Brown Peter: Statutes Amendment Bill (No 5) — Second Reading 
Brown Peter: Statutes Amendment Bill (No 5) — Second Reading 
[Volume:628;Page:582] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I was taken somewhat unawares there because week after week National Party members have been telling New Zealand First members that they want proportional representation when it comes to speaking in Parliament and here with their second call on this bill they cannot take it. They wave the white flag. 
Lindsay Tisch 
: We’re actually supporting it. That’s why we’re not taking a second call. 
PETER BROWN 
: I tell Mr Tisch that this bill has enough meat in it for him to stand up and say what he thinks about it. I might make it clear that New Zealand First is totally in support of it.  
Lindsay Tisch 
: I will stand up if the member wishes. 
PETER BROWN 
: I know that the National Party wants us to sit down but part of this bill fixes up a glaring National Party stuff-up. If I can be critical of the current Government it is to ask why it has taken so long. I am talking about fixing up the Maritime Transport Act of 1994. For the new members here—and I know that a number of them do not understand what the 1994 Act actually does—a coastal ship chartered from overseas registered elsewhere and fully manned by New Zealanders has to get the Minister’s permission to go off route or to an external port that is not on its normal route whilst a foreign ship that is manned by goodness knows who that works under a favourable tax regime— 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Ha ha! 
PETER BROWN 
: —Wayne Mapp laughs—and that pays no accident compensation can come into this country and pick up coastal cargo taking it anywhere it likes. No permission is needed. Let me tell honourable members over there—because I can see that some of them are listening and can understand the importance of shipping to this country—that in excess of 99 percent of cargo in and out of this country comes and goes by ship. And how many foreign ships do we have? 
Lindsay Tisch 
: How many? 
PETER BROWN 
: Zilch none. Not one. 
Lindsay Tisch 
: Not one? 
PETER BROWN 
: No because the National Government stuffed the environment. It would not look at them. We had a shipping conference where you heard the problems firsthand and you thumbed your nose at it. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! 
PETER BROWN 
: I realise that the honourable Speaker did not; he was far— 
Pita Paraone 
: More learned than that. 
PETER BROWN 
: —more learned than that as my colleague said. However I say to my colleague the Labour Government has not done very much more. It had a shipping review but it has sat on it for 6 or 7 years and has done nothing about it. This legislation is a little move in the right direction. Nowadays this country has very few ships. It has none trading overseas—just a few trading around the coast and they are struggling. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Is that a problem?  
PETER BROWN 
: It is a problem. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Has New Zealand had overseas traders? 
PETER BROWN 
: The member has asked a question and I am prepared to answer it. But where will we an island nation tucked way down at the bottom of the South Pacific get future maritime expertise from? Tell me that we do not need maritime expertise in this country! That member would not go as far as that— 
Pita Paraone 
: It’s not politically correct! 
PETER BROWN 
: No it is not politically correct. New Zealand First will support this bill. Personally and speaking from the heart I am delighted that this Parliament is about to pass unanimously sensible legislation in favour of the New Zealand ship operator—and I say: “About time too!”. 
Bill read a second time.