King Colin: Advanced Technology Institute Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
King Colin: Advanced Technology Institute Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 13 September 2012. Volume:683;Page:5235. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
COLIN KING (National—Kaikoura) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to speak on the first reading of this bill the Advanced Technology Institute Bill. It is another very positive initiative in the Government’s growth agenda and it is reassuring to hear the acknowledgment around the House of the important space that this particular organisation will fill in meeting the needs of growing this nation’s economy. We have heard a lot about our overdependence on the agricultural sector. We have also heard comments about the commodity nature of those products that we export but I just want to make the point as we begin my contribution in this first reading on the Advanced Technology Institute that that is what this country’s economy is surviving on. There has been a long-acknowledged deficit in this space of the commercialisation the taking to market and the capitalisation of innovative solutions for the country’s economy. 
We know that we have a very proud and positive record around our scientific discoveries. We have in our history such names as Ernest Rutherford and Neil Pickering and we know that this organisation is gong to be named after Sir Paul Callaghan an outstanding New Zealander and an outstanding scientist who said that New Zealand businesses need to be the best in the world to compete. There are many out there who are doing remarkably well. However the way through to the market place where they have to successfully negotiate the pitfalls within the commercialisation prospect makes it very difficult for a lot of these businesses to succeed. 
This organisation will be judged on its success. As a member of the Education and Science Committee I say that we will be going over this very very carefully to ensure that we get the foundation documents and principles of this organisation right so that there do become reliable pathways through to commercialisation. 
An aspect that does concern me a lot is that just going back to the previous Labour speaker David Parker who gave a first reading speech considering the introduction of the Advanced Technology Institute all we got was a lecture on what the Government is not doing with regard to the present economic situation that the world is facing. It is a bit rich to be lectured by a member of a party in Opposition that when in Government took the country into a recession before any other OECD country. It is a bit rich too to have an Opposition on the other side of the House saying no to everything that would promote economic growth. Then when it does have the opportunity to support a positive bill that addresses a distinct gap in the market place it talks off the subject while it is still supporting the bill. It is very very disheartening when you are trying your absolute best to get over those challenges and the Opposition is so negative. 
What has been achieved while the John Key Government has been in existence has been a total re-energising of the Crown research institute sector. Quite frankly when National came into Government with its associates it was a chaotic scene. There have been 4 years of refinement and we are very excited to see that we will now have an Advanced Technology Institute that it will have bases throughout New Zealand and that there will be that support that will take smart innovation to the market. The potential is there the gap has been left wide open for many many years and it is with absolute pride and satisfaction that I look forward to considering this bill in the Education and Science Committee with the support of the House. Thank you very much.