Mallard Trevor: Motor Vehicle Sales Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Mallard Trevor: Motor Vehicle Sales Amendment Bill — First Reading 
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Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 I think when I was interrupted by the adjournment at the end of last week I was in fact responding to an interjection from the member for Tauranga. We were discussing at that stage the benefits of a variety of cars and from memory he was promoting a Mercury Cougar. I have looked at the— 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: What does Christine think of this? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Well it was based heavily on discussions that the member has had privately and publicly about the things that are hot and the things that are not. In this particular case it has become clear that that member is cougar bait. He is bait for a cougar. I am very very surprised that when there was a discussion about his favourite cars he did not promote the Cougar in the way that he appears to promote it in its Wellington form as opposed to its United States form. 
I had forgotten about Mercury Cougars. I was never a great expert on cars but I spent a bit of time looking them up on the Internet. Do members know the problem with a Mercury Cougar? The problem as far as Simon Bridges is concerned is that it is a two-seater. It is a coupé. It is not particularly useful for the sort of activity the member was contemplating in his discussions with a number of people about things that are hot and things that are not. [ 
Interruption 
] Does the member want examples of cars that I have had? I have had a wide variety of cars none of them particularly flash. I am not sure anything other than the old Monaro— 
Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: Tell us about the red van you keep in the basement. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The red van I understand is one of two Volkswagen Caddies in the country. I have an absolute assurance from the licensed motor vehicle dealer who has since gone broke that this particular one was imported entirely by accident. He did not know. He knew he was getting a Volkswagen van but did not understand about Caddies. He brought it in from Singapore. It is actually useful because it can take three bikes in the back. I very rarely want to have more than three bikes in the back of my van. Because like the member’s Mercury Cougar there are only two seats in the front three bikes is generally around the limit. 
Does Mr Quinn have any other questions about the van? It is well marked up; it is well known around the Hutt. People think it is— 
Paul Quinn 
: You only bring it out once every 3 years. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: That is not true. I drive it back and forth to work every day. 
Chris Hipkins 
: The member never spends any time in the Hutt! 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: If the member went to the Hutt Valley occasionally and observed cars out there he would see that— 
Paul Quinn 
: I didn’t see you; I was there yesterday. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Were you out there today? 
Paul Quinn 
: Yesterday. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The member was out there yesterday. Well I was out there all day yesterday mainly in Petone and Naenae. I did not see him but then no one notices Paul Quinn. Well that is not entirely true. They notice him but if he is around a corner they disappear pretty quickly because they hear him coming. They hear him coming and they take off. I heard that the member has an office. But when is his office ever open? I have been sending everyone who says to me that I cannot help them but asks whether the Government could help them— 
Paul Quinn 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am not quite sure what the last 10 minutes have had to do with the bill. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I think the member makes a fair point. The member speaking has been subjected to some interjections and has responded to them. But I think we should come back to the Motor Vehicle Sales Amendment Bill which is before the House. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I am not going to dispute your ruling Mr Assistant Speaker but I think a discussion around the relative merits of Mercury Cougars and Volkswagen Caddies is quite relevant to the bill especially when one goes to the fact that some licensed motor vehicle dealers—in fact a lot of them in Wellington—have gone broke and when this legislation passes into law some people who should not be in business will not be in business. 
It is a good bit of legislation—most of it. The amendment to the Act means that it will become more obvious that crooks—the people who should be banned—are banned under this legislation. There is also a further requirement to put the consumer information notices or CIN notices—something that Mr Bridges might know about as well—in the windows of the cars or at least to attach them to the vehicles. That will also be useful. The bill gives additional powers to the registrar. In fact it gives powers that I am quite surprised the registrar did not have already. None of it is illogical; it will help get the industry into line. But if there is one thing that I will remember this debate for it was the timely interjection of Mr Bridges last week.