Dean JacquiHon JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. National opposes the Referendums Framework Bill at its third reading as it did at all stages as I understand not sitting on that committee. National has some very well-founded in my view concerns around this bill. Speakers on the Opposition side have made a number of points in this third reading as they have done in prior readings and I'm not going to restate those.I do wish to make a couple of points and really just refer to something said by the member who has just resumed her seat Golriz Ghahraman where the member said it's an exciting day for electoral reform in New Zealand. I could not disagree more because electoral reform has of custom going right back through the years since 1853—since that time it has been the custom of this Parliament that any matters to go to referenda or referendum would be considered by the Parliament and that has been the parliamentary custom. A lot of the processes around this Parliament are built on custom and there has been a very good reason for that. So I disagree with the member who says it's an exciting day for electoral reform in New Zealand because instead of that it is another example of this current coalition Government turning its back at its convenience on what has been a proud history in the democracy of New Zealand and the New Zealand Parliament in determining the matters that go to a referendum question—or referenda in this case—proposed.To just a final point in the member's quote—sure electoral reform in New Zealand which she finds exciting only lasts until we have held the 2020 election and then what? Is it still exciting? Well no of course it isn't because the bill—soon to become regrettably law—has only a life leading up to the 2020 election. Even from that point I think it could be argued that this piece of legislation serves not Parliament but perhaps it serves the interests of the current Government.To take the referendum question wording from Parliament and place it to be a decision by Order in Council and not by Parliament is a substantial change and it is one where the general public in the hurried passage of this bill—I doubt whether they have had the opportunity to really have a say on such an important question.To the aspect of citing the Regulations Review Committee as the place for this bill after its third reading to be considered—it is not the appropriate standing committee of Parliament. The appropriate standing committee of Parliament is the Justice Committee. Now why it isn't going there I'm sure that question was asked in the committee stage and my understanding is that at the committee stage that question was not answered.So I just want to refer to some words the Ministry of Justice submitted to the Government in the preparation and passage of this bill where they said The decision on whether to put a matter to a referendum is primarily a political matter. There are very few statutory requirements [and] almost no restrictions on what [measures] are put to [a] referendum or how such decisions are made. The appropriate level of parliamentary oversight over such decisions and the appropriate extent of public and/or parliamentary input into the wording of a referendum question are matters of political judgment." And I would say that this current coalition Government have exercised that political judgment and I think Parliament and the people of New Zealand are not well served by this approach. Thank you Madam Speaker."