Carter John: Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 2) — First Reading 
Carter John: Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 2) — First Reading 
[Volume:667;Page:14454] 
Hon JOHN CARTER (Minister of Civil Defence) 
 on behalf of the  
Leader of the House 
: I move  
That the Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 2) be now read a first time. 
 At the conclusion of the first reading debate I will move that the bill be referred to the Regulations Review Committee that the committee report finally to the House by 15 November 2010 and notwithstanding the Standing Orders that the committee can meet on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House during a sitting of the House or during an evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House. 
This is a routine technical bill. It comes before the House every year but it is a very important bill all the same. 
Sue Moroney 
: Why are you extending them? 
Hon JOHN CARTER 
: If members sit and listen they will be told why the bill needs to be put through by that time. The bill confirms or validates items of subordinate legislation that must be confirmed or validated by Parliament. This is a requirement of the empowering Acts under which the various orders or regulations have been made. The role played by the House in confirming or validating the various items—and in particular the scrutiny provided by the Regulations Review Committee—provides an additional layer of protection in the regulation-making process. Should the House decide to withhold its approval for a particular regulation or order contained in the bill that regulation or order will lapse. That said this bill traditionally receives cross-party support. 
All of the orders and regulations in this bill are certainly of a technical character. There are 15 orders or regulations listed in the bill that are to be confirmed or validated. They have been made under 10 different Acts. I shall provide a brief summary for the benefit of the House of each instrument confirmed or validated by the bill. 
One set of regulations is made under the Animal Products Act 1999. These regulations make a variety of minor changes to animal product - related matters including confirmation of the new fee charged for a reissue of official assurance of the annual registration fee for transport operators and of the applications to list as a certified supplier of pet food and an increase in the basic hourly charge on certain export and game sectors. 
An order made under the Biosecurity Act 1993 allows for the imposition of levies on particular goods imported into New Zealand. The order sets out the basis upon which the levy is calculated and sets a maximum levy rate of $18 per leviable importation. The order also makes some technical changes around the arbitration process for determining who is required to pay a levy and the amount that is payable. 
The bill includes an order under the Civil Aviation Act 1990. The order sets a domestic passenger levy that is payable by the particular airline operators. Two commodity levies are confirmed. The first is a levy on meat—defined as beef and sheep meat—produced by livestock farmers. The second is a levy on New Zealand - grown grapes that are used to make wine grape juice or grape juice concentrate. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Outrageous! 
Hon JOHN CARTER 
: I knew the member would be interested in that. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Outrageous! 
Hon JOHN CARTER 
: Well it is quite important actually. Rates of excise and excise-equivalent duties imposed on tobacco products and alcoholic beverages are adjusted annually to reflect the movement in the Consumers Price Index. This bill confirms the duties that were imposed on 1 January 2010 and 1 July 2010 respectively. The bill confirms the levy rates that are payable by gaming-machine operators the Lotteries Commission and the New Zealand Racing Board. Together these levies constitute the Government’s problem gambling levy—a very important levy. 
Two orders made pursuant to the Social Security Act 1964 and the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 are confirmed. The orders increase various benefits and allowances to reflect a 1.96 percent increase in the Consumers Price Index from December 2008 to December 2009. One of the orders also makes a further supplementary increase to New Zealand superannuation payments. I am sure that members on the other side are interested in that order and would not want to hold it up. 
The bill confirms two orders setting out various rates of road-user charges. The orders increase the rates of particular road-user charges while leaving other rates unchanged. 
Two orders relate to matters of trade. One reduces and removes tariffs on most goods that are imported from the countries subject to the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. The other order amends tariff rates to give effect to the Malaysia - New Zealand Free Trade Agreement—again something that I know members on the other side are interested in. 
Finally the bill confirms an order increasing certain rates of war pensions lump-sum payments and allowances in line with an increase in the Consumers Price Index. In addition the order makes a further supplementary increase to the rates of war pensions. Again I am sure that members on that side support that order. As a consequence I am pleased to commend this bill to the House.