edithatogo/nz-hansard-corpus huggingface dataset:
12. Question No. 12—TransportGREG O'CONNOR (Labour—Ōhāriu) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 12—Transport12. GREG O'CONNOR (Labour—Ōhāriu) to the Minister of Transport: What announcement has he made about rail upgrades in Wellington?Hon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Transport): Earlier this week I was very pleased to announce that the first stage of our Wellington rail upgrade package has been completed. Double tracking of the 2.7 kilometre rail line between Trentham and Upper Hutt is finished after two years' work. Other upgrades completed include a freight loop at Upper Hutt new platforms and shelters at both Trentham and Wallaceville stations improved parking facilities and level crossing safety upgrades.Greg O'Connor: How will this benefit commuters from the Hutt?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: By having two tracks between Trentham and Upper Hutt we've cleared a bottleneck where commuter services and freight trains sometimes got in each other's way making services more reliable. The new underpass at Trentham station also provides a safe way for commuters and locals to get across the rail corridor—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Can I say there's at least one member in the House who's quite interested in this.Hon Member: Chris Bishop?SPEAKER: No someone who regularly catches the train all right?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Thank you Mr Speaker. As I was saying the new underpass at Trentham station also provides a safe way for commuters and locals to get across the rail corridor. Double tracking this section of line has been talked about since the 1950s. This Government has got on with the job and delivered it for the people of Upper Hutt.Greg O'Connor: What other upgrades to Wellington's regional rail network are under way?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Our Government is investing around $600 million in Wellington's regional rail network which is supporting the region's economic recovery. It will make rail an even better option for Wellingtonians. Upgrades to the Wairarapa line Plimmerton station and the Capital Connection are all coming down the track. I want to specifically highlight the work on the Wairarapa line which might have had to close without these investments. That was unacceptable to our Government. We're contributing to revitalising rail after years of managed decline and it's very important because rail contributes over $2.1 billion of value to our economy every year.
10. Question No. 10—Education (School Operations)CAMILLA BELICH (Labour) to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations)Question No. 10—Education (School Operations)10. CAMILLA BELICH (Labour) to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): What progress if any has she seen on the allocation of the Government's Auckland re-engagement package?Hon JAN TINETTI (Associate Minister of Education (School Operations)): From today all Auckland school students are able to head back to in-person classroom learning. A couple of weeks ago the Government announced a $15 million package that will help schools to re-engage Auckland students in their education following long periods of distance learning. I am pleased to report that funding is on the ground across Auckland now and schools are equipped to encourage all their students safely back into the classroom. One part of this fund included $3 million for the Rapid Resurgence Fund. So far almost all of that funding has been allocated to 405 Auckland schools that have been identified with the greatest needs. This funding will enable those schools and kura to respond to the immediate and urgent needs of learners to remain engaged in their learning.Camilla Belich: What targeted funding has been allocated to students that are most at risk of disengaging?Hon JAN TINETTI: Online learning has been effective at keeping our kids safe from COVID-19 while continuing their education but it does have its limitations. We do know that inequities existed in education prior to COVID-19 and we know that they are likely to have been exacerbated. That is why we have allocated targeted funding to ensure support is reaching those who need it most. Part of the $15 million package included a $3 million fund to support Māori ākonga; a $3 million fund to support Pacific learners; and a $1 million fund to support students with high to moderate learning needs. This is in addition to almost $3.5 million of extra funding for proven and effective existing programmes to improve attendance and re-engagement in schools.Camilla Belich: What mental health and wellbeing support has been allocated for students?Hon JAN TINETTI: Part of the $15 million included $1.5 million for counselling through schools in Auckland. So far the first round of allocation has resulted in 202 applications being approved with a further round opened for applications today. The Government has invested $75.8 million in nationwide counselling in school services that has resulted in a further 24000 young people now having access to counselling support at school. We know that learners who are happy and healthy learn better. That is why over the last few years this Government has undertaken a range of work to support the wellbeing of learners in order to ensure that our kids get the best start possible.
