Court Simon; Rurawhe AdrianSIMON COURT (ACT): Thank you Mr Speaker. ACT agrees there is a need for reform in the way three waters infrastructure is funded delivered and maintained. I read with disappointment about the waste-water overflows in Auckland and that beaches are closed for swimming. Where I launch my kayak in Henderson Creek Te Wai o Pereira there's a very large waste-water network pipe that brings sewage and waste water from all the suburbs of the north-west in Auckland past the boat ramp where our waka ama club where our multi-sport club and where our rowing club launch.Now I've met with Auckland Council's own Watercare and they told me that the fix will cost a billion dollars and take about 10 years. Now that's the same as the cost to fix the central interceptor in Auckland which is going to have the result of cleaning up all the beaches in central Auckland so people can swim. Now Watercare said to me it's not the money that's missing. It's not that the money isn't there to invest; it's the system that central government has given local government to work in that's broken.This problem's developed over generations and the fault lies firmly with central government and the architecture they've given local government. And despite the best efforts of councils to provide three waters infrastructure to save and fund its depreciation like Ōpōtiki District Council which has a fund of $10 million they told the select committee recently—saved up to build three waters infrastructure—it's actually central government that's provided this flawed architecture.They collect most of the tax in New Zealand and local government is dependent on handouts—the system can be changed and ACT has a plan to change it. But it seems almost unbelievable that Parliament is here again at almost 10 o'clock at night debating—and tomorrow under extended sitting conditions—more of this terrible three waters legislation. Labour keeps forcing this legislation through but the ACT Party says don't bother; stop now save your effort because there's going to be a change of Government next year and ACT's going to repeal it. Matt Doocey: That's right—listen to Jamie Strange.SIMON COURT: Now this Water Services Legislation Bill—that's right Mr Doocey. Matt Doocey: Jamie knows.SIMON COURT: Jamie knows. The Water Services Legislation Bill gives these new entities the powers to take local control away—[Interruption]—Anna Lorck—from Hawke's Bay councils for example and centralise it. Now ACT's going to vote against this bill. We've proposed an alternative water infrastructure plan which I'm happy to share with the House with listeners on 882AM and with those at home watching Parliament TV. Here's ACT's water infrastructure plan. Firstly ACT supported standing up the water quality regulator Taumata Arowai. We need a water quality regulator but we've got one. Taumata Arowai starts their work very soon to regulate water quality.Labour's wasted millions on taxpayer funded propaganda ad campaigns to try to convince people this legislation's necessary. They've tried to bribe councils with no worse off better off" funding to try to get them on board but $2.5 million in debt's going to be dumped into these new water entities on day one; it's completely unnecessary. But when none of this worked Labour's pushing ahead anyway.Now this current system's not up to scratch but these reforms are not going to cut it. Taking control of council's assets away from communities is wrong. Moving assets from one Government department to another is wrong—[Interruption]—Anna Lorck. Rural water users and communities will be captured by these new water corporations who will have an ability to manage their entire catchment and to tell water users how much water they get and who gets it. New Zealanders think this responsibility should in fact lie with democratically elected local councils which represent the needs of their communities not appointed entities benefiting from the work that Nanaia Mahuta and her cohort have done to take the assets off councils and allocate them to unelected co-governed bodies.Damien Smith: Undemocratic.SIMON COURT: Undemocratic. And the worse aspect of this reform is divisive co-government. It's totally inappropriate to give iwi Māori organisations a seat at the table just because of who their ancestors were. All New Zealanders want safe and clean drinking water. The requirement to give effect to these vague Te Mana o te Wai statements will simply wrap these water entities up in red tape and is a recipe for endless litigation and political mischief.Because there's no show without Punch this bill adds to the usual Te Tiriti boilerplate and vague Te Mana o te Wai stuff by requiring the chief executives of these water entities to report on how the entity is giving effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and Te Mana o te Wai.Now goodness me I'm a civil engineer. When I became a civil engineer no one said "If you ever get to be the chief executive of a water corporation your job will be to give effect to the principles of the Treaty." I thought it'd be to build pipes and to deliver services to communities so we can build affordable homes. Who knew?So Labour and their dwindling group of cheerleaders ask "What would ACT do?" What would ACT do Anna Lorck? What a good question Anna. Our purpose is "Better public policy which benefits New Zealanders." Better public policy. Policy that protects property rights promotes the benefits that more private sector brings to the delivery of basic services like water. That's a purpose that more and more New Zealanders are getting behind.Here's a practical example of what that would mean for the delivery of water services: infrastructure and service land for housing. ACT's water infrastructure plan would provide for councils to enter voluntary shared services arrangements. Actually Hawke's Bay councils came to select committee and told those on the Finance and Expenditure Committee that they were already doing that and they didn't need this legislation. So I'm surprised that the member for Tukituki Anna Lorck didn't let her friends in the Labour Party know that problem's resolved. It gives the benefits of scale while retaining local control.We would establish long-term central government and local government partnerships—partnership agreements which would plan water infrastructure upgrades tailored to specific regions and local needs. We would establish public-private partnerships.Helen White: Privatisation coming through thick and strong.SIMON COURT: That's right. To attract investment from financial entities such as KiwiSaver funds ACC iwi investment funds—your KiwiSaver even Helen White.Expand the exemption we would for domestic suppliers from single dwellings to include all those small water schemes servicing rural communities of up to 30 users—mostly rural users. And ACT would let councils keep half the GST on new builds because that's an incentive to sign off more consents get more homes built and actually provides a cash flow of around $2 billion per annum based on the current rate of house construction which councils can use to finance debt and to fund new and upgrade existing infrastructure.We can improve the current system but we don't need to do it through State-mandated centralisation and allowing some people to have more influence than others based on their ethnicity.Labour doesn't care about the awful sense of division that their obsession with co-governance and the Treaty of Waitangi is having on New Zealand. They don't care about the awful sense of division discord and disconnection that's caused in our communities. It's wrong. The ACT Party says it's wrong to do this to New Zealand. It's wrong to pretend to use our drinking water and our beach water quality to push this co-governance agenda through on New Zealanders.ACT believes it's time to get this country out of the ditch this Labour Government's driven us into. We believe now more than ever it falls to the ACT Party to do something; to restore that sense of inclusion that I felt as a Kiwi growing up in New Zealand. ACT will respect the communities who've spoken out against three waters reform and we will repeal it if we have the privilege—if New Zealanders give us the privilege—of being part of the future Government. Thank you Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Members the House is suspended and I will resume the Chair at 9 a.m. tomorrow for the extended sitting. Pō mārie.Debate interrupted.Sitting suspended from 10.01 p.m. to 9 a.m. (Wednesday)"