Mooney Joseph; Williams PotoJOSEPH MOONEY (National—Southland): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I rise to speak on the Thomas Cawthron Trust Amendment Bill a private bill brought by the member for Nelson Rachel Boyack. And congratulations for the work that's no doubt gone on on behalf of the member and also all of the others who have been involved. There has been quite a bit of work I understand from a number who have been involved in bringing this to the House.The National Party supports this bill. It does bring some changes and it reflects the wishes of the region for something that has been really important for the Nelson region for over 100 years. It is quite fascinating actually; I think one of the good things about this is that it's given a chance for more people to learn about the Cawthron Institute and what it does in Nelson. I agree with the previous member Helen White who said it'd be great to see more of these types of things in our regions. It is a key driver of science of community of lifting up the information base of the region an economic driver as well and probably focusing on things that aren't seen as necessary is important for other regions for reasons that are understandable for those regions. But in Nelson for example the sea and the connection to the sea is hugely important. It's the port where many of our biggest fishing companies base themselves from. It has a very vibrant sea life. I actually lived for a year myself in Nelson many years ago and I've been surfing there I've been kayaking I've seen the orca swimming past very close to the Boulder Bank very close to me and it's quite something. So it's quite a special part of the world actually and it's great just for all of us to learn more about the Cawthron Institute and what it's done.I think I'd just say it's probably been said before but it's just worth going into this a little bit. The Cawthron Institute was established in 1919 by the last will and testament of the Nelson philanthropist Thomas Cawthron who had a vision. He had a vision that science could contribute to the growth of a young New Zealand. That's a fantastic vision that still holds true today well over 100 years later. In fact I think we're realising more and more how important science is. So he was someone who contributed a lot to Nelson and New Zealand with that vision and that bequest. Following his death in 1915 he bequeathed the equivalent of $100 million in today's terms—so a really huge amount of money and at the time the largest single bequest—to establish and maintain a technical school institute and museum which are the forerunners of today's Cawthron Institute. It was officially opened in Nelson in 1921 following the establishment of the Cawthron Institute Trust Board. And it is New Zealand's largest independent science organisation producing world-class science that helps to protect the environment and support sustainable development in the primary industries in New Zealand and worldwide. And when I look at the work that it's doing I have a personal interest in this: it's aquaculture. I think aquaculture's a big opportunity for New Zealand that we haven't really taken advantage of yet in the way we could. There is some good work happening there. It's on freshwater health it's on ocean health seafood safety and algae and bioactives. These are things I have a personal interest in because I spent a year of my life in my younger years actually studying marine science—and it was in the North Island actually in Tauranga. But I got a PADI Divemaster at the same time so I did a lot of diving did a lot of work transecting studying the different organisations in the ocean the science of the ocean the health etc. Our oceans are a huge resource in this country and something that I think all of us have a connection to even though where I live now is quite a distance away from the ocean—I live in the mountains now. But I think all of us on these islands have a deep connection to the ocean. And it's great to see this institute in Nelson which is focused on those matters which are really key for the country.I think I'm going to have an opportunity to speak in the third and final reading of this bill so I'll save a few more comments till then. Hon Member: No!Barbara Kuriger: We're not having a third reading!JOSEPH MOONEY: Oh we're not having a third reading?Hon Member: Stick around for the committee of the whole.JOSEPH MOONEY: OK. Well just—Thomas Cawthron he's a self-made man who used his considerable fortune to make many gifts to his adopted city including the steps in front of the church including helping set up the Nelson school of music where I actually was a student at one time as well. So I have a number of connections to this. It's been a pleasure to speak on it.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Poto Williams): I call Ingrid Leary—five minutes.