O'Rourke Denis: Mixed Ownership Model Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
O'Rourke Denis: Mixed Ownership Model Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 20 June 2012. Volume:681;Page:3200. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
DENIS O’ROURKE (NZ First) 
: 
 I rise to speak on behalf of New Zealand First concerning the title and commencement of the Mixed Ownership Model Bill. First of all I would have to say that the title proposed by the Government is most inappropriate—so by the way is the title for the Maori Party which has taken no part in this debate whatsoever yet has supported the Government on each and every I think amendment to each part of this bill. I think actually the Maori Party should be renamed. It should be renamed the “Ghost Party”—something that you never see and never hear of yet it has an effect. The “Ghost Party” I think is what the Maori Party should call itself. It should rename itself as well. This bill should be renamed as well because it does not reflect the real nature of the bill and it does not reflect the deep unpopularity of this bill with the people of New Zealand so well expressed in a number of ways—emails letters and the referendum petition currently being circulated. 
I want to tell the Committee that on one very cold and windy day in Christchurch in the city mall in Christchurch with demolition happening around me I presented this petition to as many of the people of Christchurch as possible—and by the way to a number of tourists who walked through the mall on that day—and it was very very easy to get signatures for that petition because that petition is one that reflects the will of the people. People were queuing up to sign it. I could not find enough copies of the petition to get signatures on. That is how unpopular this bill and this proposal are. 
This particular title is extremely inappropriate and New Zealand First has many suggestions of much much more appropriate and reflective titles for this bill. First of all we think it could well be called the “Unpopular SOEs Amendment Bill”. We think that would really reflect the mood of the nation and would be a much more appropriate title for this bill. We also think that it could be called the “Inevitable Full Privatisation of New Zealand’s Most Valuable Assets Bill” because that reflects the true nature of what this bill will really mean. Another suggestion we have is the “Higher Power Prices Bill” because that is the fundamental meaning of this bill and every New Zealander knows that that is going to be the inevitable outcome of it. We think another good title would be the “Alienation of Water Rights for Power Generation Bill”. That is a bit of a mouthful but actually it says very well what is happening with this particular piece of legislation. 
I have another suggestion and it is one that the leader of United Future should consider. It is the “Dunne Dishonestly Bill” because that particular member of Parliament has fudged on his commitment not to alienate water rights. I listened with interest to the most pathetic excuse I have ever heard when he gave an interview on television recently. 
But there are more suggestions. Any of these would be satisfactory to New Zealand First. Another one of these is the “Economic Lunacy Bill” because that is exactly what it is—economic lunacy to sell valuable assets that are returning a very good rate of return and instead to repay debt when that debt has a low interest rate. It is just economic lunacy. Another one that would appeal to many New Zealanders is the “Lights Out New Zealand Bill” because for many people that is exactly what is going to happen when they find that their electricity bill becomes unaffordable in future years—another fundamental result from this legislation. 
Yet another suggestion is the “Forget Economic Sovereignty Bill” because you would have to forget it if this particular legislation is passed. The economic security and sovereignty of New Zealand is going to be seriously compromised by this legislation. I have a final suggestion for the title of this bill—