McNair Craig: Government Superannuation Fund Amendment Bill (No 2) — In Committee Procedure 
McNair Craig: Government Superannuation Fund Amendment Bill (No 2) — In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:606;Page:3884] 
CRAIG McNAIR (NZ First) 
: 
 I take pleasure in speaking to Part 1. Whenever New Zealand First members look at legislation we look at it in a very balanced and sensible way as we always have. As I look at the bill and listen to some of the speeches—I listened to Roger Sowry last night and to Pansy Wong and some others—I have to say that I think they are missing the purpose of the bill. I really have to make that point. This bill is not a massive and controversial piece of legislation that the Government is trying pass under our noses. As we are speaking to Part 1 I would like the read out the purpose clause but before I do that I do want to remind members that New Zealand First is a strong advocate for the fund to have more investment in New Zealand. Everybody knows that. We have even got a press release about it. 
Simon Power 
: What is the purpose? 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: We have even got a press release about how we should invest more in New Zealand but this is the purpose of the bill— 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: No it’s not. 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: Dr Lockwood Smith wants to be all smart about it but if he would just listen to people who want to speak on the bill—[ 
Interruption 
] Pansy Wong is saying that I should speak to the bill. What did she talk about? Absolutely nothing! That just shows the substance of the National Party. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member needs to come back to clauses 2 and 3. 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: Thank you Madam Chair. As a new member I do appreciate your guidance. The purpose of the bill is to remove inequities in treatment between members of the old schemes of the Government Superannuation Fund and the new schemes. That is pretty basic. One good point that Pansy Wong did make last night was that time had moved on. [ 
Interruption 
] If Dr Lockwood Smith is calling for me to speak to the bill I can tell him that I definitely am speaking on the bill. Pansy Wong as I remember was talking about the difference in treatment between the members of the old schemes of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and the new schemes. The commentary on the bill states: “The purpose of the bill is to remove inequities in the treatment between members of the old schemes of the Government Superannuation Fund (GSF) and the new schemes. The bill seeks to remove an inequity in the treatment of widows and widowers with effect from 1 July 2002.” Time has moved on. There has been a need for us to update the legislation as it were. I am glad to hear that other parties are supporting this bill. New Zealand First as I have always said supports good legislation and opposes bad legislation. We think that this is good legislation. 
Simon Power 
: What’s it about? 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: Does Simon Power think that this is good legislation or bad legislation? 
Simon Power 
: What’s it about? 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: No—I am on my feet. I ask him to tell me whether he thinks that this legislation is good or bad. He does not know. All he has is a question. He probably will not speak on this bill. I do not think that that member heard me when I said what the purpose of the bill is. He is asking me to tell him about the bill. If the member had listened he would have heard what I said about the bill. That just goes to show the substance of the National Party. Simon Power really wants me to spell it out to him—specifically about Part 1. There must be something I do not know because I thought he had been here for at least one term before I was.