Patterson MarkMARK PATTERSON (NZ First): It's with great pleasure that I reiterate New Zealand First's support for this Racing Reform Bill for two reasons actually: firstly it's a really good piece of legislation as the previous speaker Mr Bennett has outlined; and secondly for me not to do so would be career-limiting. Actually I would commend the previous Minister for Racing David Bennett on his contribution just finished. I did have in my notes a scathing rebuke of racing being adrift under the last National Government for which he was a Minister but since he's made such a conciliatory speech and looking to the future I will lay off.But this is of course a very important industry for this country with a $1.6 billion contribution to our GDP but it has been stagnant over a number of years. I think if we look back 10 years we would see those same figures and of course over time costs and the like have risen and it's becoming harder and harder for people in the racing industry to make ends meet—and of course the thousands and thousands of workers that are employed by the industry. If you look at similar sized economies like Ireland for example that has a similar racing culture to our own their industry has reformed itself and has been much more successful than ours over the last 10 years and is in fact thriving. So I think it does show the way that there is hope for the racing industry for adopting some of the measures. Of course we know this is just the first part of a two-part reform of the industry on the back of the Messara report. Mr Messara is highly regarded; his reform of Racing New South Wales has been incredibly successful and he has come here with huge mana and produced a report which will be the template for the revival of the racing industry. I was just actually at the Fieldays last week up in Mystery Creek in Hamilton—of course Mr van de Molen's country and Mr Bennett's country as well. At the New Zealand First stand there were many people from the racing industry coming in and saying how grateful they were that they had a Minister that was taking the bull by the horns and actually rolling his sleeves up and getting some action going in the industry. It has been stagnant they had lacked some leadership and they were very grateful. As has been outlined it's that money coming in and we need it flowing into the stakes that then flows into the breeders because there's a return on investment. What Messara showed us was that if you're racing a horse in New South Wales you can expect for every dollar you put in to get a 49c return. Of course that might not sound good in terms of putting your money in the bank but this is greater than that. This is the thrill of racing and the ability to have that once-in-a-lifetime horse. But it's 49c on the dollar over there. Here its 22c and it is declining. So we do need these wider reforms of which this is the first tranche. Of course in the Budget we found—in the announcement and of course in this as well—the progressive decrease of the levy that the TAB needs to pay back to the Government which in three years will have $13.9 million extra going into both racing and to sport which will be hugely appreciated and is part of that virtuous cycle that this bill will start. Of course there are the provisions in the bill to bring in the Racing Industry Transition Authority to oversee the second tranche. The second tranche looks at the structural reform of the industry the footprint. That will be more controversial. It will have a greater consultation process and is due that. We've also within this looked at the gambling harm and—it's been referred to by others—that is a serious issue. It's good to see more resources going into that particular aspect. I commend my colleague Darroch Ball who oversaw the select committee process. It was truncated but there were 42 submissions and I believe nine oral. There were some—as Mr McAnulty outlined in his contribution—small but significant improvements made to the bill through that process. This is an important industry for New Zealand. It's a cultural—rugby racing and beer. While we are a more diverse multicultural society these days than maybe we were back in the heyday it's still a very big part of our culture going down to the local racetrack. I know I certainly enjoy taking my family down there in the summer on occasion and to some of the race meetings down south. It is a legacy industry for this country. There is as overseas examples show much potential to grow it back towards where it was. We know that as outlined previously looking into Asia and the huge growth of the racing over there the breeding has got significant potential to grow its contribution to our GDP. So without further ado I have much pleasure in reconfirming New Zealand First's support for this bill. Thank you.Bill read a second time.