Macindoe TimHon TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): Kia orana Madam Assistant Speaker. Tēnā koutou e Te Whare. I only joined the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee a few weeks ago so I didn't have an opportunity to hear the submissions on this bill and I want to acknowledge those who were previously on the committee who did the detailed work. I had the impression when I joined the committee that it was a bill that enjoyed unanimous support and I was certainly impressed by the way that the whole process had been chaired by Simon O'Connor.What struck me about it as I listened to it was what reasonable law-abiding self-respecting New Zealander wouldn't support a bill whose overarching purpose is to regulate the brokering of arms and military equipment to help prevent arms ending up in the wrong hands. Of course that is what it's about and it's about New Zealand meeting our international obligations in an ever-changing security environment. So it's a serious topic and I do commend all the members of the committee for the work they did.However it was only then that I discovered that the description I've just given of New Zealanders may not include the current Minister of Defence because what he had to say about the bill in Opposition just eight months ago was poles apart from the view—Hon Scott Simpson: Who is the current Minister?Hon TIM MACINDOE: The Hon Ron Mark. And the views that he was expressing then are poles apart from the views that have been expressed in this House by all members of the Government before. But of course that is because now it's a Labour – New Zealand First - Greens bill overlooking the fact that yet again here we are debating a bill that was actually a National bill introduced by the Hon Gerry Brownlee as Foreign Minister and he did a very fine job.This afternoon I did something I've tried to do in the past and always failed and that was to listen very carefully to the Foreign Minister and to try to discern some serious intent and something of real weight and content to take from his speech. Again I was left fairly disappointed but he did say at one stage that this was a very serious issue in which fundamental human rights were at stake—well that's certainly true—and he also made the point that New Zealand is a strong supporter of the international Arms Trade Treaty as a result of which he had no hesitation in commending this bill to the House. Well those are two very good things.I had hoped that the Hon David Parker who was the next Minister to speak might be a little bit more enlightening but I have to say his speech reminded me of one of the finer contributions that our former colleague Steffan Browning used to deliver here and I very much doubt that his oratory—or his Hansard transcript—will ever feature in one of the records of the great parliamentary speeches of the 21st century.But nevertheless it is as I say a serious issue so it's worth putting on the record that the party that is now promoting this bill said just eight months ago that—New Zealand First says a new Act to regulate arms brokering isn't necessary. Well if it wasn't necessary eight months ago why is it now something that this Parliament is debating in the very first year of the new Government's term of office? It's not something that they pushed down the Order Paper thinking Oh well we'll get to it if there's a rainy day and we get a bit late." Here they are in their first term of office and they're already putting it up. The real story here he said was that New Zealanders have had enough of National ducking the real matters of importance. Well apparently we were ducking the—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order! [Interruption] Order! I'd just like to say to the member that this is the third speaker who has referred to what a member of this House has said. I just want to refer you back to the bill. This is the second reading speech and the expectation is that it is a review of what the select committee found in their deliberations. So if I could bring you back to that process thank you.Hon TIM MACINDOE: You're quite right Madam Assistant Speaker. I will simply in responding to that point make the point that clearly the Minister of Foreign Affairs has now decided as a result of the select committee's work as a result of the submissions that something that he previously said was of no national significance whatsoever is so important that we should be debating it right now. For that reason I support him—and let's get on with it.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): I understand this is a split call. The Hon Willie Jackson—five minutes."