The Mapp Report: First week in Parliament 2007
new-zealand-national-party
Mon Feb 19 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
The Mapp Report: First week in Parliament 2007
Monday, 19 February 2007, 10:10 am
Column: New Zealand National Party
The Mapp Report
First week in Parliament 2007
Parliament commenced this week. The procedure is that the Prime Minister delivers her address and sets out her plan, and we reply. The whole debate takes 14 hours. Most MPs get an opportunity to speak. The speech is set out at the end of this week's Mapp Report. I have attached the reply I gave as the opening debate of the year.
TGA not A-OK
Labour has introduced legislation that will dramatically realise access to natural health products.
If this legislation passes New Zealand would effectively handing over control of pharmaceutical regulations to Australia. Labour assumes that the Australian pharmaceutical system is based on quality and therefore it is in the best interests of New Zealand to be lead by them. But once again, Labour has made an uninformed decision without considering what is best for New Zealanders.
In Australia health supplements are treated as medicines whereas in New Zealand supplements are sold under food regulations. Labour is suggesting we conform to the same Australian system where Pan Pharmaceuticals was a massive failure. There will also be enormous compliance costs for New Zealand businesses.
If New Zealand conforms to the system set in Australia it will be to the detriment of health supplement businesses in our country. It also destroys the real right of consumers to choose.
But it is Mr Field's defection that puts everything in limbo. Surely the Greens and the Maori Party would not support Labour on this.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
The message should now be clear; Take natural health products out of the proposed joint regulation. This way New Zealand will win.
North Harbour Stadium is the obvious choice
This week Bob Clarkson and I visited Westfield in Albany, North Harbour Stadium, Vector Arena and Carlaw Park. Bob is the only owner of a private stadium in New Zealand where speedway began and it is now the centre for Bay of Plenty rugby. He provides the steer for the National Party on the Stadium issue.
This tour illustrated why the North Harbour Stadium is the superior choice for the Rugby World Cup in 2011. It will be the centre of the sports precinct with a veladrome, swimming pool, and sports stadium. North Harbour Stadium is not just the choice for one event in 2011 but also the choice for the long-term and future events. For those reasons North Harbour is the obvious choice.
Response to Prime Ministerial Statement
14 February 2007
I was here earlier, prior to the dinner break, and I listened to Georgina Beyer's valedictory speech. It was a very fine valedictory speech, I must say. It was spoken without notes and from the heart about the values of democracy. It made me reflect that everyone who comes to this Parliament comes with good intentions to do better for our country. I also note, because of that, one of the opponents I have had in the North Shore, Helen Duncan. Helen was a very decent person, and going to her funeral and listening to the eulogies was, in a sense, quite inspiring. It actually said what each of us is here to do: good for the country by our own lives.
Of course, good intentions are never enough. We all have good intentions, but it is not enough. We have all heard the saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This Government has hung its all on the concept of sustainability; a good intention dare I say it. The Collins Concise Dictionary defines sustainable as "renewable", "a steady state", and "not exhausting one's resources". My question to the Government members is this: are they sustainable? Are they renewable? Are they exhausting their votes?
Yesterday, when the Prime Minister gave her speech, the Government had 61 votes. Today it has 60. Is that a steady-state situation? Is that renewable? Is the Government exhausting its resources? Any Government that comes into Parliament on the very first day with 61 votes and goes out at the end of the day with 60 votes is not sustainable. The Government is exhausting its resources. The Prime Minister says "O well, it doesn't really matter, we've got the Greens to back us up."
In the Prime Minister's statement she set out her list of important legislation. She mentioned several bills, one of which is the Therapeutic Products and Machines Bill, establishing the trans-Tasman regulatory agency. Will the Greens support the Bill? There is no way that the Greens are going to support that bill. I know perfectly well that they believe in options for New Zealanders in natural health products, so why would they support the Government's crazy bill? They will not. I suggest that 61 votes going down to 60 is indicating already the Government's first failure: the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill. In desperation that side of the House will come over to the National side and say "please, please support the bill." Let us be very clear on this. National has heard clearly the messages from New Zealanders that they do not want natural health products to be controlled by an Australian-dominated agency under Australian-dominated rules. That is the great concern, and that is a very clear message. It is quite different, of course, to registered pharmaceuticals and to medical products. There is a distinction to be made. This Government sold out New Zealanders by not defending the interests of New Zealanders.
In one day the Government's buzzword, "sustainability" has been shown to be another hollow word. It was repeated 33 times by the Prime Minister, but was not once defined. She says that it is like "nuclear-free". Well, I know what "nuclear-free" is: one does not have nuclear ships, and one does not have nuclear weapons. That is all one needs to have as an explanation. I have asked members of this Government, yesterday and today, to define sustainability. They have all refused. Why have they refused? Because they cannot do it. So it is not like "nuclear-free". It is not self- explanatory. It was not defined in the Prime Minister's speech. The Government will fail on this concept.
