Ardern Jacinda: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Ardern Jacinda: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:14918] 
JACINDA ARDERN (Labour) 
: 
 It is my pleasure to take a call on Part 5 of the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill which I have not had an opportunity to speak on. I think the comments made by my colleagues reflect the importance that this part has within the bill. It refers specifically to liquor licences. My colleague Iain Lees-Galloway who has specific responsibility for alcohol matters for the Labour Party has outlined some of our specific views but I will touch on a couple of elements that may not have been raised in the debate thus far. 
Clause 56 makes a reference in subclause (1)(a) to “the significance of the Rugby World Cup 2011 … the scale of the hospitality that is needed”. It is unusual to have such language in a bill but I think it demonstrates the different situation that we are dealing with when it comes to the provision of hospitality specifically for the Rugby World Cup. I wish to outline two concerns. We are expecting anywhere between 70000 and 85000 visitors as a consequence of the Rugby World Cup. It is a considerable ask for our existing providers of hospitality particularly within our city centres like Auckland central to cover the demands of that huge influx of people. Although as required under our contract as hosts for the Rugby World Cup fan zones will be specifically set up to deal with this huge influx we are also expecting existing hospitality providers to cope. From the conversations I have had with business owners in for instance the Ponsonby area which is very close to central Auckland they are telling me that they are booked out via corporate functions and corporate hospitality by domestic fans already. Their services are already in demand to the extent that they have no capacity to deal with the additional international guests that we will be hosting. 
I guess for me that has highlighted a separate issue when it comes to hospitality which is that we really need to make sure that the city council and the Rugby World Cup Authority which is established by this legislation work really closely with our business associations and not just the Ponsonby association Heart of the City and the loosely formed West Lynn business association but also the association out in Mount Albert as well. Not only does the city council need to liaise with them in a more coherent way—because my understanding is that the transition to the super-city has really acted as a barrier to that happening—but also the authority needs to as well. The businesses will be our interface with our international guests. Although we may put in place all that is necessary to allow additional licences to be granted we will be asking existing licence holders to deal with this huge event. I do not believe that we have included them in our planning enough to date. That is just a request if anything to involve them and perhaps a word of caution as well. 
I am pleased to see that under clause 56 the purpose clause in this part of the bill we have highlighted that priority is to be given to “matters of public health and safety” and also to “the minimisation of harm to persons and property.” 
I wonder about the Minister currently in the chair the Hon David Carter. I think this is the third call in which I have asked the Minister to respond during the Committee stage. I do not think that a response has happened once and it has been quite a lengthy Committee stage so that is unfortunate. The request that I make is for the Government to perhaps outline whether it has any expectations about how harm minimisation will occur. Helpfully Iain Lees-Galloway has pointed out that an unprecedented requirement will now be that some of the suppliers—those who hold licences—will need to provide water. That may seem to be very simple but people who have been to a very large event will know that they have to hand over their first-born to buy one bottle of water and will know what a significant change that will be. I wonder whether the Government could outline its other expectations in that area. 
I am pleased as well that scattered through this part and also through other parts of the bill we have significant references to public health. I find that to be ironic given that in every other aspect of health care generally the Government has slashed and burned.