Heatley Phil: Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters (Information Matching) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Heatley Phil: Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters (Information Matching) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:632;Page:3942] 
PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei) 
: 
 I rise to talk about Part 2. I have to inform the Committee that I have had some formal discussions with my colleagues on this side of the Chamber and I want the Committee to take into account that we have come to an agreement. Should the Minister choose to answer the questions put by Nathan Guy and Paula Bennett on the source of the State house tenants’ personal details that went to the Labour Party during the last election campaign so it could direct-mail the tenants threatening letters we would give leave to that if the Chairman felt it was not within the scope of this particular part. We are relaxed about it being in the scope if the Minister wants to address it. If the Minister wants to seek leave so he can address it and put to death those issues then this side of the Committee will absolutely support that because we would like answers as would the State house tenants who lived in a climate of fear for those 2 months leading up to the last general election and of course the general public as well. 
Part 2 “Consequential amendments to Privacy Act 1993” is a reasonably simple and necessary part that deals with the definition of the specified agency that will be involved in the information matching. In this legislation we are not passing that every Government agency be able or obliged to share information with the Ministry of Social Development. We could not have that; we could not have every single agency being rash and free with the personal information held dear by Kiwis within the privacy of their lives and homes. We could not have that information splashing around the Internet across the Minister’s desk or in the information presented to the Labour Party president every month. What we are talking about here of course is just information relating to the Housing New Zealand Corporation. 
More important clause 6 “Interpretation” states: “(2) The definition of specified agency is … the Housing New Zealand Corporation established”—and people will recall this—“(as the Housing Corporation of New Zealand) by section 3(1) of the Housing Corporation Act 1974:”. So there is a play around with words there on the Housing New Zealand Corporation and the Housing Corporation of New Zealand. We are being specific here so that we would not be caught up somehow in the future if the courts establish that the wrong organisation was involved in information sharing with the Ministry of Social Development. Thank goodness for Part 2. 
This part interestingly enough formed one of the amendments that I was going to present tonight if the Minister and his officials had not covered it off but—of course—they had in the bill that was presented to the House before the select committee looked at it. The Minister’s officials were on the ball there. The Minister did not have to catch them out—I certainly did not catch them out—and the National Party will be cooperative in addressing that particular issue. 
We also see clause 7 where schedule 3 is amended by inserting: “in its appropriate alphabetical order the following item: Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Act 1992”. So schedule 3 after the passing of this legislation will contain the Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Act 1992 under section 68. That relates to the Ministry of Social Development and the issue of information sharing. 
In summing up for this particular part I will read a letter that was sent in mid-June. It states: “Dear Mr Brash Thank you for pressing on with your investigations in Housing New Zealand. I’m thrilled to bits with this bill that will enable tenants of Housing New Zealand to be investigated and that of course is investigated if necessary.” This particular person will remain confidential because we have not passed an Act in this Parliament that allows me to brandish names here there and everywhere. I can of course do it inside the House but I am not Winston Peters; I am just not going to do it. That person acknowledges that Dr Brash and the National Party in 1999 first of all brought in these provisions and we thank the Minister for passing them through this stage today.