Henare Tau: Consumer Law Reform Bill — Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Henare Tau: Consumer Law Reform Bill — Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 11 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7419. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 I suppose as a hard-out user of TradeMe—I have had I think from memory 266 wins on TradeMe—you are always wondering whether the goods you receive which can range from a sliding door that we purchased from an unfortunate leaky building and it was only $150 so we thought that was quite a good deal— 
Chris Hipkins 
: You can return the Speakers’ gown. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: We will get to the comedy later. You always wonder whether you have any comeback on the goods you have purchased whether they were from a shop or whether you were lucky enough to win an auction on TradeMe. My hat goes off to TradeMe by the way. 
This bill the Consumer Law Reform Bill allows those who buy off TradeMe who win auctions on TradeMe and other auctions like TradeMe the guarantee or the protection I suppose of legislation. What that does is it makes the consumer feel a little bit more protected. It makes the consumer a little bit more pleased with himself or herself when they are out buying. But I suppose probably the most important aspect of this legislation is the unsubstantiated representations. We see them on a day-to-day basis if you look at the TV—you know on the TV shop and the shopping channel. The consumer today is inundated with products. That is due to new technology. You are watching it on TV or you turn on your screen on your laptop and advertising is over the top. So there must be some protection for the consumer. I think that the Commerce Committee in doing its job has actually done an absolutely wonderful job. 
There are suburbs—Otara Porirua and Manurewa—that are actually going through this I suppose blitzkrieg of people in little vans and trucks who stop outside people’s homes and berate people to sign— 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: National Party candidates. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: No it is actually not the National Party. In fact I know a lot of people out in New Lynn who are Cunliffe supporters— 
Jacqui Dean 
: What? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Yeah well there are only one or two. I digress. These people prey on the less fortunate they prey on people who do not know the law and they prey on people who cannot read or write and somehow they sign people up to a contract with huge interest rates. It is predatory. It is the most horrible thing to observe and I think that what we have achieved here and what the select committee has achieved here is some true protection for those who are on the end of those predatory traders. So I want to say thank you to the select committee. 
It is time that the consumer laws in New Zealand were modernised. I think it is a thorough reform. They are clear laws. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: It’s not thorough—that’s the point. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Well I think it is and it will be shown to be thorough because everybody in this House will vote for this legislation. OK? That is the point. 
Then we hear from the other side of the House. Half of Clayton Cosgrove’s speech was about the Hon John Banks. Well my words to Mr Clayton Cosgrove are these: you know you can talk about the allegations about John Banks but what about some of the allegations of large donations from the fishing companies to certain MPs? 
Michael Woodhouse 
: Ooh that’s a good question. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: And that is not an allegation. That actually is on an MP’s return. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Yeah declared. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Oh yeah he declared it—that is right—but he also tried to bring in a member’s bill to actually support that fishing company. For goodness’ sake! That is the sort of area that members opposite do not like. It is easy to make unsubstantiated allegations it is easy to stand up in this House and say what you want to but they do not like it when you start to push back on some of those allegations because they are as guilty as those whom they allege are up to no good. If you can throw it then please accept that it is going to come back on you—most probably tenfold. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Say it outside the House. Don’t be a scumbag. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: The screeching from that member from down in the South Island—that is all they can say: “Say it outside the House.” 
This is a good bill. It is the Hon Simon Bridges’ first attempt at legislation and I think it is a damned good piece of legislation that protects our consumers and makes it easier for the consumer to trade with a bit of protection from a bill that is I think a long time coming. I do commend this bill and the work of the Hon Simon Bridges.