Woodhouse MichaelHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National): Thank you Mr Chair. I'm not even sure which microphone I'm using—there we go. I appreciate my colleague's deferral. We are on Part 1 of this bill and I have two—one's a comment and one's a question I guess. I haven't been privy to the discussions between the National Party and the Attorney-General's office in respect of an amendment to clause 3 but I would note that if the relevant period is described as the longer of the following of a period of 90 days after the commencement date or the period specified by a resolution of the House of Representatives the likelihood is that the first review of this and resolution by the House may not take place until November which is actually six months away. And so the Attorney-General may want to clarify what the intention is in respect of the first period of the following—the passage of this Act and a resolution—and whether the House will have an opportunity to consider that resolution before the 52nd Parliament rises for the 2020 election period.The second question I have is in relation to clause 4—the purpose of this bill—because I think this goes to the heart of the concern that I certainly have and that members of the public have expressed to me. When we have an epidemic notice or we have a state of civil emergency it is because there is a material risk that an event will arise or has arisen that requires the powers of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act. This bill is designed to provide powers effectively when those conditions aren't met. But I note that in paragraphs (a) and (b) the words prevents" and "avoids" are being used. Now it says "and limits the risk of [an] outbreak" or "mitigates … the actual or potential adverse effects of the … outbreak". But the words "prevents" and "avoids" means that we can be in lockdown from now until a vaccine is found because it's only when a vaccine is able to be administered to the public that we can prevent and avoid the actual or potential adverse effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is essentially—the powers we are giving to the Crown the executive are to hold us in a state of perpetual fear and emergency and a response to that.I've got to reflect actually on where we were—[Bell rung]CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): The Hon Michael Woodhouse.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: That's all right. I think I understand what's happening there Mr Chair.We have moved an awful long way from when the director-general and the Minister of Health assured us months ago that jumping up and down in a mosh pit for two hours with someone who was positive with COVID does not constitute a close contact but if I get in the lift in the parliamentary precinct with one of my colleagues for 10 seconds to go from the first floor to the third floor that's now somehow prohibited. Have we got to the point where we are in a state of perpetual existential fear?David Seymour: Depends what the member's doing in the lift.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Yeah well touché Mr Seymour. That's now on Hansard.The point I'm making is that if we are going to pass a piece of legislation to prevent this happening we're always going to be in a state of preventing it from happening and therefore we're always going to be in a state of perpetual partial lockdown and I think it's really important that the House understands whether that's what the country is going to be faced with for potentially the next 18 months because I am as aware as anyone of the potential for the catastrophic effects of the spread the unfettered spread of COVID through New Zealand. But I also actually want to believe the Minister of Health when he says he's on top of contact tracing he's on top of testing. And remember the case definition for testing for weeks was you'd have to be nearly on your deathbed with respiratory distress a fever of 38 or higher and a number of other sequelae before you'd even get a swab up your nose.Now we are testing just about everybody with a sniffle—fair enough. If we're doing that do we really need to take these Draconian steps to prevent or avoid?"