Cosgrove Clayton: Christchurch City Council (Robert McDougall Gallery) Land Vesting Bill — Procedure Second Reading 
Cosgrove Clayton: Christchurch City Council (Robert McDougall Gallery) Land Vesting Bill — Procedure Second Reading 
[Volume:611;Page:8788] 
CLAYTON COSGROVE (NZ Labour—Waimakariri) 
: 
 Before I start to say a few words as a fellow Canterbury member who supports the bill I thank Mrs Wong the new representative of west Auckland— 
Pansy Wong 
: Central Auckland. 
CLAYTON COSGROVE 
:—central Auckland for her contribution. I find it ironic that she talks about petty politics. It is strange to be in agreement with Mr Shirley—and it scares me to think of it—but I think he is right when he says that a number of these bills could be dealt with differently if we had a change in the Standing Orders and we should expedite good bills like this swiftly. But when Mrs Wong gets up and talks about petty politics I have to point out that it is the petty politics of the National Party today—it broke an agreement to expedite this bill—and the grandstanding of the National Party that is slowing down the process of a very straightforward bill that is supported by my fellow Cantabrians and by every member of the Parliament. [ 
Interruption 
] I think Mr Mark supports it but we are not quite sure. I think Mr Mark is looking forward to the day when the Robert McDougall building opens a branch of Madame Tussauds wax museum so that all the relics from New Zealand First will be able to have a permanent exhibit within it because they will not be exhibited in this Chamber. 
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. 
CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: Before the dinner break I made the point that I agreed entirely with Mr Shirley when he said that we should expedite bills like this through the House. I made the point that I agree as a Canterbury member that this bill is a good bill. It is I believe supported by all parties in this House yet we have the bizarre situation—and I believe it was Pansy Wong who had the audacity to talk about petty politics—where the National Party welshed on a deal that was before the Business Committee. We now have the bizarre situation where a good bill—which has no politics in it whatsoever—from my neck of the woods in Canterbury will be delayed inexplicably by the National Party’s wallowing in petty politics. I ask Mrs Wong and members of the National Party to reflect on that. It is pathetic. It is not what we get paid for in this Chamber. Occasionally we can do things that have no politics in them. Mr Shirley made a pretty reasonable contribution. We do not often agree but we agree on this. At times when these issues are non-partisan non-political and straightforward to have an Opposition playing games like this welshing on deals and delaying a local bill just for the sake of it is pathetic. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: It’s a very sad day. 
CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: It is a sad day. It is pathetic. The people of Canterbury—my neck of woods and Mr Barnett’s—will look with contempt on that Opposition for the petulant and immature display it has given us today. This is a very good bill. It modernises the ownership practices of the Christchurch City Council. Finally it is worth noting that in establishing the new art gallery that replaces the McDougall we should thank many of the folk who made huge donations to the new art gallery. People like the Burdon family and the Stewart family in Christchurch have made huge contributions in a monetary sense to facilitate that new art gallery and they should be acknowledged despite Mr Mark’s scornful comments that the Government somehow pours buckets on people who have a few bob. That is not on. It is immature and he is well suited to his position on the Opposition benches. This is a good bill. As a Canterbury MP I support it. I know that Government members will facilitate it expeditiously unlike the petulance of the Opposition.