Shirley Ken: Consumer Protection (Definitions of Goods and Services) Bill — In Committee 
Shirley Ken: Consumer Protection (Definitions of Goods and Services) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:609;Page:6891] 
Hon KEN SHIRLEY (Deputy Leader—ACT NZ) 
: I am certainly pleased to see the inclusion of water within the definition of goods and services which it clearly is and other Opposition speakers have made that point. I listened to the speech from the member who has resumed his seat who talked about the Clevedon area. When we look at Watercare Services in Auckland that really goes to the hub of this dispute. On the one hand we have the socialist model that water is under the control of each individual authority and on the other hand we have seen the spectacular success of Watercare Services which is supplying the bulk water as well as picking up the trade waste. 
Members may not be aware that Watercare Services harvests the water from the Hunua dams and others in the Waitakeres. It also brings water from the Waikato treats it stores it and reticulates it for under 50c a cubic metre. What do the councils of Auckland do? Manukau City Council retails it for about $1.10; Metro Water Auckland City does it for about $1.25; and out west the hub of the Labour Party where Bob Harvey is the mayor—he was the former president of the Labour Party—he retails it at $1.53. The water that Bob Harvey gets wholesale at less than 50c a cubic metre he retails out west at $1.53. 
It is meant to be the green city but it has the highest per capita usage of the five Auckland authorities. Is that not extraordinary? It is little wonder that Bob Harvey does not want anything to do with Watercare Services. In Manukau Watercare Services very sensibly is going to take over the whole kit and caboodle. It is part of the hydro cycle. The rain falls we catch it store it supply the treated water turn on the tap and then the water goes to waste. We then have to treat that waste and discharge it back to water. It is sensible that it comes under the one jurisdiction. Of course water comes within goods and services. It is absolute folly to suggest that somehow water is special. Just like any other goods or services it should be subject to the forces of supply and demand and pricing. Too often people refuse to apply proper pricing to water. 
John Key 
: You are opposing the bill. 
Hon KEN SHIRLEY 
: Not at all. 
John Key 
: Yes you are. 
Hon KEN SHIRLEY 
: No I am confining this speech to the water issue and the nonsense that we have had in Auckland City. Many of the local authorities are trying to obstruct Watercare Services. I believe that it is doing a very good job by applying pricing mechanisms to water and it will continue to do so. Bob Harvey and some of his Labour Party supporters are doing all they can to unhinge Watercare Services and disrupt that sensible supply. We certainly support that aspect of the bill but it is a very narrow aspect; I appreciate that. When we come to some of the other aspects that is when we will really start to worry. There are real concerns when we start looking at some of the other aspects. I joined this debate on the water issue and that was the key contribution I wanted to make as it relates particularly to the Auckland region.