Wall Louisa: Crown Entities Reform Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Wall Louisa: Crown Entities Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 23 May 2012. Volume:680;Page:2384. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
LOUISA WALL (Labour—Manurewa) 
: 
 Kia ora Mr Chair. Thank you very much. Ten minutes? Wow we will see. This is my first clause by clause korero and contribution. I have spoken on every part of the Crown Entities Reform Bill tonight but I do want to focus on the title. 
It seems appropriate that this bill is called the Crown Entities Reform Bill 2011 but when I look at the definition of “reform” it is quite interesting. I like looking at dictionaries actually. “Reform” means make changes in order to improve something. The synonyms are amend mend improve reclaim. It is about reformation amendment and improvement. I think all of us tonight have been interested particularly in relation to Part 3 in the evidence for the reform that we are seeing in this bill. We would say that what dictates using that word “reform” is having the actual evidence for in this instance merging the Charities Commission with the Department of Internal Affairs. What we do not see in this bill is any evidence or rationale for why we should do that. 
From our perspective we think the first-principles review that is currently scheduled in the Charities Act would have provided that evidence and it would have also enabled input from the sector—that is the community and voluntary sector the not-for-profit sector and the charity sector—which incorporates 93000 entities. We have over 25000 registered charities in New Zealand. So in fact what this title says is actually quite contradictory because the reform that we will see particularly in Part 3 has no evidence for it and has had no input from the charity sector. It is actually incumbent on us as the Opposition to make sure that the voices of the community and voluntary sector who have come to us who came to the select committee are heard. Of the 43 submissions we received 20 were specifically about Part 3 and 19 of those submissions were opposed. 
I can now possibly go on to the commencement. We would obviously advocate support for my colleague Trevor Mallard’s bill which wants to let due process— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: SOP. 
LOUISA WALL 
: —his Supplementary Order Paper his amendment—take its course. We want to see the Charities Act go through the review that is scheduled that is part of the Act that was created after 10 years of engagement with the sector. It just seems so ridiculous that this Government does not think that that process and that history particularly—[ 
Interruption 
] What are you saying “Come on.” for Sam? 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! 
LOUISA WALL 
: These are our community organisations that are spread right around the country that provide services and support and are working at the coalface with the communities families and children whom we all serve. I am in an electorate where I have numerous community and voluntary sector organisations that are trying to meet the needs of our community. So you know we take seriously the fact that our community and voluntary sector has actively engaged in lobbying me lobbying Denise lobbying Denis and lobbying many of us who care about the community and voluntary sector to be their voices and to speak for them in this House because they are being ignored. The Government side of the House does not care about the community and the stakeholders specifically in relation to the merger of the Charities Commission with the Department of Internal Affairs. All we are saying is “Why do you not let due process happen? Let the first-principles review happen. Take the sector with you. Don’t leave it behind.” You know I find it incredible that the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector has not advocated for the people she is there to serve. So it is incumbent on me as Labour’s spokesperson on the community and voluntary sector on Denise as her— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! I did not pull the member up the first time but you have actually used— 
LOUISA WALL 
: —on Denise Roche who is the Green Party spokesperson on the community and voluntary sector and on Denis O’Rourke who is the New Zealand First spokesperson on internal affairs. We have attempted—