Brown Peter: Maritime Security Bill — Third Reading 
Brown Peter: Maritime Security Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:616;Page:12219] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I am glad I follow Lindsay Tisch because he sat on the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee and although I recognise that the select committee did a reasonable job it did not get it quite right. I am pleased to thank the honourable Associate Minister of Transport for taking seriously the New Zealand First amendment this evening. Although we did not get exactly what we wanted we got quite a lot and we are very pleased. We thank the Minister for his cooperation. 
Whilst I am thanking people the Minister has asked me to thank on his behalf Glen-Marie Burns and Helen Hanify of the Ministry of Transport for their sterling efforts in the work behind this bill. In fact the Hon Harry Duynhoven’s praise was so fulsome that when I see Glen-Marie Burns and Helen Hanify I will suggest that they ask for a pay rise immediately. I sincerely thank those two folk on behalf of the Minister. 
This is a very important bill. It will go through this House relatively quickly largely because the House is almost unanimous in its support of it. It is a very very important bill and I cannot emphasise that enough. Shipping is exceedingly important to this country. I do not have to tell members that we are an island nation tucked down at the bottom of the world miles from anywhere and that 99.5 percent of our exports and imports come and go by ship. That is by tonnage; by value it is something in the vicinity of 82 or 83 percent as I recall. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of shipping to this country or the importance of ships that operate in this country operating in a secure environment. 
So New Zealand First welcomes this bill. We support the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code which this bill is based on and we think this bill is a move in the right direction. Having said that I suspect that in the not too distant future there will need to be some amendments. It is the sort of legislation that we have to keep under regular review. I am sure the Minister will agree with that. There will be instances or episodes or something will turn up that we have not thought of and there will undoubtedly be some modification. 
One part of the bill that I am interested in and I say this somewhat tongue in cheek is clause 45. It is headed: “Restrictions with respect to port security areas”. Subclause (1) states: “No person other than a person on official duties acting in accordance with subsection (7) may enter or remain in a port security area unless authorised by the chief executive or the port facility operator.” As a ship’s officer I used to work long hours but now people work 24/7. I was always grateful to see the guy who came to collect the drycleaning. That might be a small point to members here but when I saw the drycleaner come on board he was very welcome because I could give him my suits and my uniform. I assume that this will not place any restriction on the drycleaner coming to get— 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: Or on any other service people required. 
PETER BROWN 
: I think the Minister is anticipating where I am leading. There might be a small-business man legally going about his duties to collect and deliver drycleaning and I assume he will be authorised by the chief executive or the port facility operator. Some of my colleagues on that ship—and I emphasise that it was some of my colleagues and not me—were interested in a little bit of service from other service workers. 
Judith Collins 
: Well it’s legal now. 
PETER BROWN 
: It was illegal at the time but it is legal now. I want to know—and maybe the Minister could take a second call if he is allowed to; I would certainly support leave for him to do so—whether prostitutes or ship girls will be authorised by the chief executive or the port facility operator to go on board the ships and offer their services to those who need to partake of them. The little bit that makes me laugh is that I think in the fullness of time there will be a database— 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: Security level one I think. It shouldn’t be a problem. 
PETER BROWN 
: But will they have passes and be allowed free access? 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: Depending on the security level. 
PETER BROWN 
: So could we end up with a database of ship girls that is under the control of the Maritime Safety Authority? I assume the Maritime Safety Authority is the designating authority if that is the term in the bill. 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: Is the member suggesting a modification? 
PETER BROWN 
: I think it is somewhat ironic that prostitution has been quite a talking point over the last few years in this House. We used to have ladies of the night—and men I guess—listed on a database controlled by the police. I assume they have been removed from the police database but they are now likely to be controlled by the Maritime Safety Authority. I find that somewhat amusing. 
To get back to the seriousness of this bill it is an important bill. I compliment the Minister on his attitude and the way in which he has approached it. He has involved everybody—not just MPs. Because of my shipping background I know a lot of people in the maritime industry and all without exception have told me that they are pleased with the way they have been consulted and allowed to have their say on this bill. Unfortunately the select committee did not listen as keenly as it should have to some shipping people. Some of those shipping people made their views known to me and that was the reason I produced my amendment. 
In conclusion I think that tonight we have done a good job in Parliament in terms of this bill. I am pleased that New Zealand First has played a positive role. I thank the Minister and his officials for giving us a fair hearing. I thought the officials listened to me privately very very well. I thought they did a very professional job. I will not name them because I have forgotten their names already—I am sorry about that. 
This country will be all the more safe once this bill is passed. I think it will need to be amended in time to include shipping agents—and in other areas too. I will not let that matter go because I have many friends who are shipping agents and I feel that after tonight they will all vote for New Zealand First. We will see whether that occurs. New Zealand First will support this bill and I think New Zealand will be a safer place once it becomes part of our law.