Muller Todd: Environment Canterbury (Transitional Governance Arrangements) Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMuller Todd: Environment Canterbury (Transitional Governance Arrangements) Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 10 March 2016. Volume:711;Page:9633. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]TODD MULLER (National—Bay of Plenty): I stand to speak in favour of the Environment Canterbury (Transitional Governance Arrangements) Bill and I am looking forward to being able to retort some of the shrill hyperbole that I have had to listen to over the last quarter of an hour or 20 minutes. Let us actually start this conversation by going back over a little bit of history. Prior to 2010 the Environment Canterbury set-up was appalling. Members on the other side talk about the importance of participation but they had councils across that region that would not talk to each other could not get together around a water plan were not progressing the natural resource framework for their region and they talk now about it being denied them. It was a complete stuff-up of a set-up—and I say that deliberately—and they know it and they should bow their heads in shame.Since 2010 we have put in commissioners who have applied phenomenal experience and competency to highly technical and difficult issues of natural resource management in the Canterbury region and they have created a framework zone by zone community by community and Māori participation by Māori participation. Everything that they call for on the other side we have created under the leadership of environment commissioners who have brought incredible skill and expertise: Dame Margaret Bazley the Hon David Caygill Professor Peter Skelton. These people have assisted the community in developing a framework that will resolve natural resource issues in the community.To hear members on the other say that somehow the elections are cancelled—well there are seven directly elected councillors whom this bill enables. But what we are doing is sensible common-sense management when you have essentially a board in the form of these commissioners with the capability that they have brought to this region in the middle of a process to identify water use which is completely progressing with their oversight. To completely separate them from that process is ignorant and that is why I am hugely supportive of this model. There will be direct elections. I think those members need to read the bill. There will be direct elections—seven and those seven will be augmented with the skills that we have seen be applied to the Canterbury region over the last 6 years.Dr Megan Woods: Oh please sir thank you.Hon Ruth Dyson: Oh we’re so grateful for half a vote.TODD MULLER: They can cry all they want but at the end of the day what counts is outcomes for Canterbury and under this Environment Canterbury regime we have delivered outcomes for Canterbury. We have put talent in place capability in place—[Interruption]The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch): I have cautioned members about using the word “lying” and Speaker’s ruling 48/1 is very clear. I do not want to hear it again. It has happened on a number of occasions. That word is out of order and unparliamentary. I do not want to hear it again. [Interruption] The member will stand and withdraw those comments and apologise for them.Hon Ruth Dyson: I stand withdraw and apologise. May I explain what the word was—The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch): No. [Interruption] We have ruled on that. Todd Muller has the call.TODD MULLER: In conclusion I stand very much in support of this bill. I acknowledge the leadership of both Minister Nick Smith and of Scott Simpson who has been appallingly maligned. He has I think assisted a very effective reflection on what the appropriate way forward is here and the Local Government and Environment Committee by majority was very supportive of what we now bring back to the House. It is sensible for Canterbury it is transitional and it takes the best of the current model welds it to direct elections and has a transition through to a 2019 outcome which will be fully elected. I believe it will deliver a fantastic result for Canterbury and I am very very pleased to be able to support it. Thank you.