Smith Nick: Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Smith Nick: Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 22 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4666. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 I am going to take only a short call on the title clause. The title is entirely appropriate for the bill the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill. I want to respond briefly to the contribution that was made by Grant Robertson. It can be broadly summarised as that of an Opposition that is desperately exploring for some reason to oppose rather than any sort of principled stand around this being legislation. In fact the member acknowledged that this is good legislation and that this is a bill that is overdue. 
I would take the Opposition back to the fact that the gap in New Zealand’s environmental regime which this Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill fills was identified way back in 2000. Labour made no progress in getting a bill before the House in its 9 years in Government. We have made good progress and have got a robust piece of legislation to bring into effect and with the clause 2 provision it will be fully implemented by 1 July 2014. 
 I do want to point out that when this bill was introduced Labour said that it had two major concerns: inconsistencies with the Resource Management Act and the penalties not being strong enough. The Government worked and addressed those two concerns and Labour still says that it opposes. That in my view just exposes how vacant the Labour Opposition’s true opposition to this bill is. Those members are simply dancing on the head of a pin. If the Government then addressed their latest range of pedantic excuses I am sure that they would find some other set. 
Let me just take the point that Mr Robertson made that he objects to the relatively short I have to say Supplementary Order Paper 100 which has been introduced by Amy Adams. I would remind members of the Committee that 4 weeks prior to the 2008 general election on another very important piece of environmental legislation the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill the Labour Government of the day introduced an 800-page Supplementary Order Paper. It did not refer that back to the select committee at that time yet today it demands that this relatively short Supplementary Order Paper suddenly has to go back to a select committee. We do not accept that on this side of the Chamber. We say that that is grossly inconsistent. The member said that the amendments have been available for only 2 days. Actually it is dated 14 August and that is a great deal more than 2 days ago. In fact it is more like 8 days that members have had to study this Supplementary Order Paper and see— 
Moana Mackey 
: A whole 8 days! 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Well it is a very short Supplementary Order Paper I would say to the member who is interjecting. They are technical changes to the provision. They make the bill stronger. 
I would simply urge Parliament as has been urged by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment to get on support and pass this good legislation so that we can get this proper piece of environmental effects assessment legislation into place so that the Environmental Protection Authority can get on with this important new area of work.