Hayes John: Governor-General Bill — Second Reading 
Hayes John: Governor-General Bill — Second Reading 
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JOHN HAYES (National—Wairarapa) 
: 
 Thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Governor-General Bill. I have to say that I am a bit disappointed in my colleagues from across the floor of the House for the way they have demeaned the discussion in this debate this afternoon. I draw their attention to the comments of the High Commissioner of India in New Zealand retired Admiral Sureesh Mehta as reported by the  
New Zealand Herald 
. He said the Government had handled the issue “quite well”. He went on to say he believed a visit to India by Prime Minister John Key would be a good thing but that the affair was too small a matter to be brought up between Mr Key and Dr Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister of India. That is the point. The Opposition has gone out of its way this afternoon to demean both the process in this House and the position of a very excellent Governor-General in this country and a similarly excellent Prime Minister. 
When members consider this bill I would like them to reflect on the fact that Mr Goff 2 hours after the Henry event said that Paul Henry was being Paul Henry. So I do not think Mr Goff and the Opposition can take too much credit for the way that they have behaved. 
I refer now to clause 16 about which Mr Mallard seemed to provoke fear and loathing in the community by saying that it will be possible for a Seventh-Day Adventist or a Muslim to become Governor-General and to bring all his wives with him. I mean what arrant nonsense! The first thing to note is that polygamy is banned in this country and even if it were not there is Commonwealth precedent. When I was New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea a Governor-General was appointed—Sir Wiwa Korowi—who had six or as I remember maybe seven wives. It did not stop the Papua New Guinean system accommodating that arrangement which is perfectly normal in Papua New Guinea although all hell broke out when he took only one of those wives to London to be gonged. Simply put clause 16 states that if more than one person is entitled to an annuity as a result of the Governor-General serving the term the annuity can be split but no more of it can be paid out than the value of an annuity for one person. 
This bill is important and timely legislation. I stress that it came through our Government Administration Committee with not one voice of dissent. Our report back to Parliament was unanimous. We all accept that the Governor-General plays a really important role in our constitution as the Sovereign’s representative in New Zealand and the Governor-General helps maintain the legitimacy and the continuity of government. I was reflecting on that at an event earlier this week where the Governor-General who is in India was replaced by the Administrator. I suddenly noticed that the Governor-General was not there as he always begins in his inclusive way by speaking in the languages of the realm of New Zealand: Tokelauan Niuean Cook Island Maori New Zealand Maori English and New Zealand Sign Language. I really noticed his absence the other night and I was reflecting on the very inclusive way that our Governor-General works. 
The office of Governor-General is a very symbolic link between the community and the State and he also represents the New Zealand public in a non-partisan way on important public occasions. Much of this bill revolves around streamlining the financial arrangements for the support of the office of the Governor-General. It promotes transparency and assures that the arrangements are rather more simple to administer than the present regime. I think the bill also goes some way to modernise the old-fashioned language found in the Governor-General parts of the Civil List Act. 
A key feature of the bill is that it creates a new funding structure for the office of the Governor-General. The Governor-General’s personal allowance at present pays for a range of official functions that are much more appropriately funded by a separate programme of appropriation and this bill provides for that separate appropriation. Similarly funds for the international travel that the Governor-General undertakes at the Government’s request are provided for in a new international travel appropriation for the Governor-General. Domestic travel will form part of the programme appropriation. The present exemption for tax as other members have pointed out has been removed because there is no longer any justification for this exemption and successive Governors-General have already requested that it be discontinued. With those few words I thoroughly support this bill and commend it to the House.