Mallard Trevor: New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMallard Trevor: New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 11 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:11985. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South):I think there are some things that I too should put on the record. I think in 2009 I accepted a couple of glasses of wine from Skycity at one of its lower bars in 2011 I went to a test match as part of the Rugby World Cup with Skycity and earlier this year in 2013 I accepted a cup of coffee and a muffin with one of its lobbyists when we were discussing this legislation the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill. I am however reminded of the statement of the late California State Treasurer “Big Daddy” Unruh and that is: “If you can’t eat their food drink their booze …”—there is another phrase that has to do with the relationship with women which I will not read out—“and then vote against them you have no business being [in Parliament].” That is the case. I just want to say that if people cannot have a proper policy discussion and at the end of that say “No we disagree.”—as I have on a number of occasions with Skycity—and tell people that youare against something and then come here and vote against it then we have not got a proper democracy.I am adamantly opposed to this legislation. My view is that gambling using any form of pokies was originally a mistake. I think that in allowing it Peter Tapsell—probably without any right of legislation without any right and proper regulation back when he was Minister of Internal Affairs in the early 1980s—was wrong. I am still convinced that it is wrong. I voted the wrong way on the casino legislation when it was set up originally and that is something that I am now ashamed of. It is my view that that casino should not have been set up and my view that the harm that is caused to tens of thousands of families is something that this Parliament and people of my generation in this Parliament have to take responsibility for. What I will not do is support in any way legislation that will make it worse.Pokies and gambling tables cause immense harm to families. People gamble much more in some cases than they can afford to. They lose their houses they lose their families and in extreme cases they lose their lives as a result of this evil. And for the Prime Minister to trade this loss of families this loss of houses and this loss of lives for a convention centre is in my opinion morally bankrupt and the way that it has been done is effectively corrupt. The Prime Minister wrote on a piece of paper to finalise a deal with Skycity. He wrote on a piece of paper and breached everything that is ethical about having proper tenders and proper arrangements in making Government deals. The Prime Minister of New Zealand lowered the standards of our democracy and the ethics and the integrity and the transparency that we expect in New Zealand and this bill is a result of it.And I say to Jonathan Young who was the National Party speaker who preceded me shame on you. Jonathan I know that you know better. I know that you know that people will die as a result of this bill. I know Mr Young that in your heart and in your conscience you do not support it and I say shame on you for standing up to support this grubby bill.