Jones Shane: Third Readings — 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Jones Shane: Third Readings — 
[Sitting date: 16 August 2011. Volume:675;Page:20949. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon SHANE JONES (Labour) 
: 
 Let the records for this night show that although this side of the House agreed to support these reforms in the legislation arising from the Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill (No 3) largely because we saw the immediate value in enabling the industry to free itself up and a process to stop it fighting amongst itself we had the unedifying spectacle of the putative leader of the industry in a political sense the Minister of Fisheries standing with his hand going rapidly in and out of his pocket whilst he mumbled very awkwardly over amendments upon amendments upon amendments. That is not an example of fine constitutional practice. For reasons we on this side of the House cannot actually account for his collar continually curled up. We cannot rationalise as to what stimuli that collar was responding to but I can assure the House that it was not a pretty sight. I only hope that as a consequence of the changes we have acquiesced in and supported this evening the industry goes on to stronger things.  
As I have said earlier it has been a target for a long time to achieve a billion dollars from marine farming. There will be no billion dollars unless firstly there is monetary policy governing high-quality exports and the ability to repatriate overseas earnings back to New Zealand at a decent rate. Secondly neither will we generate the billion dollars if we continue to starve this part of the New Zealand export sector of suitable levels of research and development funding because it is only through research and development funding whether or not that side of the House likes it that we will move what is a basic commodity up the value chain. Thirdly yes it is important that central government exercise a suitable level of supervisory control over how and when resource consents are allocated especially in those cases where there is intractable opposition. But that will not happen if it ends up generating such a level of discontent and such a level of hostility in local communities that it goes to an irrational level. With those sorts of admonitions naturally we will support the passage of this legislation as I give this third reading speech.  
We have had a few unremarkable things come from Sandra Goudie about this legislation and I accept that—like the area I hail from of Tai Tokerau—the Hauraki Gulf etc. is her area. But there is a portion in schedule 1 that talks about marine mammals becoming entangled in marine farming structures. It also talks about endangered species. Indeed in schedule 1 the term “turtle” is used. So she needs to ensure as does that side of the House that no epithets are used a great deal of charity is shown and respect is shown for the fact that this evening Her Majesty’s loyal Opposition has been prepared to overlook these gratuitous insults flung across this side of the House whilst we show inordinate levels of statesmanship. We are prepared to overlook whom we could symbolise on that side of the House as either a turtle or an entangled marine mammal and what part of the anatomy might be suffering damages of consequence of such a collision. We are prepared to overlook all those sorts of things.  
And we are prepared to overlook the imperfections of the Minister’s contribution and unfortunately the unravelling of that slender bit of knowledge he has about constitutional practice. We are prepared to pretend that the industry is relying upon him but in actual fact the industry is relying on the entirety of Parliament and the majority of Parliament has made a very useful contribution. We have had a characteristically aloof contribution from the Green Party but that is their life force—to try to generate jobs not out of our natural resources but taking a very preservationist view of the environment. Thankfully I am distinguished from that view because we need to rely upon the infinite inventiveness of human beings and their ability to derive a livelihood and derive wealth out of the environment but to do it in such a way that it enhances the rights of people to participate and of us to earn a living overseas as both Maori and Pakeha. This shows we support the legislation.