Yates Dianne: Building Bill — In Committee 
Yates Dianne: Building Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:619;Page:14777] 
DIANNE YATES (Labour—Hamilton East) 
: 
 I chair the Government Administration Committee that looked into this legislation and I tell members that we have a large piece of legislation before us. But I am somewhat disappointed by members of the committee who I believe are putting themselves down in this debate. I thank the members of the committee—Mr Lindsay Tisch Mr Shane Ardern Mr Murray Smith Mr Brent Catchpole and Ms Kedgley—for the contributions they made because the committee worked hard and long. 
I also note that Mr Mapp made a speech. He came to the inquiry on weathertightness and I noticed that when the cameras were there he had a considerable contribution to make. But we did not see hide nor hair of him—which is a pity really—during the whole of the consideration of the legislation. I would have thought that Mr Mapp would make a much greater effort to be on that committee during that consideration where I am sure he could have shared with us his experience of being on the inquiry and his experience of being a lawyer. 
I thank Mr Tisch and Mr Ardern in particular and Mr Catchpole and Mr Murray Smith. People worked very very hard on this legislation. Ms Kedgley made a considerable contribution. I also thank the officials who worked extremely hard as well. It is a very technical and long piece of legislation. The committee had a lot to consider and I think it did an extremely good job. 
As Mr Mapp just pointed out a number of issues needed to be corrected. They came from the general atmosphere of 10 years’ deregulation under the previous Government. Since the building boom and the development that has gone on in Auckland and Tauranga with their rapid growth in homes we have seen that there is a need to bring in tighter legislation and a greater degree of regulation in order for Kiwis to have sustainable housing. Most Kiwis still believe that the greatest investment of their life is their home. They want to buy a home that they know has been built by skilled builders and that is built out of good materials. They want a home that will last them and their families. I believe too that they should be able to have a home that will last them at least for more than one generation. 
That is why I thank all Government Administration Committee members. I know that tonight members of the committee have to grandstand and make speeches because they belong to a certain political party and feel they must oppose the bill. But I say to those Opposition members on the select committee that when they were present they made considerable and useful contributions to this bill—which I believe is a very good bill. 
The bill deals with skills training materials design and qualifications and it is a very very large bill. We know that the building code and the regulations that will follow from it will also be long and complex but they are very important to Kiwi families who are building or who own their homes. The members of the committee as well as all those who made submissions shared their experiences. Professional people ordinary people and homeowners all shared their experiences. 
I have heard tonight about things that are not in the bill. We have heard about dams. The committee went to great trouble to listen to people who made submissions both from local government and from dam owners with hydro dams. We visited hydro dams— 
Lindsay Tisch 
: We never talked about those sorts of dams. 
DIANNE YATES 
: I say to Mr Tisch that we went to a considerable deal of trouble. He was there too. We went to considerable trouble to find out a lot of detail about the bill. We also learned about the Building Industry Authority and about some of the problems it had had under Sir George Chapman who was a National Party chairperson. I think some people on the other side of the Chamber now have a very selective memory about what happened not only in the weathertightness inquiry and in the select committee stage but in their own personal contributions about which I will take a constructive view tonight and say that all members during the committee stage contributed extremely well to the committee. 
I especially say a big thankyou to the staff who went back and back to get all the expertise; we asked loads of questions throughout the inquiry. I particularly thank those who were involved in the weathertightness inquiry. The work done by committee members was extremely difficult but I must say very interesting.