TIM BARNETT (Labour—Christchurch Central) : I move, That the Christchurch City Council (Lancaster Park) Land Vesting Bill be now read a second and a third time. In essence, this is a straightforward piece of legislation. The existence of the Victory Park Act of 1919 necessitates Parliament’s ongoing interest in the health and legal structures of Lancaster Park, which is based in my Christchurch Central electorate.

My electorate is a place of many names: Lancaster Park, AMI Stadium, Jade Stadium, and Victory Park. Over time names change, structures change, the balance of influence and power in our city changes, and management systems change. In the last 10 years, the stadium has gone through a modernisation process, and this bill completes the reorganisation of its management and the transfer of that asset to local government. The final significant stage is now under way to create a sparkling place, which we in Canterbury trust will host a couple of quarter finals in the Rugby World Cup in 2011—

Hon Trevor Mallard: Like hell!

TIM BARNETT: A couple of quarter finals, I tell Mr Mallard.

The passage of this bill through Parliament has been very smooth, and its prominence has involved complex and very sensitive and prolonged negotiations between the sporting interests in and around the stadium. I congratulate those in Canterbury who managed to conduct their arguments together, came up with their own arrangements, involved Ngāi Tahu, and present this as a united solution to this House. I thank the members of the Local Government and Environment Committee, and also the advisers to that committee. The committee received only one submission, and that in itself is a sign that we in Canterbury can get these things together when we try.

I would just like to make two particular points. Firstly, I reiterate the significance of the stadium. I described it in my first reading speech as Australasia’s best known sporting venue, and no one, including Mr Mallard, has dared to argue that since. Its history is extraordinary, beginning in terms of the iconic events in 1894 when it hosted the first All Black match in New Zealand. As early as 1903 it was recognised as New Zealand’s finest sporting ground. Thirteen years later, in the middle of the First World War it became a potato patch—as part of the war effort—and from then on it has never looked back.

My second point relates to the most significant amendment made by the select committee, and I would like to pause for a few moments to talk about that. The select committee has added clause 7A, “War memorial gates”. That really puts the responsibility on the council to ensure that the war memorial gates, which exist now in the ground, exist in perpetuity as a memorial to the Canterbury soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War.

I promoted that amendment to the council, and it was happy to agree to that. The reason was that the Victory Park Act of 1919 stated very clearly that the land was vested in the Crown in commemoration of the victors of the allies in World War I, and more important, in a sense, in commemoration of the soldiers who died in the service of their country. So by building that provision into this new, slick, and efficient piece of legislation we have ensured there is an obligation to keep those gates, upon which is a list of the Canterbury soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War.

Why is that so important? There are three reasons. Firstly, it was a permanent commitment back in 1919, and if it suddenly disappeared I think the House would be failing to meet its obligation. Secondly, the First World War period, as I mentioned, saw the turn-round in the history of the stadium; and the third point is that the contribution made by soldiers throughout our nation—not least from Canterbury—is an extraordinary, humbling, and numbing contribution. I dug out the figures today. At the time of the middle of the First World War there were about 10,000 men aged between 20 and 30 living in Canterbury at any one time, and by the end of the First World War 2,711 had died in the service of their country. So of the age group of men who went to war, one-quarter died.

On the scale of things nowadays, that contribution is on the scale of the situation in Dafur in terms of the impact it had in the community. So the very least we can do is make sure we keep that commitment to keep that memorial and keep those names together, and on the basis of that I would like to again thank everyone involved in this legislation. I strongly commend the bill to the House, and I look forward to other contributions.

KATE WILKINSON (National) : It is with absolute pleasure and pride that I, as a fierce Cantabrian, rise to take a short call in support of the Christchurch City Council (Lancaster Park) Land Vesting Bill at its second and third readings. The aim of this bill, as has been stated, is to facilitate the redevelopment of Lancaster Park as a modern sports stadium for the future—and for the Rugby World Cup in 2011—which is something that all Cantabrians deserve.

As the Minister said in his first reading speech, this bill will bring ageing and redundant legal structures into the 21st century and will free us from significant impediments to the future development of the stadium. We do that by giving effect to an agreement between the Victory Park Board, which was established by the Victory Park Act 1919, and the Christchurch City Council.

