Little Andrew: Legislation Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Little Andrew: Legislation Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 16 October 2012. Volume:684;Page:5876. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
ANDREW LITTLE (Labour) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to take a call on the Legislation Bill. Some of the comments from my colleagues and others in the Chamber earlier might have suggested that this legislation is tedious or boring but this is actually absolutely fundamental to the operation of the House. If there is one thing that this House stands for and that it is measured by it is the lawmaking that it does and the legislation that it produces. Therefore to make good the record of the laws that we make and to ensure that the public and the voters—the citizens who are subject to the laws that are the product of this House—have access it is vital that those laws be properly accessible and understandable. So this legislation goes some way to ensure that that happens. 
What I wish to address my comments to is that issue of accessibility. I know hearing some of the earlier comments from other speakers as I say that some people think that this is more exciting for lawyers than it is for others. I have to say that yesterday morning like no doubt many others I watched the leap—the death-defying leap—of Felix Baumgartner from 39000 feet on the edge of the stratosphere and that was exciting. But when we get to talk about our role as lawmakers that goes beyond excitement. That is enjoyable and it is essential and it is uplifting and it is a better thing than watching somebody jump 39000 feet. When we talk about the accessibility of the law clause 7 of the bill requires that the places where the printed legislation can be purchased be designated so that there are known places where the law can be purchased. But the good thing is that the places where printed legislation can be purchased are not just confined to designated places; it can be purchased from other places as well. That is a good piece of flexibility in a good piece of law. Clause 8 requires the price of printed legislation to be reasonable and so it should be. That is another question of accessibility and if I can refer to the debate in this House earlier hopefully the CPI measures can be properly adjusted to ensure that the price of printed legislation is not artificially inflated or added to and that it remains accessible. 
I think that what is most important in this day and age in the 21st century and the age of the internet is free access to legislation on the internet. We already have the legislation.govt.nz website which is a fantastic resource wherever you are and no doubt that will continue to be a place where the legislation is available and provided for as the legislation says for free. I think the question about accessibility through the internet is going to be vital and we need to ensure that that portal that means of access to the legislation is as widely available to as many citizens as possible. May I suggest without a hint of facetiousness that maybe the IT department for Work and Income could be contracted on a special project to assist in that to ensure that the widest possible access is given to legislation available through that portal. That will satisfy the demands and the needs of clause 9 of the bill and that will be very important in that central task of making the laws that we make accessible. It is grouped together as we know on the present internet site. When you enter your search it provides all the available legislation—delegated legislation as well—that is relevant to the topic and this new legislation will ensure that that is mandated by statute. 
The provisions in this particular part go on as my colleague Charles Chauvel talked about to the 3-yearly review of legislation. It is now a standard procedure in any organisation private or public to ensure that the outputs and the services that are provided are given a regular review to ensure that they are up to date meet the need and are fit for purpose. 
I do notice in clause 33 that those who are empowered to give certification to legislation that is reviewed and given revision—so that there is editorial change without changing the meaning of the law—are confined to the president of the Law Commission the Solicitor-General and a retired High Court judge appointed by the Attorney-General. That is a sensible provision so that this House does not get bogged down in having to utilise its very expensive processes to make what are often purely administrative or editorial changes to make the law current and alive and relevant for today. Typographical errors need to be able to be dealt with without taking unnecessarily the time of this House. Making the changes that tidy up the law and modernise the language without changing the meaning is a very important task and in terms of those who are tasked with it and those who have the job of certifying that the task is done without the changing the meaning of the law I would note that it does require some of the best legal minds we have. Indeed the provisions in clause 33 with the designated positions that are provided for will I am confident ensure that that will happen. 
On this part of the bill we are very keen to support it and see a 92-year-old piece of legislation transformed and modernised so that we can get on and ensure that our legislation the work we do continues to be made relevant and most important made accessible to the citizens who are touched by it. Thank you. 
The question was put that the following amendment in the name of the Hon Christopher Finlayson to the proposed amendment set out on Supplementary Order Paper 127 in his name to insert new clause 32A be agreed to: 
to omit new clause 32A.  
Amendment to the amendment agreed to. 
The question was put that the amendments as amended set out on Supplementary Order Paper 127 in the name of the Hon Christopher Finlayson to Part 2 be agreed to. 
Amendments as amended agreed to. 
Part 2 as amended agreed to. 
Progress to be reported presently. 
House resumed. 
The Chairperson reported the Taxation (Annual Rates Returns Filing and Remedial Matters) Bill with amendment progress on the Legislation Bill no progress on the Airports (Cost Recovery for Processing of International Travellers) Bill and no progress on the International Finance Agreements Amendment Bill. 
Report adopted.