Cosgrove Clayton: Third Readings 
Cosgrove Clayton: Third Readings 
[Volume:635;Page:6823] 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour—Waimakariri) 
: 
 I endorse the sentiments of most members today in respect of this bill. As Minister for Building Issues I have some interest in the trades and this regime is likely to fall within the interest of my department in the future. 
As the member of Parliament for Waimakariri I also say that like other members I had good folk in my constituency who had sat the exams and participated in the training process. I am a layman and not a plumber gasfitter or electrician but as a layman looking at what those people had done and in taking advice from Mr Duynhoven and others it appeared to me that they had indeed been hard done by. I think that in 2004 34 plumbers got through. Given the nature of the building industry and the building boom the trades are in huge demand and it appeared to me as it did to others that the dysfunctional nature of the relationship between the board and the industry training organisation had contributed to the lack of passage through the system of good and genuine people who had the required skills. 
Indeed I think Harry Duynhoven the Minister deserves credit as does the select committee for peace breaking out. Peter Brown made a very good point when he aptly noted that the National Party had somersaulted—flip-flopped changed its mind had a bob each way; and I can think of several more phrases—but the chairperson Katherine Rich had done a very good job in bringing some common sense to the debate as Harry Duynhoven said. 
Hazel Armstrong’s report as initiated by the Minister of Finance Michael Cullen will stand the test of time. It was pivotal in identifying the very very dysfunctional relationship between the industry training organisation and the board. What followed from that was a number of resignations. I will not say there was a clean out but a number of changes were made to the board that were necessary I think to get some new blood and new life into the regime. I suppose if one were a tad cynical one could say to the National Party that the process was a template for how one could change personnel ditch one or two people and then rekindle like the phoenix from the ashes an organisation that might have some aptitude some resonance and some relevance. 
Gordon Copeland 
: They have to pass a big exam in 2008. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: Mr Copeland points out that after it has done that the National Party will have to pass an exam in 2008. Well that remains to be seen. They have blown away a few people restructured and tried to sort out the odd dysfunctional relationship here and there. Mr Brown talked about septic tanks; I think we have seen the political version of a septic tank implode today. 
 But let us get back to the serious nature of the legislation I agree with the speakers who have said that the contribution made by plumbers gasfitters and electricians is huge. Their industries are vital industries like a number of other trades. For example if an electrician put the wrong wire in the wrong hole then like Rodney Hide we would all end up dancing with the stars as it were. Serious damage can be done to life and limb. That has to be acknowledged and those people have to be acknowledged for the skill and responsibilities they carry. 
So like others I commend the bill to the House. I hope that the constituents in my patch who sadly were impacted on by some of the carnage that occurred in this organisation will now have a chance to resit or resubmit to achieve their dream of becoming the plumbers gasfitters or electricians of the future to contribute to our community and as most of these people are business people in their own right in doing so to contribute in that way to our economy. In conclusion I hope that the National Party will take note of the process this industry has gone through in terms of re-establishing itself and rising again and maybe politically it can learn some lessons from that. 
Electricity Amendment Bill read a third time. 
Gas Amendment Bill read a third time. 
Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill read a third time. 
Ministry of Energy (Abolition) Amendment Bill read a third time. 
Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Bill read a third time.