Mitchell Clayton: Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMitchell Clayton: Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 02 December 2014. Volume:702;Page:988. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]CLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First):I appreciate the time given. I would like to rise on behalf of New Zealand First to speak in favour of this amendment bill albeit it is only a very short piece of amendment that is taking place but I think a very very important one. I spoke on this amendment last week for some time although I struggled to fill up 10 whole minutes because of course it is in fact only one line of difference but a very important line none the less.I do support some of what Mr Mallard is talking about with regard to what it is going to be covered as far as betting goes whether it is illegal betting or otherwise. In actual fact I think this piece of legislation does make sense. I can understand the reference to the speed with which it is coming forward because of course we have this very auspicious occasion starting up on Valentine’s Day next year which of course is the start of the Cricket World Cup. All lovers of cricket will be making love to the game and getting out there in plentiful supply and watching this great game. All nations of the world will obviously have their eyes fixated on New Zealand. I think that is great and it is very very important for us to be able to push this piece of legislation forward in a manner so as to actually say that this sort of behaviour—this match fixing this illegal activity—is not going to take hold in this country.It was mentioned by a member in the last sitting that this is something that has only just started to creep in in recent times. In fact I do not believe that is the case at all. I think match fixing has been around for a long time. I think it is the ugly side to sports and recreation. Of course now that we have got so much sport betting going on around the world I think we need to be seen to be doing a lot more with regard to that sort of illegal activity. There was a reference to the cost in 2010—that internationally illegal betting and match fixing cost the world about $140 billion which is a huge figure when you think about what goes on behind the scenes to organise this sort of activity. We can all remember in very recent times of course the gamekeeper and poacher Lou Vincent coming clean with what has been going on within our own cricket. That was a great eye-opener for all who thought that we were somehow disenfranchised from the rest of the world when it comes to game fixing. Of course we have seen it with the boxing in Don King’s era and many other sports and of course Lance Armstrong with his Tour de France. It was a big shock to New Zealand and New Zealanders when we saw our very own hero sportspeople being enthralled by that sort of illegal activity.We remember the Rugby World Cup final in 1995 which of course you could say was match fixing by illegal activity in South Africa where we had the World Cup final. Our All Blacks were poisoned in the final and therefore lost by a slim margin. That to me is a huge indictment on that particular sporting event and a sporting occasion that the world holds in such high esteem let alone New Zealanders who hold rugby and netball at the heart of their souls. In 1981 we witnessed the underarm bowling by Trevor Chappell. On the last ball we had to get a six to make it even for the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup final and of course he did a dirty underarm bowl and we will never forget that moment either.These are the sorts of things that I think should be encapsulated in this bill because they are the sorts of illegal activities that change the outcome of bets. People do like to put money on but that can of course be manipulated by one person within a team of many. It may or may not be themselves gaining some remunerative interests and some gains. We need to make sure that that behaviour does not happen because of course it has been going on for such a long time. With the World Cup coming we have got the world’s eyes looking upon New Zealand—with the Cricket World Cup in particular. I think this piece of legislation needs to be put through as quickly as possible with as little objection as possible and New Zealand First will commend the bill. Thank you very much.