Newman Muriel: Smoke-free Environments (Exemptions) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Newman Muriel: Smoke-free Environments (Exemptions) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:627;Page:22084] 
Dr MURIEL NEWMAN (ACT) 
: 
 It is hugely disappointing I have to say to listen to the members of the Labour Party who clearly have not read the bill. The bill allows for people who smoke to go into a smoking room that has good ventilation and proper air quality standards so that their cigarette smoke does not go around the rest of the establishment. But clearly those members have not read the bill. It is very disappointing that Labour members along with the Greens are so ideologically driven that they are not even prepared to say that there are huge problems with their legislation and that it would be a good thing to send it back to a select committee and let the committee have a look at it and take out the problem areas. They seem to be absolutely determined to take away every single right of citizens who want to enjoy having a cigarette. 
As I said earlier in this debate I do not smoke myself but the point is that it is not legal in New Zealand to smoke in public places. Those parties are also taking away the rights of the small businesses who serve the public. I think that this Labour Government has just gone way too far with its legislation. It is political correctness gone mad. Fancy forcing veterans from the RSA out into the cold to have a smoke! Those people put their lives up for this country—and for them—and they are being forced out into the gutter and being treated like dogs. I think it is appalling in this society that we have a Government that is prepared to do that. I believe that every single New Zealander should be treated with respect. This Government is saying to those New Zealanders who chose to smoke: “You are second-class citizens.” I say that that is not good enough. I stand up for their rights to be treated decently in New Zealand and I stand up for the rights of the small businesses who serve them to be treated decently as well. 
All I am asking is that smokers be allowed to smoke in a smoking room in an establishment as long as it complies with the air quality standards. I personally do not see anything wrong with that. I would like to thank United Future New Zealand First and I understand most of the National Party for supporting this bill’s referral to a select committee. It is common sense. I say to the Labour Government members that when they get thrown out at the election because they are a pack of dictators they will find that this bill will be reviewed by a select committee because New Zealanders know that what is going on is not right. Non-smokers are having to sit outside in the cold as well because there is nobody left inside the pub for them to talk to. It is a shame that this anti-business Labour Government does not care about establishments up and down the country that have lost half their patronage. All the little suppliers who provide the pubs with goods and services are going broke as well. People are setting up illegal drinking establishments around the country. Labour does not seem to care about that either. 
It is absolutely outrageous that Labour is so arrogant that it will not allow this member’s bill which says it is time to have another look at the law and correct its unintended consequences to be referred to a select committee. Labour does not even have the gumption or the goodwill to send the bill to a select committee so that the next Parliament can have a look at the law and make sure it is doing what it was supposed to do. When I started out in this debate I was charitable enough to think that the problems that are occurring up and down New Zealand are actually unintended consequences. But having listened to the Labour Party speakers I have to say that I now believe they do not care at all. One of the members stood up and said: “Isn’t it great that on marae people are choosing not to smoke.” I say that is fantastic but at least they had the choice. This Government took away the choice from every other sort of establishment in this country. It is like a dictatorship. It has got worse as the 6 years have gone by. Heaven help New Zealand if it has another 3 years of this Government. 
There are still a couple of moments left for those members who plan to oppose this bill to change their minds—an act of charity to a party. I have had about seven member’s bills before this Parliament and not one of them has ever been sent to a select committee even though many of them had merit and in fact many of the ideas have been passed into law by the Government. I say that this bill should be sent a select committee so that the next Parliament can have a look at it.