The Victory Park Board has controlled and managed the land and facilities at Lancaster Park well for the last 89 years or so, and I feel it is appropriate to extend our appreciation to the board today. However, the redevelopment required for the park has grown beyond the board’s financial resources. Therefore, in return for the Christchurch City Council’s agreeing to fund the redevelopment, the board has agreed to vest and hand over Lancaster Park—and in the minds of some of us it will always be Lancaster Park—along with the land and the assets owned by the board, to the council in trust for sport, recreation, entertainment, public assembly, and ancillary purposes. With the passing of this bill into law the Victory Park Board will be duly wound up.

I acknowledge the hard work of all those involved in developing this bill and in bringing it to this House, including the member for Christchurch Central, Tim Barnett. I take this opportunity to wish him all the best for his post-parliamentary future. I also thank the Victory Park Board, the Christchurch City Council, members of the public, and, in particular, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, which, in the interests of the Christchurch community, have generously deferred their rights under the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act so that the redevelopment can take place.

Cantabrians love this stadium, especially when Canterbury wins. I note that the honourable member from Otago will be following me with a speech, no doubt with a similar bias, but perhaps a more southerly bias. Lancaster Park is a true sporting and cultural icon in the heart of Christchurch City. It has a fantastic history, and we have certainly seen some magical sporting moments. Back in 1962 the world record was set by Peter Snell in the 800 metres at Lancaster Park. There was theRanfurly Shield match in 1954, when the Ranfurly Shield was successfully retained by Canterbury after a last-minute try. That try was never converted, as spectators—no doubt Cantabrians—rushed on to the field. That is something that could never happen at today’s games, but it is certainly in the spirit of the great sporting tradition of Canterbury.

Lancaster Park is the home of our mighty Crusaders. I have certainly spent many a cold night there supporting my team—I am very responsible, I am sure, for my team—while listening to the Crusaders’ Vangelis music and watching the horses race round the stadium and stir the crowd into a frenzy, and they no doubt often spur on the Crusaders to a worthy win. In my time I have also been there to cheer on the All Blacks, I have enjoyed a few one-day cricket matches in the sun, and I have also seen some concerts.

It is amusing that although we have had two name changes since the ground was formerly recognised as Lancaster Park—Jade Stadium in 1998, after naming rights were sold to Jade Software Corporation Ltd, and now the AMI Stadium—it is still known in the hearts and minds of many people around the country and in Christchurch as Lancaster Park. Indeed, that must also be true for many of us in this House, given the naming of this bill. Despite the redevelopment and the name changes, for some—and for me—the ground will always be Lancaster Park.

It would be remiss of me to speak on this bill and not mention the Deans family, known in Canterbury as the first family of rugby. Bruce and Robbie Deans were stalwarts of the Canterbury rugby team. They held the Ranfurly Shield for 25 challenges and represented the All Blacks. As well, there is Robbie’s fantastic record as a coach and manager. Bob Deans was one of the most famous All Blacks. He was a member of the team from 1905 to 1908, and it is certainly fitting that the east stand at this stadium is known as the Deans Stand—not the “Dingo Stand”—which is appropriate acknowledgment of this family’s contribution to rugby and to the region over a great many years. Of course, many of us, not only in Canterbury, rue the day that Robbie “Dingo” Deans did not quite make it as the All Black coach. I would have to say that All Black versus Wallaby games have taken on a new dynamic and new interest as a consequence of that.

It is interesting to note the history of this park, and I did Google it, even though I have lived in for Canterbury all of my days. The Wikipedia history states that Lancaster Park has hosted various sports, including rugby union, rugby league, cricket, soccer, athletics, and trotting—and I have to say that the Crusaders’ horses are not trotters—until 1899, when the trotting club moved to the Addington racecourse. Lancaster Park has also held non-sporting events, such as concerts by U2 in 1989 and 1993, and Billy Joel in 1987. In fact, I went to the Dire Straits concert there as well, but that does not seem to be mentioned on the Wikipedia website. However, Lancaster Park is known primarily as a rugby and cricket ground, and it is certainly the home of the Crusaders rugby union team, one of the great, great teams in rugby history, which competes in the Super 14 competition. Lancaster Park currently has a capacity of 36,000 spectators. It is a wonderful ground.

