Jones Dail: Public Lending Right for New Zealand Authors Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
Jones Dail: Public Lending Right for New Zealand Authors Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:650;Page:19285] 
DAIL JONES (NZ First) 
: 
 Any civilisation is remembered by its contributions and the people who make the greatest contribution to a civilisation are its artists and writers. The Public Lending Right for New Zealand Authors Bill recognises the work undertaken by New Zealand authors towards creating our own New Zealand civilisation. 
The bill in its definition of who a New Zealand author is does not limit the definition to a New Zealander in terms of the tax definition provided in the legislation. In terms of the bill’s definition anyone is included who is resident in New Zealand and who is writing in New Zealand. I think that not enough has been made of the contribution made to authorship in New Zealand by the many new immigrants who have come into this country from various parts of the world. They are making a contribution and will be making a contribution to writing in New Zealand. In a way this bill gives recognition to that state of affairs. 
New Zealand authorship goes back a long time. Much mention has been made of the works of Katherine Mansfield and the work of Peter Buck who was the iconic writer for New Zealand anthropology. His work  
The Coming of the Maori  
is something that is read in New Zealand universities even today as part of anthropology studies. Of course both those writers are deceased and neither of them will receive any benefit from this legislation. This bill is meant for those people who are currently writing in New Zealand and whose books are available in New Zealand libraries. As mentioned earlier the legislation excludes books that are written for the purpose of school studies. 
My only criticism of the legislation is that when it was first introduced it had a regulation power that was far too wide and it is only because of the well-intentioned purpose of this legislation that one can turn a blind eye to the usual overarching regulation provisions that were in the legislation in the first place. The select committee has done some work on improving the situation. Of course this bill went to the select committee and came back without amendments in the committee’s rush but then the Minister put amendments to the Committee of the whole House and those amendments were accepted. The bill is in a much better state than it was when it came back from the select committee and as I have mentioned already let us hope authors give us some credit for rushing through the House a bill that benefits authors in New Zealand. 
The question of interpretation was raised by Chris Finlayson. I can assure him that I was not a student of Geoffrey Palmer. In fact he came into this House after I came into it and I am sure he learnt a thing or two on the Statutes Revision Committee as it was when he was a member of that committee and I was its chairman many years ago which might have helped him in his subsequent literary and literate contributions to New Zealand. 
The bill is supported by New Zealand First. As the New Zealand First spokesman on culture I have great pleasure in taking part in the debate on this legislation—as we all take pleasure in New Zealand First in this legislation. It is the last piece of legislation before we move into the adjournment debate—which I am sure we are all looking forward to with great interest—and the House rises. On that note I indicate that New Zealand First supports the bill.