Watts SimonSIMON WATTS (National—North Shore): Thank you very much Madam Chair. I want to talk a little bit around Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) 8 that has been raised by my colleague Christopher Luxon. I think as colleagues have said before that this is a very sound amendment and I want to go through a number of aspects around it just to provide some clarity. In particular I'm keen to hear the Minister's response on a number of these aspects.As we've talked about before we've currently got a degree of inconsistency. What we're trying to do by this amendment is in terms of alignment between the Māori and general wards aspects by introducing an appeals process and I think it is only fair that you would have an appeals process. I mean look I'm obviously the member of Parliament for North Shore and I have received a large number of constituent emails around this issue not only from the North Shore but also from places such as—you may not have ever heard of it—Roto-o-Rangi which is in the Waikato and Te Karaka. Maybe the previous Minister might be aware of that.Hon Louise Upston: The wonderful electorate of Taupō.SIMON WATTS: Yeah absolutely. There is significant concern from a number of people around this country on this and I liken it to the many many people—I think we said 25000 people—that have been part of those seven areas that have already I guess in good faith been part of a process to be able to put their opinions down and in effect that has been taken away from them.So the right of an appeal process is really important because it's really important that we have a process and it makes this—in effect a bad piece of legislation—a little bit better. I think that in terms of having that appeal process in place it will be fundamental. It will give those people that are so impacted that have been part of this process already and  I guess feel like the rug has been pulled out from underneath them a least a little bit of gratitude back from that.So the provisions that I think my good colleague Christopher Luxon has noted in his SOP around notification make this process stronger. I think the element that this notification of appeal needs to be made publicly is also a really important aspect because I think that without that level of transparency—and I think that's what we're really trying to focus on here: a level of transparency around our democracy. You know I read this legislation and I genuinely cannot believe that we're actually going along with what is being proposed here. I think it's absurd.In terms of the amendment—and I'll go back to that—I really hope Minister Mahuta who I'm glad to see back in the chair really considers this amendment. I think that it is a suggestion and it is genuinely in good faith that we make this to try and make this legislation better so I do ask and I hope that the Minister considers it.I want to go to the point raised by the Hon Simon Bridges and I think it's a good point. That was that he talked around procedural fairness. I think that aspect is important to re-emphasise: that it is very very important that we have legislation in this House that is fair. You know I don't think that's unjust. I don't think that's unreasonable. Actually I think that is a minimum expectation of this country a country which is exceptional and I hope that the Minister will consider that strongly.I also wanted to note a couple of aspects around the reasons why not. They did sound to me like This is just a little bit too hard." And I think of those 25000 people. I think my colleague mentioned a million ratepayers. Well that is a huge number of Kiwis and the reasons given on why we shouldn't consider this supplementary addition was additional complexities and impact on time line. Now with respect that seems to be very much "This is too hard." and I don't think that that provides a valid reason why we should not do the right thing.I think the right thing here is to take on board the feedback of my good colleague Christopher Luxon in terms of his position around the appeal process consider it in good faith and look to include that as part of the revised bill that we've got here. I really look forward to the Minister's comments and thank you very much for that."