Shirley Ken: Masterton District Council (Montfort Trimble Foundation) Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Shirley Ken: Masterton District Council (Montfort Trimble Foundation) Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:614;Page:10422] 
Hon KEN SHIRLEY (Deputy Leader—ACT) 
: 
 As some have observed there has been a revolution in the Chair and it is about time. ACT New Zealand is delighted to support the Masterton District Council (Montfort Trimble Foundation) Bill. It was indeed an honour to serve on the select committee that considered this bill. The point I would like to make at the outset however is that when it was introduced we were told it was a matter of some urgency. A number of very sincere local folk came to the select committee and stressed the urgency associated with this bill. I have to say that this Government has shoved this bill back and back and back down the Order Paper because of Steve Chadwick’s “Restriction of Freedom (Smoking) Bill” which was rammed through tonight. All members of the House would observe that this bill has been shunted down the Order Paper. 
Georgina Beyer the local member has done a good job in supporting her constituents up to the point where she bowed to her Government and to her shame let this very important matter be shunted down the legislative agenda. That is really not good enough for a local member with a very important local bill. When we look at our Order Paper we notice that local bills have a priority over members’ bills yet the local member for Wairarapa supported a Government-driven agenda to have it demoted down the Order Paper below that “Restriction of Freedom (Smoking) Bill” advocated by Steve Chadwick. 
This is an important bill. One could ask why it needs to come to Parliament which is always a valid question. This is very much a local issue. We know that the Trimble Trust forests are being harvested. I understand that harvesting started in 2002 and this will continue until about 2018. I just hope for the trust’s sake that the forestry price picks up a bit. It has to be rock bottom at the moment under this Government which has almost destroyed the forest industry sector in this country with its policies. We had quite a bit of publicity about that last year. We know that sawmills all around the country are closing and the exporters are really feeling the pinch and suffering badly. The current valuation of the assets of this trust are I understand about $1.98 million and that will be ploughed back into the local community. 
The issue does arise that it was set up under the old Masterton County Council which does not exist any more and it is always a difficulty through time with local body amalgamations to pick out a sector of what is now a much broader community and assign the benefits to what is now a relatively small part of the total community. I note too that the bill provides for some cross-boundary benefit and that is a good aspect of it. 
So ACT supports this bill. We regret that it has taken so long to get to this stage. It was quite urgent and I think it is disappointing that the local member did not stand out against her colleagues but allowed it to be shunted down the Order Paper in deference to Steve Chadwick’s “Anti-freedom Bill”. 
Bill read a second time.