Maritime Transport (Lifejackets on Recreational Craft) Amendment Bill

Committee of the whole House

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know that the title itself has gone through a few iterations, and it’s obviously given the background that the member has articulated in terms of the changes there. It makes sense in its new form or new fashion in terms of a maritime transport amendment bill. The issue around commencement is just really around—what was originally in front of the committee was the day after the bill received Royal assent. Now, that has changed to “the 28th day”—that’s what’s been proposed. I’m just interested to hear from the member around the ability for these changes to, effectively, take effect. I know that, previously, the committee has already dealt with, for example, the process that councils would need to go through, and one of the considerations that the Transport and Infrastructure Committee was thinking about was an appropriate lead-in time to allow the changes to be given effect and to actually take place. The question for the Minister is whether he is satisfied that “the 28th day”, which is not unusual—I mean, you often get bills that often say “one month after” or whatever it might be—gives a sufficient lead-in time, particularly given some of the changes around—I think, Madam Chair, you’ll be familiar with yourself—these special consultative processes that sometimes councils are required to enter into and give effect to. Is the member comfortable that actually 28 days is a sufficient amount of time to allow this? I mean, not all councils and territorial authorities have a coastal element to them, but a lot actually do. So we’re wanting to make sure that the date is sufficient in terms of giving effect to the changes that have been advanced.

Committee of the whole House

Thank you. Yes, it’s a really good question. Initially, it was to come into effect the day after Royal assent, but the will of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee and the request from Water Safety New Zealand and Maritime New Zealand officials was that if they could have more time to brief regional councils and prepare their education programme, because what will happen here is that the education programme will go probably over the next 12 months while we start to provide all the information that will benefit Zealanders firstly. Secondly, the infringements regime is going to take a year or so to develop anyway, but the officials couldn’t progress without the legislative ability that this bill provides to actually have those discussions. This is a preparation of the education component in lieu of quite a substantive roll-out. Particularly, officials were keen to be in front of the water safety week, which is around Labour Day weekend, end of September, so that this was at the request of officials. This gave them time. We all thought that the day after Royal assent was going to be too soon.

Committee of the whole House

Thank you. I thank the member the Hon Dr Shane Reti for that. I guess it raises a very discrete follow-up question. I don’t think anyone contends with the education component, because that will be very important and it seems as though there is an expectation. Certainly, the Transport and Infrastructure Committee’s conversations, as the member will know, were around ensuring that if this is a bill that is going to save lives, and all of the information and evidence will indicate that that is going to be the case, the sooner that this can, effectively, be rolled out over the summer months—the member himself talks about Labour Day weekend as a prime example there, so is 28 days too short a time period? Does the member want to make sure that the education components are all lined up but also that everything is actually in place? Otherwise, if this bill proceeds and eventually, at the next members’ day, it’s at third reading, and it all goes tickety-boo, then in a matter of weeks, this will be given Royal assent, and then it’s only a month later. I think the member kind of understands the nature of the question.

Committee of the whole House

Sure. Thank you, Madam Chair. A large part of the 28 days is actually to brief officials so that they can prepare, rather than to debrief New Zealanders, because that’s a much longer roll-out. Our anticipation is that that’ll be over a year, if not longer. It needs to be really deep and understanding and flexible. Substantively, the 28 days is actually to brief officials so that they’re up to date, rather than actually to brief New Zealand public.

Clause 1 agreed to.

Clause 2 agreed to.

Bill to be reported without amendment.

House resumed.

CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): Mr Speaker, the committee has considered the Maritime Transport (Lifejackets on Recreational Craft) Amendment Bill and reports it without amendment. I move, That the report be adopted.

Motion agreed to.

Report adopted.

Employment Relations (Termination of Employment by Agreement) Amendment Bill

Second Reading