Potaka TamaTAMA POTAKA (National—Hamilton West): Ngā mihi manahau o te pō roa nei. [Good evening during this very long night.] Great to see the people from Waikato here today. I've heard some views tonight—some were balanced some may be competitive in the Hyperbole Olympics" but I don't want to get too enthusiastic lest I get a medal in those games. Now when I was a little man in Rangitīkei our food source our groceries were grown outside or running around the window and long may that last. There was the ability to grow and catch your own kai from the awa or ngahere from the farm or from the māra kai or the veggie garden. Rakiraki or ducks—paradise or mallard—were on the menu in May. No kererū though. We used to go to the grocer once a week to what we described as Auckland food like kedgeree and watermelons. The supermarkets and grocery industry generates many diverse perspectives. Some view the industry with pride as it creates a proven pathway to individual and corporate wealth and wellbeing and provides produce and other goods for the masses. There have been some outstanding role models people like Jason Witehira who have worked hard to own shops and franchises—he's now across the other side of the Harbour Bridge. They've demonstrated excellence and innovation by taking on produce from all over the world but also from all over the country—unusual places like Te Tairāwhiti out in the regions and giving new suppliers a chance. Others—in fact many others—view the industry with some scepticism considering it uncompetitive and making it harder for Kiwis through pricing and in the case of the hard-working people of Nawton and Hamilton West they're actually shutting down Countdown Nawton this August the only mainstream supermarket in that suburb. What a consumer calamity for those people most of whom probably prefer utes over Teslas and some who cannot even drive to Countdown Dinsdale or Te Rapa because they have no waka at all.This bill is geared to improve competition and efficiency in the industry for the long-term benefit of consumers and to tautoko a trading environment where businesses can participate confidently. As a result our party does support this bill albeit with caution—he mea whakatūpato e hoa mā. [with caution dear friends.]Whilst we tautoko the view that proposed changes like the code of conduct and the Grocery Commissioner will increase competition the impact of the changes on the food prices will be inconsequential particularly given the severe cost of living crisis facilitated in the current climate. Poorly constructed policies suboptimal spending Resource Management Act settings employer-employees settings more taxes and deleterious regulatory barriers to overseas market entry all conspire to cause the fundamental problems we face. On top of these unconstructive factors we have witnessed extraordinary monetary interventions that have gone a step too far causing price rises and this bill has indeed landed beyond some of the Commerce Commission recommendations.The heavy-handed approach with the regulated grocery retailers echoed the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) who warned that introducing a mandatory wholesale access regime could create "a disproportionate intervention with highly uncertain consequences including the risk of disrupting significant efficiencies and introducing costs that could be passed onto consumers." The idea of a forced sale of supermarket assets is also poorly thought-through. Forced divestment of private assets reminds me of decades of underwhelming treatment levelled against some fellow Kiwi landowners. It impacts on market confidence and needs no such provision here.Duress is something that people in Waikato and Hamilton West have faced over time and continue to face regularly with food prices and they would be very open to seeing supermarkets such as Costco and Aldi being able to enter New Zealand far more easily. In fact I'd love Costco to come to Hamilton West once we have better roading in and around that great electorate the home of the best rugby team in the Anzac countries.The overseas investment framework does need tweaking further to fast-track greater and deeper provision of grocery goods to our communities. Not unlike other legislation proposed in my short time in service in this House the Government presumes regulation to be the only genuine answer to facilitate wholesaling and we disagree. Why let the supply code be delivered and overseen by MBIE when we could have had the commissioner update and oversee their code? We sought a binding dispute resolution process and still consider that it is more appropriate for both the retailer and supplier to initiate those claims.I tautoko the wisdom the innate and elderly wisdom of my colleagues sitting here and support with caution and I look forward to how this legislation can encourage a grocer to replace Countdown Nawton come August and support the hard-working people of Hamilton West the best place to grow up and grow old New Zealand."