Carter David: Motor Vehicle Sales Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Carter David: Motor Vehicle Sales Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:607;Page:4772] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (NZ National) 
: 
 I want to start by moving through to Subpart 3 clause 21 etc. and taking an opportunity to wade through this legislation which is becoming more and more alarming by the minute. We note the Minister of Transport Paul Swain is not allowed to speak on this bill at all. He is the member who asked the House earlier whether this legislation was better than what exists now so that shows how much knowledge he has about it. 
I want to move to the issue of the qualifications of motor vehicle traders and the registration process. I say that this provision appears to be a vast improvement on the current situation. It appears to me that with this bill we are about to remove the very old-fashioned regimented way by which people had to go before a board and prove they were of suitable character etc. 
Peter Brown 
: Why not explain the point I raised? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: No no that is not my job. The member should call on Paul Swain to answer his question. 
Peter Brown 
: You are defending the legislation. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: No I am saying that after pages and pages of it I have actually found one little bit that I quite like. 
Brent Catchpole 
: It is the title! 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: No it is not the title; the member has that wrong. But anyway the member can have another go at speaking later. 
The point that I think is a lot tidier is that the registration process will now be effectively automatic with a number of exemptions for people who are disqualified from registering—the issues about whether one is under the age of 18 which seems fair enough and about whether one is a person who has been banned or is an undischarged bankrupt etc. I just say that amongst this dreadfully drafted— 
Simon Power 
: Banned from rugby service! 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: That is a good point—[ 
Interruption 
] I think we had better get Paul Swain back. In all this dreadfully drafted bill which we are appropriately debating on 1 April—April Fool’s Day—I think I have actually found something that has some merit. So I congratulate the Government on at least getting a small part of the bill possibly right. 
But I want to get back to the point that has been raised by other members about tampering with odometers. There is an issue whereby clause 13 states that tampering with odometers is prohibited. That clause states: “A person must not tamper with”—[ 
Interruption 
] Mark Burton gave an interjection of about four words but by the time he had finished he had forgotten what he said. Now I know it is late at night for the Minister but one would really expect him to recall— 
Hon Mark Burton 
: I did not want to embarrass the member. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: He did not want to embarrass me. I assure Mark Burton that when I interject three words I can remember them. But I ask some honourable member from the Government to explain clause 13— 
Simon Power 
: Harry is getting ready! 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Oh great! The real Minister of Transport will take a call! That would be great. I want to know what happens to a person if he or she tampers with a motor vehicle’s odometer. I remember Harry Duynhoven putting in hours and hours of debate in this House about the issue of people tampering with odometers. That was a big issue a couple of years ago. In fact Mr Harry Duynhoven made his name on that issue. 
Simon Power 
: “Harry Odometer Duynhoven”. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: That sounds quite good; it has a nice ring about it. Everybody expected that Harry Duynhoven would be the real Minister and after the remark earlier by Paul Swain maybe Harry Duynhoven should be the real Minister. So Harry Duynhoven can take a call and explain to us what happens to a person who is caught tampering with an odometer. What is the penalty for that? [ 
Interruption 
] Helen Duncan can tell us what the penalty is. No she puts her glasses on now hides her head in a book and wishes that she had not interjected. 
Brent Catchpole 
: She is knitting. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Oh is it knitting? 
Helen Duncan 
: It is the National Party that is responsible for the legislation. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I do not think that is the case at all. This bill has the Hon Judith Tizard’s name on it. She is a member of the caucus that that member belongs to not a member of our caucus. The member should not blame me. 
Helen Duncan 
: We know you are taking the numbers for the leadership. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: No I am trying to get some honourable member from the Government to explain to us what happens when one finds someone tampering with an odometer. It is a simple question. Not even Parekura Horomia knows the answer to that. Nobody on the Government side of the Chamber can answer that question.