Mallard Trevor: Crown Pastoral Land (Rent for Pastoral Leases) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Mallard Trevor: Crown Pastoral Land (Rent for Pastoral Leases) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 02 May 2012. Volume:679;Page:1909. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
I heard one of our speakers last night speaking on this bill talking about the millionaires in that area. The only millionaires that I know of in the high country of the South Island are the ones whom the previous Government bought out. In fact I have got a very good friend who has got a brand new D6 tractor as a result of that purchase and he is pretty happy. He sits on it every day. I think that is the problem that we face with this bill and I am sure that that will be resolved as a result of the decision to proceed with this bill tonight.  
I want to talk briefly about the high country farmers of the South Island and also last night we heard the Greens talk about the ecological assessments that would be preferable to be carried out to understand the stocking rates required in this country. I would like to point out to the Greens that just about all farmers who farm with any kind of responsibility in New Zealand probably do ecological assessments on a daily basis. I guess that involves measuring grass and things like that which clearly enables them to understand what is happening with their land and what is happening with their livestock. I think these high country farmers of the South Island do a wonderful job of the ecological management of that country. I think almost without exception historically they have done a great job of that and I am sure that will continue in the future.  
I want to briefly comment on a couple of other things that I have found a little extraordinary about the discussion we have had recently. In fact on page 3 of the commentary on the initial draft of this bill where we talk about the Labour Party’s minority view it talks about the bill allowing the Government to charge rent on the productive capacity but excluding rental for the right to exclusive occupation which the lessees also enjoy. It seems to me it is very difficult to see any difference in that system from what we see in our current Government housing regime throughout the country where there are clearly State houses that attract the same rental wherever they are located. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: But these farmers are State tenants! These farmers are State tenants! 
IAN McKELVIE 
: Absolutely they are. As you well know they have been for a hundred and something years and so are those people who live wherever they might live in a Government-owned house. We do not charge them for the view. I think that argument really buys itself.  
I have got no problem supporting the movement of this bill through the House and with a bit of luck it will get out of here fairly soon. I just want to congratulate those who were on the Primary Production Committee at the time this was heard—and I certainly was not—on the work they did; also the Ministers who have put this through; and Jacqui Dean whom I have heard speak I think three times on this bill since I have been a member of this House certainly with a significant amount of enthusiasm for the bill. I have much pleasure in supporting this bill and hope that it proceeds with speed.