Lees-Galloway Iain: Eden Park Trust Amendment Bill — Second Reading Third Reading 
Lees-Galloway Iain: Eden Park Trust Amendment Bill — Second Reading Third Reading 
[Volume:656;Page:5698] 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North) 
: 
 It is a privilege to follow such a comprehensive and well-thought-through speech from the former next MP for Mt Albert Melissa Lee. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Oh you’re funny. 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY 
: Thank you. Perhaps if she had made more speeches like that and if she had had a little bit more time in the by-election campaign she would have garnered a few more votes. But that is all in the past now so we will move on. 
The aim of the Eden Park Trust Amendment Bill is to amend the governance arrangements so that the Eden Park Trust Board will have greater independence from Parliament. It gives the board considerably more flexibility to act independently of Parliament so that it can prepare for the upcoming Rugby World Cup in 2011. I had the privilege of visiting Mount Albert a couple of times earlier this year and it was quite clear that the— 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Why was the member in Mount Albert? 
Grant Robertson 
: Important meetings! 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY 
: There was a caucus meeting at Eden Park in fact so that was my opportunity to go to Eden Park. It was fantastic to see the rate at which the development is happening there now. It is quite clear that the board does need that independence so that it can respond to any problems that might arise as the development continues without continually having to come back and seek approval from a higher authority. 
It was interesting to hear Nikki Kaye talk about what a great community asset Eden Park will be once all the developments are complete. Nikki Kaye the MP for Auckland Central might have—had Trevor Mallard had his way—had a stadium in her electorate. Perhaps she is a bit disappointed that she will not get such a valuable community asset. But she will get party central—a bit of flat earth at the bottom of Queen Street in Auckland Central. The Government is investing something in the order of $18 million—I stand to be corrected if someone knows better—in party central which will not be anything like the asset Eden Park will be or the waterfront stadium would have been. 
When we really start thinking about the priorities of this Government we realise that maybe the $18 million might have been better spent in other ways. It would have cost just $16 million to maintain the adult and community education that has been slashed by this Government. It would have cost just $10 million to maintain the current services at Palmerston North Hospital in the MidCentral District Health Board area. It may have been wiser to spend the money on that rather than a return to the 1980s with party central at the bottom of Queen Street in Auckland Central. Sadly party central will not be the kind of community asset that Eden Park is. 
But we do have Eden Park and it is very very important that we get it right. We have only one shot at the Rugby World Cup. We are a small country of just 4 million people. To have the opportunity to host the Rugby World Cup shows that as usual New Zealand has punched above its weight. I say thank you very much to the previous Prime Minister Helen Clark amongst other people because she headed over to Dublin to help New Zealand in its bid. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: We never won the world cup under a Labour Government! 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY 
: It was in fact under a Labour Government that New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup for the one and only time in 1987. The member is slightly confused on that one. He is rewriting history but that is OK. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: I apologise. 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY 
: That is all right. The member apologised and that is fine. We have just one shot to make sure that our one opportunity to host the Rugby World Cup goes absolutely right for us and that we get the maximum economic benefit out of it. It has been estimated that the economic benefit to New Zealand could be in the order of $1.15 billion so it is absolutely imperative we get it right. That figure breaks down to $476 million in total direct additional expenditure within New Zealand. Of that figure $262 million is expected to be spent within Auckland. It is expected that there will be $507 million in additional gross domestic product for the New Zealand economy of which $240 million is additional GDP for the Auckland economy. 
It is very very important that we get this vital community asset right and also that the tourism spin-offs from the Rugby World Cup are felt outside of Auckland as well and maybe felt even in my own electorate. We have been lucky enough in Palmerston North to be offered a couple of games. I think we have Europe 1 versus a qualifier of some description so that will be a great game to go along to. Maybe a few people might head up the road from the Wellington games to watch some of the Palmerston North games so that my city can get some of the economic benefit. 
Hone Harawira 
: Where’s Palmerston North? 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY 
: That is a very good question. Palmerston North is about 2 hours north. Unlike some National members I know my north from my south. If we start in Wellington and head north for about 2 hours we get to Palmerston North. If we head a little bit further north we get to Wanganui and up to Taranaki and New Plymouth as well. That is not heading south; that is heading north. That is a little bit of geography for the Government; I am sure it will help it out. Just like the Olympic Games or the Commonwealth Games which are more relevant for New Zealand getting Eden Park right is absolutely right because— 
Hone Harawira 
: You go west to Wanganui not north. 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY 
: It is sort of west and north; it is definitely north from Palmerston North. But I agree with the member that it is mostly west and a little north. When the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games are done right they have a lasting impression on the city where they are hosted. In the same way the Rugby World Cup can have a lasting impression on New Zealand and the New Zealand economy. It is absolutely right that we not only get Eden Park right but also get the trust structured correctly. It is also important that the tourism strategy is absolutely right and that we make the most of this opportunity. 
In getting the trust deed right there are a number of specifics that are probably worth going into. The trust deed specifies the trusts under which the trust property must be held and the governance arrangements for the trust property. The trust deed reflects the arrangements made between the parties. There is a declaration of trust in relation to the trust assets. The objectives of the trust are stated as follows: “To promote operate and develop Eden Park as a high quality multi-purpose stadium for the use and benefit of rugby and cricket … as well as other sporting codes and other recreational musical and cultural events for the benefit of the public of the Region.” That might even include a Labour Party caucus meeting. A further objective is “To administer Eden Park and the Trust Assets on a prudent commercial basis so that Eden Park is a successful financially autonomous community asset.” The trust will have “due regard to the needs of and the contributions made by and historical interests of the Auckland Rugby Union and the Auckland Cricket Association and the contributions of the Crown …”. 
It is interesting to note that the trustees are not personally liable. The bill extends protection to all trustees past and future by providing that “No trustee of the Trust Board … is or may be personally liable for any act or omission of the Trust Board or any other trustee of the Trust Board …”. It covers any event beyond the control of the trustees that could potentially jeopardise the solvency of Eden Park. However it specifically does not include any event or circumstance that could have been avoided by the trustees exercising a reasonable standard of care. If the board members invited David Beckham over to play a football game and it all went belly up they would be liable for that debt. 
This bill is vitally important for making the most of the Rugby World Cup. The board must have greater independence from Parliament so that amendments can be made quickly and signed off by the Governor-General through Order in Council and for that reason Labour wholeheartedly supports this bill.