Shearer David: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
Shearer David: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:14839] 
DAVID SHEARER (Labour—Mt Albert) 
: 
 I will come back to the issue of the purpose of the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill and relate Part 2 to the purpose of the bill. Its purpose is to allow consent and regulatory approvals for temporary activities related to the Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC) to be considered expeditiously. I emphasise as my colleague did before that it is expeditiously not experimentally expediently excitedly or any of the other “ex-” words that might spring to mind. It goes on to say the bill establishes the Rugby World Cup Authority as a consenting body for the purpose of determining applications for temporary regulatory approvals. 
On these regulatory approvals David Clendon made the point I think that this Rugby World Cup has been a long time coming. We have actually organised it rather well. Somebody in my electorate which has Eden Park in it—which will host a lot of the major games of the Rugby World Cup including the final—will probably know that better than most people. We have had to refurbish Eden Park which has caused huge consternation to the local residents in the area and has been a subject of some battling and fighting for many many years. That is one thing. Also in and around that area transport has been completely remodelled. That has all been done through a judicial process a consent-driven process—not necessarily to the satisfaction of everybody that is there admittedly but nevertheless it has happened. The roading has been completely remodelled. The railway station at Kingsland has been completely remodelled to handle the crowds. 
The reason I mention many of these changes is that they have happened through a judicial process that has been agreed upon. That is exactly what Part 2 in this bill is looking at: a good temporary process through which people can be confident that they are being well heard by people who do not have a vested interest and where there is complete accountability for the decisions that are being made. 
Phil Twyford just went through some of these points on the powers of the authority that will be set up to do this work. Clause 10(1) states: “For the purpose of carrying out its functions the Authority has—(a) full capacity to carry on or undertake any activity do any act or enter into any transaction; and (b) for the purposes of paragraph (a) full rights powers and privileges.” That seems to give a pretty broad brief to that authority to make the sorts of changes and alterations that for example we will perhaps need to see around the Eden Park area in my electorate—to look at the drinking and the liquor licensing situation in nearby Kingsland for example. Part 1 goes on to say the authority will have the same functions powers privileges and immunities in respect of every application made under this legislation as the relevant statutory person or body would have but for this legislation. There cannot be anything very much clearer than this legislation in giving wide-ranging powers to a body that we should have full confidence in. 
It was pleasing to hear Mr Mallard talk about the fact that Mr McCully has actually been sharing some of the names of the people who might be appearing on that authority as well so this is a genuinely bipartisan approach. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Well I wouldn’t say Michelle Boag’s quite in that category but you know—not that he’s mentioned her recently. 
DAVID SHEARER 
: I do not want to comment on any individuals.