McAnulty KieranKIERAN McANULTY (Labour): I do Madam Speaker. Thank you very much. I felt very aggrieved. Four seconds in and I was cut short in my prime. I hadn't even finished mentioning the bill and I'm very passionate about this bill. I will admit to the House that I was not at the start of this thing because I was unaware that it was going through the House. In the first reading I was not in the House when it was discussed and I was not in the select committee that discussed this bill and I was not here for the committee stage. But I was here for the second reading and I was appalled to hear of stories of these rogue wheel clampers going around the country clamping people willy-nilly and charging anything they like. I was struck. I was so compelled that I thought I would speak on this issue. The fact is that wheel clamping is in itself a legitimate mechanism I suppose to address illegal parking. But what has not been addressed for many many years—until the Hon Kris Faafoi came along and thought We need to sort this out."—is that wheel clampers have been going around clamping people and demanding any figure they like anything they want be it $500 or $700 sometimes using intimidatory tactics standing over people and demanding money that often they cannot afford. What we have done as a Government—and potentially as a Parliament if the other side of the House supports this bill—is say that this sort of behaviour is not good enough. We do not tolerate this sort of behaviour. Jamie Strange: Listening to the people. KIERAN McANULTY: That's right. Listening to the people as the soon to be MP for Hamilton East says—my colleague Jamie Strange.But the thing is that we need to take a balanced approach to this issue because ultimately this bill looks to ensure that the structure the mechanism in place for wheel clamping is regulated but is not going so far as to say that it shouldn't happen because often people are parking in areas where they shouldn't. We know that and it would be very remiss of us to suggest otherwise. But is it fair that just because they have parked somewhere where they are not allowed they should be taken advantage of? I'm sure we've all done it. Just the other day I got a $12 parking fine in Masterton. Hon Members: Outrageous. KIERAN McANULTY: I know. I considered writing my resignation letter. Jamie Strange: The GDP doubled. KIERAN McANULTY: That's right. But I thought: here we have an opportunity for an injection of funds to the Masterton District Council. So I thought "I'll take it." If you can't handle the heat get out of the kitchen. So I was parked outside my office 157 Queen Street Masterton for those that are interested—come along come and have a chat—$2 for two hours; $1 an hour. You can't argue with that. If there's one thing they say about Masterton it's value for money! Two bucks I paid and I was in there and I was dealing with a very interesting case a very interesting case. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Does this have anything to do with the bill? KIERAN McANULTY: Absolutely. Because at any moment Madam Speaker—at any moment under the current regime—I could've been clamped. This is the point. This is the point: that without regulation—Brett Hudson: That's not true. That is not the case. Read the bill. He's 100 percent wrong. KIERAN McANULTY: —I could have been clamped and instead of paying my $12 fine which I was happy to do I could have faced a $700 fine. This is an unregulated industry that that previous Government did nothing about but the Hon Kris Faafoi came along and in this bill the bill that I have read the bill that is a marvellous bill the bill that is on the side of consumers but strikes that balanced approach we are saying to the nation that this Government—and here's an opportunity for the Opposition as well; instead of saying this "Government" we could say this "Parliament"—is on the side of people. We're saying "If people park somewhere they shouldn't"—and I know Madam Speaker I shouldn't use the term "you" because I know for a fact that you would not do that—"it is OK to clamp them. But it is not OK to charge them amounts that are exorbitant to charge them amounts that are unfair." In this bill setting a maximum amount of $100—we say that is fair. We say that's fair and we invite the Opposition to join us in saying that this sort of behaviour has gone on too long. Once again this Government is finding a balanced approach—the middle of the road right down the middle straight down the pitch. I commend this bill to the House."