Macindoe TimHon TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): Thank you very much Mr Chair. I would like to pick up on an important point that the Hon Dr Nick Smith has just made because when we talk about a sunset clause it is correct—as he has pointed out—that a previous incarnation of this bill had a sunset clause for a very good reason. When that previous piece of legislation expired no one missed it. It was not a matter that attracted much attention at all at the time because the bill had been frankly enacted for pretty cynical purposes and the sunset clause at least rid the country of the nuisance. So I want to suggest to you that as we look at this obnoxious piece of legislation that is being inflicted upon the country at least by inserting a sunset clause we will be able to limit the damage that it will do.Now that should be particularly welcomed by Green Party MPs because we know that their members are deeply distressed. Their members who remember that Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald supported strongly the sunset clause because they opposed everything else about the previous legislation would at least have been able to say OK. We did something that was honourable and principled to try to bring such a repugnant travesty of democracy to an early end."We should be looking to do the same again here. I would suggest to you that the ideal sunset clause would be one that would take effect the day after the bill receives Royal assent because at least at that point we would not have had to see any abuse of power because that frankly is what this bill enables the leader of a minor party to inflict on the country. It would not enable an abuse of power to be inflicted on the nation. So a sunset clause is a very important aspect.Unfortunately tonight we have already seen the Government—although they won't take any calls to explain why—defeat an attempt to defer the commencement of the legislation until after the next general election. So I want to suggest that the sunset clause should at least come into effect by that date.There are many different options that could be considered. Given the fact that everybody knows that this is simply the little peccadillo of the Rt Hon Winston Peters it should probably come into effect the day after he leaves the Parliament because he's the only one who wants it. Those members of his party who feel subservient to him are having to support him. Labour members who haven't taken a call all evening and clearly are deeply embarrassed by it would no doubt welcome being released from it. The Minister in the chair would certainly welcome it because he is going to have this absolute blemish against his name there for all time recorded in the annals of posterity that it was the Minister Andrew Little who is otherwise a decent man a man with the best of intentions—here he has this stain against his reputation for all time that he was the man who pushed through such an affront to democracy. So I hope that the Minister will take a call and say that yes he's had a change of heart and he will support the sunset clause.I certainly hope that Chlöe Swarbrick who has sat through much of the debate without taking a single call will stand up and say "Yes we are listening to our members in the Green Party who are absolutely 100 percent opposed to this bill who would at least want us to support a sunset clause. Yes we've had a change of heart." It doesn't matter that it's too late.I say to Chlöe Swarbrick remember that the Government won't fall if this legislation is defeated. This is not a confidence measure on which the stability of the Government hinges and therefore the Green Party members could be true to their principles could endorse the feelings of their members and could honour the legacy of Rod Donald and Jeanette Fitzsimons and so many others by supporting this. Chlöe Swarbrick is shaking her head. She's not doing that because she disagrees with what I say; she's simply doing it because she feels so uncomfortable. If she disagreed with what I said she would stand up and take a call and explain why she has a different view but she won't do that. She hasn't done that all night.The Minister hasn't yet explained to us why he's happy to go down in the annals of history with this appalling travesty against his name. So I ask all members of the committee to support Dr Nick Smith's amendment which is a very good one which will bring about a sunset clause—preferably at the very earliest opportunity—so that at least this can only be a temporary travesty rather than a long-term blight on our democracy."