Webb DuncanDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central): Kia ora Mr Speaker and congratulations Mr Muller on your new position. I hope it goes well for as long as it lasts!Now this bill—and I'm really surprised and a little saddened at the changed direction of the National Party in the sense that this bill has been shown to be essential. Whilst we would love to think that COVID-19 and the response that goes with it is a thing of the past the tragedies around the world have shown us that we need to be constantly vigilant and that things are not going to change for the better in any significant way any time soon. And we've seen only very recently the need to close our borders. Very unfortunately—and unfortunately for many people who would love to come to New Zealand—we've had to close our borders to India. We need to be able to do that very very rapidly indeed. That's why these kinds of executive orders which are set out in this Immigration (COVID19 Response) Amendment Bill are so important.But there seems to be some sense on the part of the other side that there are not protections here. The fact of the matter is—as is clear from the legislation and the framework in which it sits—that there are plenty of ways in which those powers those regulatory powers are controlled. Most importantly of course any regulation is subject to review by the Regulations Review Committee. The committee is in fact as anyone who's sat on it would know a very important and powerful committee in that it can either look at any complaint about any regulation made by a member of the public or it can inquire into things of its own volition. In fact any member of that committee can bring things to this House for consideration. So if the Opposition is so concerned about a regulation that the Minister chooses to make under this Act its members on that committee are fully within their rights to come to this House and this House must debate and approve that regulation and if they don't that regulation is disallowed. To suggest that this is some sort of carte blanche is just entirely inaccurate.The other thing to note is this: that it's all very nice to say that these are terrible powers but six out of the eight powers set out in the bill are powers to give indulgences to people who need special consideration. So we've seen people stuck in New Zealand on student visas or work visas or even visitor visas. Now travel has been very difficult; so the Minister has been able when appropriate when those visas are coming up to expiry with a stroke of the pen as Mr Bishop—well you said biro actually; a stroke with the biro to extend the visas of those people. Now that's really important because if we had to go through an arduous process that wouldn't be possible and those people would be in New Zealand illegally. That's not good for anyone at all.Further there is a decision-making framework within the bill. It's not simply the case—it's quite fatuous and inaccurate to say—that the Minister can just wake up one day and feel like granting a few more visas. There is a very clear decision-making process and it must be shown that the power exercised is necessary. As Angela Roberts said necessary for the safety of New Zealand" is an important aspect of that. I think sometimes we lose sight of the fact that it is exactly these kinds of measures which have protected New Zealand.And the other thing just by way of conclusion is to remember of course that if the Minister exercises those powers outside of the constraints set out in the Act they're reviewable. The exercise of executive powers is subject to the supervision not only of this House in some cases but also of the courts. So here we have a piece of legislation that incidentally the Māori Party despite their protestations that they would scrutinise every piece of legislation have chosen not to speak on this afternoon but here's a piece of legislation that's good it's robust it's subject to scrutiny by this House and by the courts. It's a good piece of legislation. I commend it to the House."