Faafoi KrisHon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs): Thank you very much Mr Chair for the opportunity to speak to Part 3 of this bill. I want as the Minister of Commerce to speak to the amendments that are made in Subpart 1 to the Commerce Act pointing directly to clauses 43 and 44 around the ability of people who are asked by the commission to give evidence to appear either by audio link or audiovisual link. As the Minister in the chair has just said in her latest contribution this is about giving further tools in this area and that is something that in terms of the new Government we've been quite keen to give the Commerce Commission: further tools and not just audiovisual and audio links but the ability to look at market studies and to be able to self-initiate that themselves.But in this respect we want to make sure that in important areas—especially around the likes of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act which was amended by the previous Government in 2014—people who have been affected by the likes of third-tier lenders payday loans and higher interest rate caps if the Commerce Commission were to ask those types of people in communities where access was difficult get to make sure that their voices were heard. The ability to appear and give evidence by audio link or by audiovisual link is something that I think would be welcomed by those communities. As the Minister in the chair has said those who might live in the regions where transport might be difficult—to get to a hearing that the Commerce Commission might be holding into this important area that we certainly want to move on on this side of the House—might be constrained by their ability to travel. So if they were able to appear by audio link or by audiovisual link that would give those communities who I think it would be fair to say are financially challenged as it were the opportunity to be able to give their evidence.I think we do hear a lot of stories from our main centres where we do see a lot of predatory lending a lot of behaviour by people who are selling products and giving credit. It might be easier for those communities to be able to access the Commerce Commission if they knew where the offices in Auckland Wellington and Christchurch were. But if they were in other areas of the country that would restrict them from going to a Commerce Commission hearing the ability for them either to phone in or Skype in as is set out in clause 44 would be a very useful tool for those people and also I think for the commission to make sure that they get the wide range of views on an issue such as that as could be done in that fashion.My question to the Minister in the chair Tracey Martin is because the clauses I believe in Subpart 1 apply only to the Commerce Act. And I understood as I had a quick flick through—something else in my realm—the Fair Trading Act has essentially the same function. Is this ability spread out to other departments? I'm absolutely very happy that we can do it for both the Commerce Act and the Fair Trading Act but my question to the Minister is whether we are thinking about doing this in other respects to ensure the regions—I note that the Minister's party is very keen on making sure that their voice is heard—have the ability to make sure that they feel part of the discussions that are going on whether that be around competition or whether that be around third-tier lending payday loans or interest rate caps which are some things that I would like the Commerce Commission to look into. As the Minister that's something that I'd be keen on.There could be numerous other things that the Commerce Commission might call for evidence to be given on and I think the ability of people outside of our major centres to by these audio links and by these audiovisual links make sure their voices are heard is extremely crucial. So if the Minister in the chair could elucidate as to other areas where this might be done I think that might be very helpful for the knowledge of the committee.