Rurawhe Adrian: Biosecurity Amendment Bill (No 2) Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 2) — Third ReadingsText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRurawhe Adrian: Biosecurity Amendment Bill (No 2) Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 2) — Third Readings[Sitting date: 21 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3925. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ADRIAN RURAWHE (Labour—Te Tai Hauāuru):It is a pleasure to rise to speak on the bills divided from the Border Processing (Arrivals and Departures) Levy Bill because I want to put my point of view to the general public about what this is really about. This is actually really about the Government collecting more tax money because it cannot balance the books. That is what this is really about and it is my pleasure to tell the public that.On this side of the House we are very serious about biosecurity and about border security—so much so that through 9 years of our Labour Government the last Labour Government not once did we put in an arrival tax or a departure tax. Why was that? We did not need to because we know how to run the economy. We know how to make a surplus. These bills are about collecting more money so that the National Government can scrape and crawl up to a minor surplus next year. It promised it this year and has failed. It has failed seven times to deliver a surplus and that is what this legislation is really about.We have heard from the previous speaker Nicky Wagner that New Zealanders are in a lose-lose situation. Well sorry Minister but you cannot have it both ways. Here are some facts: international visitors spent $10.3 billion last year in the New Zealand economy including $700 million in GST. Well when we were the Government we managed the whole economy and paid for border security and biosecurity through the taxes like the $700 million that had been collected through GST. The fact of the matter is that the Government is unable to do that and it should fess up that the border levy is a tax.Can I also mention the lack of detail around exactly how much is going to be charged? We are hearing figures like “about $6” and “around $16”. This paper here says it will be around $36 for a return journey and it says that is lower than Australia’s but we do not know that for a fact. James Shaw in his contribution criticised the Labour Party for voting for a bill that actually had the formula within it. Well the formula for this for the benefit of that member is not in here and we do not know it and they are voting for it. How can that be right? We need to have clarity around exactly how much people are going to be charged at the border to come into our country. You know that is kind of fundamental.The Government has got the process in the wrong order. It is in the wrong order. You do the legislation after the consultation not before. You know give the public the opportunity to be consulted on all parts of these bills not just a little bit; not just a bit here and agree that we are going to pass this bill and we will let you know the detail later—trust us we know what we are doing. Well if the public were to trust you then you would not have cut KiwiSaver eight times—and we have been through that legislation today.I suspect that there is probably going to be a statutory amendment bill coming up because that is what happens when you rush legislation through. People are not consulted especially when they are told—as we see in the sign my colleague held up—there are no new taxes. Well you know when it looks like a tax sounds like a tax guess what? It is a tax. It is a tax and so much so that members opposite got a little bit confused and started referring to it as a tax. And they are right. That is exactly what it is. I take this call to speak out against it and I disagree with—Alastair Scott: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I anticipate the point of order. Yes the sign should be removed.Alastair Scott: I am sorry to interrupt but my understanding is that the member can use—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have dealt with the point of order. I anticipated your point of order.ADRIAN RURAWHE: Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker. So finally I would just like to say we oppose this bill for all of those reasons and I think that once again the Government has got it wrong. Thank you.