Hutchison Paul: Resource Management Amendment Bill (No 2) — In Committee 
Hutchison Paul: Resource Management Amendment Bill (No 2) — In Committee 
[Volume:608;Page:5584] 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (NZ National—Port Waikato) 
: 
 This is the first opportunity I have had to speak on Part 2 of this iniquitous bill and I am very glad to see the Minister Marian Hobbs in the chair. She is grinning like a Cheshire cat when she should not be because in the 3 short years that I have had in Parliament no legislation has caused as much concern in the great electorate that I represent Port Waikato as the Resource Management Act. Of course the Act is not only a source of concern in the electorate of Port Waikato but in the whole of New Zealand. It just so happens that I have been asked by Federated Farmers to talk on land ownership at its conference in Auckland tomorrow. 
I was fascinated to see a quote from the Minister in the chair regarding this legislation. She said: “The Resource Management Act is a beautifully written beautifully balanced piece of legislation.” Unfortunately that reminds me of one of those old time-honoured stories about Winston Churchill and Lady Astor. I am glad the Minister is listening. Winston Churchill and Lady Astor had been having a party one night when Lady Astor came up to Winston Churchill and said: “Mr Churchill you are drunk—very drunk.” Mr Churchill turned round to her and said: “Lady Astor you are ugly—very ugly—but when I wake up in the morning I will be sober.” 
Here we have a Minister who has said that the Resource Management Act is beautifully written and beautifully balanced legislation.I say to her that this is ugly legislation— 
John Carter 
: And it will be in the morning. 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON 
: —and it would be at absolutely any time of the day. That is absolutely the feeling up and down the country and I am sure that will be the message the Minister will be given by those who attend the Federated Farmers conference tomorrow. 
Here we have 18 parts of a bill compressed into two. Only yesterday the biotechnology task force put out a very important report which the Minister’s colleague the Hon Peter Hodgson said was a high-quality report. Its recommendation was that regulations must be efficient cost-effective and equal to international best practice. It also said: “Compliance costs and delays relating to public consultation are climbing. The public consultation process requires streamlining to improve cost and time overheads without compromising quality control.” It went on to say that industry must have a regulatory environment that is transparent and predictable. 
I ask the Minister in the chair whether she can confirm that this bill has a regulatory framework that is efficient cost-effective transparent and predictable. I would like her to stand up and say to the people of New Zealand with all sincerity that that is the case with this bill. I do not believe she can. I ask her to take a call after this speech and confirm that what her colleague Pete Hodgson said was a report of high quality applies to this iniquitous bill that she and her Government—the lazy Labour Government—are perpetrating on the people of New Zealand. This is not only one of the greatest abuses of regulatory process but also one of the worst ways we have ever seen of achieving an efficient regime that will contribute to economic development in New Zealand. I put that challenge to the Minister. Can she take a call and say with all sincerity that this bill has a regulatory framework that is efficient cost-effective transparent and predictable?