Sepuloni Carmel: Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSepuloni Carmel: Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 27 November 2014. Volume:702;Page:948. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston):I stand to express Labour’s support for this bill. We believe it is important to ensure that we do not have match fixing in sport in this country. New Zealand has a long tradition of good sportsmanship and success most recently demonstrated by Lydia Ko whom I wanted to mention for her win with both the LPGA tour championship and the season-long order of merit on Monday earning her $1.9 million in prize money. We do not want to see match fixing in this country and we are concerned that we are receiving international threat assessments that warn of the increasing risk of crime syndicates and individuals targeting Australasia for sports match-fixing. There have already been high profile match-fixing cases in Australia which we are all aware of here in New Zealand. Match fixing would significantly damage the integrity value and growth of New Zealand sport which contributed $5 billion to our economy in 2008 to 2009.The Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill will help to address match-fixing risks presented by New Zealand’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup and the FIFA U-20 World Cup. These events will occur over February March and May to June 2015 respectively. Implementing this bill will give New Zealanders some peace of mind in terms of having an assurance that our sports that are being played here are being played cleanly and without the risk of any untoward behaviour or any risks of match fixing basically. The bill is not designed to capture every form of match-fixing activity. It is intended to address the most serious match-fixing activity where influencing a betting outcome is intended by improperly manipulating a sporting match or race. The other types of match-fixing activity are better addressed by a code of conduct or disciplinary procedures by relevant governing sports bodies or by other areas of the general law and we accept that.Match fixing is a fast developing area of law globally. Unfortunately it is an area of law that is necessary. Sport New Zealand will continue to monitor international best practice to cover the non-core activity not dealt with in the bill. The bill inserts new section 240A into the Crimes Act 1961 to make it clear that certain match-fixing activity is a form of deception under section 240. This removes the current uncertainty about whether match-fixing falls within the scope of section 240 of the Crimes Act. The Law and Order Committee received four submissions and made one change amending clause 4 of the bill by removing the words “otherwise than for tactical or for strategic sporting reasons” from the definition of “deception”. Across the House we have heard from the other members of other political parties and it is very clear that this is an issue that we take seriously. As a Parliament and as a country we do not want to see our good name in tatters on the international sports stage as a result of match fixing and with two international contests coming up in the form of cricket and also the FIFA U-20 World Cup we do need to be prepared for that.It will be great to see New Zealand host that Cricket World Cup and the FIFA U-20 World Cup next year. This Government knows I have to add a little bit about match fixing in respect of some of the things that have been going on recently. We do have to make sure that this Parliament is not responsible for presiding over dirty filthy grubby vile sporting operations unlike the way unfortunately that the Prime Minister has presided over dirty filthy grubby vile political operations. I commend this bill to the House.