Baldock Larry: Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 4) — Second Reading 
Baldock Larry: Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 4) — Second Reading 
[Volume:618;Page:14490] 
LARRY BALDOCK (United Future) 
: 
 In rising to speak to the second reading of the Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 4) I can do no better than follow on from the comments made by my colleague from the Labour Party who paid tribute to the work that goes on in select committees. I personally have had a wonderful experience in another committee that deals with fish—we are hearing submissions on the Maaori fisheries settlement legislation—where the cooperation around the table has been really outstanding. We wish more of the public could see the good work going on in this place. 
I am not a member of the Primary Production Committee—indeed no one in United Future has a seat on that committee. It was with some trepidation that I had to start getting involved with the billwe are debating this afternoon having watched from afar the issues surrounding scampi being dealt with through the inquiries and the courts and all the accusations and allegations that were going on. I have only recently had to become familiar with the policy and the industry issues surrounding the bill. I am still amazed at the depth of complexity and controversy that surrounds it. I certainly have sympathy for those on the select committee who have sat through it for many hours trying to make the best out of what has become a real dog’s breakfast. Trying to address issues of the past when things have not been dealt with properly is indeed complex but our job in this House is to try to seek the most just situations we can. I think the people in New Zealand who elect us do not expect us ever to come up with perfect solutions all the time but really to try honestly to find the very best and most just situation we can that is fair to all New Zealanders. 
The Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 4) is the culmination of more than 10 years of controversy litigation and politicking not to mention of two inquiries by the select committee and the State Services Commission. It is set against a backdrop of poor practice by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Ministry of Fisheries officials who unfairly favoured some fishing interests over others to such an extent that allegations of corruption have even been levelled. Unfortunately although we now know that there was no corruption per se the allegations of unfairness have been proven but nevertheless appear set to carry through into the scampi quota allocations due to be made in October this year. 
United Future supports the introduction of scampi into the quota and we understand the urgency around this legislation so that it can be done this year. Again although the quota management system is not perfect it is our best tool for sustainable management of our wonderful fishery resource. 
I commented on the fact that there has been proven unfairness in this process. I will read a couple of comments from first of all the State Services Commission inquiry which stated: “We have concluded that the former MAF/Fish acted unreasonably in administering the grant of permits for scampi fishing and for vessel approval during that period. We have also reached the conclusion that MAF-Fish did not have adequate appropriate or consistent administrative systems and processes for the granting of such permits.” That is established as a fact. 
The select committee’s inquiry also made the comment that we found there were significant failings by the ministry in its administration of the permitting system for scampi up to 1 October 1990. The difficulty is what this House does with those issues and how we deal with those who have been unfairly treated as a result. With such a long drawn-out process having already been undertaken this bill represents what is probably the best hope for a lasting settlement—flawed though it may be. 
The scampi fishery is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and given its capital-intensive nature fishing interests need certainty and stability before they can commit the resources needed to get the maximum economic benefits from the fishery resource. United Future favours certainty for business and for the creation of the conditions necessary for enabling maximum economic growth in such a lucrative industry. We also recognise an impracticable situation where we see one and believe that the reparations process currently being undergone should mitigate the worst of the injustices that have resulted from injudicious actions by Government officials last decade. This bill therefore represents an imperfect yet practical and common-sense solution to this ongoing issue. 
For that reason United Future supports the second reading of the bill but we still have questions about the shifting of the boundary within scampi quota areas 3 and 4 and we will be continuing to look into those questions before the bill returns to the House next week for its Committee stage. 
I thank those who have been assisting my own personal inquiries into these issues knowing that many of the issues have been gone over again and again through the select committee. But I am grateful we have been given the opportunity to ask our own questions and to try to find answers that will enable us to continue our support and support that will continue to give the best result for the people involved in this issue. We look forward to some robust debate during the Committee stage. We are committed though to seeing scampi introduced into the quota management system and therefore for this bill to pass through the House next week. 
But there are still unanswered questions and every answer I get seems to beg me to ask another question. So I am grateful for the patience that some are extending as we continue this process—from officials both within the Ministry of Fisheries and the Minister’s office and also from others who have shed light on matters for me which I have found very very helpful. We hope that we will see a really united support for this bill as it approaches its third reading after the Committee stage next week and I do believe in the integrity of all the committee members who have sought to do their very best through this process. 
I am encouraged that all those I am dealing with at this particular point are doing so from a motive to achieve the best for those they have listened to over these months—through submissions and from personal meetings where they have pointed out their concerns with the legislation as it currently stands. Again I reiterate that United Future is grateful to those who have worked hard on the select committee and who have been involved in these inquiries to try to put this issue to rest. We are grateful to the Minister and to his office for the assistance being given us right now as we engage in this process and are able to come to give our support to the bill. We will look forward to further discussions next week and to the debate during the Committee stage but we commend the bill to the House today.