Wong Pansy: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Wong Pansy: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:609;Page:6299] 
PANSY WONG (NZ National) 
: The Chairman appreciates the importance of Part 2. It is a substantial part of this important bill and we appreciate the opportunity to speak on it. 
I am going to introduce some new debating material in this part but first of all I would like to comment on the interjection of the Minister with responsibility for Auckland Issues the Hon Judith Tizard. She asked what was wrong about the Hon Jim Anderton wanting photo opportunities. The No. 1 reason is that it costs taxpayers money and the No. 2 reason is that I presume the Minister knows the feeling because she is famous for being the Minister who would go to the opening of oysters. But never mind; let us come back to this bill. 
I was interested to look at subclause (1)(a)(i) in clause 9 “Functions” because quite a few Opposition members raised concerns about that issue. But I look at it from a different angle—that this new organisation New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is meant to foster collaborative networks and partnerships between central government local government industry trade unions regions— 
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. 
PANSY WONG 
: Quite a few of my parliamentary colleagues have mentioned clause 9 “Functions” which contains a very valid issue. As stated in subclause (1)(a)(i) New Zealand Trade and Enterprise would continue the function of “fostering collaborative networks and partnerships between central government local government industry trade unions regions education and research organisations potential investors and individual enterprises;”. I put it to the Committee that that would include every single individual in New Zealand who can talk and walk. Is New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to conduct talkfests endlessly and mindlessly create so-called networks among the 4000000 New Zealanders? 
We have further concerns on the subject of talkfests with regard to clause 18 “Minister responsible to House of Representatives”. First of all the Minister the Hon Jim Anderton has taken one call during the Committee stage and avoided answering any questions. So what confidence do we have? I do not have any expectations of the Minister responsible to the House of Representative if the Minister of Maori Affairs is any example to judge by. I want the Minister in the chair the Hon Lianne Dalziel to take a call and assure us of the sort of accountability we can expect from the Minister who is supposed to be held by this bill “responsible ... to the House of Representatives for the exercise and performance of the functions power and duties …”. 
My colleague the Hon David Carter read out a long list of grants that have been given including to the Warehouse one of the largest companies in New Zealand. How is a development grant to a company like the Warehouse justified? The Labour Government continues to tell business local government and community organisations that it is really going to cooperate with them on a genuine partnership basis but when we look at the bill we see that apart from the board members—we do not know how those board members will be appointed but boy the Labour Government does not trust them—there is a separate clause that provides for the Government appointing special advisers. 
Who are those special advisers? They will be the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the chief executive of the Ministry of Economic Development and there are very specific requirements as to how they have to attend board meetings. I would say that before those board members are appointed the Government will be keeping a very very close watch on the performance of the board.