Kaye Nikki: Local Government (Public Libraries) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Kaye Nikki: Local Government (Public Libraries) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 07 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6419. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) 
: 
 I am very pleased to speak on the Local Government (Public Libraries) Amendment Bill. I want to start off by acknowledging the great job that so many librarians do around our country. I also want to start by acknowledging that in this Parliament we currently have a parliamentary inquiry into 21st century learning environments. I am not going to go into the detail of that inquiry except to say that I do not support this bill because I think there are rapid changes happening in terms of technology and information management and that what this bill does—although I acknowledge Darien Fenton the member who has put this bill to the House—is misguided. I think it is misguided for a number of reasons and I want to talk through them today. 
The first thing that I would like to say is that when we look across the country in terms of information management when we look across the country in terms of libraries in Grey Lynn versus libraries in North Shore there is a difference in practice so to provide a statute that puts things in place particularly even terms around charging for digital information and books will in my view legislate what may be outdated terms in a period of time. That is the first point I want to make. 
The second point that I want to make and it has already been made by a number of my colleagues is that to put these costs on local government and to say that every public library is going to be free is a very dramatic change and it is contrary to a number of other speeches that we have heard in this House. I want to touch on something that Eugenie Sage has already said. Yes there is an issue generally around access to information but that involves a range of policies the term “library” itself the role of the libraries in the future the role of libraries with regard to both public libraries and school libraries and the role of libraries in terms of broadband policy—these are all things that we have been considering as part of the select committee inquiry. But to prescribe those terms and to prescribe policies and to prescribe certain information management in legislation and say that every single local authority in the country will have free access around that in my view is a flawed piece of legislation. 
 I do want to say a couple of other things. Another thing I want to point out is that it is not just about the terms that are in the bill; there has also been an issue raised around UNESCO and its obligations under UNESCO. I do want to make the point that actually when you look in more detail at those guidelines the guidelines are in principle and I would think there is a very valid reason for that. That is that right around the world many countries are acknowledging that whether it is through the greater role that some school libraries are playing or whether it is through more online learning there are rapid changes in information management. My caution to this Parliament is that although this bill may have been well intentioned by Darien Fenton I cannot support this bill because I think that what is needed—and I know that we have got a parliamentary select committee looking at some of these issues—is a much more holistic approach to information management and the access to information. In my view I cannot support this bill for that reason. 
The other main point that I want to make is that Opposition members stand up and say to other members across this House that in some way we do not support information management and access to information when we are putting $1.5 billion—that is one of the greatest enablers in this country—into ultra-fast broadband. That is one of the greatest enablers particularly for disadvantaged communities. Many members in this House have heard of projects like Manaiakalani where we are seeing a huge uptake by Maori and Pacific kids. I am very proud of some of the policies that we are putting in place to enable disadvantaged communities to have access to information. This bill is flawed. It may be well intentioned but it is flawed and it does not take into account the rapid changing nature of both technology and information management in the world. Thank you.