In 1880 Canterbury Cricket and Athletics Sports Co. Ltd was established, and at that stage the company purchased 10 acres, three rods, and 30 perches of the Lancaster estate for the princely sum of £2,841, which equates to £260 per acre. In 1904 the Canterbury Cricket Association became the sole owner of the ground, and then in 1911 the Canterbury Rugby Football Union became co-owners of the ground with the Canterbury Cricket Association. An Act of Parliament back in November 1919 vested the title to Lancaster Park in the Crown and established the Victory Park Board to take responsibility for its management. Jade Stadium Ltd was established in 1998 to manage the existing facilities on behalf of the Victory Park Board and the Christchurch City Council.

This park and these grounds have a rich, rich history. In 1881 the first cricket match to be played on the ground was scheduled for the park’s opening on 8 October, but it was cancelled due to rain. If an inaugural game had been due to be played there last week, then a similar thing would have happened. An athletics meeting became the first event held there in that year, and it was held later in that month of October.

The embankment was expanded in 1957, which increased the capacity to 33,000 people. Two new stands were opened in 1965, further increasing the capacity to 38,500, and in 1995 the Hadlee Stand—another wonderful Canterbury name—was opened as a tribute to that successful cricketing family. The Ranfurly Shield has had some wonderful matches at Lancaster Park, and I have already mentioned Canterbury’s successful retention of the shield against Waikato in 1954, which is somewhat before my time.

But it is not only in relation to sporting events that this ground has had its fame. In 1954 Lancaster Park held a Roman Catholic prayer rally, which drew a large attendance, and in 1986, Pope John Paul II held a public mass on the oval, attracting 28,000 people. So it is not just for sport that this ground is recognised.

One of the most famous events of my recollection was the 2006 Super 14 final, which was played in thick fog at Jade Stadium. People at the stadium could not see the game, I could not see the game, and television viewers could not see the game, but the important thing was that the Crusaders were valiant and won in the end.

Finally, I say that—and I know that Mr Barnett will concur with this—Christchurch and all Cantabrians deserve a truly modern sports stadium that can move with the times. We will have that after a decade of facility improvements, after further redevelopment yet to come, and with the passing of this bill. We will have a stadium that is ready for the future and, with a bit of luck, ready for a Rugby World Cup semi-final game in 2011. May the Ranfurly Shield return to its home at Lancaster Park, now to be vested in the Christchurch City Council in trust for sport and recreation. Christchurch needs this bill, Canterbury needs this bill, and National certainly supports this bill.

MOANA MACKEY (Labour) : I will take a very short call on this Christchurch City Council (Lancaster Park) Land Vesting Bill, as chair of the Local Government and Environment Committee. I appreciated the in-depth history we just heard. This bill was very simple to deal with at the select committee. We had an approximately 35-second submission from the Christchurch City Council and we addressed all its concerns.

I say “Best of luck!” to the good people of Christchurch and Canterbury in their bid for a Rugby World Cup game. Of course, I look forward to the Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union holding a pool game, and I invite all members to come to Gisborne and the East Coast to see what real grassroots rugby is like. I commend this bill to the House.

NICKY WAGNER (National) : It is with great pleasure that I rise to support the Christchurch City Council (Lancaster Park) Land Vesting Bill. I was born in Christchurch, I live in Christchurch, and I work in Christchurch, very close to Lancaster Park. Like all one-eyed Cantabrians, Lancaster Park has played a really important part in my life over the years. But Lancaster Park is important to people far beyond Christchurch. It is important even to people beyond New Zealand. As Tim Barnett noted, Lancaster Park is one of Australasia’s most famous sporting venues.

It is good to see this bill come back to the House, because Christchurch people want to see it passed as soon as possible so that we can begin the revitalisation and redevelopment of Lancaster Park and the AMI Stadium. We want the bill to proceed so we can guarantee that our stadium will be bright, shiny, and new in time for the Rugby World Cup.

