O'Connor GregGREG O'CONNOR (Labour—Ōhāriu): If I could just begin my presentation by acknowledging a recently passed journalist in New Zealand John Costello well known as Cos" who would have been watching this debate with great interest. Can I just say that he was the only journalist who was ever a member of the Racing Hall of Fame and in his very last article published not hours before his death he said something that I think the House may enjoy: "My only modest vices have been to smoke like a chimney drink like a drain and gamble as if there was no settling day." In that same article he did talk about the need for reform in the racing industry lamenting the state which it had reached and so to be here today speaking on a bill which is called the Racing Reform Bill I think the timeliness could not be better. I'm listening to the contributions from across the floor. There seem to be more factions than at an anarchists' conference and especially those of the last speaker Nick Smith seem to be as extreme as they could possibly be.Racing is part of the lifeblood of New Zealanders. I think most New Zealanders will at some stage in their life even if they haven't partaken in gambling—or even betting—also be well aware that in their own communities the race meeting took on a very important part of the social fabric even if it was to lament the amount of money that had gone in there which was a fair enough thing. I know in my own case my family had a great uncle who was one of those so-called vets on the race course—dear old great-uncle Frank—who was apparently quite expert at ensuring that just the right amount of arsenic went into the horse to ensure that it did win the race and didn't die in the straight leading up to the winning post. Things have moved on but it's tales like that that again have ensured that not only were they part of the great New Zealand folklore but also they contributed greatly not only to the economy of New Zealand but also to the reputation of New Zealand.Who can forget certainly those of my era those great wins by Kiwi and Waverley Star when we felt very proud—Kieran McAnulty: And Phar Lap!GREG O'CONNOR: I know my colleague did mention Phar Lap. I have seen his heart in the museum. It belongs in New Zealand I know but as someone who probably is a size sufficient to be a jockey he does have some expertise in that area. However I do go back to what this industry has contributed and can contribute.Again if I take some of the contributions from across the House across the floor there is a general acknowledgement that if we get this right and ensure that we not only look after our own industry in New Zealand particularly the racing industry but also that we can partake in the growth. Because when we talk about reform in any aspect the greatest reform that we have to address of course is online: the internet. If we look at the figures—just looking again I think it was Mr Brownlee who mentioned that people don't need to go to the races any more. Certainly that is borne out by the figures. In 2003 there were 1000040 people who attended race meetings in New Zealand; in 2016-17 that was down to 614000 and dropping.Of course the revenue from gambling hasn't had the same sort of a drop. But if we're going to—and again I go back to Mr Brownlee; the odd gem does come out. He does at times look like one of those old blokes standing in a corner lamenting time's past which he was a part of. However he's saying that the product itself does need some enlivening—the product itself—to draw people to the industry to make sure that we can tap into that for New Zealand's sake. Yes there may well be something in that but to do that there's got to be an industry there's got to be good horses there there's got to be good stakes and there's got to be good exports and imports and this is what this bill really does seek to address.More and more of that gambling dollar is being spent around the world. More and more of that gambling dollar is being spent outside racing. And if we get this right and I look at this bill—this is a bill that does address much of what ails the industry. We've been criticised that it's taken 18 months to get here. Well 18 months is not very long in this industry. Charleston—my grandmother showed me the racecourse in Charleston at the turn of the century. That just shows how long—and long before that races have been part of this. So to stand and criticise the fact that it's taken 18 months to get here really does show an ignorance of just how important it is to get it right.So I have no hesitation in standing here commending this bill to the House. I think it is something that does seek to—and I think will—address those issues which plague the industry and which ensure that going forward we are in a position to not only keep racing as part of our lore in New Zealand—l-o-r-e—but to ensure that it actually contributes financially to New Zealand. So thank you Madam Assistant Speaker."