ridiculous piece of legislation and we look forward to some
better stuff coming soon. Thanks.
This is a split call, five minutes. I call David Seymour. Thank
you Mr Speaker. I'm very pleased to
take a call on this piece of
legislation because it's very important. I
want to acknowledge the speaker who just
resumed
to acknowledge the speaker who just resumed his seat who did something
important
resumed his seat who did something important in this debate. He
acknowledged
important in this debate. He acknowledged the role that
real estate agents play in
our economy. It's quite an important role. It's
been underestimated,
It's quite an important role. It's been underestimated, in fact totally
ignored
been underestimated, in fact totally ignored by the Government
in drafting this bill and in the way
they've debated tonight.
drafting this bill and in the way they've debated tonight. I want to
acknowledge
they've debated tonight. I want to acknowledge Greg O'Connor who
spoke earlier, who gave one of the finest
speeches I've
earlier, who gave one of the finest speeches I've ever seen from an MP,
a brilliant
speeches I've ever seen from an MP, a brilliant example of someone
doing his best to fill in ten minutes with
no ideas
his best to fill in ten minutes with no ideas whatsoever. Mr Speaker,
this government
no ideas whatsoever. Mr Speaker, this government is going to face
a time of reckoning. It's going to
face
time of reckoning. It's going to face a time of reckoning when
the people sitting at home listening to
this debate
people sitting at home listening to this debate ask the question, has
this
this debate ask the question, has this government actually made
my life better or have they played a
series of
life better or have they played a series of shell games where they
have
series of shell games where they have shifted costs around but they
haven't
have shifted costs around but they haven't made my basic situation
any
including Kieran McAnulty who spoke earlier and filled an entire speech
with
earlier and filled an entire speech with half a thought, if we're being
generous,
with half a thought, if we're being generous, should read the
economist who wrote Economics in One
Lesson. I don't have great hopes for the
Greens, but I
don't have great hopes for the Greens, but I think some
of the Labour members
Labour members could get through Economics in One Lesson. If
they did, they would read that the
bad economists look only at
the
The good economist looks at the
of anyone with half a mind, if anyone with half a mind applies that
reasoning to this legislation they
possible to charge a letting fee on a rental, who is going to pay the
costs
a rental, who is going to pay the costs of advertising tenancies, of
showing the property,
costs of advertising tenancies, of showing the property, at all
times that have they have to be
convenient so so they fit in with arrangements,
who
so so they fit in with arrangements, who is going to pay for
the reference
who is going to pay for the
Who is going to negotiate those details in the real world
of a
These are all things tenants in the real world as the Labour Party
members should well know, have to face. Who is going to
pay for dealing with all of those
minor issues that are the reality of
renting in New Zealand or any country
renting in New Zealand or any
course it's going to be letting agents. Of course, letting agents
are
agents. Of course, letting agents are not fairies, that I are not
Tinker Bell,
are not fairies, that I are not Tinker Bell, they are not magic.
They don't work for free.
Tinker Bell, they are not magic. They don't work for free. They don't
have a money
They don't work for free. They don't have a money tree. They expect to be
compensated like every
have a money tree. They expect to be compensated like every other worker
the
compensated like every other worker the Labour Party is supposed
to stand for, for their work. They
expect
stand for, for their work. They expect to be compensated. If they
can't
expect to be compensated. If they can't be compensated
from a letting fee then how do the Labour
Party members and the New Zealand First
member down there, expect
members and the New Zealand First member down there, expect them to
Of course, they are going to pay higher rents to pay for the
arrangement of finding a new place to live.
arrangement of finding a new place to live. As was said
t bad economist looks at the
to live. As was said t bad economist
some people, the good economist looks at the
some people, the good economist
all people. This is a shell game
that is transferring costs from here to
there,
transferring costs from here to there, but it does not make people's
lives any better.
The
lives any better. The ACT Party proudly opposes
this legislation because we are
committed to making people's lives better and
we know
to making people's lives better and we know that the people at
home listening tonight understand better
than the
listening tonight understand better than the Labour Party, better than
Kieran
than the Labour Party, better than Kieran McAnulty, that they will not
benefit from a shell
Kieran McAnulty, that they will not benefit from a shell game
that shifts costs, they
will vote this government out because they will
know they've been had by a government with
government with no real ideas. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker. Anahila
Mr Speaker.
privilege to speak on the Residential Tenancies (Prohibiting
Letting Fees) Amendment Bill.
Residential Tenancies (Prohibiting Letting Fees) Amendment Bill. I want
to acknowledge
Letting Fees) Amendment Bill. I want to acknowledge that blank
sermon we've just heard a while ago. I
can't
we've just heard a while ago. I can't actually find anything
to pinpoint a point