Many people have worked on this bill in order to bring it to Parliament: the Victory Park Board, the Christchurch City Council, Ngāi Tahu, sports and entertainment user groups, and the public. It is to the credit of Christchurch people that the process has been genuinely smooth and efficient. It is also to the credit of Christchurch people that unlike the process with many local bills, all stakeholders have been fully involved with the process.

I must pay tribute in particular to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, who for the benefit of the people of Christchurch and Canterbury have agreed to the promotion of this bill, and who have generously deferred their right of first refusal to the purchase of the land under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, so that Lancaster Park can be redeveloped for the good of all. Lancaster Park certainly needs that redevelopment.

The ownership of Lancaster Park has changed over the years. It was originally in private ownership, and was then held in trust and managed by the Victory Park Board. Now the assets are to be handed over to the Christchurch City Council. Yes, the Christchurch City Council will get the privilege of ownership, but it will also get the responsibility to fund the very necessary updating and redevelopment of the stadium. The Christchurch City Council and Vbase, the council-owned company that manages Lancaster Park, have big plans for its future. A $62 million upgrade is underway. The redevelopment plans have been discussed and worked on for years. The upgrade is supported by the whole community, including the local neighbourhood association—a situation that is particularly unusual in terms of a stadium redevelopment. The upgrade is supported also by the Historic Places Trust, local and national sporting bodies, local councils, and individuals. Everyone has had a chance to have a say. All the issues have been well and truly ironed out, and we all look forward to the development of a modern sports stadium that all Christchurch people can use and enjoy.

But Christchurch people have always supported their park and have been prepared to put their money where their mouths are. The managers of Lancaster Park and AMI Stadium have developed a very successful business model, and with the support of membership fees, naming right fees, and corporate sales, the venue is 80 percent user-pays. That level of 80 percent user-pays is a level of self-sufficiency not met by any other stadium in the country.

Like most Cantabrians, I have spent hours at Lancaster Park over the years and enjoyed a wide variety of different experiences. Lancaster Park is a very versatile venue and has been used for almost everything since it was founded in 1880. It has been used for all types of sport, including the mainstream—cricket, rugby, athletics—and also for rather exotic sports, such as ballooning, Scottish sports, and even penny farthing bike races.

It has also been used for other, more mundane purposes, such as growing spuds during World War I. It was used for training soldiers during World War II. My father-in-law was billeted there for a couple of months in 1942, with the 36th Canterbury Battalion. He and up to 900 other soldiers underwent their basic training there, and it was a pretty basic place, too. They slept on wooden boards and washed at the tap out the back. They trained there before they left for the Pacific theatre, and my father-in-law must have been pretty well trained because he came back, and he came back to enjoy many more occasions watching footy at Lancaster Park.

Lancaster Park has also hosted almost every different type of entertainment: from fireworks to wild west shows, from Christian rallies to heavy metal bands, and from marching girl competitions to cool jazz concerts. But probably the most vivid memories for Cantabrians are of the wonderful Crusaders—the music, the horses, and of course those red and black rugby players. Yes, Lancaster Park is central to the Christchurch way of life. It has been well used in the past and has served many purposes. This bill will make sure that it is able to be redeveloped to meet our needs now and into the future.

Finally, I thank Tim Barnett for sponsoring this bill. He has done a good job. I wish him all the best for his future and promise him that I will take special care of Lancaster Park and the Christchurch Central electorate in his absence. Thank you.

Hon TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader—Māori Party) : Tēnā koe, Mr Deputy Speaker, tēnā tātou katoa. It is a very rare thing to be able to come to this House to congratulate the sponsor of a bill on the diligent way in which consultation has taken place with affected parties. I say tēnā koe to Tim Barnett. If I could be so bold, I would say that the Christchurch City Council (Lancaster Park) Land Vesting Bill provides a model for others to follow, whereby an issue has arisen from the people, has been taken back to the people, and a bill will now be signed off in Parliament as required by all those with an interest in Lancaster Park. We in the Māori Party were particularly pleased that Ngāi Tahu were properly included and consulted through all aspects of the drafting of the bill. The Christchurch City Council approached Ngāi Tahu right from the outset, consultation was open and honest, and, most significant, as a result of that consultation, Ngāi Tahu checked off every stage during the drafting of the bill.

