Copeland Gordon: Airport Authorities (Sale to the Crown) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Copeland Gordon: Airport Authorities (Sale to the Crown) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:635;Page:6764] 
GORDON COPELAND (United Future) 
: 
 I must say that on a night like this it is rather pleasant to be in a centre party. I have already voted tonight for two National bills and now I intend to vote for a Labour bill. Should it happen later tonight that an ACT bill comes before the House I will vote for that bill as well. It is nice to be able to evaluate each bill on its own merits as it comes along and not to be driven by an ideology of the right or the left. That is where I feel comfortable. 
First I congratulate Darren Hughes on having the Airport Authorities (Sale to the Crown) Amendment Bill drawn from the ballot. It is always very good for members when they put a bill in to strike the jackpot. I am pleased that this bill has come before the House. I have listened to Nathan Guy’s speech and I must say that some of the things he said reassure me to some degree about what is proposed at Paraparaumu. I must also say that I will always think of Paraparaumu Airport as an airport. I made my first flight when I was 8—I remember being as nervous as a kitten. I flew from Nelson into Paraparaumu Airport. Then I got on the bus and went down to Customhouse Quay in Wellington where we got off at the National Airways Corporation depot. For many many years when I made the return trip back to Nelson I did that in reverse. So I flew out of that airport many times before we had an airport at Rongotai. 
It remains to my mind of strategic importance not only to the capital city but also to the nation that Paraparaumu Airport remains an airport. If that is what the developers have in mind—to maintain it as an operational airport—then I think they have nothing whatever to fear from this bill. However if it becomes clear that there is a different agenda at work there which would mean bringing to an end the airport operating as an airport then it seems to me that they have broken if you like a moral obligation to make sure that that airport does stay operational going forward. 
One can think of a lot of scenarios about Rongotai airport. For example we have a massive fault line in Wellington. The airport would probably escape the ravages of global warming but it is not very far above sea level. So for a whole lot of reasons and given the fact that we are the capital city it is very important that we have an alternative airport to Rongotai and maintain that position going forward. So I think the select committee should give its consideration to the issue. I see this bill as a fall-back position which has the intent of keeping the new owners of Paraparaumu Airport honest. I fully support economic transformation and I fully support the role of private enterprise as being irreplaceable in bringing about that transformation. I do not want to impede that process but I hope that in this particular case we can have our cake and eat it as well. I think this matter needs to be debated. 
We look forward therefore to seeing the bill be referred to the relevant select committee and in due course to seeing the result of its deliberation when the bill comes back to Parliament for hopefully its second reading. We will be supporting the bill.