Reti Shane: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeReti Shane: General Debate[Sitting date: 02 March 2016. Volume:711;Page:9313. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Dr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei): It is a pleasure to rise and speak in this general debate because it is a pleasure to be a Northlander. It is a pleasure because this Government is investing in Northland. It is putting its money where its mouth is. A few weeks ago the Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan was unveiled: 58 initiatives from roading to land-based projects to tourism.It is Northland tourism that I want particularly to talk about today. Tourism in Northland like the rest of New Zealand is booming: 1200 businesses employing 4000 people; 1.756 million guest nights per year which ranks us sixth behind major centres like—Denis O’Rourke: Should be more. It should be a lot more.Dr SHANE RETI:—Auckland Canterbury Queenstown—and it will be with what I am going to discuss in a moment—Wellington and Rotorua. “The best December in years” was a recent local headline as Northland also gets the benefits of new air routes a managed New Zealand dollar and tourism investment. A big announcement was confirmation of $4 million in central government funding for the Hundertwasser Art Centre and the Wairau Māori Art Gallery—four million dollars.I would like to briefly recap the Hundertwasser story and acknowledge people on the way. In 1973 Frederick Hundertwasser first travelled to Northland. He was travelling with a companion Henry Kelliher who later became Governor of the Bank of New Zealand was a founder of Dominion Breweries and patron of the arts. Hundertwasser liked the Bay of Islands so much that in 1976 he purchased the Shortridge family farm and he stayed there for most of his time in the far north as a very prolific artist. In 1986 he was granted New Zealand citizenship.Some of the unique features of the Hundertwasser style of art include art concepts of afforestation of roofs which I will describe briefly: “Hundertwasser’s architecture in harmony with nature supports his maxim that wherever territories of nature are eliminated by man for instance by building nature has to be restored on top—on the roofs.” He also had the concept of the uneven floor. “The uneven floor becomes a symphony a melody for the feet and brings back natural vibrations to men. Architecture should elevate and not subdue mankind. It is good to walk on uneven floors and regain our human balance.” That is a quote from Hundertwasser himself.You know Hundertwasser is probably the only internationally recognised artist who came to New Zealand with an international reputation lived in New Zealand and whose prolific life and works were then influenced by the New Zealand way of life and Māoridom. This makes his work unique. Show me another international artist who has that pedigree? To that end it is also very important to note the Wairau Māori Art Gallery component. Hundertwasser conceived this as being absolutely important to the whole concept and closely integrated Māori art into the final design.I would like to acknowledge Government support for the Hundertwasser project especially the officials and advisers in the portfolios held by Maggie Barry Chris Finlayson Paula Bennett Steven Joyce Wayne Eagleson and the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Northland thanks you. I would also like to acknowledge the operational Hundertwasser arm: Prosper Northland Trust Barry Trass; the Whangarei Art Museum Trust Grant Faber; the Mayor of Whangarei Sheryl Mai; the Wairau Māori Art Gallery Ben Pittman; and Northland Inc. David Wilson—not to be surpassed by the ongoing guidance from Sir Ron Carter and Sir Michael Hill.I now want to pivot from good art and good tourism to bad art and bad tourism. New Zealanders from all over the country are writing to Associate Minister of Tourism the Hon Paula Bennett and to me complaining about the filthy signage on Australian campervan firm Wicked Campers. The Minister and I have spoken and to Wicked Campers I say this: your offensive signage is unacceptable. Your disgusting degrading of women and children is unacceptable. Your signage is an affront to public decency and no parent including me should have to explain it to their children. High-quality tourism is what this Government and what New Zealanders are investing in. So Wicked Campers respect New Zealand’s advertising standards or go home—because New Zealanders deserve better than your garbage. Thank you.The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.