Faafoi KrisHon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs): Madam Chair can I thank members opposite for the debate so far. I've found it very entertaining. What I'm finding slightly troublesome though is trying to make logic of some of the National Party arguments. The member for Hunua Andrew Bayly mentioned that this was essentially a National Party bill but then another member Jacqui Dean picked the details to shreds about the effect that this will have on small businesses. I just want to know if the National Party wants to clarify its position on this because I know it's changed its tune on which way it's going to vote on this piece of legislation—if it is a National Party bill from the outset whether or not it actually agrees with the detail of the bill. I heard the former commerce Minister saying she didn't like necessarily how these market studies are going to be done and the impact that it may have on small businesses but then Mr Bayly says this is essentially a National Party bill. So it would be really good for the people listening at home if the National Party would clarify its position on this piece of legislation. So that would be helpful.The next piece that I would like to respond to is the point made by the former commerce Minister Jacqui Dean. The fact is that I actually think that small businesses and regional areas will welcome this piece of legislation. When large players in concentrated markets are using their power in those markets it is shutting some of those players in regional markets out because of their inability to compete with some of the larger markets. So I'm just trying to see again if there is actually a constant strain of an argument for or against from the National Party around this piece of legislation.I can't go without addressing some of the issues that Mr Bayly raised in terms of me personally. I don't mind being called a soft touch but Mr Bayly did raise the issue that sometimes Governments or Ministers could be a soft touch. I am not because I said to the officials that actually we're going to do this. But the point of the Commerce Commission having the ability to initiate a market study is that sometimes I fear maybe some Governments of a particular stripe might be a soft touch in the future and may not initiate a market study. I would think again—and I'll reiterate this point—any Government worth its salt if it thinks a market isn't operating effectively which means consumers aren't getting a fair go if they were to do that for the benefit of consumers then the ability of the Commerce Commission to initiate a market study is very important.I was asked a couple of questions by Andrew Falloon in and around the Government's decision around excise tax. Mr Falloon I remember in our own time in Opposition an Axe the Tax" campaign as well. We tried to stop the previous Government from increasing GST from 12.5 percent to 15 percent.Andrew Falloon: It was tax-neutral and you know it.Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Well that was a tax that the previous Government never mentioned in the lead up to the last election and I would like to reiterate the point to the member who is using this as an opportunity to make the point: which transport infrastructure projects would that member take away potentially even from his region if we weren't to bring in that excise to those issues in those regions in and around New Zealand? And also he wanted us to pre-empt a decision that potentially the Commerce Commission would make. I think Mr Falloon would see the folly in doing that. We've got to make sure that if we give the Commerce Commission the ability to do those studies we let them do their work and make decisions after they've done the detailed work that they have the ability now to do as part of a market study."