Simpson ScottHon SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. Having a bill drawn in the ballot is always an exciting thing for a member of this House and none less than the member Debbie Ngarewa-Packer who has had this bill drawn. But as previous speakers have indicated—and it was Stuart Smith speaking on behalf of the National Party—we're not going to be supporting this bill for a variety of reasons. Now he elucidated as to a range of reasons that would impinge on some international treaties obligations but also the potential negative environmental impacts of a broader scale that this bill if passed would have on our beautiful natural environment. But we on this side are going to support the proposed Environment Committee inquiry into seabed mining and we are going to do so for the very reasons that the Environment Minister David Parker—and Phil Twyford also—spoke about because actually we think this is a debate of public interest. Issues relating to seabed mining do need broad discussion and involvement in a nationwide discussion about the pros and the cons that confront us when we talk about seabed mining.So we accept on this side that there are a range of strong views relating to seabed mining. Previous member Paul Eagle said he represented a coastal electorate. Well I do too—in the Coromandel. We take our marine space in the Coromandel very very seriously. We take what happens in the marine space very seriously particularly the degrading state of the Hauraki Gulf for instance which is so important to so many people that come and visit my area but also those that live in my area. So we think that a parliamentary select committee inquiry will be useful in advancing a debate on this whole issue so that's why we are going to support that.But I want to just focus on a matter that has been before this House now for more than 5½ years. The previous member Angie Warren-Clark said she came to Parliament to protect our oceans. Well I put it to that member that if she was serious about her intent to protect the ocean she would have convinced her colleagues by now surely to have supported and brought forward the Kermadec/Rangitāhua Ocean Sanctuary Bill. It has been wallowing on the Order Paper of this Parliament for 5½ years. During the last Parliament—during the last Parliament—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Poto Williams): Relevance Mr Simpson—relevance Mr Simpson.Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: Pardon?ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Poto Williams): Relevance to this bill.Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: Relevance? Well the relevance to this bill is the protection of the marine environment the protection of the seabed and the protection from seabed mining of the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary. So for 5½ years a bill has been sitting on the paper and here's the Order Paper. It's sitting here at No. 21 on the Order Paper still wallowing there awaiting a second reading in this House. For the previous Parliament there was a parliamentary majority had the Greens chosen to support my colleagues in the National Party and that bill could have been passed.So I don't buy for one minute—I don't buy for one minute—the words that come from the Green Party on marine protection and I don't buy for one minute the words that come from Angie Warren-Clark on her heartfelt intent to protect the marine space when they will not pass the bill that would give the planet the fourth-largest marine protected area on the globe. Now if they were really serious that's what they would do.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Guess who else didn't support it?Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: Well there were a number—I think it was the Māori Party that didn't support it as well. And so if they were really keen about protecting the marine space protecting the seabed let's have a go at the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary. It's part of our exclusive economic zone and to protect that from seabed mining would provide the planet—planet Earth—with the fourth- or fifth-largest marine protected area on the planet—and the Māori Party didn't support it the Greens didn't support it and the Labour Party haven't supported it. What I say to them is: shame—shame on them for not supporting the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Be fair—it wasn't those two.Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: It wasn't these two. It was a previous iteration—it was a previous iteration—but the iterations of the Māori Party are changing so quickly and so flexibly day by day—who knows? ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Poto Williams): Order! Order! Order!Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: We aren't going to support this bill I don't commend it to the House.