Tremain Chris: Major Events Management Bill — Third Reading 
Tremain Chris: Major Events Management Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:641;Page:11454] 
CHRIS TREMAIN (National—Napier) 
: 
 Tena koutou. I commence by acknowledging the coronation of King Tuheitia this week. It is an event that the House and the rest of New Zealand should acknowledge. 
I begin my speech on the Major Events Management Bill by saying that my fine colleague Mr Christopher Finlayson was but a 5-year-old boy in the Millard Stand during the 1961 test match when the All Blacks sneaked home in a 5-3 nail-biter against France. That match was played in an 80 mile per hour gale that whipped off the southern ocean and came straight down Athletic Park. Mr Finlayson will remember that. With 15 minutes to play the game was tied at nil all and a try finally came not to New Zealand but to France. The conversion was missed. From the restart McKay narrowly missed scoring. But from a scrum on the French line Lacroix passed back to Lacaze to clear. The fullback’s kick was charged down by Tremain who fell on the ball 10 yards in from the corner. Don Clarke took the conversion attempt on that day back to the 25—it was 25 yards in those days not 22 metres as it is today. He carried the ball back to the 25 and kicked almost parallel to the goal line for the wind to catch the ball and miraculously carry it through the uprights over the bar to give New Zealand the lead and cruelly dash the French hopes. 
Hon Mahara Okeroa 
: Was that your father? 
CHRIS TREMAIN 
: That was my father. 
In 1961 major events such as that test match did not require legislation to protect them from unauthorised commercial exploitation at the expense of major sponsors. Today we live in a different world where every opportunity is taken to exploit major events for promotional gain. The Major Events Management Bill seeks to address that issue and give some protection to major sponsors. The bill outlines criteria for a major event such as whether it will raise New Zealand’s international profile; generate significant tourism; attract international media attention and sponsorship; or offer sporting cultural economic or social benefits to New Zealand. I challenge Mr Flavell to raisewaka ama so that that sport can also be seen as a major event. 
 The bill arises from the successful bids made for major international sporting events—the world rowing champs in 2010 the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and the Cricket World Cup in 2015. Similar legislation has been passed in France England and Australia whereby once an event is designated as a major event it is allowed the sorts of protections outlined in this bill. One example that I was recently involved in—which would unfortunately fall below the line; the event Te Ururoa Flavell was involved in—would probably not be classified as a major event. It took place in the fine town of Otaki up the coast a little way. It was an event played by the Parliamentary Rugby Team and our sponsors were looking for a clean stadium. But unfortunately we were not able to deliver that on behalf of the Parliamentary Rugby Team. We were unable to deliver a clean stadium for Visa and Air New Zealand the great sponsors for this team so in the future we will perhaps be looking to bring the Parliamentary Rugby Team’s annual events under this legislation! 
The bill is primarily intended to deal with ambush marketing which is associating a name a brand or a product with an event without having the right to do so. The bill prohibits advertising from intruding on a major event or from implying an association with an event. As other speakers have said tonight it creates clean zones—clean transport routes where advertising and street trading are restricted. It also prohibits activities that might compromise the smooth running of the event. My fine colleague from Tamaki Mr Peachey talked about ticket scalping and pitch invasion. 
Last night I spoke about the Nike example at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta where the key sponsors had to cough up $50 million just to be on the deck. But Nike did not do that. It came to the Atlanta Olympics without any intention of paying a sponsorship dollar. It used its Swoosh flags it used city-wide billboards and it used a huge events centre to promote its brand at those Olympic Games. The research done after the games showed that many people thought Nike had been a major sponsor of the event. That is not good enough. 
Another example of that which is more local and occurred only a few years ago was a pitch invasion—and a number of speakers from the Greens and the Maori Party do not like this part of the bill. Vodafone admitted to sponsoring the streakers who interrupted a Bledisloe Cup game during a crucial All Black goal attempt. Members will recall that the streakers ran around All Black fly-half Andrew Mehrtens as he readied himself for a crucial penalty kick which he later missed. The streaker in that case had a Vodafone emblem on his back. Vodafone’s managing director Graham Maher agreed to pay the fine incurred by the man who had carried out stunt. The fine was under $5000 yet the promotion that Vodafone was able to get out of that branding opportunity was huge and this is where the issue of the using pitch invasion as a promotion has a place. 
Major events cost big money. They cannot be put on without sponsors’ contributions and there needs to be a guaranteed return for those sponsors. Mr Locke spoke about Phoenix drinks and about Phoenix not being able to have its drinks located in the stadium but unless that company is prepared to pitch up and put the money on the table to help sponsor the events then I am sorry but that is the way the deal has to be. 
New Zealand is well-placed to host international events going forward. We are a safe country we have a great environment and we are poised to take on a lot more events. These events can have a huge impact on our GDP. Currently our current account deficit is the worst it has ever been at 9 percent of GDP. Some $14 billion in net funds per annum is flowing out of the country. This bill gives us the opportunity to bring more and more events into the country. These events bring foreign currency into the country and help us to reduce that current account deficit. 
The legislation will also have a huge impact on my own local economy. In the case of the Rugby World Cup Napier will have the right to host a number of games. That will bring revenue into Napier and Hawke’s Bay that we would not otherwise have. 
Hon Member 
: Well you’re winning now. 
CHRIS TREMAIN 
: We are on a winner there; we certainly are. 
The bill is poignant for me for two other reasons as I mentioned in the Committee stage. I will address just one of them because I am running out of time. The bill is poignant because my local electorate chairman Tom Johnson was a member of the team that first proposed the Rugby World Cup concept. He attended an International Rugby Board meeting in Canada in the mid-1980s and that meeting resulted in the first Rugby World Cup being held here in New Zealand in 1987—which we won. I think that all members in the House tonight would gather with me in wishing Sir Brian Lochore and his team who are going over to the Rugby World Cup in France the best of luck. He certainly has the country’s emotional heart at stake. The world today is different from the world of my father’s day. Sir Brian Lochore and Colin Meads played in that era but now things have changed. Sponsorship is now a key part of everything we do in sport and that is why this bill needs to form part of our country’s laws going forward. 
This type of legislation is a reality for countries holding major events and it is often required as part of a hosting agreement. It is common practice in many countries. It is important to ensure that New Zealand can be a viable host country for significant international events with all the benefits that brings. Lastly I say that sponsors will not be prepared to make commitments without protections like these being in place. Either New Zealand goes along with this or we will not be in the running to host major international events. I for one am not prepared to miss out on the opportunities that they bring to our nation to my province and to our sporting heroes.