Utikere TangiTANGI UTIKERE (Labour—Palmerston North): Kia orana Mr Speaker. It's a pleasure to follow those two previous speakers. I was looking forward to hearing Mr Foster's contribution someone who has been involved in local government for many years prior to coming to this place so for him to make a two-minute-and-30-second contribution—Andy Foster: It was two minutes longer than they wanted me to.TANGI UTIKERE: —in the context—yes Mr Foster; I'm pretty sure it was two minutes longer than they may have suggested to you. But look don't be confined to the party whips over there. If you've got something to say then I suggest that given we're in urgency you say it.Joseph Mooney: Wasted almost a minute on that.TANGI UTIKERE: It was also very—what's that Mr Mooney?Joseph Mooney: Wasted almost a minute so far talking about that.TANGI UTIKERE: Well look we're here because we want to be here. The other thing is I want to just follow up on the issues that were raised by Mr Court. Now Mr Court and I spent some time on the Environment Committee last term. It's fair to say that we've had our disagreements on policy from time to time but again I commend him on taking a full call which seems to be a rarity for Government members in this current phase of urgency. Actually I have to say that he did get me thinking about some of the things that he was mentioning particularly around funding but he hasn't tended to sway me—something that seems to be a common feature between the relationship that he and I might have.But it is interesting that we are talking about waste at 11.20 on a Friday night and that there is a particular focus around where this split might be. Prior to coming to this House like Mr Foster I spent a decade in local government so I know the importance that this particular levy does actually place on decision-making processes and opportunities for local councils all around the world—all around the country and all around the world actually when it comes to global waste. But what's really interesting is that as the House is progressing this through urgency at this late hour of the evening there actually won't be an opportunity for councils in my region or in other regions to actually have their say on this because the Parliament is going to with the Government's support basically ram this through under urgency. I think that's a shame because already in some of the smaller contributions that we've had this evening we've heard of some of the very creative initiatives that councils all around Aotearoa New Zealand—Joseph Mooney: Two and a half minutes; still nothing on the bill.TANGI UTIKERE: —are embarking—well Mr Mooney it might be two and a half minutes. It would be longer than any contribution you'll give under urgency I'd suggest. But I do think that the 50:50 split with local government is really important. But hearing what Palmerston North City Council might have to say on these measures would have been quite helpful. Hearing what the Tararua District Council would want to have to say about this would be quite helpful. Hearing what Manawatū District Council would want to say would be quite helpful. And I'm sure the member for Rangitīkei would also agree that those councils have an opportunity to say and feed into this process.My colleague the Hon Rachel Brooking makes a very good point in her contribution and that is that there is a real distinction between a levy and a tax.Katie Nimon: Repetition.TANGI UTIKERE: A tax—well it's not repetition because I'm going to go on to the distinction. The Hon Rachel Brooking touched on the need for a nexus and I think that's really important because where a tax might be effectively garnered which can be spent on pretty much anything a levy is much more specific. This is the context within which this bill comes to this House. It's around a waste minimisation levy and so there needs to be a particular distinction between—even though it is hypothecated—where the levy is drawn from and where the levy will then be spent or where it will go. So I think it's unfortunate again that local communities as we work through this process will not actually have an opportunity to share whether they think the 50:50 split is right whether they think the widening of this criteria that the Minister for the Environment is actually suggesting is wide enough or too wide. Here on this side of the House we think that the widening exercise is far too broad and needs to be curtailed. And so as the House progresses to consider some of those amendments that my colleagues on this side of the House will have in their name I do hope that the Government albeit in urgency will be open to the suggestions in light of the fact that communities have not had an opportunity to have their say.So my invitation to the Government is as we move through the various stages this evening and indeed tomorrow and perhaps beyond that they do turn their mind to be open to the fact that communities have not had an opportunity to participate in this process and that there is a question of fairness. On that basis at this stage without any changes we're not supporting this bill.