Smith Nick: Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Smith Nick: Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:616;Page:11669] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 It says volumes about the arrogance of the Labour Government and its United Future party doormat that not one of their members has contributed a single 5-minute speech to this debate about an industry that earns hundreds of millions of dollars for New Zealand but which they want to shut down for a further 9 months. 
Jill Pettis 
: What about the title? Mention the title! 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Jill Pettis wants to interject. Why does she not give a speech? She is probably like those who are referred to in the  
New Zealand Herald  
editorial as not knowing anything about wealth creation or business in New Zealand which has so much been brought to attention by this bill. 
National’s spokesperson on fisheries the very competent Phil Heatley has moved some very sound amendments in respect of the title to put into perspective just what this bill is all about. It is an anti-growth bill. It is a bill that is all about the foreshore and seabed issue—about which Dr Cullen who is in the Chamber has been all over the paddock during the last 9 months—and a complete lack of leadership. I would like to hear from Dr Cullen. Perhaps he would like to give a speech and tell the people of New Zealand what the Government’s policy on the foreshore and seabed is. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: We would all like to know. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: We would all like to know because we have had five different versions. We have had so many promises of legislation being introduced. The reason it is so relevant is that this legislation is a promise that the moratorium will be extended for only 9 months but that relies of course on the Prime Minister’s commitment that the bill on the foreshore and seabed will be introduced this month. Already this week we have been told that that bill will be further delayed— 
Phil Heatley 
: Is that before or after the inquiry? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: My colleague Phil Heatley asks me whether that will be before or after the royal commission. Do members remember the Royal Commission on Social Policy? I think Dr Cullen was about then. It was the most expensive doorstop ever produced in the history of this Parliament. The architect of it was Dr Michael Cullen. It was an enormous failure. [ 
Interruption 
] That was the Minister of Social Welfare of the time—the Minister of the royal commission. Now Dr Cullen believes he can pull the same trick again and have a royal commission on some of the treaty foreshore and seabed issues that are holding back key industries like aquaculture. 
I pointed out during the Committee stage that this issue is no laughing matter. It is a $45 million a year issue for just the community of Tasman. Tasman is just a small fraction of New Zealand. This industry is worth $45 million a year for Tasman. There are losses of $150000 per day for the district of Tasman. That is almost as much as the Minister’s salary. Mr Benson-Pope should earn it by fixing this problem and not further kicking it for touch. If we could resolve these issues rather than have further delay then we would be far better off—not just in Tasman but all over New Zealand. That is the sort of leadership that is so sadly lacking from this Government. 
All sorts of positive amendments were put forward by Mr Heatley that would make a positive difference to this bill and provide some discipline for the Government to resolve the issue by year’s end and not further kick for touch. Perhaps Mr Heatley’s amendments should have been called the “Resource Management (Aquaculture Kick for Touch) Amendment Bill”. I know the member used that language earlier. All that this legislation means is that when one does not have a policy the easiest thing is to have a moratorium. We saw that with the Government in respect of genetic engineering. We also saw it in respect of a whole number of areas where the issue was just too hard. 
Simon Power 
: A moratorium on school closures? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: My colleague the member for Rangitikei says the Government is in trouble so it will have a moratorium on school closures. 
Phil Heatley 
: We should have a moratorium on going to the seabed and foreshore. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: That at least would be more lawful than what the Prime Minister did by trying to heavy the Maori Land Court.