Smith Nick: Consumer Protection (Definitions of Goods and Services) Bill — In Committee 
Smith Nick: Consumer Protection (Definitions of Goods and Services) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:609;Page:6892] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (NZ National—Nelson) 
: What I find extraordinary about Part 2 is the classic Labour Party “do as we say not as we do” provisions. What we are proposing to do in this part is to put obligations on a whole number of providers of services to provide guarantees when they are not prepared to guarantee anything. Remember the old Labour Party credit card? Why do we not have the Consumer Guarantees Act stretched into the Labour Party credit card? It would be a dodgy deal. The member Ken Shirley has a copy of the credit card. 
My comment to the Minister given that she wants to extend these provisions is let us extend them to Labour Party promises. For instance there was the promise of no new taxes. How would that go? Have the cockies been told that with their flatulence tax? Have the road users been told that with the 5c increase in petrol tax? Have the 16-year-old sherry drinkers been told that? This Government is “do as we say not as we do”. I take objection to that sort of approach to government. 
Then there is the logical inconsistency. Why is it that this bill does not include telecommunications but includes water electricity and gas? I would love to know from one of the Labour members how that differentiation is made. It seems to me that a logical approach would be to say that where Parliament has designed specific legislation—as we debated for nights in the local government legislation over water or the specific electricity law or the specific gas law—then that would do the job. But this legislation was designed for specific goods. As my colleague Tony Ryall says how are we going to provide repairs and get spare parts for electricity? I do not claim to be an electrical engineer but I am not sure how we can get a spare part for an amp. It is rather tricky. When I get my kilowatt-hour and it does not arrive can I have the spare part please? What about water? Can I have a spare part for a litre of water? 
I say to the Minister that that is what she is putting into the law. That is the sort of nonsense—[ 
Interruption 
] Well it does. An official document provided by consumers’ officials states that if we put water electricity and gas under the Consumer Guarantees Act we have to be able to provide repairs and spare parts. We have to be able to provide a sample. I have to say that it will be a bit interesting— 
John Carter 
: A sample of electricity. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: A sample of electricity and we will put it in a bottle for the member! I know there have been some extraordinary developments in electrical engineering and modern physics but I do not think we have yet worked out how to bottle electricity. I know that this Minister is capable of some extraordinary things and I look forward to this technical innovation that allows us to bottle electricity! 
Then we have to have this guarantee for title. I refer to the member for Rotorua. I do not know whether members know her latest nickname. It is “Snowflake”. She melts the moment she puts the heat on. She will giggle on but I would like her to explain how one might be able to guarantee certificate of title for some gas. Perhaps that is part of this new flatulence tax that the Government is delivering for the people of New Zealand! I know that it is coming up to 10 o’clock and we have urgency for some days but the Minister needs to answer how one can have a guarantee of title for water for gas and for a number of amps. 
Darren Hughes 
: Why didn’t the National members on the select committee ask those questions? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Well I hope the bright spark from Kapiti might tell me how we might be able to provide a guaranteed sample of electricity. 
Darren Hughes 
: Mr Brownlee never raised those questions on the select committee. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I have to ask the member; I have a simple question for him: how do we provide a certificate of title for a kilowatt-hour or repairs and spare parts for a kilowatt-hour or for that matter water? The provision is a nonsense and the Government has not thought this through.