Hobbs Marian: Visiting Forces Bill — Third Reading 
Hobbs Marian: Visiting Forces Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:618;Page:14092] 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS (Minister for the Environment) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Defence 
: I move  
That the Visiting Forces Bill be now read a third time 
. This is an important bill that deals with a complex area of international relations and law. In repealing and replacing the Visiting Forces Act 1939 it will rectify the deficiencies in the present law that are only to be expected in legislation that is over six decades old. It will update and amend the law relating to armed forces visiting New Zealand to reflect established international practice. By providing a clearer and more comprehensive legislative basis for accepting visiting armed forces into New Zealand it will contribute to the enhancement of New Zealand’s international defence and security relationships. It will minimise the possibility of future difficulties in New Zealand’s relationship with States sending forces to this country by reducing the prospect of misunderstanding surrounding the status rights and obligations of forces visiting New Zealand. Most important it will permit New Zealand to ratify its status of forces agreement with Australia. 
Given the complexity of the bill’s subject matter it is a product of lengthy policy development process and broad consultation. It received careful consideration by the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee after it had been referred to that committee last November. The committee’s unanimous recommendations for amendment—it accepted the only public submission which was that of the Law Society—are reflected in the bill which I am pleased to observe all parties in this House agreed to on the second reading. 
In addition to the advantages I have already mentioned and as my colleague Mark Burton said on introducing this bill it is also important for reasons of international reciprocity. New Zealand expects its deployed forces to be afforded the privileges and immunities from local jurisdiction that visiting forces customarily have under international law. Those are among the matters dealt with in the status of forces agreements negotiated with the States to which the New Zealand Defence Force deploys and with which this country has defence relations. Negotiation of such agreements will be made less difficult by New Zealand’s law allowing for similar privileges and immunities for the forces of such States when they visit New Zealand. In bringing law that has been in place since the outbreak of World War II into line with contemporary international law and practice this bill will enhance New Zealand’s capacity to act as a valued member of the international community. It will underpin the next stage in New Zealand’s closer defence relations with Australia—the ratification of our status of forces agreement. 
I would like to thank the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee for the careful consideration it gave to the bill. I would also like to thank the Parliamentary Counsel Office and the New Zealand Defence Force for the excellent work they have done on the development of this bill. Those officials did an excellent job of updating the existing deficient legislation in line with developments in international law. I commend the Visiting Forces Bill to the House.