8. Question No. 8—Disability IssuesGLEN BENNETT (Labour—New Plymouth) to the Minister for Disability IssuesQuestion No. 8—Disability Issues8. GLEN BENNETT (Labour—New Plymouth) to the Minister for Disability Issues: What announcements has the Government made on transformation of the disability system?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Disability Issues): The Minister of Heath Andrew Little and I recently announced a suite of changes as part of the disability system transformation along with the steps we're taking to make Aotearoa New Zealand more accessible. The changes include the establishment of a ministry for disabled people national implementation of the Enabling Good Lives approach to disability support services the introduction of new stand-alone accessibility legislation and the establishment of a new accessibility governance board. I really want to acknowledge the disabled community who have been at the heart of these changes. The changes are a reflection of decades of hard work and advocacy. However this is not the destination; it is the journey.Glen Bennett: What feedback has she seen?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I've been really heartened by the feedback that I've both seen and received from Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero who said This announcement marks a new era for us." to Rachel Peterson a disabled business owner and parent who said "I don't think I've ever been more filled with joy or hope about an announcement to do with the disability sector in New Zealand as I am about this one."Glen Bennett: What are the next steps?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: An establishment unit for disability systems transformation has been set up. A work programme is under way in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Work has been completed mapping out what will transfer from the Ministry of Health and what shared services the Ministry of Social Development will provide. The unit is continuing to work through the elements of what the new ministry will look like and the ongoing transformation of disability support services. Important next steps also include deciding on the name of the new ministry. Engagement is under way with the disabled community sector whānau Māori iwi leaders and our diverse communities. I aim to report back to Cabinet on progress early next year."
3. Question No. 3—FinanceHELEN WHITE (Labour) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 3—Finance3. HELEN WHITE (Labour) to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): The Reserve Bank released its November Financial Stability Report earlier this month. It found the resilience of the financial system remains high although the current Delta outbreak is creating challenges particularly for businesses in Auckland. It noted that households and businesses came into the Delta outbreak with generally strengthened financial positions compared to mid-2020 due to the recovering economy robust labour market and fiscal support. The report did warn that COVID-19 continues to present economic risks and it noted the importance of fiscal support schemes such as the wage subsidy scheme and Resurgence Support Payment to sustain businesses through higher alert levels.Helen White: What other reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: BDO's third annual Māori Business Sector Report found that businesses in the Māori economy are confident about their future. It reported that 96 percent of Māori business owners are confident of success in the next 12 months despite the pandemic. The report confirmed the ongoing and uneven impact of COVID but it showed that Māori businesses have also come through the year finding new ways to adapt and rise to the challenges they face in delivering gains for whānau and community. The reports show that they remain confident in assessing a changing environment and setting their sights on growth. Nevertheless the environment in this business area remains challenging and the Government continues its Budget goal of lifting the incomes skills and opportunities for Māori and indeed all New Zealanders now and into the future.Helen White: What recent reports has he seen on exports supporting the New Zealand economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: New Zealand dairy farmers are continuing to support the recovery. The global dairy trade price index increased 1.9 percent with a key indicator of whole milk powder also rising by 1.9 percent to an average of $3987 per kilo of milksolids. [Interjection from an Opposition member] I know the Opposition enjoy my updates on this matter! There were gains for other products with a 2.2 percent increase for cheddar 1.4 percent for skim-milk powder and a 3.5 percent gain for butter. Economists have noted that higher prices reflect weak global production and in the case of the forecast payment to Fonterra's farmers will be at the upper end of the $7.90 to $8.90 per kilo of milksolids range for the current season. I'd once again like to thank our primary sector for their confidence and their contribution to the economy.
Walters VanushiTHREE STRIKES LEGISLATION REPEAL BILLFirst ReadingDebate resumed.VANUSHI WALTERS (Labour—Upper Harbour): Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity to take a call in relation to this bill. I think the Minister said it the best when he said that the three-strikes legislation is bad legislation that hasn't worked. But it's not the first time I've heard those words over the last week. We have been out speaking to people and I've been speaking to people on the front line of our justice service. Last week I spoke to a lawyer who works in the criminal court and what she said to me was that both prosecutors and defence lawyers are sighing with relief. They know this law has not worked. This is bad legislation that hasn't worked. The three-strikes law has bound the hands of judges and limited their ability to respond. We've heard comments from the judiciary about the impact of the law and some talk in some cases of having to exercise their decision-making authority in a way that was manifestly inconsistent with their own judgment and in a way that puts them also at odds with section 8 the principles of the Sentencing Act. Principles matter. Constitutional principles matter. Our entrenched legislation matters—Hon Simon Bridges: Parliamentary sovereignty.VANUSHI WALTERS: —and I'm troubled by the fact that my colleagues so quickly dismisses those principles but Mr Bridges you do you. It'd be easy to adopt the mechanical system that assumed all repeat offenders are exactly the same and this three-strikes baseball analogy creates the illusion that complex issues can be addressed on a conveyor belt. Judges and practitioners know that's simply not true. They know that three strikes creates a pipeline of bias and of discrimination. They know it doesn't keep us safe in the short term when an individual on two strikes resists arrest. They know that it doesn't keep us safe in the mid to long term where individuals receive inappropriately suited penalties that mean they're essentially unseen. Lawyers both defence and prosecution know it doesn't work.In addition to preventing judges from exercising their best judgment it also adds cost to our justice system as I'm told by the lawyers who're working on the front line because people who are guilty of offences are motivated to plead not guilty by virtue of fighting another strike on their record. Those who work on the front line of our justice system deserve to be able to respond not just to the issues in front of them but to the people in front of them. I commend this bill to the House.
