Carter David: Smoke-free Environments Amendment Bill — Procedure Referral to Health Committee Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Carter David: Smoke-free Environments Amendment Bill — Procedure Referral to Health Committee Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:610;Page:7967] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (NZ National) 
: 
 I want the member Steve Chadwick who is obviously in the habit of answering one or two of the questions that were raised to clarify for the committee the situation regarding maraes. Heather Roy suggested earlier that maraes were exempted and I had a very helpful conversation with a Labour member who said that that was not actually true if they had licensed premises or employed staff. I wonder whether the member would be able to name any marae that has bothered to have licensed premises. 
Steve Chadwick 
: They could get a liquor licence. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I know that they can get a liquor licence. I want to know whether any or many of them have. I guarantee that they have not. My second question is whether they actually bother to employ staff. Then the further helpful advice— 
Jill Pettis 
: When was the last time that member was on a marae? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Frequently. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: Name one. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Onuku. Has the member been there? 
Jim Peters 
: Where’s that? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Akaroa Harbour. The second question raised in the explanation I received from that very helpful Labour colleague of Steve Chadwick’s was that the Government had decided to treat maraes the same as churches. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: Why? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: This was its reason for passing legislation to exempt maraes if they did not employ staff and if they did not have licensed premises. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: So you can smoke in church. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I am not sure whether I can name any church where people smoke. Perhaps the member could list those. Then there was the further worry—the person who helped me was of a similar belief to myself—the issue of incense and candles in churches was raised. 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: The burning of the incense. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I would not like to see that affected by the legislation. I shall move to some of the amendments spoken to by my colleague Richard Worth to clearly exempt cigar bars. Certainly I will be supporting that amendment. It would be no wish of mine at all to enter such a cigar bar but I cannot imagine any person going into a cigar bar who would object to being there. I do not think that that is logical. I want Steve Chadwick to reflect on her explanation when acknowledging that there were four such bars in New Zealand and who said no the Government was not prepared to entertain any exemption because of 10500 hospitality workers. I assure that member that those four cigar bars would not be employing 10500 people. 
Jill Pettis 
: She never said that. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: She did say that. If Jill Pettis woke up and listened she would realise that that was said. 
I shall talk about the commencement date of the amendment moved by Peter Dunne. I am pleased that Damien O’Connor took a call and said that the Government would not be supporting the amendments around air-quality standards. I was in a dilemma as to whether I should support Mr Dunne’s amendment. He has provided a very sensible solution to this ridiculous legislation but it is clear that the Government has already taken a position on this conscience vote and will not be supporting it. So in that case I will be supporting the legislation being commenced as soon as possible because I want people to see the damage of this legislation out on Courtenay Place and the Strip in Christchurch as quickly as possible. I want that member to go back to her marginal seat in Wanganui and walk down the street when people are standing out there on a cold miserable night because her legislation has forced them to stand outside and smoke. She might be wandering along a 3-metre footpath in deep conversation with somebody but because so many people have had to obey the law and have all come outside to have a cigarette she and her companion will have to go in single file or step out into the gutter just to get past. The people will then be complaining about the mess that is left outside. 
Hotels currently provide ashtrays. Who will provide the ashtrays for the people to extinguish their cigarettes when they have finished with them outside? That is the sort of thing that this ridiculous legislation has not thought of. Jill Pettis shakes her head—she had not thought of it. I ask Jill Pettis why she supports legislation when she has not thought about the practicalities of it. Is the hotel going to put an ashtray out there or will that be another cost that will be imposed on the council? What about the mess that will be left? What about what has happened in other parts of the world where this stupid legislation has been passed where people buy a beer and open a tab take the opportunity of saying to the publican “I’m just slipping out for a smoke.” and then clear off altogether? That is what has happened overseas.