Hipkins Chris: Legislation Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hipkins Chris: Legislation Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 03 August 2010. Volume:665;Page:12963. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) 
: 
 I am very happy to take a call on the Legislation Bill. I guess it is a little ironic that we are debating this bill at a time when the New Zealand public is crying out to hear what the National Government’s plan is for a step change in the New Zealand economy. We are in Parliament debating a bill that will modernise and improve the law relating to the publication availability reprinting revision and official versions of legislation and will bring this law together in a single Act. The most important thing that the National Government wants to bring before the House at this particular time is legislation to modernise other legislation. While New Zealanders are signing up for the dole and when this Government’s plan to build recovery is announced on little more than a blank piece of paper printed from its website it wants to bring the Legislation Bill before the House. 
It is also ironic that this bill is in the name of the Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson. He was quite critical of the previous Labour Government for bringing forward legislation that he did not think was particularly serious. One example is the Statutes Amendment Bill (No 2). He said: “while this useless Government spends an enormous amount of time on minor pieces of legislation contained in the Statutes Amendment Bill (No 2) it does absolutely nothing with very important legislation that has languished … on the Order Paper”. That was Chris Finlayson. I looked at the Order Paper. We are debating this bill in his name when there is legislation here on domestic violence but the Government has done nothing about that. There is foreshore and seabed legislation on the Order Paper but the Government has not done anything on that. In fact it has been put on hold according to the Order Paper. Plenty of other bills on here could be progressed but the Government thinks that modernising the laws around legislation is more important. 
John Key said in 2008 that Labour “is out of ideas it is out of steam it is and out of puff. New Zealanders should stop looking to Labour; they should look to National because only one party has bold ideas.” The Legislation Bill is National’s new bold idea! The plan on building the recovery is a blank piece of paper and the most detail we have had out of National today is its Legislation Bill which it is bringing before Parliament at the moment. That is what John Key regards as bold ideas that will turbocharge the New Zealand economy and result in a step change for New Zealand businesses to get more people into work. Apparently it will all be achieved through the Legislation Bill which is National’s most important priority in the House at this particular time. 
The Labour Party supports this bill in its first reading because we think that it is relatively sensible. I do not intend to go through all the details. I am very privileged to be on the Regulations Review Committee. I thank my colleague the senior Opposition whip for giving me that opportunity—or maybe I do not; I am still reserving judgment. I am looking forward to scrutinising this legislation. I know that the Attorney-General is very keen for me to finish my speech but I am so excited about this bill because of the huge impact it will have by turbocharging the New Zealand economy and creating that step change that everybody is looking for! We will catch up with Australia because of the measures contained in this bill! I am not surprised that the Attorney-General cannot wait to get this bill voted on and passed through this House because it is so central to the Government’s agenda. He must be very proud; it is a very proud day for him to see this legislation brought before the House. Thank you very much. 
Bill read a first time.  
Bill referred to the Regulations Review Committee.