Prasad Rajen: Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
Prasad Rajen: Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
[Volume:674;Page:19976] 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) 
: 
 Namaste. This debate on the Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3) is the first time that I have participated in a debate of this nature. Of course when I was a highly sought-after speaker on this bill and had to go into a ballot to make sure that I was the third speaker I knew that this would be serious stuff whereupon I thought it was really important that I understood what subordinate legislation is all about and the process by which it comes into the House. Of course this completes my learning. I have also had the privilege of being a substitute member on the Regulations Review Committee. 
The Regulations Review Committee is one of those committees that if one is a substitute member on it for the first time one goes to assuming one will make a contribution but in the knowledge that there is absolutely no space at all to make any kind of contribution. There is an amount of paper that one has to read which I bet most members of the committee do not read about all the regulations before they are passed. But at least the members have the guarantee that there is legal counsel who has read everything and who comes to the committee to offer proper advice. Of course under the chairmanship of Mr Charles Chauvel and the deputy chairmanship of my good friend Tim Macindoe I am sure it all goes very well. I was very keen to try to understand the procedure by which those Acts that have time-limited provisions have to be brought back to the House for it to validate those provisions change them or confirm them. Of course now I know that this is the procedure whereby it happens. 
I was interested in the specific regulations that are being confirmed in the bill. It is a tremendous learning experience that there are these provisions. People who are watching the debate today on television will be very very interested to know about the specific provisions in the bill and that the bill will go to the Regulations Review Committee. I did not know that there is a levy on all chicken eggs produced in New Zealand for sale. Had I known that— 
Stuart Nash 
: Where have you been? 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: That is a good question. I have been busy working out— 
Hon Member 
: Shock horror! 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: Absolutely; shock horror! But what is more interesting is to know where the levy goes. It is payable to the Egg Producers Federation of New Zealand Inc. The Commodity Levies (Eggs) Order which came into force on 20 December 2010 expires in 6 months. Obviously there was a very good reason why the order was limited to 6 months and now it is being confirmed. I hope the select committee has a good think about that. The committee members will want to know what has happened to the money where it has gone whether it has been put to the right use and whether it is time to confirm that order as an ongoing provision. The serious business of the House and the serious business of the select committee now make much more sense to me and now I understand why there was such scintillating discussion when I was a substitute member on that committee. 
Another one is the Commodity Levies (Tamarillos) Order 2010. There is also a levy on tamarillos grown for commercial purposes in New Zealand and of course people will want to know where that money goes. It goes to the New Zealand Tamarillo Growers Association. This is amazing; I did not know there was one. I love tamarillos. Of course the select committee will want to know where the money goes to and what it is used for and whether it is now time to confirm this particular regulation. 
Of course the regulation covering trout has already been spoken about. The Customs Import Prohibition (Trout) Order 2010 prohibits the importation of trout and trout products in quantities of 10 kilograms or more. A little bit is fine but if it is too much you need— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: I am sorry; of course I know that Mr Assistant Speaker Robertson does not import trout products but New Zealand does as a country. Of course these products can be imported but the Minister of Conservation has to be involved if the quantity is more than 10 kilograms. Here is a regulation about trout and the select committee will ponder deep into the night wondering whether this is the appropriate one. 
But perhaps one of the most serious orders is the Customs Export Prohibition (Livestock for Slaughter) Order. I am not a meat eater so consequently my sympathy is with the animals. These poor animals—I do not know why we have to send our cattle deer goats and sheep for slaughter overseas. There is a little piece of me that knows that although it is prohibited it can be approved by the chief executive of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry under certain conditions. I urge the select committee to have a good look at this one. We want to make sure at least for a vegetarian like me that we do this under proper conditions and that if we do not have to do it we should not. That is a very important role that will be referred to the select committee in relation to this bill and I know that my friend Tim Macindoe will give this issue very very serious consideration. 
Then there is the Excise and Excise-equivalent Duties (Tobacco Products Indexation and Separate 10% Increase) Amendment Order 2010. Can the committee look at shorter names for some of these orders? They are very long. This order is the one about the excise duty on tobacco. 
Another order is the Excise and Excise-equivalent Duties Table (Alcoholic Beverages Indexation) Amendment Order. This has the rules by which there is an adjustment to excise and excise-equivalent duties on alcoholic beverages to reflect the movements in the CPI. Those rules play a very important role. 
But then comes the Customs Export Prohibition Order which is really about some of our treasures being exported. I hear that rules are coming up for confirmation around the export of pounamu green-lipped mussels and dual-use goods like the ones that the previous speaker spoke about that might be used in a nuclear production programme. So this bill brings very very serious regulations around really important matters to the House and will be referred to my esteemed colleagues in the committee. 
There is also the Customs Import Prohibition Order which I am sure the Minister of Police will be very interested in. This is about the prohibitions on the importation of offensive weapons—knuckledusters various knives and bayonets—and motor vehicles with inaccurate odometers. It is a very very specific and important regulation that is coming up for confirmation and our friends on the committee will ponder over many arguments from either side. They will look at this bill and bring it back to the House. I look forward to the Committee stage of the bill. We will ask hard questions of the Minister in the chair. 
There is another order under the Land Transport Act. It is about motor vehicle registration. There is a whole set of rules about registering motor vehicles and cancelling registration licensing motor vehicles and changing the use of motor vehicles. These are the other regulations to come in. 
Then there is an order under the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001. Of course this order is about increasing most benefits pensions and allowances. That is very important these days because a lot more people are accessing those benefits—not just people on the unemployment benefit etc. but also those on superannuation as well. So the interests of a large number of people are affected by that measure and the committee will want to validate and confirm those particular rules as well. 
Then there is the order about Hong Kong and preferential rates of duty under the Tariff Act. The Green Party does not support that provision. Now that we want to be unanimous I am sure there will be great debate on that issue in the House. 
As for the provisions on war pensions the committee may like to state in parenthesis on the side that it wonders when the overhaul and updating of the War Pensions Act will come into place. Perhaps the committee should look at the regulations around that; this might be a good time to do so. 
The most fascinating provision relates to the Wine Act 2003. 
Sandra Goudie 
: Wind him up. 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: No this is quite interesting I say to Sandra Goudie. There is also a levy on those who grow grapes; however the levy is not imposed in relation to the sale of grape wine to another winery in New Zealand. We can sell that to other wineries and there will no levy on it but in some other places there are levies. So there we go; I have learnt more about a different part of one Act. 
This is a really important bill. We are happy to support its referral to the select committee and I look forward to the report back. Thank you.