Court SimonSIMON COURT (ACT): Thank you Madam Speaker. The ACT Party opposes referring this to select committee and under urgency. This bill was introduced due to mistakes—mistakes that clearly were well-signalled by the advisers to the Minister of Climate Change and to Government.Despite the assertion that the select committee doesn't have a full programme at the moment it's still a waste of Parliament's and the select committee's time. It's unacceptable. The select committee will be thinking about looming Resource Management Act reforms and other business like looking closely into the very complex nature of Crown pastoral leases and the people that that affects. This is a distraction and it's unnecessary and the reason it's unnecessary is because the emissions trading scheme is a market and most markets I've been to if you go and buy your fruit and vegetables or even if you go to the supermarket don't require the Government to tell you what the minimum price is what the maximum price is and what the secret price is. I've never been to a market like that but my learned colleague who taught at Auckland University for many years taxation law who also sits on the select committee may be able to enlighten me about the kind of markets that she's experienced which have those type of controls. I'm not familiar with them and I don't think it's worth wasting the select committee's time on that.But the Minister who's left the Chamber because I understand—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): Order! The member will resume his seat. The member must not refer to the absence of another member.SIMON COURT: Thank you Madam Speaker for clarifying that. But it is difficult to hear home truths and when you're between a rock and a hard place I understand that it must be difficult to bring this type of legislation under urgency to the House essentially asking forgiveness on one hand and asking permission on the other: Please can we take it to select committee for another go at this thing that we didn't get right?" And the reason that the legislation that we are amending is so flawed is because it addresses a problem that is entirely of the Government's making. There are businesses in New Zealand that are exposed to international markets. They produce things here they do very well they minimise their emissions here in New Zealand and they export them to other countries which probably don't have the same level of environmental controls that we do. So it's very important that New Zealand continues to have those businesses here to support jobs and communities. But the issue with the emissions trading scheme as it's been set up by this Government is that in order to preserve those export-exposed businesses and those import-exposed businesses which make things like cement and steel here in New Zealand and to protect them from the risk that a high carbon price which is the thing that this Government has said it wants to achieve to protect those businesses they need to drop a whole lot of carbon credits on to the market. But of course as those familiar with markets will know if you suddenly release a massive supply of a commodity on to the market you'll tank the price and that's why the market that this Government has set up is rigged and that's why they have proposed to amend it in this way.New Zealand is looking at a coming storm of legislation to deal with climate change and the ACT Party believes that most of that legislation and most of the House's time in debating it and select committee's time will be wasted because those organisations businesses and communities which are able to actually transform our economy and decarbonise it have been ignored. I understand there's been no survey of for example the investments that existing electricity generators are intending to make in renewables. None of that has been taken into account when bringing this amendment and the legislation it seeks to reform to the House. It's almost as if the Government is happy to exist in a vacuum of selective information because that helps them avoid having to have the honest conversation with New Zealand businesses and communities about costs of the reform package that they've proposed to address the real risks of climate change rather than letting the businesses and communities which are affected and most exposed tell us what the important changes are—Dr Duncan Webb: Point of order Madam Speaker. I'm reluctant to do it to a newer member ma'am but I'm yet to hear a reference to the motion which is on the table. The previous two speakers were bad enough but the substance of the bill is not the matter of the debate.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): Thank you very much thank you. The member is a new member just as I am a new Speaker; however it is a requirement for speaking to a referral motion to stick very much to the motion itself. There is a narrow debate.SIMON COURT: Thank you Madam Speaker for clarifying that and thank you also to the patience that those members on the other side of the House have shown me this evening I do appreciate it.Because there is nothing more important than making sure select committees have the opportunity to debate and consider good law. The ACT Party opposes referring this to select committee because we believe it's already flawed legislation it can't be fixed and it should be ditched. That's why we oppose it Madam Speaker."