benson-Pope if he visits Christchurch the magnificent Avon River. The other site that I think is also important to the art and culture of our city is The Strip—the well-known Strip. I see Mr Barnett’s eyes light up. I tell Mr Barnett that no we are not talking about that sort of strip at all; we are talking about The Strip along the Avon River. 
Let us hope we can get this legislation through all stages today. Christchurch people are listening with anticipation to the contributions that are being made by Labour members tonight.