Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 05 April 2012. Volume:679;Page:1731. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
5. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour—New Lynn) 
 to the  
Minister for Economic Development 
: Does he agree with South Australian Treasurer Paul Snelling in relation to SkyCity that “there cannot and will not be any connection between any change to their regulatory arrangements governing the casino and their investment” and can he assure the House that a similar standard will be upheld by this Government? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development) 
: 
 As I have told the member before the Ministry of Economic Development is negotiating with Skycity over the form of a potential commercial agreement. While these negotiations are ongoing it would be inappropriate for me to rule in or out what the Government might finally agree to. If there was to be any legislative or regulatory change required it would go through the usual public and/or parliamentary process in which that member of course is welcome to engage. The Government has however said that the overall economic benefit of any agreement would have to outweigh the potential negative impacts before the Government could proceed. In the case of the proposed International Convention Centre we are talking about a $350 million investment that would bring in 1000 new jobs during its construction and around 800 jobs once it was up and running. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Notwithstanding the ongoing negotiations does he stand by his statement on Sunday’s  
60 Minutes 
 programme that “If we get something which is appropriate we are prepared to change the law.”? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: As I said in answer to the primary question if there was something that required a change of legislation we would be prepared to do so. The member should note of course that this is a pretty unusual industry in that the size of the industry is dictated in primary legislation so it is quite difficult to change the size of the industry without changing the primary legislation. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Does he stand by his statement on  
60 Minutes  
that he was “not familiar” with the same casino company’s attempts to trade a convention centre for gambling law changes in South Australia and if he was unaware then what competence does he possibly have to oversee a selective trade in our gambling laws? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I have some difficulty with the member discussing competence but anyway the— 
Hon Members 
: Oh! 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Only repaying the favour Mr Cunliffe. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is hard to be offended by that one but it is certainly outside— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The member could have raised a point of order—I had no problem with that—but he does not raise a point of order in that way. He knows that. There was an exchange there. In the member’s question he questioned the competence of the Minister and the Minister responded. If in asking a question a member questions the competence of a Minister I cannot stop Ministers from responding to that sort of thing. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: As I said in regard to the competence question that is open to some interpretation. But the reality of it is that at the time I was not aware of that particular thing. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Why did he tell  
60 Minutes 
 that he was again “not familiar” with the current gaming law that requires pubs and clubs to give 37 percent of their gaming profits to charity whereas Skycity pays only 2.5 percent and does he accept that since he is personally overseeing a shabby deal with Skycity he should have been so aware? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The definition of “shabby” is quite interesting but perhaps the member’s beard might be some reference for us. The reality again is that there is a range of— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I think that member’s jealous. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I would be jealous if it was on my head. There is a range as we know of percentages and levies applied to the commercial gaming industry that is applied differently to the private gaming-machine industry. In fact probably the key point to point out is that the commercial industry pays company taxes whereas the private industry and the charities do not do so. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Does he stand by his statement in relation to the trading and gambling laws that “Actually different Governments in different countries have different priorities and I think that it is entirely legitimate for that to happen.” and how can he then explain what is legitimate about selling New Zealand’s laws when in the words of South Australia’s Treasurer Skycity would be “dreaming” to think that it would sell its law in exchange for an investment? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Again I think the member is in an interesting space here for two reasons. One is that actually it is appropriate for different countries to have their own laws. If he is suggesting that somehow we should adopt all Australian law well that is an interesting point in itself. And secondly the so-called spokesman on economic development for the Labour Party is once again decrying something that would lead to growth in the New Zealand economy. On the one hand the Labour Party is always talking about more jobs more jobs but it wants to stop every single initiative that would lead to more jobs in this economy. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I seek leave to table a transcript of the  
60 Minutes 
— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No we do not seek leave to table transcripts from recent programmes.