Hayes John: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
Hayes John: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:14824] 
JOHN HAYES (National—Wairarapa) 
: 
 The difference between members on this side of the Chamber who are aspirational and have a vision for New Zealand and those people over there is that they are stuck in the fine print of detail. They are stuck in the nanny State. The chair of the Government Administration Committee David Parker has been sitting there grasping every little detail. He has been and looking at Part 1 of the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill and saying we have to do this that and the next thing. They are losing sight of the fact that Part 1 of this bill will regulate the greatest event that has ever occurred in New Zealand’s history. It will set up a global brand for New Zealand export markets. It will set up a vision for the world for all of us. That chair of the select committee is locked in clause 5A or 5B dealing in detail with fire alarms and other total irrelevances—absolute irrelevances. 
You have to look out on the horizon and ask what in Part 1 of this bill— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I am not sure if you were entirely focused but the member was giving you some advice as to what you should do. I think you were slightly distracted at the time. I am sure that if you were not you would have brought him back to at least referring to members of the Labour Opposition rather than the Chair. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I say to the member that he would be wrong to assume that the Chair is distracted or to make any assumptions about the Chair. The Chair can be focused on many things. I tell the member that I listened attentively and I heard the member refer to “you”. I was not particularly offended by it. I thought the member was expressing some views with passion and force and that is not bad; we have some energy going. I invite the member to continue. 
JOHN HAYES 
: Thank you very much Mr Chairperson. One of the things that has been bothering me for some time—and I have looked around to see if we have a grief counsellor in the Chamber—is that we are dealing with one of our number who is totally aggrieved that he will not be the Minister for the Rugby World Cup. He cannot get over it and now—I am not allowed to say he has left the Chamber— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Certainly not. 
JOHN HAYES 
: I did not say it. I am really concerned. In the second reading Trevor Mallard raised the possibility of a conscience vote on aspects of the Rugby World Cup legislation relating to gambling and liquor legislation as he felt there were inconsistencies between the arrangements in the liquor and gaming areas. I think it is important to note that National is not changing the intent of all criteria for the Sale of Liquor Act; we are simply creating a faster process for approvals because we have a vision to move this country forward. Given the volume and the time constraints for this huge event that are presented by the resource consent process and other processes we have in this country we have to find a way of speeding up the process and of turning on a world-class event. 
I am deeply sorry for the member of this Committee who is desperate to somehow return to the status of boss of the Rugby World Cup. I have news for him: he is not going to get there. Part 1 can never ever provide for that member to get back there. 
The legislation is not inconsistent in the approach that has been taken to liquor. It is not necessary for the public’s enjoyment of the Rugby World Cup to allow access to gambling. Our committee decided during its deliberations that people did not need access to gambling machines while they were watching the Rugby World Cup on television. The restriction of the operation of cruise ship casinos while in New Zealand waters will be no different from the restrictions that apply to other forms of accommodation that will host visitors for the Rugby World Cup. There is a prohibition on new casino licences in the Gambling Act 2003 and the bill does not override that. 
I very briefly come back to the member who would have loved to be the Minister for this event. I say to him that we need a process that will most likely never ever be used but if in this huge event for New Zealand which will market New Zealand to the world we have to unblock problems—problems of detail that the committee chair outlined—we need a mechanism in place to deal with them and address them quickly. It will not be a one-man band making these decisions; it will be a designated Minister who in consultation with another designated Minister and a responsible Minister—for example the Minister of Police if it is a policing issue—will get consultation and will probably also consult Cabinet. 
This legislation will not be used lightly. It is not designed to drive a bulldozer through the structure of our legislation in New Zealand. This country must turn on a world-class event and this legislation has been set up to do exactly that. Thank you.