Property Law Bill

I am almost completely dumbfounded by the Committee stage of this bill tonight. This bill is the most important reform of property law for 55 years. It has been in gestation for many years indeed, because, as the Justice and Electoral Committee’s commentary on the bill states, it builds on the work of the Law Commission over a lengthy period of time, and, more recently, on the work of the Ministry of Justice. It deals with extremely important rules of law affecting most, if not all, New Zealanders at some time in their lives. Yet what we have seen is not one Government speaker prepared to stand up and say anything about any part of it. Nothing! They were all sitting there, utterly mute. I am simply amazed that on such important legislation they could not get off their chuffs and make at least a brief contribution.

Look at the subject matter we have been studying tonight, and which National members have been addressing—mortgages, powers of attorney, deeds, leases—all the sorts of things that we need to understand, and that we come in contact with time and time again. I go back to the days when I used to sit up in the public gallery when I was a student. In those days, of course, there would have been a clause by clause analysis of the bill, and we would have had the Geoffrey Palmers on their feet debating the clause by clause analysis—a rigid exegetical analysis of the legislation. Look at members opposite now, sitting there in various states of putrefaction, totally unable to make any contribution. I think they are so absorbed in intra-party hatred and fighting that they have no energy left to come down to the Chamber and discuss the Property Law Bill.

I am very, very disappointed, because it is important legislation. It is not every day that the Parliament of this land looks at some of these arcane and important areas of law, and we have had no contribution to the legislative process from Labour at all. I, frankly, am dumbfounded by the failure of the Government to engage in the debate. It is not as though we were working incredibly hard on this side, because all we needed to do was have a part by part analysis. In the time available, given the restrictions on debating bills by parts, all we could do is take one or two subjects and then expand on that.

💬 Chris Auchinvole: But we were on the select committee.

We were on the committee, we were interested, and we were prepared to play a part—unlike the drones on the other side. I am very disappointed. Thus this legislation passes into law, and one can say, in all honesty, that the Labour members in the Committee have contributed not one jot or tittle.

It would be a terrible evening if Mr Finlayson were disappointed. I will take a short call to respond to the load of political bile that emanated from that side of the Chamber. After working jointly in a non-partisan way with the Justice and Electoral Committee, the reason that members of the Government have chosen to allow this bill to go forward is simply a little bit of common sense.

We agree with the Property Law Bill. We do not need to hear hour upon hour of the sound of our own voices and our own legal knowledge of those of us on this side of the Chamber—not including myself—who are lawyers. We do not need to stand up and wax eloquently way back over the centuries of law. Put simply, the taxpayers of New Zealand pay us to pass legislation. The Government agrees with this bill. The Government thanks the Opposition—at least those on the select committee—for the way in which they expedited this non-partisan legislation, as facilitated by the Law Commission.

It is a fact that the legislation makes radical change and improves our property laws. It is significant legislation, as the learned Mr Finlayson said. Therefore, in the view of the Government, instead of puffing up our own egos, taking speech after speech, we agree with and support the legislation—as does the Opposition—and we feel we should pass the legislation, as taxpayers charge us on our large salaries to do.

Clause 1 agreed to.

Clause 2 agreed to.

Bill to be reported with amendment presently.

House resumed.

The Chairperson reported the International Finance Agreements Amendment Bill without amendment, the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Amendment Bill with amendment, and the Property Law Bill with amendment.

Report adopted.