Smith Nick: Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill — In Committee 
Smith Nick: Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:645;Page:14884] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 I will cut to the chase and ask the members opposite to answer a question as if they were consents officials for Rodney District Council or maybe Waitakere District Council and a person comes up with a resource consent for maybe a farm shed new section or granny flat. When the consents official turns to clause 1 of the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill where it states that the land is a fish—and the law states that this is the law they need to take into account when making the decision as to whether people will be able to build their granny flats approve their subdivisions or have their farm sheds—my simple question to the member opposite Clayton Cosgrove and to the lawyer amongst the Government benches Russell Fairbrother is how that consents official for the council is to make a decision that must take into account the new law that “this land is a fish”. Does it mean that Mr Cosgrove is more likely to give a consent for the farm shed? 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: You’ve gone troppo Nick. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The member opposite can throw insults but can he answer the question? 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: I just said you’d gone troppo. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I am actually just asking the member a question. Perhaps as a Minister in this Government he might be able to answer it. If the member were a consent official for the Waitakere District Council and were considering a consent application how would a law that states that “this land is a fish”—that is what we are proposing to pass—help his decision as to whether to grant a consent? That is what we are deciding; we are deciding what the instructions are that Parliament gives to the council official when he or she is making a resource consent decision. 
I have to say I do not think there is a member in this Committee who has the foggiest idea about how the new law in clause 1 that states that “this land is a fish” will help. I do not know any member of this Chamber who can explain how it will help. 
Hone Harawira 
: I do. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I am honoured to hear that. I would be happy to yield to Mr Harawira if he can explain to me when the council official sits down to make a consent decision on a farm shed granny flat or new section— 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: I can’t take too much more of this. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Mr Clayton Cosgrove does not like it. He does not like an honest question. I know that Dail Jones is a lawyer and I am not sure whether he would be able to tell me. 
Dail Jones 
: Lovely jubbly. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I think he is rubbing his hands with glee because he knows that the legal fraternity would be able to have a field day arguing what Parliament meant when it passed clause 1 stating that “this land is a fish”. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: Dail’s taking your medication. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The member Clayton Cosgrove again decides to turn nasty and to make insulting remarks. He is the nastiest member in Parliament. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: You don’t have a sense of humour Nick. Lighten up. Take some happy pills. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I am asking the member to explain to the Committee why passing a law that states that “this land is a fish” will somehow magically save the Waitakere Ranges. Is there any member in this Committee who would put up his or her hand and say “Yes passing a law that states in clause 1 that ‘this land is a fish’ will protect the Waitakere Ranges.”? Does the member in the chair really truly believe that passing a law that states in clause 1 that “this land is a fish” will suddenly protect the Waitakere Ranges? 
Judith Collins 
: Yes she does. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: She does? 
Parliament is making a joke of itself tonight. Parliament cannot be expected to take seriously passing loopy law that states things like “this land is a fish”. The truth is that this bill is just spin. This bill is pure spin over substance. This bill will do absolutely nothing to protect the Waitakere Ranges. This bill will just add to the army of bureaucrats to the pile of paper and to all the frustrations that ordinary New Zealanders have about the bureaucracy that this Government has created and continues to create for absolutely no good. I simply challenge again any member opposite to really cut to the chase and explain how passing a law stating that “this land is a fish” will protect the Waitakere Ranges.