Brown Peter: Births Deaths Marriages and Relationships Registration Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Brown Peter: Births Deaths Marriages and Relationships Registration Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:647;Page:15914] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 Unfortunately I missed my turn for my call so I am taking a tail-end Charlie. I have to say that the contribution of the member who has just resumed his seat Colin King was quite disappointing. I usually listen to him with some interest because he usually talks common sense but here he was talking gobbledegook—absolute gobbledegook. When this legislation was first introduced by the Government it all seemed very very straightforward and New Zealand First supported it going to the Government Administration Committee. But shortly thereafter we found a number of flaws were identified by the genealogists the historians and the people who represented adopted people. They all registered huge concerns. A number of submissions outlined the details of those concerns none more so than that of the Hon Peter Dunne and Keith Locke where they combined together and outlined their concerns.  
In order to ensure that the select committee took on board the submitters’ concerns Sandra Goudie—and the member can tell me whether I am correct—got somebody to extract the records of I think her own family without anybody whatsoever challenging it. She came back to the select committee and told us how loose the system was. 
Sandra Goudie 
: I don’t have a problem with that part. 
PETER BROWN 
: The member does not have a problem with that part but she will vote against the bill. She will vote against it. She identified quite clearly that there was a problem in the current law and the National members will vote against the bill.  
But I say “fair go” to the Minister because he took on board all the concerns and realised that the legislation was not doing the job that he thought it would do. It needed amendment and he has produced a Supplementary Order Paper to address all the concerns. The Minister needs to be complimented on that. He wrote to the select committee addressing all the concerns and I have a copy of his letter here. [ 
Interruption 
] One of the concerns—and it is the concern of the member opposite who is going into hysterics as I speak—was that if Joe Blow goes along and asks about the background on the criteria on or the information about a certain person then Joe Blow is captured on an access register. Under the legislation as it was originally written there was nothing and that is considered to be a solution. 
Sandra Goudie 
: That wasn’t a concern. 
PETER BROWN 
: Oh the member is agreeing with it. 
Sandra Goudie 
: No I said that wasn’t a concern. I don’t mind people having access to the information but the member actually doesn’t understand the issue—nor did the Minister. 
PETER BROWN 
: The member is quite confused. She is opposing this bill and she knows that the current law is inadequate. The member knows that the current law is inadequate. She was a member of the select committee—a rather vocal member of the select committee—and she is advocating that the National Party does nothing. She knows that there is a problem and she wants nothing to be done.  
New Zealand First thinks that the Minister has taken all the concerns on board. He has produced a Supplementary Order Paper to address the concerns that the public raised before the select committee and New Zealand First will be supporting it.  
I am conscious that I am running out of time but I just want to talk a little about another concern of New Zealand First. When one goes for a death certificate when a person has died it states whether that person is buried or cremated but if one goes for a computer printout it does not state whether the person is buried or cremated. It does not use those terms at all; it states where the body was disposed of. Many people many New Zealanders find that to be insulting. They find that to be insensitive. We made representations to the Minister and to the select committee and that wording will be changed in this legislation. That is a significant improvement and I compliment the Minister on listening to that concern and taking it on board. Thank you very much.