Nash StuartHon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. Let me first start by saying that I think Minister Martin has actually done a fantastic job of taking a bill that did actually need quite a lot of work and shepherding it through the Cabinet process and bringing it to the House.The member who just spoke Jacqui Dean asked some questions and I have no doubt Minister Martin in the very very thorough way she does things has thought of this because I can tell you that she does approach these issues in a very very thorough way.Unfortunately this is one of these bills—as the previous speaker alluded to—that was put forward by the previous Government. We have had to pick it up and we have had to make changes. I think what happened is perhaps there was a level of consultation which wasn't robust enough to actually get to the bottom of the issue and that is the fact that this is a fantastic idea but if you don't give those who are responsible for implementing the bill enough time to actually get their systems sorted then we end up back in Parliament with an amendment bill trying to make it right.But we are here doing this and as mentioned Minister Martin's done a great job. I would however like to reiterate Minister Martin's point where she said that these small volunteer fire brigades are the backbone of our communities. I've got an electorate with rural communities and usually without exception you go to the smallest ones—Matawai for example at the top of my electorate—the fire station there the volunteer fire brigade is the backbone of the local community. The fire station is where everyone gathers they meet and you have your barbecues and you find out what's going on. The men and the women these days are out there helping and the thing that most people don't realise is—they probably do actually—in fact a lot of the work the majority of the work that the fire brigade does is not actually putting out fires in these in small rural communities it's actually attending motor accidents and all of the other emergency events that go on when in fact the volunteer fire brigade is really the only and certainly the first responders in any community.The new levy system will be an improvement on the current system. It includes new modern provisions such as anti-avoidance mechanisms and improves audits and information powers for Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). This is important not only for transparency for those who pay the levy but also for FENZ themselves. What we do know is that if there's a transparent regime and there are processes in place that allow those who pay the levy or who are interested in what happens with the levy to find out what goes on then it makes for the much better running of an organisation. So that's happening.There's one other point I would like to make and that is that—[Interruption]ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order! Order! I'm sorry to interrupt the member. Could you get closer together if you want to have a conversation? Thank you.Hon STUART NASH: The bill also exempts public museums public art galleries and whare taonga from paying the fire and emergency levy from July 1 2019 in keeping with the original plan.The Minister gave an example; let me give another example if I may and that is Te Papa. For example under the proposed structure their levy was going to go from $3 million to $4.5 million. So a 50 per cent increase and we just feel that—well one thing in Labour of course is that we love a strong cultural and creative sector to the point that the Prime Minister herself has taken on this portfolio. Labour believes that this sector is vital to our national identity. Helen Clark—the previous Prime Minister of course—had this portfolio as well. The economic development around museums and galleries deserve support and certainly from government to maintain its sustainability hence the reason why we are exempting museums and galleries and whare taonga from the levy.This is a good bill. It's a necessary bill. As mentioned the Minister's done a fantastic job of shepherding this through the Cabinet process. Her papers have been fulsome. The rationale is very sound. It is good—it is good—the Opposition is supporting this bill because it's one of those ones that actually cuts to the heart—Andrew Bayly: It is our bill.Hon STUART NASH: Well Mr Bayly is right. The original bill was the previous Government's bill but they got it so wrong to the extent we've had to bring it back. We've had to bring an amendment bill back unfortunately. Unfortunately it's up to this Government and Minister Martin to actually get it right and make sure it's able to be implemented. That's what we're doing. In fact this is one of these bills—[Interruption]ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order! Order! We were doing so well.Hon STUART NASH: It is one of these bills that shouldn't be in the House because they should have got it right the first time. But it is up to Minister Martin. She's doing a fantastic job. We support this and there we go. Thank you very much.