Turei Metiria: Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
Turei Metiria: Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
[Volume:674;Page:19975] 
METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker Robertson. Tena koutou katoa. I will make a very short call on the Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3) on behalf of my colleague Kennedy Graham and of course on behalf of the Green Party and its position on this legislation. The bill will provide legal force for subordinate legislation regulations and the like and in some cases will confirm orders that are already in effect but that will otherwise lapse unless this legislation is passed. The subordinate legislation that is covered by this bill includes levies imposed on primary producers under the Commodity Levies Act regulations made under the Customs and Excise Act and the Land Transport Act and rates of benefits pensions and allowances under the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act the Social Security Act and the War Pensions Act. The Tariff Act and the Tariff (New Zealand - Hong Kong China Closer Economic Partnership Agreement) Amendment Act 2010 Commencement Order will be validated and confirmed by this legislation. 
Quite rightly these are mostly technical regulations which could easily be supported to go to the Regulations Review Committee. When specific groups are affected by these changes then no doubt they will submit or have the opportunity to submit on areas where they may have concern. The Green Party certainly supports raising benefit levels which is being done in part under this legislation I understand. Of course benefits are not being raised by enough and the poverty that beneficiaries still suffer from will continue under this legislation until there is a serious review of the poverty trap that the welfare system is at the moment. 
We do not have any particular concern at this time about the customs and export provisions but no doubt we will have a look at them when the bill is at the select committee. The land transport provisions deal with registration and the licensing of motor vehicles. Those provisions are quite complicated and technical provisions. It is difficult to tell at this early stage whether there are any specific issues with them. We assume that issues will be dealt with at the select committee if they do arise and again those affected will have an opportunity to submit. 
I say however on behalf of the Green Party that we do not support the Hong Kong free-trade agreement and we are opposed to the legislation in so far as it validates and confirms the amendment order for the New Zealand - Hong Kong China Closer Economic Partnership Agreement. On that basis because we are so opposed to it and have such strong views about the economic injury that these kinds of free-trade deals do to the New Zealand economy and therefore to families and New Zealand business the Green Party will not be supporting this bill at its first reading. We always consider that we have to weigh up very carefully whether we will support or oppose legislation like this where there is a range of different things some of which we may agree with or not have concerns about and other parts that we may disagree with. On balance the Green Party has decided that our opposition and concern for the New Zealand economy are reflected in our concern about the Hong Kong free-trade agreement. Therefore we will not be supporting this bill. Thank you.