Immigration (International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy) Amendment Bill

I have an amendment on this, and so I’ll speak very briefly on it. My colleague Erica Stanford was talking about it late last night. It’s good to see that, on this side, all members have been off and got enough beauty sleep. I think the Ministers were up very, very late by comparison.

But I want to give them an early present, and I think that the title should be changed so that international visitors and New Zealanders are very, very clear about what this bill is, and what it does. We said earlier in the first and second reading, and certainly during the committee stage, that there isn’t a problem that this Government doesn’t think a new tax can solve, and, equally, already $1.6 billion is collected from international tourists every year. This Government could deliver significantly more money for the tourism sector in this Budget or last year’s Budget should they wish, and they haven’t done so. Instead, they’re dressing up their commitment to the tourism industry under the guise of a new tax.

My amendment, which was tabled earlier, offering me the opportunity to speak to it, proposes to change the name of this bill, the title, from the Immigration (International Visitors Conservation and Tourism Levy) Amendment Bill to what this actually is, and I propose that it should be renamed the Immigration (International Visitors Conservation and Tourism Tax) Amendment Bill. That will bring great warmth to the members opposite, because there is not a tax they have seen they don’t like; there is not a problem they don’t believe a new tax will fix.

The question was put that the following amendment in the name of the Hon Todd McClay to clause 1 be agreed to:

replace “Immigration (International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy) Amendment Bill” with “Immigration (Tourist Tax) Amendment Bill”.

The question is that the Hon Jacqui Dean’s tabled amendment to replace “1 July 2019” with “1 July 2020” in clause 2 be agreed to. All those in favour say aye, to the contrary no. The noes have it.

💬 Hon Members: Noes have it!

CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): Can I, the chairperson of the committee, warn the junior whip of the Government that she only calls out if she opposes the ruling of the Speaker or the Chair. OK? Thank you.

The question was put that the following amendment in the name of the Hon Jacqui Dean to clause 2 be agreed to:

replace “1 July 2019” with “1 July 2020”.