Hayes John: Governor-General Bill — Third Reading 
Hayes John: Governor-General Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:668;Page:15148] 
JOHN HAYES (National—Wairarapa) 
: 
 Before speaking on this third reading of the Governor-General Bill I will do something that I probably should have done previously which is to declare an interest. My interest is specifically that I belong to a group called the Monsoon Munchers a group that includes the Governor-General. We are a lunch group of people a mixture of diplomats journalists and others who have lived and worked in Asia. I just declare that interest. 
I turn now to the comments of Phil Twyford. It seems to me that it is worth reflecting on where we have come from in the last 160 years when Hobson was appointed as the first Governor of New Zealand and thinking about how the role has changed from the days when New Zealand was a dependent colony to our present situation as an independent nation that is able to make its own decisions. In the beginning Governors-General were appointed on the advice of the British Government not only to undertake the duties of the Sovereign but also to represent the interests of the British Empire here in New Zealand. The Statute of Westminster in 1931 which came after the 1926 Balfour Declaration changed that. No longer could the British Parliament make laws for New Zealand unless it was at our request as we are doing tonight with this bill. 
That declaration also changed the role of the Governor-General. Instead of simultaneously representing the Sovereign and the British Government the Governor-General became just the Sovereign’s representative here. That continued until about the late 1960s with Governors-General who were mainly drawn from the minor aristocracy or the British military. Following the appointment of Sir Arthur Porritt who as I recall was the first New Zealand - born Governor-General back in 1967 we have had the first Maori Governor-General Sir Paul Reeves the first woman Governor-General Dame Cath Tizard and the first Governor-General of Asian-Pacific descent the present Governor-General who does a very fine job—the Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand. 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: All New Zealanders. 
JOHN HAYES 
: He was appointed as that member would well know in 2006. The backgrounds of those Governors-General have also been varied. 
At the request of the Government over the years Governors-General have increasingly travelled overseas apolitically representing New Zealanders at major international events and in general promoting New Zealand interests abroad. We have moved from a situation—and I think the bill reflects this—of being an agent of a once-global empire to a situation now in the 21st century where the Governor-General is a New Zealander who represents the head of State in New Zealand and represents New Zealand to the rest of the world. I do not think we should get too tangled up with the views of Mr Twyford or Mr Locke as to where this constitutional arrangement should head. 
Overall this bill represents a great leap forward in the way that the Government supports the office of Governor-General. Apart from one or two exceptions in the new legislation it will not apply to Sir Anand Satyanand but it will apply when the next Governor-General is appointed. The bill creates a new funding structure for the office of Governor-General. Currently the Governor-General’s personal allowance pays for a variety of official functions that would be better paid for by a separate programme and appropriation. International travel that the Governor-General undertakes at the Government’s request is provided for in the new travel appropriation and domestic travel will form part of the programme’s appropriation. The present exemption of the Governor-General’s salary from income tax will be removed by this bill and there will no longer be justification for it. Successive Governors-General have requested that this exemption be discontinued. The Queen after all has chosen since 1993 to pay income tax on her private income and the Aussie Governor-General and state Governors have paid income tax on their salaries since 2001. The Minister of Finance’s power to exempt the Governor-General from paying any public or local taxes and other State duties will also be removed. 
With those words of support I commend the bill to the House.