McAnulty KieranKIERAN McANULTY (Labour): I actually had no intention of taking a call on this bill because up until now we had a consensus across the Primary Production Committee on this bill. As have many speakers mentioned tonight farm debt is at an all-time high and the power imbalance between the farming sector and the banking sector is evident for all to see. The question that has been posed at every stage of this debate is why has a bill like this not been introduced earlier? But this bill is addressing that power imbalance.I feel bitterly disappointed—bitterly disappointed—that up until now the Primary Production Committee have worked together to improve this bill and yet here tonight in the committee of the whole House they have used this bill as a platform to make cheap political points. We have Hamish Walker without a shred of irony saying that it is a good thing that the agricultural sector has $63 billion worth of debt. The name of this bill is the Farm Debt Mediation Bill (No 2). The reason we are—CHAIRPERSON (Hon Ruth Dyson): And you have to say a little more than that about it.KIERAN McANULTY: Sorry?CHAIRPERSON (Hon Ruth Dyson): You have to say a little more about the bill than just its name.KIERAN McANULTY: You're dead right. As I was just saying mid-sentence the reason this bill has been introduced the Farm Debt Mediation Bill (No 2) is because there is an issue with addressing agricultural debt and the way in which banks have steamrolled over too many farmers. Yet Hamish Walker stands up and says debt is a good thing. The lack of irony in this debate is incredible.We have heard throughout the select committee stage and it was reflected in the second reading speeches many times that submitter after submitter after submitter came to this Parliament and expressed many sad and regrettable stories of them losing their family farm because compulsory mediation was not part of the equation. That is what this bill seeks to address. I implore those at home those that are listening in their car radios or those that are watching on TV or online: dismiss the speeches of the likes of David Bennett who I quote says that this bill actually won't achieve much".Hon David Bennett: Well it won't.KIERAN McANULTY: "Well it won't" he says. He is the chair of the Primary Production Committee and he stood up and said "This bill will not achieve anything." and then when I repeat his quote he repeats himself. "This bill will not achieve much" he says. Well vote against it. That is my challenge to that side of the House. Stop trying to play politics and having it both ways. If that side of the House do not believe that this bill will make a difference to farmers' lives stand up for what you believe in and vote against it instead of trying to play it both ways—trying to play politics when we are talking about people's lives. This bill is designed to make it easier for people to look after their farms and to save their farms. I think of people like constituents in Wairarapa who've come into my office and told me how if mediation was part of the equation they had a very good chance of keeping their farm. [Interruption] They chortle and they cheer and they jeer. That side of the House know that we are talking about people's lives and people's livelihoods and they stand up and say that this bill does not matter that this bill will not make a difference. What a disgrace. What an absolute disgrace.There are people at home that have lost their farms and the chair of the Primary Production Committee and the agriculture spokesperson for the National Party and the member for Clutha-Southland stand up and make a joke of this bill. It's an absolute disgrace. The Farm Debt Mediation Bill (No 2) will make a big difference to people's lives it'll make a big difference to people's livelihoods and I say shame on that side for making a joke of it. Standing up and saying this bill won't make a difference—it shows how out of touch they are and it shows how keen they are to play politics over people's livelihoods."