Sage EugenieHon EUGENIE SAGE (Minister of Conservation): Thank you Madam Chair. I think there are still some misconceptions around the Opposition and their views on this bill. Ms Stanford talked about concerns about camping in the wrong place. Fish & Game does not have the power to issue infringement notices in relation to things like camping or any of the other matters in relation to the Marine Mammals Protection Act or the Reserves Act. It's only in relation to the management of the sports fish and game-bird hunting.In the Taupō fishery for example which the Department of Conservation manages I asked the department for some information on the types of issues that were arising there. There were things like fishing in the closed season and fishing without a licence. So it's those sorts of offences that it would greatly assist Fish & Game councils around the rest of New Zealand to be able to issue an infringement notice for. They're not the sorts of offences that you would take all the trouble to go and do a court prosecution for but they're probably more serious than just simply issuing a warning. So what the bill does by bringing Fish & Game councils within its ambit just in relation to sports fishing and game-bird hunting and their ability to use infringement notices is create consistency.Ms Stanford raised the issue of complaints. It's the annual report to the Minister of Conservation—in the bill it requires that any complaints be listed in the annual report. So obviously if the Minister sees a number of complaints coming through which Fish & Game must put in the report then there would be questions asked about the compliance and enforcement policy and about the way the infringement notice system was operating. So that is a fairly significant safeguard.The other safeguard of course is that any of the revenue from infringement notices issued by Fish & Game goes to the Crown. So there's absolutely no incentive for Fish & Game officers to use infringement notices just as a revenue generation tool. So I think there are sufficient safeguards which the majority of the select committee chaired by Dr Deborah Russell put in the bill to ensure that they will be used effectively and that the system will be a fair one. It is being fair to those people who mightn't take their licence with them or who might fish outside the season. It's more appropriate that there's the option of having an infringement notice issued rather than just simply being warned or a prosecution being taken. So I think that it will lead to a fairer system.I'm intrigued by the comments of the National members in terms of their very positive comments about State servants and the State sector and wish that that applied in relation to other legislation before this House. I'm really pleased that they have that confidence in the department but should remind them that Fish & Game councils have significant statutory powers in terms of enforcement. They are a statutory organisation and I'm confident that they have got the skills and ability and that there are the checks in this legislation to ensure that these provisions around infringement notices are properly applied and that those notices are properly issued.I should also note that there's a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) 183 in my name and this just ensures that a lapse in the bill which didn't refer to regulations under the Marine Mammals Protection Act is corrected because there are regulations under the Marine Mammals Protection Act which deal with things like harassment of marine mammals and we wanted to ensure that the infringement notices could be used in those circumstances where someone was harassing a marine mammal getting too close to a marine mammal. So this SOP 183 simply ensures that it can apply to those offences which are implemented by regulations.