Shearer David: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
Shearer David: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:15112] 
DAVID SHEARER (Labour—Mt Albert) 
: 
 I reinforce what my colleague Chris Hipkins just said about Part 6 which is largely an administrative miscellaneous part of the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill. Nevertheless clause 88 states: “The Governor-General may by Order in Council made on the recommendation of the Minister make regulations that prescribe—” and it goes through those prescriptions. That comes back to the point that we raised before about the Minister which cuts to the chase of what we were talking about in Part 4. 
Why do we have that problem? One of the issues that has come up in the last few days with regard to the debacle that happened on Saturday at Eden Park is that the trustees at the Eden Park Trust Board were all replaced by Minister McCully. Minister McCully changed the trustees who then went on to change the management team. The management team has not yet been in contact with the local residents. Certainly Mr David Kennedy the chief executive officer has not yet made contact with the local residents who were the people who bore the brunt of what happened on Saturday. That is a direct consequence of a lot of the changes being made by the Minister. 
Part 4 as I said before gives the Minister the ability to override and take an enormous amount of licence— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: We are on Part 6. 
DAVID SHEARER 
: I beg your pardon Mr Chairperson. Part 4 gives the Minister a lot of licence and that is reinforced at the beginning of Part 6 as I just quoted. 
I come to clause 88(i) in Part 6 which states: “the form contents colour and size of print of a Rugby World Cup liquor licence including the form and other matters required for licences issued in respect of a group of applications:”. That relates back to what we were just arguing in the debate on Part 5. That again is about the speeding up of liquor licences which have to be advertised as per clause 88(i). The process can be sped up. A lot more liquor licences can be given out in a very short space of time giving people who object only 5 days’ notice in which to do so. Around this area—and around Eden Park in particular which is the area I am specifically concerned about—we will have the capacity to have more outlets and more drinking in an area that has copious numbers of drink outlets already. 
Coming back to Part 6 clause 88(i) goes to the issue of liquor licences. It is something I have a real concern about. I do not think that we need to be promoting rugby on the basis of whether we can drink copiously or have an enormous number of drink outlets for this occasion to be a real success. 
I point out as my colleague has done that we oppose this legislation on the basis of what it allows the Minister to do—on the basis of what it allows the Minister to do. We are completely supportive of the opportunities that the Rugby World Cup gives to New Zealand. I am certainly supportive of what this world cup gives to the people in the area that I represent around Eden Park. Businesses there will be booming. Obviously they will have to be in compliance with Part 6 clause 88(i) and I remind people about that. 
Once again I say that it is a mistake to give the Minister more or less carte blanche to make decisions that override the authority which will then be set up and in place and that override many of the decisions that have been made through good procedures and regulations. It is something that members on this side of the Chamber oppose. 
Part 6 is largely miscellaneous. It is regulations but nevertheless it still speaks to and supports the other parts of the bill that we are not very happy with.