For instance, let us take one issue alone: energy use. Most people think one can use either non-renewable energy or renewable energy. The Government says it supports biofuels - an idea that was stolen from National's own discussion document last year. The Government is saying the amount will be 3.4 percent; 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide out of 75 million tonnes of carbon dioxide generated. What about the bigger issues? Is this Government going to stand behind the State-owned enterprises generating power from coal-fired power stations? Those include not just the existing ones like Huntly, but the new ones like that at Marsden Point up in Whangarei. Will the Government stand behind that? There is one thing about coal: it is not sustainable, it is not renewable, and it is polluting. A Government that was serious about carbon neutrality would not be building coal-fired power stations. What happened in the Prime Minister's speech? Did we even hear one mention of the future of Marsden power station? No, because the Government members are scared. Yet, this is a country that has huge untapped hydro, geothermal, and wind resources. This country has not built a single hydro dam under this Government. It has ignored the one real renewable resource.
I note that the Prime Minister's statement is supposed to set out the Government's priorities. In my role as spokesman on Auckland I noted that the Prime Minister said this in her speech: "The development of Auckland as a world-class international city is critical for New Zealand's overall growth and development." Nobody would dispute that. The question is what the Government is going to do about it. Later this year local body elections will take place throughout the country. The Auckland mayoral forum set out a plan on 13 December last year to reorganise regional Government. There is a bit of an element of it being a lowest common denominator plan, because all seven territorial local authorities had to agree to it. What does the Government say about that in its Prime Ministerial statement? It states: "The Government is currently considering its response to the region's proposals for strengthening its governance." Has the Government not worked out that there are elections in October this year for the local authorities? One would think that by February the Government could tell us - the public of New Zealand and the public of Auckland - whether there will be a bill presented in the next few weeks. If it does not happen in the next few weeks then it simply will not happen. I ask Government members why there was no timetable around that crucial issue. It is a mark of failure that there is not. The mayor of Auckland said to me recently that he wonders about the capacity of this Government to produce any sort of reform for Auckland regional governments before the next election. Why does he say that? Because there is no communication from the Prime Minister to the mayoral forum as to what the Government's plans actually are. Local government in Auckland is left in a bind; it cannot plan, and it does not know where things are heading. It reminds me of the stadium debacle. Trevor botched that up and now we are going to have temporary seating. He says they are not on pipes with binoculars, but who can believe that? Local government looks like another kind of botch around that, as well.
When a Government says its is sustainable, it is supposed to be renewable. It is not supposed to exhaust its resources. It is a steady state - business as usual. This statement of the Prime Minister has failed tat test. The Labour Party did not look at the dictionary of the popular understanding of the word "sustainable". They think they can con New Zealanders that if they repeat the word long enough that will do - that is a complete policy unto itself. The public will not be fooled. The Government members are going to say the other side are all about style not substance. The truth is that those in Labour are concerned about style and they have no interest in substance.
Film night
"Notes On A Scandal" starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett
February 18 2007
Bridgeway Cinemas
122 Queen Street, Northcote
6pm
$20 per person (proceeds go to the National Party)
Phone 4894498 for tickets (no door sales)
Enjoy a night at the movies!
Notes on a Scandal, starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, is a 2006 film adapted from the 2003 novel Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller. It is a deviously entertaining account of one woman's indiscretions as related by a not-so-disinterested third party. Dench plays London schoolteacher Barbara Covett, a lonely spinster who reserves her bitter judgements of the world solely for her private journal. Barbara begins to take an interest in Sheba Hart (Blanchett), the good natured and very attractive woman who has just joined the faculty as an art teacher. Sheba's discontent becomes clearer when Barbara peeks into her classroom after hours and spies the woman in a compromising position with one of her students. Drama ensues in a film which depicts the emotions rolling beneath this superbly executed thriller.
Jonmer Function
Guest Speaker MP Bill English
February 22 2007
95 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna
6 - 8pm
$30 per person (no door sales)
North Shore MP Wayne Mapp will be hosting a meeting at the Jonmer boardroom. The meeting features guest speaker National Party MP Bill English and promises to be an exciting event. Send ticket payment to the National Party at PO Box 33017, Takapuna by March 10th. There will be no door sales.
Public Meeting
Small Businesses
February 26 2007
Channel View Lounge
3 Gibbons Road
7pm
$10. Light refreshments provided.
North Shore MP Wayne Mapp will be hosting a public meeting to discuss issues facing small businesses.
Northern AGM
March 5 2007
Milford Baptist Church
3 Dodson Avenue, Milford
7.30pm
John Key Cocktail Function
Guest Speaker National Party Leader John Key
March 17 2007
The Lake House
Fred Thomas Drive, Takapuna
4 - 6pm
$50 per person (no door sales)
North Shore MP Wayne Mapp will be hosting a cocktail party with guest speaker National Party Leader John Key. This is sure to be an interesting social event and an opportunity to hear John Key's vision for the future. Send ticket payment to the National Party at PO Box 33017, Takapuna by March 10th. There will be no door sales.
Southern AGM
March 19 2007
Belmont Rose Centre
School Road, Belmont
7.30pm
Electorate AGM
March 26 2007
St Georges Presbyterian Church
2 The Terrace, Takapuna
7.30pm
Visit my website for more information at: www.waynemapp.co.nz
ENDS
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}
Using Scoop for work?
Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.
Join Pro Individual Find out more
Find more from New Zealand National Party on InfoPages.