McClay ToddHon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua): Thank you Mr Speaker. I'm very pleased to speak on this bill. The reason is clear: it's not often when we have a members' day and we have a bill brought before the House by a member of Parliament that it has a chance to reach consensus and support over broadly much of the House and then go on perhaps to become law and to make a change that whilst it may seem small and not overly significant to some to those communities that it will affect it absolutely will be.I want to commend Ian McKelvie for the way he has conducted himself from the very first moment this bill was drawn and then all the way through the process to third reading. Ian I think you have gained much more support for this legislation than probably many thought was there at the beginning. It's because of the respectful or responsible way you have raised these issues listened to those that had concerns and looked to address them rather than what often happens in this place—we sometimes ignore the views of others and perhaps shout each other down. I also know that Ian McKelvie brings this legislation here because of a deep-rooted longstanding interest and much experience in the racing industry—not the part that this bill is trying to allow people to have when they go racing although I know that he responsibly has enjoyed that as well.It used to be said that New Zealand was a country of racing of rugby and there was something else in there—it was probably often the drink I'm not sure. The world has changed. We view all of those things—some people view them all—as vices now. If we are not victorious in the Rugby World Cup those who beat us it would be a vice.But certainly if you think about racing whilst it is a very important part of the economy—in fact that delivers significantly in as far as the breeding of thoroughbreds of racehorses is concerned; it employs a lot of New Zealanders and it is something that we should work very hard in this House to support. From the moment we get out of bed to the moment we go to sleep whether we agree with the racing aspect of it—because it is important there and people take a lot of pride in it and they put their life's work into it.But at the same time there is another part of this sector which is the enjoyment that everyday New Zealanders with their families have when they choose to go out one day a year sometimes to go to the races. They go because some people get to dress up or they get to go and see the horses or the kids can have a hotdog on a stick or they're just going to be together with their friends. Many years ago they might go along and sit on the lawn and bring their own food because they would have a picnic and they might have a little bit of wine—or probably in those days it was just a bottle or two of beer.Well we've had to be very responsible as lawmakers to make sure that alcohol doesn't harm people because of course its misuse can create significant amounts of harm. But in so doing when it comes to the way we have agreed laws we—collectively many parliaments; not any party but we as a Parliament—have agreed laws around the control of alcohol and the restriction of it there has been consequence. Sadly those decisions or the interpretation of those decisions by the police force who we ask to administer this for us has led to those who are responsible—want to have a little bit of fun with their friends and family not cause any harm and with their lunch or whatever else they're doing have a little bit to drink as they just enjoy that horse racing—we have had an impact upon that enjoyment.Well Ian McKelvie's bill addresses that. I want to say to him that I thought it was a very good bill when he first brought it to the House. I was very happy to support it because his intentions are correct and he's looking to fix a bit of New Zealand history and culture that should remain so people who are not causing harm can enjoy themselves.But I must say that I think some of the suggestions that have been brought in through the select committee process show that select committees can work when there is a bipartisan approach to listening to submitters and finding solutions rather than party positions as we often always see. The suggestion that this should be limited to small racetracks that have two or fewer betting meetings a year I think probably meets the requirements and gets the balance about right.Look if somebody is having four or five or six meetings then actually it is more serious I suppose their engagement with racing—any racecourse in the country—and then they can go to the extra expense or complication of making sure that they are properly licensed.But there will be tracks around the country that actually in the new year after Christmas have always had a race meeting and they choose to continue to do that. As local people go along it's the one time they go to the races every year or their friends or family visitors or holidaymakers go along there and they have a huge amount of fun in the sun. This legislation brought to this House by Ian McKelvie means that actually they get to have that little bit of fun and if they choose to have a little bit of wine or beer with that then the House believes that's OK.It doesn't mean that people shouldn't be responsible or that the hosts there don't have responsibilities when it comes to the use of alcohol or what happens in that venue. It doesn't in this instance drive people to want to do this where they wouldn't otherwise. Because actually if somebody wants to go and drink on a Saturday sometimes the races are the last place that they would go and maybe take a little bit of alcohol themselves.It doesn't diminish from the importance of the harm—and the work that this House and others should do to minimise harm—around alcohol particularly with younger people. But what it does do is recognise that there is a part of New Zealand and its culture that is important to this country. For some it will be a fabric of the type of country we have become—and that where people can be responsible and will be responsible and are able to share a drink with friends and family at one or two race meetings a year then there must be a way for that to happen. I commend Ian McKelvie for bringing this bill.I guess the final thing I would say is that people in this House will have different views. Some parties will have a view; for others it will be a conscience vote. Look at the end of the day each of us has to dig deep and decide what we believe is right and the rest of us should be very respectful of that. So there were people that'll have a different view of this than me. Actually that doesn't mean that my view is better than theirs or that they are wrong or they think I'm wrong and they are right. It just is something in this House where we get to use our conscience and think those sorts of things through.So however people decide to vote on this debate we should be as respectful to each other as we are in the way we would explain this decision to those who are out having fun. But I would ask those who are a little bit unsure—who haven't been to a racetrack very often who maybe themselves wouldn't understand or wouldn't want to go and enjoy a bit of time; a pastime with friends and family in this way—just to think of the very many New Zealanders who do this and they do it respectfully and responsibly. See if you can get to the point of deciding that actually this is one of the areas where that vote in favour can enable and allow New Zealanders to do something without it causing harm for them.I think it's very infrequent that a member of Parliament brings a bill to this House as a member's bill and it is discussed and considered as respectfully and as responsibly as this has been done. For any member that wants to think that actually Ian McKelvie is a good guy who has come here and brought this piece of legislation in good faith to make a small change for a very small part of rural New Zealand this will be one of the very last things he does before he gets to retire with his head held high very proud of what he's achieved for his electorate and all of New Zealand. That vote in support of him would mean that he can in his early retirement travel around the country to those 10 racecourses and share a drink with them every Christmas from now until the rest of us have a chance to join them.I commend you for this and I am very proud to support you Ian.