Brown Simeon; Robertson GrantSIMEON BROWN (National—Pakuranga): Thank you Mr Chair for the opportunity to take a call on Part 1 of the Annual Reporting and Audit Time Frames Extensions Legislation Bill. I'd like to ask Minister Robertson some questions around the sequencing because I do believe there is a significant concern around the sequencing which is being proposed. Well effectively no sequencing is being proposed although the Auditor-General has proposed a certain set of sequences that he believes that the Audit Office should be undertaking through this process. The question I'd like to ask the Minister in the chair is: where in the auditor's process will the audit of the Human Rights Commission be taking place? It may be a small entity but the question is: will it be being undertaken sooner rather than later in the process? I see he's asking officials for some advice and I'd appreciate a firm date commitment because this is of important concern to all New Zealanders. I've put a tabled amendment on the Table. I'm not sure if it's there or not yet due to the fact that there are substantial numbers of tabled amendments coming forward with many different arguments from this side of the House. I have one which says that the Human Rights Commission should be removed from this process of having their audit put forward by two months. They should be required to have theirs done by 31 October—and the reason being is because it has come to light for the New Zealand public this week that the Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt gave a $200 donation to the Human Rights Commission.Hon David Bennett: No!SIMEON BROWN: That's right Mr Bennett. A $200 donation on 1 May. Hon Member: Did he get a receipt?SIMEON BROWN: Well I don't know. Did he get a receipt? That's a good question. Was it paid in cash? How was it paid? Is it the only money that he's paid to the Mongrel Mob? But I just think it's outrageous that New Zealanders have to put up with a Government and Government agencies which are giving money to organised crime. We have a substantial issue with organised crime here in New Zealand—CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): If the member wants to carry on like that with matters that—if he can't link it to the bill. This is Part 1 and he hasn't done it yet. I'm just warning the member.SIMEON BROWN: The tabled amendment which I am tabling and if it's not on the Table yet—is to say that actually the Human Rights Commission should not be given an extension to their audit to 31 December in 2021. And in fact it should be done by 31 October this year because there are substantial issues and concerns around the finances in that entity over the last 12 months. And so Mr Chair that is incredibly relevant to what is happening because this bill is saying Actually what we're going to say is the Human Rights Commission—we're going to let them have their audit extended out for an additional two months despite the fact that there are significant concerns over their expenditure at the Human Rights Commission and particularly how Paul Hunt used $200 as a donation to the Mongrel Mob an organised criminal organisation on 1 May at a hui earlier this year." So this is an incredibly important issue. New Zealanders will be wanting to see that audit report sooner rather than later and they will not find that this piece of legislation is something which they will agree with when it comes to the Human Rights Commission. They'll be saying "We want that as soon as possible. And in fact we want that according to the legislated time frames which is 31 October this year so that we have some oversight as to that $200 donation given to organised crime." No money from the taxpayers should be given to organised crime at any point let alone $200 donated to the Mongrel Mob on 1 May. And so that audit report is critically important and that is why I am moving a tabled amendment in this debate so that we have that audit report put to New Zealanders so we have some transparency over what has happened so that we have some accountability over that $200 donation. New Zealanders want that. New Zealanders will be asking for that. And I ask the Minister: will he be supporting my tabled amendment? Will he be supporting and requiring some transparency on this issue as well? Will he be actually standing up for taxpayers? Will he be standing up on behalf of taxpayers who are concerned that under this Government their hard-earned taxpayers' dollars have been going to the Mongrel Mob? Will he be standing up for taxpayers concerned that their hard-earned taxpayers' money is going to organised criminal groups in New Zealand? I wonder whether he will be able to actually say that. Will he be saying that or will he be saying "Nothing to see here. Not too worried. We'll let this one pass. We'll let it just go."? Well I'm putting this tabled amendment before the committee and I'm asking all parties in this Parliament all members to support this tabled amendment today. Thank you very much.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): For the third or possibly fourth time I will repeat the point that I have made—that it is in my opinion the Auditor-General's judgment that counts when it comes to the order of the audits that will take place. He has written his explanation of that to myself and to Mr Bayly. I believe—I have trust in him and I have already stated I do not believe it would be appropriate for this House to issue very specific guidance about that. I think the member needs to reflect on how that would work if the Government decided to pick and choose particular audits to do in a particular way. I imagine that member and others might have some concerns with that. So this is simply a two-month extension. The Human Rights Commission will be audited if this bill passes within the period that is prescribed. That will be appropriate. It will mean we will have a robust audit. I'm sure that's what taxpayers want—that we have robust audits that are able to withstand any analysis or criticism. So in short for the member no I will not be supporting it."