Vote Correction — Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People's Commission Bill
Davidson Marama; Salesa JennyVOTINGCorrection—Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People's Commission BillHon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green): I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I want to apologise to the House. I am asking permission to correct an earlier vote for Te Paati Māori. I misread the information that was given to me.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): Is there any objection to Te Paati Māori casting their vote on the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People's Commission Bill?Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green): My apologies—yes I seek leave to cast a party vote on behalf of Te Paati Māori on the first reading of the oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People's Commission Bill.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): Is there any objection? There is no objection. Can I ask the Clerk to call for the party vote of Te Paati Māori on that bill.CLERK: Te Paati Māori.Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green): Two votes opposed.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): The Ayes are 108 the Noes are 12. The Clerk will correct the vote.
Three Strikes Legislation Repeal Bill — First Reading
Coffey TāmatiTĀMATI COFFEY (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. This is a very important piece of legislation. For a very long time the State care system hasn't been very caring especially towards Māori children—in fact Māori children have been abused in the system and for that reason there is a severe lack of trust in our Oranga Tamariki system. But actually reforming the system is part of the reason that I want to stand here and give this contribution today because Māori need to have faith in our child welfare system—because as I said before it hasn't historically done very well.What I would like to point out is that there has been a group of key Māori leaders providing the ongoing guidance direction and support of this work known as Te Kāhui. They've been guided by the Office for Māori Crown Relations - Te Arawhiti. They've also been supported by Te Puni Kōkiri as well as the many reviews and many opinions of people of Aotearoa who have put forward their thoughts about how we could better create this system.One of the best parts of this is that we're going to be able to separate out some of those key functions of what has previously been left to just Oranga Tamariki to be able to do. Previous speakers have talked about it—the monitoring functions the complaints and investigations functions and obviously the role of advocacy via the Children's Commissioner too.This is an important piece of legislation. I know that the select committee will hear lots of stories from people that are at the front line doing this work every single day. It's hard work it's gruelling work but if we get it right then we have the future to look forward to which hopefully is a better future than the way that our children in State care have been treated in the past. For that reason I commend it to the House.
Watts SimonSIMON WATTS (National—North Shore): I rise on behalf of National as their member of Parliament for North Shore on the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People's Commission Bill first reading. As we have heard from fellow speakers this evening National support this bill. We support this bill through the select committee which is an important process within this Parliament for this bill to be considered in order to be able to improve this bill considerably through that process. We've heard here this evening there are some 5000 children that are within the care of the system. These are young vulnerable children. These are children that have significant challenges in their life and their upbringing and the importance of the State providing that protection for those young individuals—the future of individuals that will make a significant contribution in this country is so very important.So National absolutely support the importance of this bill. We support the fact that there will be independent oversight provided in regards to this. I guess this also is important in terms of you know sadly what we've seen in recent news and elements around that is the reality of some of the challenges for these young children across our country. The implications that for some of them sadly happen in terms of the vulnerable positions that they're put in in terms of their support arrangements and again reinforces the importance of an appropriate wellbeing and safety net around our young children.I don't think there is too much more to say here in regards to this bill. The National Party support it through to select committee and we look forward to participating with other members of this House in a constructive manner around that table to make this legislation as good as it can be. Thank you Madam Speaker.
