Smith StuartSTUART SMITH (National—Kaikōura): Thank you Mr Chair. I want to speak to Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) 70 in the name of the Hon Tim Macindoe. I think it's an excellent SOP which states After section 71B(1)(c) insert: (d) any changes referred to in paragraph (c) that alter rules relating to the expulsion of members of Parliament by the party leader cannot apply in the same term of Parliament in which they were changed." In other words it shouldn't be retrospective. I think it's interesting that the Minister in the chair Andrew Little seems to be champion of retrospectivity when it comes to legislation.There's generally a great reluctance for any retrospective laws that should come in for very good reasons and I think it's interesting that it's been mentioned about the New Zealand First caucus signing up to $300000 worth of indentured servitude in their terms of serving in Parliament. I well recall—as I'm sure my colleagues will—when they signed up for the National Party reading very carefully what it was that we were signing up for. You'd expect when someone puts themselves forward to be a legislator that they'd actually worry about the details—that they would look at the details of what they were signing up for and what their obligations are in terms of the party—and in particular you'd have to consider "What happens if I transgress these rules and how would the party go through the process of kicking me out?" And I think anyone who votes for you when you put yourself up as a legislator would expect you to cover off those sorts of details.So we have an instance of New Zealand First who have these clear rules with the $300000 indentured servitude clause in their particular party rules. When they were asked about it—the members—some knew about it and said that they vaguely remembered it and that yes they signed it; then of course magically when Mr Peters waved a wand they hadn't signed it. So we don't know. Clearly they hadn't looked at those rules. So it's really important that we have those rules in very clear language in the public domain as is in Mr Penk's SOP but I think Mr Macindoe's SOP is also vitally important.We should not have anything that can have a retrospective nature. If you sign up for something and then they change the rules half way through I think that that is not natural justice. That is retrospective in nature and in this case it's not justified. I just wonder how the Minister as the Minister for Courts and the Minister of Justice actually looks himself in the mirror in the morning when he is sponsoring a bill that is so badly out of line with natural justice principles and putting this up.I think it was mentioned before by someone: I've seen more detailed members' bills than this one and I'm not sure whether it was written in the Green Parrot after midnight and paid for with roubles—I'm not sure.Simeon Brown: It probably was.STUART SMITH: It probably was.Hon Tim Macindoe: With a single malt.STUART SMITH: Ha! Yes a single malt. In fact you can probably see the stains on the bill. It is very poorly drafted it has huge implications for the legal structure in New Zealand and it has a major impact on democracy and the democratic principles. It's ironic that the Labour Party of all parties which stands up for workers' rights is sponsoring something that we have seen with New Zealand First the actual promoting party in behind is a champion of indentured servitude. That should be anathema to the Labour Party. Why are they doing this? Well we all know why they're doing it but I'd like to hear from them. Why don't they stand up? Mr Little has been up and down a bit. Why doesn't someone else get up? Kieran McAnulty has been handing around lollies to try and soothe the taste of the dead rats. Why don't you get up and let's hear your rationale for supporting this?Now I know poor old Darroch over there is looking rather ill but he's hoping this $300000 is magically going to be lifted off his balance sheet because it'll be on his balance sheet. He is looking rather worried.Rt Hon David Carter: He's just had a call from his bank manager!STUART SMITH: Yeah that's right. Is it gone by Monday?"