Auchinvole Chris: Appropriation (Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes) Bill — In Committee 
Auchinvole Chris: Appropriation (Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:643;Page:13117] 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National) 
: 
 The designers of this bill the people who want it rolled over should reflect on the opportunities it offers because of the structure of the finances it covers and the manner in which those finances are issued dispensed and ultimately accounted for because I foresee a problem. Just as I hear Mr Brown occasionally talking about his marine experience I have had a bit of experience in marketing sales and negotiation and I sense there is a real problem with this particular bill. I would honestly encourage those who are saying “Yes we’ve got to have it. Yes it’s necessary.” to think about what it might cause because I do not think this legislation has been thought through at all so I am very very pleased to be speaking against it. 
Prior to preparing my notes to speak on this bill I carefully read the speeches that were given at the time of the first reading. I have heard people speaking about it during question time and I am definitely left thinking that if this were a sales opportunity someone is trying to sell me a pup with this bill. In many ways it is a classic example of what happens when a Government is as blindly regulation-driven as this one. One has only to look at the way the bill is being introduced and at the aspects we are discussing at the moment. Every day one hears of yet another instance of rigorous regulation being imposed on the lives of Kiwis. People are actually getting sick of it but Labour sycophants are loving it. 
The self-perpetuating cycle of regulation goes something like this. Ministers will be judged to be efficient by their commitment to regulatory political correctness. One has only to analyse and assess the recent promotions in the soft-shoe shuffle to see this being borne out. The cycle continues—as each clings to regulation for self-justification and as shortcomings become evident then the solution is more regulation. Then if one has no fresh regulation one rolls it over—rolls over what one had before. That is why we are going to see a perpetuation of what occurred before but this time it will be legal. 
In respect of this particular bill there are differences. We are not just rolling over as I have been told the same legislation that we had before because the situation has changed. There is a scissor action occurring interacting between this bill and the Electoral Finance Bill. On the one hand in the appropriation legislation parliamentary funding can be spent on soft election advertising then the other scissor blade comes in with the proposed Electoral Finance Bill and MPs’ spending on soft election advertising does not count towards a party’s or a candidate’s election spending cap. The scissor action effectively cuts a line between existing members and new candidates especially—and I refer to the previous speaker—new candidates with names that are difficult to pronounce. If it is being suggested that I will find it a little harder to get my name known as a list MP than I would as a candidate I have news for that member. 
Other members have spoken at length on the inequity that this bill will create. But if I may I would like to sound a different note of caution. The note of caution is expressed towards those who have been so enthusiastic for it. If the bill goes forward as it is it will not be long before it has to be changed again because I suggest it is being used for a purpose it is not designed for for a situation that no longer is there and it will create opportunities to bring about the very things it is supposed to prevent. We heard earlier from my colleague the Hon Tony Ryall who illustrated some of the things we have seen in the past—the bright red print process is what we call it. It produces information such as that written here: “You are better off with Labour.” 
Kate Wilkinson 
: Propaganda! Pure propaganda! 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: It is pure propaganda but it will be called “information”. In a normal election year as one progresses towards election time and as the campaigns begin—