Webb DuncanDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central): Kia ora Madam Speaker and it's great to know that there's some consensus around the House that this is a bill that needs to go to select committee and that we are all placing the interests of our most vulnerable children first and foremost.I echo the words of my colleague Dr Emily Henderson when she noted that this is some of the most difficult work that our professionals with children can do and that in some cases these are non-functioning families and there's no perfect option just least worst options. But having said that it's really important that there is a good system of accountability and when things don't work out as they should that they can be examined and we can learn from them. So a good monitoring function to make sure that the work is being done which is a cornerstone of this bill is really important but also that complaints system. And sometimes we see complaints in an entirely negative way but complaints are also a way where we find out what needs to be fixed and to actually get on and fix it and also recognising the really important position of the Office of the Children's Commissioner which would be extended to recognise the role around young people not just in representing but also positively advocating for young people. And we've seen that with the recently departed Children's Commissioner who did a great job Judge Becroft.This is a really good bill. I'm hopeful that the select committee will work positively constructively and improve it. I commend it to the House.
Henderson Emily; Salesa JennyOVERSIGHT OF ORANGA TAMARIKI SYSTEM AND CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S COMMISSION BILLFirst ReadingDebate resumed from 11 November.Dr EMILY HENDERSON (Labour—Whangārei): Kia ora e te Māngai o te Whare. I rise to take a quick call on this. I want first to acknowledge that social workers have a very difficult job and Oranga Tamariki social workers all the more difficult. They work with people and whānau in extremis. They work with them when they are angry they are hurt and they are not functioning. It is difficult work but it is work where if you make a mistake or a misjudgment the consequences are extreme and unfortunately we have seen again and again that Oranga Tamariki have not been getting it right. This Government is determined to assist to make that system whole and to create one that is fit for Aotearoa New Zealand into the 21st century.In so doing we need to address the fundamental question: quis custodiet ipsos custodes—who guards the guardians of our children in this case. As someone who has spent time with Oranga Tamariki making complaints taking complaints through that process I can tell you it is at present incredibly fraught incredibly difficult to get sense out of Oranga Tamariki because at present it often feels like no one guards the guardians but themselves and the people they are guarding are themselves and not our tamariki.So I am delighted to see that we are now bringing in a system where there will be independent monitoring and evaluation from within the system where there is no power of the Minister to stop the investigator going where they will and bringing the information back; an independent complaints process strengthened by the greater role of the Ombudsman; and finally a strengthened role for the Office of the Children's Commissioner where there will not be just one person but a number to investigate the important roles that affect our children across society. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Well now there's going to be someone. I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): The next call is a split call. I call Joseph Mooney.
Roberts AngelaANGELA ROBERTS (Labour): I rise to speak for the last time on this legislation. We've heard a lot tonight about a lack of trust. Some seem surprised on the other side of the House and they talk about a lack of trust seeming to have developed. But actually Mr Baillie and I agree on one thing: we're really clear about where the trust is broken and how long it's been like that. The Teaching Council has struggled to build a strong and highly functioning relationship with the profession since 2015 when we had something called the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand hit the profession. So we have been struggling for more than a few weeks to try and remedy some of the problems caused at that time.The profession did stand up even though there was COVID and even though there was short notice and they demonstrated with their significant engagement how important this council is to them and how important it is that we trust in it. Thanks to their engagement there have been amendments and their concerns have been addressed. I just want to reflect on a couple of them.The council has been found wanting in their understanding of what appropriate consultation looks like. This legislation will provide them with very clear guidance about what good effective consultation does actually look like. Clause 5 of the amendment bill makes it clear that the council cannot set fees or levies higher than they need to to cover actual and reasonable costs. So the concerns—the very real concerns—that were brought to the select committee by all of those submitters have been addressed in that the fair and reasonable actual and reasonable is very much a part of the process now. It makes it clear that the council must consult with the profession and the consultation must be of good quality. Now what happens is we've imposed an explicit requirement for the council to receive the views presented to it with an open mind and give those views due consideration when making a decision about fees and levies.As the last speaker I want to look forward with a bit of hope and what will be different as a result of this legislation. What next? We cannot legislate for trust. We cannot legislate for highly productive and functioning relationships with the profession. But I am looking forward to the council following through on its intentions to conduct consultation in the future in a different way. They said they intend to invite the peak bodies and unions to co-design a new consultation process; not just consult about how much those fees should be but actually what is fair and reasonable determining and establishing a shared understanding of what those functions do actually look like.This legislation has established a clear framework to clearly engage effectively with the profession respectfully and successfully. And ideally we end up with a Teaching Council that the profession and the country trusts. That's something our profession deserves that's something our students deserve and thus I commend this bill to the House.
