Beaumont Carol: Immigration Amendment Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBeaumont Carol: Immigration Amendment Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 11 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:10965. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]CAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):I want to pick up where my colleague Andrew Little left off. I would like to think of another name for this bill because the title “Immigration Amendment Bill” does not really cut it does it? It does not really describe what this bill is about.I would like to suggest that we call this bill the “Immigration (National’s Shame) Amendment Bill”. That is for three main reasons. First and foremost is the fact that the actual content of this bill—this is where I am picking up from my colleague Andrew Little—is shameful. The suggestion of how we might treat these people is shameful—people who are already in the worst possible situations people who risk their lives and their families’ lives to try to escape terrible situations. For these people to come to a country and be detained in the manner described in this bill is shameful. It is shameful that our country’s reputation is being dragged through the mud by this National Government. It is a reputation that many of us and many people listening to Parliament are very proud of. It is a reputation that is well deserved because New Zealand has been a country that has treated people well and has played a role in all sorts of international forums.The bill is shameful in that regard but secondly it is shameful in the sense that I actually do not think anybody across the Chamber believes it is necessary. It is shameful because we are wasting the time of this House putting through legislation that almost inevitably is not going to be used because we are not going to have mass arrivals in this county. We have not had any such situation arise. Others this afternoon and this evening have described the reasons for that. We are a long way from anywhere. We have a very hostile climate to get through in order to reach this country by boat. The expectation is that we will not need to use this legislation. There will not be mass arrival groups for us to detain thankfully.None the less it is still shameful. It is shameful that the Government is using this bill as others have said to disguise some of the other things it is doing as a distraction to try to do the dog whistle politics to try to appeal to the lowest common denominator—the anti-foreigner anti-immigrant kind of mentality that exists and that this Government likes to manipulate.But also this bill is shameful because this is legislation that has been prioritised over other legislation. It is shameful because there is really important legislation that this House should be dealing with. I would say for argument’s sake that legislation trying to regulate loan sharks would be very important legislation for this Parliament to be dealing with because it would actually make a real difference in people’s lives. But despite promising that prior to the last election—cynically in fact in November of 2011—and then a whole suite of backbench National MPs talking about getting tough on loan sharks at the end of April we finally had a bill introduced to this House and it is still awaiting first reading. We could profitably be dealing with something like that which we have already said we would support going to select committee because it is a real issue. It is an issue that I have been talking to budgeting services about over the last 2 months. Thousands of New Zealand families are getting stung by high interest rates high fees—The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy): Order!CAROL BEAUMONT: —getting into a spiral of debt—The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy): Order!CAROL BEAUMONT: Well Mr Chairperson it is about the title of this bill which is the “Immigration (National’s Shame) Amendment Bill” and this is the third part of why this is National’s shame. Not only is it offensive in content not only is it a shame because it is unnecessary it is a shame because we are doing this instead of doing thingsthat we actually need to be doing and that are worthwhile. I think that it fits within the title “Immigration (National’s Shame) Amendment Bill”.I do not think that anybody in this Committee has presented any argument. Certainly those members opposite have not nor has the Minister of Immigration presented any really compelling reason for this legislation—Dr Rajen Prasad: Not one call.CAROL BEAUMONT: Not one call—exactly—as my colleague says. Apart from the Minister we have just had National MPs sitting across the Chamber moving closure motions. This is a pattern. This is a pattern we see all too often. Why are members opposite not willing to actually stand up and debate the bill? If this is such an important issue if this is so necessary get up and say something about it. You have an opportunity. We are still on the title clause. Get up and explain to us why this is such an important bill. Thank you.