O'Connor SimonSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. I stand in support of Nick Smith the honourable member who's just taken his seat to speak against the motion of the Government's attempt to rush this amendment bill through the House. I'm asking actually the Minister if not to rescind the motion to ask his side to vote it down. It would be just one more incompetent action on top of a whole lot that we've seen in recent hours and weeks. The reasons are very simple: the New Zealand public have a right to be heard. They wish to come to the select committee. It's been pointed out somewhat in an earlier contribution that previous opportunities to speak on what is now an Act of Parliament were denied—an Act of Parliament through particularly a major change in Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs). There was no opportunity for the New Zealand public to engage. We have now found ourselves in a situation where the errors within that and within that process have made themselves manifest and we on this side are saying Fine. Let's then have a proper conversation."In some ways we hear many many times from the other side "to be on the right side of history"—whatever that actually means. But if you want to be on the right side of history then you look at history and you don't make the same mistakes. We tried in previous discussions around what this bill is related to to be helpful and believe it or not we're trying to be helpful again to the Government in saying "Give this bill the time that it needs proper time in select committee and allow the public of New Zealand to have their say so that the Government doesn't make the same incompetent mistakes again."The reason we have this amendment bill is we have these two errors—two known errors; there will be more. I put that prediction on the table right now. There'll be more errors but of course they're not willing to face that. Take this to select committee give it full time allow the public to come in and comment on these two changes and I would also say if we had the right and full amount of time other errors would come forward we'd be able to amend the amendment bill and process but no—no—this Government doesn't care. They don't want to hear from the public. They are moving the motion in this House to rush it through.We've heard from members in their earlier speeches of why we need to rush this through. One said it was about life and death issues. Well if it's about life and death perhaps New Zealanders would like to have a bit of a say. They might just like to come in front of the select committee for more than a couple of hours and have their say. We had—unfortunately it's becoming a bit of a theme—a Minister stand up and blame officials. That's the second time in as many sitting weeks a Minister has basically thrown water at their officials blaming the officials for the problems. Well I would like those officials to come before the select committee. I'd like a full amount of time to sit down with those officials and have a conversation not just about why their Minister threw them under a bus but to understand how did we end up with these drafting errors and how do we stop that from happening?I also think we need a further and proper—actually not even a further; I should correct myself. We're asking here just for the normal amount of time—just the normal amount of time. Another member stood up and said "Who will think of the children?"—classic progressive go-to. Well I'd like to think about the children because I suspect some of those children and their families might like to come to the select committee during a full process to be heard. It doesn't seem to really resonate with the other side. They're not terribly interested. Their heads are going down. So if they believe this is an officials' problem; if they believe this is a life and death issue; if they believe this is about the children then well let the public come. In fact let the elderly come because this is a winter energy payment. Let them come and let the Government take some responsibility for its legislation.A last couple of points on why we should not be truncating: this is not just shortening; this it shortening it to 1 April. To the public listening of course what's 1 April? April Fool's Day. Well it's symbolic. It's symbolic—why? I mean look that's just another incompetent mistake. If you are going to truncate it make it 2 April. Don't cause yourselves heartbreak guys on the other side. April Fool's Day: it's not a joke. The bill is not a joke. The amendment is not a joke. The winter energy payment is not a joke. Looking after our families is not a joke. Do not treat this House as a joke and that's what's happening here. Three sitting weeks—three sitting weeks—and within that there's only three sitting days of the Social Services and Community Committee. I have to say they're a hard-working committee—all of them. It doesn't matter if they're Labour National or Greens; they work hard. There's a huge workload—and three days. And they don't even sit all day; they sit for a couple of hours. They are racing this through. It is the wrong thing to do. This party has fought the whole way through to work with the Government to make what is now an Act of Parliament right. We warned them then that mistakes would come through. Here are the mistakes. Do not repeat history. Let the New Zealand public have their say. Give this a full select committee process.Last point—last point: there's all this talk that people will miss out on payments. Guys read the bill. You're already paying out all those winter energy payments. This amendment retrospectively makes it legal. In other words people will still get their money; the money that you're effectively bribing them with with their own money but that's a separate point. So they're already getting the money. You don't need to rush this through. We must return this to a full select committee process."