Omer IbrahimIBRAHIM OMER (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. I too also want to add my congratulations to Jon and my friend Glen.I rise in support of this Education and Training (Teaching Council Fees Levies and Costs) Amendment Bill. This bill is all about provisions in the Education and Training Act 2020 amending provisions in Education and Training Act 2020 to enable the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand to set fees that cover the costs of all of its functions and powers under the Act. It also clarifies that the council can charge fees in instalments and recover unpaid fees. These changes are consistent with the legislative framework for other professional regulatory bodies.Now we heard a lot about angry teachers. What we have seen is not anger. What we have seen is teachers speaking with passion. But obviously the different views that they hold are with the Teaching Council. They did that with the mutual respect. We heard what their concerns were. We listened to them and because of that the Education and Workforce Committee reports it back the bill with three changes as a result of concerns that they raised. No one has—not the Minister and not the committee—actually ignored their concerns.I want to mention one of those recommendations that the Education and Workforce Committee required the council to consult with the teaching profession with an open mind and give due regard to the views expressed during the consultation when making decisions about fees. This is one of the things that consistently the teachers raised and it was reflected back in the report that we sent back to the House. The Minister also has made amendments in his Supplementary Order Paper 68. I want to mention one of his recommendations that the council may only recover costs of its mandatory functions. So this is not the work of a Minister that doesn't care. The Minister cares and he's taken his job seriously and hence we have this legislation tonight in this House.If all this passion and energy from our colleagues on the other side of the House was spent in bettering our education system we wouldn't even be here tonight discussing all these issues because we would be OK.This bill is all about addressing matters that need an urgent response. It does not in any way attempt to resolve every possible legislative issue relating to the Teaching Council. With that I commend this bill to the House.
Bennett Glen; Salesa JennyGLEN BENNETT (Labour—New Plymouth): Kia ora Madam Speaker. Thank you for allowing me to take a call on the Education and Training (Teaching Council Fees Levies and Costs) Amendment Bill. I speak not as a teacher I speak not as a—well I'm a student of life but not a student of education; always learning always growing. I actually stand as a spouse of a primary school teacher and in fact this coming Friday evening when many of you may be at home doing whatever you're doing I will be actually at his graduation event—he gets his registration; for two years he retrained as an adult as a primary school teacher. So on Friday night we get to celebrate his achievements of two years as an educator of two years doing the mahi; the three years and more beforehand of his studies but he will be registered.What I find exciting about that in the journey over the last few years with him working as a teacher in a school is seeing the support that is needed seeing the support that is desperately needed for our teachers to ensure that they do the mahi and like what was just said from our previous speaker Nicola Grigg that our tamariki our rangatahi are educated well. So ensuring that the council is set up ensuring that we change this piece of legislation will make sure that my husband and the teachers around the country will have the supports in place that they need.I just want to close by referring back to the Minister Chris Hipkins and thank him for this. He says this legislation really is around supporting our children the whānau and the broader public so they can have confidence in the professional regulator charged with ensuring safe high-quality teaching which they'll be able to operate effectively. I thank Marja Lubeck from the Education and Workforce Committee and all of those who heard the submissions and I look forward to going to my husband's graduation when he gets his registration on Friday night and I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): Congratulations to your husband Glen Bennett.
