Nash StuartSTUART NASH (Labour—Napier): Thank you Mr Chair because I did have a little bit more to say on the gas levies. The thing about this is that I know we are going to come to the title and commencement—no; we are taking it as one question are we not? This is actually coming into play on 1 July 2017 so we are not very far but I am assuming it will receive the Royal assent before then.But my point is that there is actually a change in the way that these levies are collected. If we have a look at new section 23 in clause 13 it talks about gas levies. What is required is that the retailers have to report to the secretary on a quarterly basis. This has been well signalled and I think the officials have consulted with the retailers and so they knew this was coming—of that there is no doubt. But we have seen in a number of bills the implementation period pushed out a little bit to allow certain industries or companies or organisations to actually get their systems in order which would allow them to report in a timely manner—to change their systems.What I am a little unsure of is—I am making an assumption here that the gas retailers because this has changed now have all the systems set up that will actually allow them to report in a way that is meaningful. As mentioned the reason why we have made this change is simply that the ability to collect the levy under the old scheme was non-existent. It was very difficult to police. There was absolutely no suggestion of dishonesty or fraud or anything like that; it was just that it was so difficult.We believe that the officials did not have the men and women on the ground to allow them to undertake this. The companies found it just too hard. So we have actually made it a lot easier. But we have got to make sure that we do not transfer a problem we did have which was that it was too difficult to the organisations that we are mandating to collect this. So I just hope that they have got the systems in place that will allow them to really hit the ground running. I must admit this is one of the few bills where I have read about a required change in system or software where we have said that from the day it receives the Royal assent or from 1 July this industry must comply with something that I am assuming is going to take a database or a software change.The other thing I would like to talk about is the regulations—this is clause 14 now on page 6—amending the prescribing levy rates. The thing that again concerns me a little bit and I think we are seeing a little bit of a move to this is Regulations made under subsection (1) may"—this is clause 14(1A)—"(a) specify the periods for which the amounts or rates of the levies apply; and (b) include in any prescribed method of calculating or ascertaining amounts or rates of the levies provisions relating to any shortfall in recovering or over-recovery …".So I suppose my question is again—under what conditions or circumstances would the regulations change the periods for which amounts or rates of the levies apply? What we are actually saying here is that under regulation you can change the time period so it does not have to come back through Parliament. You can also change under regulation the amount that the levy is which does in fact give the Minister I believe quite a bit of power. I sort of wonder when I see these things whether in fact it provides a level of uncertainty in the market place.Again I am not suggesting that a Minister would do this without a level of consultation without a very good reason or certainly without mandating the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority to go out or officials to go out and consult. But what it is saying here is that under regulations a Minister can actually change the amount of the levy.Now that gives the Minister a little bit of power and I again—unfortunately the Minister responsible for this bill Judith Collins is not in the chair. I am not too sure whether the Minister there at the moment Scott Simpson—I know he is busy reading his phone and there is no doubt important stuff on there. But I am just wondering whether he has any idea or any thoughts or even within his current portfolios—under what conditions he may decide to change that levy through regulation. I just think it is good practice if you are changing something as big as this—and there certainly is a levy which is a form of taxation let us be honest. If that sort of stuff comes through the House through amendments and legislation it just provides a level of transparency that I think is important when you are changing a levy a tax or the terms and conditions under which that levy or tax is applied.But apart from that we support the bill. There are some good things here. It could have been more innovative but—let us leave it at that. Thank you very much."