Doocey MattMATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri): I rise to take a call tonight in opposition to the Crown Minerals (Protection of World Heritage Sites) Amendment Bill in its first reading. This is a bill designed to add World Heritage sites to schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991.Can I start by acknowledging the first call on the Government side from Maureen Pugh the member of Parliament based down on the West Coast. I must say personally I thought that was one of Maureen Pugh's best speeches in the House and I think it shows what happens when a member of Parliament stands up and is connected to what they are saying. This was in total contrast to the lead speaker from the Opposition side the Hon Nanaia Mahuta who stood up and very much did not believe what she was saying. Compare that with Maureen Pugh who was emphatic—a typical Coaster who knew—The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Order! The member will resume his seat. [Interruption] The first thing we will have is Louisa Wall withdrawing and apologising for interjecting while I am on my feet.Louisa Wall: I withdraw and apologise Mr Assistant Speaker.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): The member Matt Doocey is a relatively new member but should know that one cannot get up in this House and say that members do not believe things they have told this House. The member will withdraw and apologise.MATT DOOCEY: I withdraw and apologise. For me the first speaker from the Opposition did not have the energy and the commitment of our first speaker—which shows when people in Wellington are trying to decide things for the people who actually live in that local area and know the impact there will be on it. I think a bill like this epitomises that.We had Megan Woods who talked about why World Heritage sites as a collective should be put in schedule 4. But I think for her her argument showed the flaws in this bill. In fact every World Heritage site is completely different. I think that was the point that Maureen Pugh was trying to argue tonight—that on the West Coast there is an ability to look at the extraction of minerals for the benefit of the local economy. If it is a mere fact that mining is a problem—and the Hon Nanaia Mahuta did talk around protecting against the prospect of mining—what if we were able to safely mine? Is that an issue then? I think for me in opposition to this bill is that the speakers so far were unable to get up and prove why they are prejudiced about this. I believe that when we see a lot of young Kiwis going away every year—in the Kiwi tradition—and they travel to many countries they quickly learn in a globalised world that a country that has a competitive economy actually protects its environment. All you need to do is to go to the many Third World countries around the world to see how they do not protect their environments.To come up with this binary argument that it is either a developed economy or protecting the environment in fact is not real. It is not true. What happened to the memorandum of understanding between Labour and the Greens? Why is the Labour Party grandstanding on a Green policy that actually does not have much fact behind it? Why can we not protect our environment as well as support the local economy?No wonder Maureen Pugh got up today so animated. We have people saying we do not want to bottle water in New Zealand. The West Coast has so much water but other parts of New Zealand do not. So what we should be doing is working out what fits and what works in the local economies of New Zealand and the local communities of New Zealand. That is why I think putting all the World Heritage sites into schedule 4 will not allow that ability for local communities to decide what is right for them.The West Coast—what a fantastic place. It is the region that time forgot. Everyone loves the Coasters. But I will tell you what: they get a hard time. And then they pick up the paper and read about bills like this bills without any consultation. Why would you put a member's bill in the ballot and not even go and talk to the people whom it affects? Where is the consultation? No one has answered that question tonight. Where is the consultation? On this side of the House we believe that we can develop our local economies and also protect our local environments. Thank you.