Luxton Jo; Salesa JennyJO LUXTON (Labour—Rangitata): Thank you Madam Speaker. It's a pleasure to stand and take a call on this piece of legislation. Before I begin my contribution this evening I would though like to acknowledge all the teachers and students around Aotearoa New Zealand right from early childhood education to primary to secondary to tertiary who have had one heck of a year. It's been tough and so I think it's important to acknowledge them the hard work and the challenging ways that they've had to teach and learn during this year.We have heard that this piece of legislation has come about due to some issues that came about to make changes to the Education Act to right some wrongs that we determined by a judiciary review. So what we had heard earlier from the previous speaker Chris Baillie was that the Teaching Council changed their fees from a triannual fee structure to an annual fee structure with an increased amount per annum. As a person who's come from the education sector I did find this quite an interesting piece of legislation to go through. We have heard we had over 1000 submissions and a large number of people that wanted to submit to the select committee and I acknowledge those teachers who did that through those trying times. Our teachers across New Zealand they are passionate about education they are passionate about the children and they are passionate when they present to a select committee. So we heard a lot of passion from them.What we have with this piece of legislation is that it retrospectively validates the receipt of fee payments that were made from 1 February 2021. Even though those fees have since been quashed teachers that paid those fees at that time with this piece of legislation are still able to have those fees that they paid credited against the new fees that have been set. So the council doesn't have to go through the process of reimbursing everyone and then people paying back the correct amount. So it's just fixes up that as well.One of the things that we did hear loud and clearly from the teachers was that they did feel that they hadn't had much consultation at all from the Teaching Council. And so whilst that wasn't quite part of the initial legislation as introduced the select committee heard their concerns the Minister heard those concerns and therefore introduced a Supplementary Order Paper which addressed those concerns which will ensure that the Teaching Council must consult in a fair way with the teaching sector before they look to make any adjustments to fees further.So without any further ado I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): The next call is a split call. I call Nicola Grigg.
Belich CamillaCAMILLA BELICH (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. So I think it's important really not to go through a lot of the history of this bill which has been covered ad nauseam at some stages in all the previous readings. So what I will do is just go back to basics in addressing some of the concerns that the previous speaker Erica Stanford addressed in her speech.So first of all this bill was introduced to address an urgent issue which clearly needed to be resolved and was directly linked to the Teaching Council's ability to pay for their work. Now their work is to register teachers in New Zealand. This is important work. It's work that we need as a country and it's work that teachers need in order to have faith in their profession and in order to carry on with their important work. So it was absolutely important that they had the ability to raised funds and this what this bill is about. It allows them to continue with their work to raise funds to regulate the teaching profession within New Zealand.I also just wanted to make a few comments on the Minister of Education. He's an incredibly hard-working Minister who is on top of his portfolio and knows every corner of the education sector. He's been working in education for over 20 years. He's incredibly passionate about the subject and is absolutely on top of every element of his portfolio despite the huge workload that he has. So I absolutely refute any suggestions that he is not on top of his portfolio. In fact what occurred in this particular instance was a decision made by an independent body the Teaching Council to raise fees on 1 February 2021. This legislation was introduced—introduced into the House—on 12 August. So we obviously know that there was a judicial review that happened in the meantime but that doesn't suggest a Minister who is ignoring the profession. It doesn't suggest a Minister who is not on top of the issues. It suggests a Minister that cares about the fact that teachers are regulated within New Zealand recognises that the Teaching Council has an important job to do in providing that work and provides legislation to immediately be able to do that.We had a very very thorough process—although it was a truncated process I don't think that that necessarily means that it's not a thorough or proper process—at select committee. As you've heard we had over 1000 submitters. They had a very high quality of submissions that they put forward to us.So I think the important message really from this is that what we have in this situation is an issue that arose the issue arose because of the fact that people are allowed to take judicial reviews which is something that we should all celebrate in this country. Because it threw up an issue the Minister then introduced legislation to the House in order to fix it to allow a very important public body to continue their functions. So I commend this bill to the House.
Lubeck MarjaMARJA LUBECK (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker delighted to take a call on this piece of legislation. The previous member mentioned bipartisanship and I have to say that I generally work quite collegiately with Mr Paul Goldsmith. We have I think a very collaborative relationship and we get some things done but we do have different memories it seems on how this particular piece of legislation went through the select committee.We had more than a thousand written submissions—in fact 1030 if my memory serves me well—and about 112 came before the committee and gave us all evidence so every single submitter that wanted to had that opportunity. What I do remember is yes there was quite a lot of concern and there were questions about this legislation but also what I do remember is the passion and the love that shone through from all of those submitters on the work that they do as teachers. Whether they were brand new teachers or long-serving ones—we had three teachers with 40-plus years under their belt people like Denis Wright Anna Heinz and Moyeen McCoy all really impressive submitters telling us their concerns.But the most important thing is—and I want to in my very short contribution touch on that—that the main concerns that we heard through the submissions were in fact addressed. The way that we reported this bill back to the House made a couple of changes through the Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) that the Minister spoke about in the last debate. So that was the concern on the council potentially being able to set unreasonable fee increases and teachers' fees being used to fund the council's leadership functions. People didn't agree with it we heard it the Minister agreed the Minister made changes. While those changes sat slightly outside the scope of this original bill the concerns were addressed by way of the SOP debated last week and so the SOP made it very clear that the leadership functions cannot be paid for by teachers' fees or levies.While I mention the word levies" it would be remiss of me to not say thank you to the Regulations Review Committee for their input here. I remember Rachel Brooking in the committee of the whole House speaking about a delightful exercise they had in giving this committee their advice. So it was a truncated process that had to happen because of course otherwise there was a risk that the Teaching Council could potentially become insolvent and that had to be avoided at all risk. I just want to finish here with a quote from my learned colleague Duncan Webb—"Chopper"—"This is an important piece of legislation [here which basically is] to correct an error inherent in the National Party's previous work." So I commend it to the House."
