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By coincidence I happened to be on the Local Government and Environment Committee when this matter came up. I found myself present once or twice when this legislation came forward and my initial reaction to this bill was: “Well what is Wellington City going to do about the existing tenants? Where will these people go if they are booted out by the Wellington City Council?” to put it bluntly. I am pleased having read the report from the select committee that every effort is being made to accommodate the people who are currently there. New Zealand First is delighted that the local member Marian Hobbs has been working with Wellington City Council and with the select committee to ensure the best possible resolution to this problem. 
As I read from the report with regard to the Victoria Street Community Tenants’ Liaison Group I see the select committee noted that separate to the specific situation the council has recently agreed a  
Policy on Accommodation Assistance for Community Groups Seeking to Reduce Disadvantage— 
that is a long name to give to policy—and intends to establish a new accommodation fund for central city community groups. Clearly the authority being given to the Wellington City Council by this legislation to dispose of this land if it so wishes will enable it to have sufficient funds to help people. Really in New Zealand we must not lose sight of the fact that there are new comers to the country all the time not only from overseas but also from the outlying areas who come to Wellington for the first time. It is handy to go somewhere and get legal or other advice as to where to go and what to do. Regarding the sale of endowment land: “We sought clarification” the select committee states in its report “from the council on provisions relating to the status of the property as endowment land. The council confirmed that the land in question is held as an endowment for municipal purposes. The council assured us that it would undertake any sale process for the land in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions for the sale of endowment land.” This is a local body and there will be elections later on this year and if the people of Wellington are unhappy with the way in which the Wellington City Council has handled the matter they can take the appropriate action at the local body elections as happens to all of us in this building and at a local body level. 
One thing that New Zealand First was concerned about was the Treaty of Waitangi implications. I think we are still entitled in this House to talk about Treaty of Waitangi implications without being branded by one side or another with a particular viewpoint and New Zealand First and the committee as a whole took a close interest in the attitude of the Wellington Tenths. May I say as a totally disinterested member that I was a little disappointed at the slowness in response on the part of the Wellington Tenths to the efforts of the select committee to try to get some answer from it as to what its viewpoint was. 
One can take it for granted in New Zealand and at any parliamentary select committee that the select committee will try its very best to get the views of anyone who might be interested in a particular topic. This select committee was no different and tried to get the view of the Wellington Tenths on the matter. Finally we were informed and the report clarifies that this is not a matter for further consideration by the Wellington Tenths Trust. That matter has been resolved by the select committee as well. 
New Zealand First supports this legislation. My colleague Jim Peters would have spoken on it today having spent more time on this than I have done but he is away from Parliament and asked me to make this speech on his behalf.