Jackson WillieHon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment): Kia ora Madam Deputy Speaker he tika me mihi ki a koe! I tēnei wā e tika ana ki te maumaharaki ki tō tātau rangatira a Mattie Blackburn kātahi anō kua hinga. Nō reira e te tikitiki o Te Rangi e taku tere kawetia e taku rata tūtahi ngaro atu rā ki Te Kāhui Toa o Te Ao Whutupōro kua riro atu nei haere atu ki a Alby Pryor ki a Maunga Emery Manu Maniapoto rātau katoa o Te Ao Wairua haere haere haere atu rā ā ka nui tēnā! Ki a tātau i tēnei pō tika me mihi ki a kōtou i tēnei wā ā e tika ana ki te kōrero e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira ā nō reira tēnā koutou![Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker; it is fitting that I acknowledge you. At this point in time it is apt that our esteemed one Mattie Blackburn who has just passed away be remembered. Therefore oh topknot of the day my one that has been taken so swiftly my independent and likeable one disappear indeed into the company of world rugby champions who have gone before you: Alby Pryor Maunga Emery Manu Maniapoto and them all of the spiritual world. Depart go forth and farewell indeed enough! To us here this evening it is proper that you are acknowledged at this moment and that contributions relating to this matter of significance are made so salutations to you collectively!]Madam Deputy Speaker first of all I was just doing a little acknowledgment to one of our great Māori rugby managers who was buried yesterday Mattie Blackburn. He was a former Māori All Black and had a great interest in politics—not particularly interested in the other side but certainly interested in a lot of the work that this coalition Government is doing. He certainly would have been interested in this bill because this is another great example of the progress of this Government. Despite all the defence and all the bravado from the other side in terms of holding up things we just get on with things. The Rt Hon Winston Peters deserves the utmost credit for rolling this bill out—something that the former Government couldn't do wouldn't do and decided not to do. But Winston Peters despite being under attack from the—yes Madam Deputy Speaker I am trying to broaden this as much as I can.Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I'm trying to get you to narrow it and talk about the bill.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I'm trying to support our Deputy Prime Minister and leader of New Zealand First who—Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: This is a third reading speech.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I realise that Madam Deputy Speaker; that's why I'm talking about the Rt Hon Winston Peters who rolled this—Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I'd prefer the member to come and talk about the bill.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Absolutely—absolutely I'm talking about the leader of New Zealand First who is rolling out this bill Madam Deputy Speaker despite what the Opposition tried to do to him during the election campaign which was disgraceful really. They tried to take him out and of course it backfired and we all know where they are now.Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Would you come to the bill please? We have had 2½ minutes.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Absolutely Madam Deputy Speaker. I was always coming to the bill. That's why I was talking about the Rt Hon Winston Peters. But the purpose of the bill—Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Yes Madam Deputy Speaker; I was going to get to it. This is an important bill and so I have to express an appreciation to the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee—which is a committee I'm involved with now—for doing the work around this bill. Obviously the recommendation is that it proceed with a number of amendments.The purpose of the bill as I was getting to is to amend the Maritime Crimes Act of 1999 to implement two maritime counter-terrorism conventions: the Protocol of 2005 to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and the Protocol of 2005 to the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf. So it is just appropriate to remind the House and yourself Madam Deputy Speaker that these protocols were adopted to take account of the increasing risk to maritime navigation by acts of terrorism. It amends the protocols of the 1988 Rome convention and the Rome protocol to introduce new offences relating to the use of ships and fixed platforms.It is appropriate to acknowledge also tonight the reference to the Rainbow Warrior and that shocking part of New Zealand history and what happened there and this is all particularly relevant so I acknowledge what our earlier speaker said in the Green Party. But this bill is necessary to implement the 2005 protocols into New Zealand law and once enacted it enables New Zealand to ratify the protocols. The changes reflect international best practice and provide law enforcement agencies with clarity and effective tools to respond to contemporary threats to maritime security.At the second reading of the bill a number of amendments were presented to the House. Considering these amendments I commend the work as I said earlier of the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee and the 150 submitters—150 submitters on the bill—for without doubt their impeccable work. A lot of that work will be continued by our Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee who are committed to making a difference and we have a fascinating committee at the moment that is just drawing up its plans for the next 12 months.But coming back to the amendments I want to draw particular attention to the amendment that includes a safeguard for the prosecution of any offences under the Act. That is a requirement for the Attorney-General to consent to the proceedings and the bill is not intended to criminalise peaceful protest activity and could not do so in practice. That's particularly important given the amount of peaceful protests that New Zealanders engage in and given that we value that particular area as a vital part of and an example of New Zealand democracy. So it's important—absolutely imperative—that we do not find any criminality in that area.Nevertheless it establishes serious offences relating to the use of ships or fixed platforms either to commit terrorist acts or in enabling terrorist acts. The avoidance of doubt clause introduced at the select committee stage which is new section 3B in clause 7 makes it completely clear that peaceful acts of protest or industrial action would not by themselves be a basis for criminal liability under the Act. The bill captures only very serious offending which is its intent and purpose and in the view of this Government it does this well so well done to us again there.On the issue of terrorism the offences in the bill are designed to implement the offences created by the Protocol of 2005 to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and the Protocol of 2005 to the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf. Although the bill has a terrorism context the offences do not need to be stated to be terrorism offences to meet their legislative objectives nor to meet their obligations to the two maritime counter-terrorism treaties the bill implements.On the matter of nuclear weapons the bill will not limit in any way the provisions of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Disarmament and Arms Control Act 1987 which prohibits the entry of nuclear weapons into New Zealand's internal waters which New Zealand is entitled to prohibit under international law. Any other relevant offences or requirements under the 1987 Act will continue to apply.This bill I commend to the House because it is a bill that is an example again of how focused and how coordinated this Government is in terms of getting legislation through. Despite provocation from the other side despite continual antics all the time this bill is just another example of the unity the coordination and the strength of this Government. It will strengthen New Zealand's support for global counter-terrorism and non-proliferation efforts and it ensures that our domestic maritime security framework is consistent with international best practice.Again I commend the Rt Hon Winston Peters for being so focused in terms of bringing this bill forward. I believe the bill provides the most robust legal framework that it can and is in line with international law. Therefore I'm happy to make a call in support of this bill being enacted. Kia ora.Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Kia ora. Nice reading.