Dean JacquiCHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Madam Speaker the committee has considered the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2) and reports it without amendment. I move That the report be adopted.Motion agreed to.Report adopted.
Dean JacquiClauses 1 and 2CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Members we come now to our final debate. This is the debate on clauses 1 and 2 which are the title and commencement.
Simmonds Penny; Little AndrewPENNY SIMMONDS (National—Invercargill): I don't think the question has been answered yet. I understand that the Minister can give approval to grant a licence to a person who has been convicted under the Act. Can the Minister confirm whether that's correct or not? Thank you.Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): It would help in the committee stage for members to refer to the specific parts of the bill. In relation to that the member refers to a generality. I've taken the member through the regulation-making exercise that is now available to the Governor-General by Order in Council on advice from Ministers and indeed then when it comes to licences requirements that must be met. So I'm not quite sure—if there is a specific part of the bill that the member wants to ask questions about the member should refer to it rather than just sort of raising generalities because all she can expect in return is generalities about the bill.
Simmonds Penny; Little AndrewPENNY SIMMONDS (National—Invercargill): Thank you Madam Chair. I'd just like the Minister to confirm whether section 14(4) of the Misuse of Drugs Act which provides for the Minister to be able to give approval to grant a licence to any person who has had a conviction under the Misuse of Drugs Act Darius Fagan means that the Minister could approve for example a gang member who had previously had drug convictions to then at some stage later get a licence to do the drug testing?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): I'm just trying to get the section the member Penny Simmonds referred to which I think was in clause—I'm not sure if she said clause 14(4) is that what the member wanted? I'm just looking for clause 14. There is no clause 14(4). I think there is however a clause 11 that has a section 37B that relates to Regulations relating to drug and substance checking service providers" and there's conditions that have to be met in terms of that and they are laid out there for all the world to see.So regulations must prescribe various requirements that a drug-checking service must have must also prescribe the form of licences conditions of licences and there's a range of other things there as well. So subsection 2 of that section 37B which is part of clause 11 of the bill also says regulations may without limitation prescribe conditions that specify how the service provider must comply with the conditions imposed in the earlier subsection and any other requirements. So a lot will depend on or turn on what happens in those regulations and also then schedule 2 of the bill lays out conditions for decisions on licence applications. So the first condition is: the Director-General of Health may issue a licence if satisfied that firstly the applicant is suitable; and secondly the applicant's proposed service model and what have you. So the director-general has to be sure that the person is suitable. I know the National Party has an obsession about gangs and gang members. In the end this is a piece of legislation about keeping people safe and about people with the right competencies and the right skills and the right profile to do this important task that will keep people safe."
Simmonds Penny; Little AndrewPENNY SIMMONDS (National—Invercargill): Thank you Madam Chair. I don't think that that answer was very convincing around the schools and playgrounds because the Minister's explanation was it would be where drugs transactions take place and I'm reliably informed that outside schools is exactly where a number of drugs transactions take place. I don't see anything in the legislation that would prevent a mobile service pulling up outside a school and actually performing their service outside a school. So could he perhaps answer: what in the legislation is going to restrict that? Thank you Madam Chair.Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): I'm happy to respond to that question and this comes up in debate sometimes particularly on what members of the Opposition like to regard as moral issues. It's a thing that actually doesn't have to be legislated for; it's actually called real-world common sense. Real-world common sense tells you—[Interruption]—and I know members have big gasps of breath sharp intakes of breath because this is a foreign concept: the idea that you know people might actually behave in a way that is consistent with basics that are common sense. So the members of the Opposition who sat on the committee and indeed who sat through the second reading don't appear to have proposed any other measures that are needed. It is not needed because that is not the way the community who would benefit from this measure operates. So I give that assurance to the member. If she could stipulate some evidence of where this might be a concern then she's free to relay herself that experience. But it is not needed because that is not where the demand for this sort of service comes in.
