Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Telecommunications (TSO Broadband and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Telecommunications (TSO Broadband and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:673;Page:19487] 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie) 
: 
 It is a privilege to take a short call on Part 1A of the Telecommunications (TSO Broadband and Other Matters) Amendment Bill but first I congratulate the Minister for Communications and Information Technology on bringing this bill to the House and our Finance and Expenditure Committee on the work we did collaboratively around the select committee table. Despite the fact that certain Opposition members were delaying the progress of this bill this bill has come to the House in due course. It will improve productivity improve economic growth and certainly provide jobs and opportunities for our nation. 
I will return to Part 1A of the bill. The personal and vindictive attacks on the Minister in the chair the Minister for Communications and Information Technology that have been raised consistently from members across the aisle I find repugnant quite frankly. Labelling the Minister as the “Trust Me I Know What I Am Doing Minister” or the “Minister for Miscommunications” I find repugnant. I find it obscene. If Labour members cannot argue about the issues and about the clauses that are contained within the bill then those members will be spending a long time in Opposition thinking about that. 
I will point out the changes that the Finance and Expenditure Committee made during the select committee process in the area of the asset allocation plan. We recommended a new clause 23F(1) requiring Telecom to publish the overview of the asset allocation plan “as soon as practicable” after the ministerial approval but no later than the separation date. We also made what I thought was one of the better changes to clause 23G(2) which has already been mentioned. It includes a penalty for Telecom if it does not demerge consistently with the approved asset separation plan. That penalty is up to a maximum of $10 million which is no small fee. It is a substantial amount and that penalty would be imposed only after the separation date if the demerger did not occur in accordance with that plan. 
That is a clear indication of where the select committee made a recommendation that differed from what is in the Minister’s Supplementary Order Paper so clearly it is not a case of the Minister just saying “Trust me I know what I am doing.” I thought the democratic process went well throughout the select committee stage and we came to this House with a bill that has been amended in a very appropriate and very apt way. 
Clare Curran 
: What about New Zealanders? 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: Miss Curran shouts out “What about New Zealanders?” and Mr ah— 
Stuart Nash 
: Nash. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: Sorry it is Mr Nash; I forgot the member’s name—and Mr Nash talked about rural New Zealanders but we know that Labour does not like farmers. Those members do not like rural New Zealanders— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: I think I can anticipate the point of order. It is about relevancy. I ask the member to debate Part 1A. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: Thank you Mr Chairman but I was responding to shouts from the Opposition. My understanding of— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I think I know better than anyone else that a member is not allowed to dispute a Chairman’s ruling. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: I do not think the member was— 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: Point of order— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: No I will just speak on that. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: He was commenting on it. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: I am on my feet. I do not think the member was disputing it; he was making an explanation which is also not helpful. I ask the member to debate Part 1A. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Members are not allowed to comment on a Chairman’s ruling at all— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Oh! 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: —not that I am doing so now. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: If I may? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Yes you are on—proceed. The member has the call. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: Miss Curran shouted out “What about New Zealanders?” and I was merely responding by saying that this bill and this part of the bill is all about promoting the wealth of New Zealanders. It is all about promoting the benefits to our country of what broadband roll-out will produce. 
New clause 23G also differs from the Supplementary Order Paper in that it provides Telecom with some flexibility with regard to the demerger process.