Cosgrove Clayton: Immigration Act 2009 Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Cosgrove Clayton: Immigration Act 2009 Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:661;Page:10109] 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour—Waimakariri) 
: 
 In speaking to these clauses I note that in respect of clauses 2 and 4 and in light of the Attorney-General’s comments about changes that he may wish to make to the legislative process it is worth reflecting on the history of why this omission occurred. I am advised that the omission of the reference to section 430—which is section 474 in the current Act—in the commencement section of the then Immigration Bill occurred between versions 22 and 23 of the Supplementary Order Paper. I was quite astounded by that. In version 22 the commencement section contained the required reference to section 430—I am mindful in making these comments of being extremely specific about the bill—in Part 12 of the bill. I am told that in version 23 the references to sections 430 and 431 were changed to refer to “Part 13”. I am also advised that the department noted that that was inconsistent with the subsection dealing with information sharing with employers and I am also advised that the department requested that the Parliamentary Counsel Office change “Part 13” to refer to the specific sections being brought into force. Indeed in making that change section 430 was unfortunately omitted. 
That I know for those people like myself who are not lawyers sounds to be quite a convoluted process in respect of the bill’s drafting and it was unfortunate that the mistake was not identified by the Minister in the drafting process especially when there are as I have said errors occurring in versions 22 and 23 of a Supplementary Order Paper. I feel sure that the Parliamentary Counsel Office has a pretty formidable reputation as do our immigration officials I know having worked with them for some years in combing very very carefully through legislation. 
I do not have the legislative history of others but where a Supplementary Order Paper has various chapters or shall we say various versions and we go to versions 22 and 23 I would have thought that somewhere down the track the Minister having read 22 previous versions might have picked up on that error. I would have thought so. But as the Minister in the chair the Hon Christopher Finlayson has said again with a great deal of grace and honour as the person who is trying to shepherd this omission through Parliament these things do happen. Even though I am a South Islander I tell the Minister that I remember L V Martin with some interest and I remember his slogan as the Minister pointed out. But again I would be interested if the Minister would take a call— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Uncanny resemblance really with the Minister. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I would never say that; that would be deeply unkind and offensive— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Why? They’re both successful. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: —to L V Martin! I would be very interested if the Minister would get up and give us a quick burst perhaps on how he would change or recommend changes to the drafting process. I think we have to go through the parliamentary stages but we would hate to get through this stage and pass this bill and then come back after Easter in urgency again to perhaps correct another error. So I ask the Minister on this A3-paged bill whether he could just reinforce to the Committee that we will not be back here in urgency the week after next to correct another error—perhaps a spelling mistake a date a clause a number or I do not know the grade of paper the bill is printed on. Who knows? But we do not want to be back here again. I feel confident now that we have a competent Minister in the chair that he will give us such assurances and we will not be back here to deal with such minutiae again. I look forward to it and invite him if he would be so gracious to elucidate on those points.