Salesa JennyASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): I declare the House in committee for consideration of the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2).
White HelenHELEN WHITE (Labour): I rise with absolute pride in this bill and the actual difference it shows between the two sides of this House because this bill is actually just common sense. It isn't something to worry too much about when what a Government is doing is taking mischief that it's seeing and that we can see through what was the Tui fields disaster and making sure that taxpayers don't end up paying for that—in fact sheeting that cost back to who it belongs to: those who have made the profits. So this is a situation where Tamarind a company that came in and bought the Tui oilfields said it would do a job didn't do a job collapsed and do you know how much the New Zealand taxpayers are paying for that: $394 million. My colleagues have talked about some of the things that that could pay for but I'd also like the New Zealand public to think about what it could have paid for in business. Is it actually an appropriate support of business to spend all that money cleaning up and shoring up and making safe something for companies that have made huge profits when in fact that money could be used for wage subsidies it could be used for our small businesses? That would be a good use of the money. It could nurture new things like new forms of fuel. It doesn't have to go to big multinationals. Only bunnies do that. That is a naive thing to do. Now we have heard people in this Opposition have seen this as a block but I say this is not a block. This is a support of businesses in New Zealand and I'm proud to support and commend it to the House.
Ngobi TerisaTERISA NGOBI (Labour—Ōtaki): Fa'afetai tele Madam Speaker and as always it's a privilege and an honour to take a call in the House as the member of Parliament for the Ōtaki electorate. While I didn't sit on the Economic Development Science and Innovation Committee I want to thank those who did and who did the mahi—or the work—on this the Crown Minerals (Decommissioning and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. The committee I note made some changes after hearing from submitters I'm sure to make this bill the best it can be. Thank you again to those committee members.This bill ensures that the oil and gas operators meet the cost of decommissioning their wells and that then in turn mitigates the risk to Crown or essentially to the taxpayers and other third parties from these costs being passed on. We also know that this bill prevents the Crown from having to pay for decommissioning of petroleum fields if an operator can no longer afford to pay for that or is no longer operating on that site. So further in April 2020 as the member Naisi Chen mentioned the Crown had to take on the decommissioning of the Tui field after their operator went into liquidation—again costing the taxpayer.This bill will also allow for more effective monitoring of the permit holder's financial ability to decommission their petroleum field and it would also ensure that the operators are able to pay for the clean-up costs by requiring them to make sure they set aside decommissioning funds for that.Ultimately this bill is yet another example of this Labour Government doing what it said it would: delivering not only for our planet for Papatūānuku for te ao but for our people and our future. Kia ora.
Bennett GlenGLEN BENNETT (Labour—New Plymouth): Kia ora Madam Speaker. Thank you for allowing me to take a call on the Crown Minerals (Decommissioning and Other Matters) Amendment Bill which is amending the Crown Minerals Act of 1991.Now 1991 was quite a different time to 2021 where we're at now. For me being in Taranaki where many—in fact most—of the impacts of this bill are a lot has changed in that time. For many of the businesses who have made their money in petroleum who have made their money through exploration and discovery and of course then onselling it—for a lot of our petroleum wells they are beginning to come to the end of their lives and what that means is that for many of our big companies they're very much around discovery they're very much around then extraction but they're not often around end-of-life stuff. So the issue we have with Tamarind—Hon Member: What a load of rubbish.GLEN BENNETT: It's completely true. So with Tamarind they came in because that's how it works to squeeze the last little bit out and unfortunately tragically not $155 million the Government's shelling out; it's more like $394 million—I think it was around $195 million was added to the Budget this year because it is so extreme and it's such a concern.So I'm here this afternoon to support this piece of legislation ensuring that those who undertook to profit from petroleum that they will be doing the right thing that they'll be very cautious when they onsell they'll be very cautious in those spaces because obviously they don't want to have legal action against them. They want to do the right thing as I know they always do because they want to care for the spaces that they onsell.So we want to make sure that we get legislation right. I look at the United Kingdom Australia. The United Kingdom has most of these things in place already. Australia is proposing to bring many of these measures in place. For that reason I commend this bill to the House.