Hide Rodney: Charities Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
Hide Rodney: Charities Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:625;Page:19957] 
RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT) 
: 
 I note that Mr Copeland explained to the Committee why United Future is voting for this part and indeed for the whole bill—which is with some reluctance as I understood his speech. It is because Michael Cullen has promised he will increase the tax-free threshold for charities if United Future supports the bill. 
Judith Collins 
: Did you check all the words! 
RODNEY HIDE 
: I do not know whether Mr Copeland checked all the words. He has just said that to say “promise” might be a bit rich. But to be honest he has just explained United Future’s voting for this bill in a most unparliamentary way—that is there will be a quid pro quo for charities and that is why United Future is voting for it. It is not voting for the legislation because it thinks it is a good idea; it is voting because Michael Cullen who—we know from John Tamihere—dupes and tricks United Future most days has promised them some time in the future some more money. 
Gordon Copeland 
: Dream on! 
RODNEY HIDE 
: I think that Mr Copeland is dreaming on about this promise from Mr Cullen. 
I notice that Mrs Rich has explained just how much this bill was gutted at the Social Services Committee so I do not need to go there. But I draw members’ attention to the functions of that commission that quango that Mr Copeland wants to vote for. It is truly extraordinary. There will be a quango of seven Labour Party flunkies and an army of bureaucrats and when we see the calibre of the people that Labour has as MPs and JPs we can imagine the sort of people that Labour will have on the commission. 
The commissioners’ job will be to educate and assist charities in relation to matters of good governance and management. Can one imagine Helen Clark lecturing and educating anyone on good management and good governance or John Tamihere lecturing anyone on good management or good governance? What a joke! The commission is there to make appropriate information available in order to assist persons to make registration applications under this legislation. So it sort of exists to teach charities how to fill in the forms that the commission requires to be filled in. Under clause 10(a) its function is to: “receive consider and process applications … and (b) compile and maintain a register of charitable entities;”. 
I remind Mr Copeland that the charities sector has survived 400 years without that sort of bureaucratic nonsense. The commission is also to (e) “receive consider and process annual returns submitted by charitable entities … —thousands and thousands of them. It is to supply information and documents to the Inland Revenue Department and to monitor charitable entities. So charitable groups that are getting on with doing the business will find an army of those types of people—the sort who run the Labour Party and whom John Tamihere described as narrow; who have no family life or outside life but who just sit around plotting late at night— 
Judith Collins 
: Parlez-vous français? 
RODNEY HIDE 
: Parlez-vous français? Those people will be crawling all over those charities to monitor them. They are to inquire into charitable entities so we will suddenly find that they have nothing better to do but plot and plan when inquiring and investigating into charities. 
What about this? Under clause 10(k) they are to: “stimulate and promote research into any matter relating to charities”— 
Hon Member 
: Smarmy! 
RODNEY HIDE 
: It is exceedingly smarmy; in fact it makes one think that Steve Maharey must have had something to do with it—and “(l) carry out any other functions that the Minister may direct the Commission to perform in accordance with section 87;”. 
I say to Mr Copeland that I think this bill proves what John Tamihere was saying about Michael Cullen and United Future. United Future is voting for this bill not because it agrees with it but because Michael Cullen has “promised” to increase the tax-free threshold for charities and that is the quid pro quo. Well there is a word for what Mr Copeland has just admitted to and I am not allowed to use it. But that shows us the sort of integrity that United Future members bring to this Parliament when they vote or do not vote for a bill. They are voting for this bill on a monetary promise that will never be delivered—and John Tamihere was right: they are so stupid they do not even know how duped they are; they do not even realise it. 
If people want to know why charities are going to struggle in New Zealand they have two groups to blame—United Future and New Zealand First. I say this about United Future: at least it was bribed to do it.