Commerce Amendment Bill

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak in regards to Part 2 of this bill. Actually, it’s somewhat related and linked to the points that I’ve raised earlier this evening, but I’m referring in this contribution to clauses 35 to 37 of Part 2 of the bill, in which there will be what are referred to as “consequential amendments” to the Fair Trading Act 1986, the Takeovers Act 1993, and the Fuel Industry Act 2000, I think—

💬 Hon Member: 2020.

Bit of a typo in page 10 there: it says “the Fuel Industry Act 2000”, so—crikey, I didn’t realise such legislation was so old in this House. But, obviously, another of what we’d refer to as a “slight admission”—it’s another one that we’ve noted there. That’s page 10, just for reference, section 3.5, of the departmental disclosure statement.

So what I’m interested in—the question, really, Minister Clark, is in regards to those changes. This is in regards to, again, the sharing of personal information, which is an important aspect that we should be, you know, conscious of. What are the main considerations that were given there? Also, in terms of consideration for the Privacy Commissioner as well, just in regards to the implications on those three pieces of legislation noted there.

I was waiting for the Minister to take a call, but I don’t think he actually heard your questions, Mr Watts. So the first thing: you found another typo. And I’m referring to Mr Simon Watts when I say that. So, in that light, my first question, I suppose, is to the Minister: would he like to amend his Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) 81 and to include a further change? Because, obviously, all these SOP changes relate to typos and final further amendments, and gee, there are a fair few of them. Ha, ha! Wow, this is a Minister who’s very much across his bill! That’s why the Minister’s having to put it up during a committee of the whole House discussion. So there’s another one for you, Minister. I suggest you should listen to Mr Simon Watts, because he was trying to help you, because we do not want bills going forward with typos—it’s not a great thing.

So in the light of what Mr Watts was saying, I thought it was an interesting discussion he was having there. What other consequential amendments to the Fair Trading Act, the Takeovers Act, and the Fuel Industry Act—well, we know what the Fuel Industry Act is, it’s a big blah. That’s not going very far. What’s petrol today? Three dollars. But if you go down to Pōkeno in my electorate, it’s about 20c cheaper, which I found on Saturday night. That’s because it’s in the mighty Waikato, not in Auckland.

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: It’s old stock. They can’t move it. There’s no one there.

Ha, ha! Mr Gerry Brownlee suggesting something. No, it’s because that Labour Government hasn’t yet put its hands around the Waikato and said, “We’re going to impose another tax on you.” That’s why it’s cheaper and that’s why we want to know what the consequential impact is on the fuel industry.

CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jenny Salesa): I invite the member to come back to the bill.

But what I’d really like to know from the Minister is, with all these wonderful changes in the bill—and he still hasn’t answered my question on whether he’s spoken to the gaming industry and what the financial impacts are on the various portfolios or industries that are going to be effected by this—what will it mean when the Commerce Commission comes to assess takeovers, mergers, applications for fair trading? What will be the impact and how will it improve the lives of New Zealanders? Because we know one thing: it won’t improve the situation for those who’ve gone about their business, created intellectual property, paid for it, and dispensed or shared it with many people or businesses around the country, because we know that potentially this bill will have a chilling impact on them. So what is the impact, particularly in relation to takeovers? I am waiting, and hopefully the Minister will answer my question—I’ve asked four times—did he speak to the gaming industry and what is the financial consequences of this bill on those screenwriters, the New Zealand Writers Guild, the gaming industry, and all those different ones?

Part 2 agreed to.

Schedule agreed to.

Members, we now come to our final debate, which is on clauses 1 to 3, the title and commencement debate.

Clauses 1 to 3