Hide Rodney: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
Hide Rodney: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:609;Page:7066] 
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
: We now have a Government that we can confirm has no respect for this House the institution of Parliament and parliamentary democracy. 
David Benson-Pope 
: Oh! 
RODNEY HIDE 
: David Benson-Pope thinks it is funny. Government members think that Parliament is funny and they think that a business going under is funny. They put a Minister—a boy Minister with his training wheels still on—in the chair who does not know what the bill is about. He has not taken one call. Why have Parliament if this Government is just going to come down to this Chamber and pass legislation irrespective of the questions that the public asks and irrespective of the Opposition’s concerns? I tell the Minister that I have some questions for him about Part 2. It is now 25 minutes to midnight on a Thursday night under urgency. I tell the Minister to take his training wheels off and have a go at this question. Why is section 70A of the Forests Act 1949 being repealed? I have read this bill in conjunction with the Act and I can understand why we have to get rid of section 69. I can understand why we have to get rid of sections 70 71 and 71C but why do we have to repeal— 
Gordon Copeland 
: It’s progress. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: I am pleased. United Future members who go along like the doormats that they are will vote for it because the Minister with the training wheels on has told them to. I hope he takes a call and explains why section 70A of the Forests Act—[ 
Interruption 
] The member is saying that he was alive when that Act was passed. [ 
Interruption 
] He is saying that he does not understand it but he will vote for it anyway. God knows how United Future members are getting on! If members do not understand the bill the purpose is to come to the Chamber and the Minister would explain it—except we have a Minister in the chair who still has training wheels. 
I ask the Hon David Cunliffe the member for Herne Bay to take the call and explain why section 70A is being repealed. He gives a look of complete emptiness. [ 
Interruption 
] David Benson-Pope said that it has something to do with his electorate in Dunedin. Why does he not stand up and take a call and rescue the Minister? [ 
Interruption 
] Now he is saying that the Minister is rorting the system. I think it is true that David Cunliffe is rorting the system because he is taking a Minister’s salary but not doing a Minister’s job. I say to the Minister that he should take a call and explain why section 70A of the Forests Act is being repealed. It seems to me that it should not be repealed. 
Mr Copeland says that he is confused now. He is like members on this side thinking that he will not vote for it. Mr Phil Heatley of the National Party is having second thoughts. Harry Duynhoven has already called out across the Chamber: “Don’t trust David Cunliffe because you can’t trust him on this.” I think his vote now is up for grabs. I tell the Minister that all the members are laughing at him even his United Future doormats are laughing at his expense. This Minister will not come to this Chamber and convince Parliament why we should vote for the bill. 
How hard can it be to explain why section 70A of the Forests Act 1949 has to be repealed at this time of the night under urgency? That is not a big ask. One section of a very old Act is being repealed. I ask the Minister to please explain the reason to the Committee because Mr Copeland needs to know. He has to go back and talk to God and his voters and say that he did this in good conscience.