So it is with great pleasure that I can come to this debate and confirm that through our consultation as the independent voice of Māori in this Parliament we can state that the intent and meaning of the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act was followed and upheld, and the provisions provided within the Act were sufficient. In particular, the right of first refusal provision to purchase land at Lancaster Park is not extinguished. Under the terms of the settlement Act, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has the right of first refusal to purchase the land at Lancaster Park from the Crown. Ngāi Tahu has willingly agreed, in the interests of the Christchurch community, to consent to the bill and the deferral therefore of its rights under the 1998 Act. The select committee did make one comment that is worthy of note—that the passage of this bill is subject to confirmation of approval from the Office of Treaty Settlements.

When I think of the Ngāi Tahu settlement I cannot help but think of the long history of broken promises made by the Crown to Ngāi Tahu, including the Crown ownership of pounamu, the low prices paid for land and reserves, the failure to provide schools and hospitals, the loss of mahinga kai, customary food-gathering places, the unclear boundaries of purchased land, the leasing to settlers in perpetuity of reserved lands without the tribe’s consent, and the forced sale of Ngāi Tahu interests in some land bought from them by the Crown. We may also reflect in this House that when Rakiura, Stewart Island, was purchased in 1864, a total of more than 34 million acres had been taken off Ngāi Tahu for the princely sum of close to £15,000. This amounts to a fraction of one penny an acre. When we compare, as we have heard tonight, that the land sold for Lancaster Park around about the same time was £260 per acre and just note again the difference paid to Ngāi Tahu, of less than a penny, such was the treatment of tangata whenua at that time. We reflect also that Ngāi Tahu were left with approximately 1,000th of its original lands.

In this context, the action that Ngāi Tahu has taken to concede to the deferral of its rights under the 1998 Act is an overwhelming act of generosity and one that the Māori Party wholeheartedly commends, like the ongoing acts of generosity during the Ngāi Tahu claims. This is an iwi that the Waitangi Tribunal found had suffered from the way in which “the Crown acted unconscionably and in repeated breach of the Treaty of Waitangi.” and an iwi that is now prepared to put on record its preparedness to support this bill in the interests of the Christchurch community.

So I stand to make a brief comment of support for this bill, recognising the role of the sponsor and the generosity of Ngāi Tahu in progressing legislation to vest Lancaster Park land in the Christchurch City Council. The nation is in awe of their commitment to manaaki tanga, to kotahitanga, and to the rangatiratanga of Ngāi Tahu, Waitaha, and Kāti Māmoe. The Māori Party will support the bill.

JACQUI DEAN (National—Otago) : It is a sad day when a devoted fan of the Highlanders must stand in this House to speak on the Christchurch City Council (Lancaster Park) Land Vesting Bill. As I go through some of the background information on this bill, I will need a tissue very shortly, as I get myself further into my speech. Lancaster Park in Christchurch is the home of the Crusaders rugby team. The Crusaders do not always win—they say they do, but they do not—and the Highlanders do quite well against them. Can I mention the Highlanders? I am a devoted fan of theirs, but never mind that.

I notice that the first cricket match to be played on the grounds was scheduled for the opening of Lancaster Park on 8 October 1881. Probably all the Deans went; all the Deans from the first four ships probably all turned out. They were probably all excited about the opening of Lancaster Park. I suspect some of my forebears were in amongst that lot; they came in on a convict ship, no doubt. Can members guess what happened? The match was cancelled due to rain. Well, what an auspicious start that was! We do not get that at Carisbrook; we do not get that in Dunedin. Oh no! At Carisbrook we carry on. We do not need the comforts of the modern day; we carry on.

Russell Fairbrother: Snow and hail.

JACQUI DEAN: Snow? It does not matter to us. It does not matter to the Highlanders. It does not matter what the weather is like. That cricket match at Lancaster Park was cancelled due to rain, and I think that says it all.

I turn to the submission made on behalf of the Christchurch City Council on this bill. It is quite a simple bill, and there was only one submission on it: from the Christchurch City Council. Probably it was the body most closely associated with the bill, and I mention the summary of its submission, which is in support of the bill—as indeed is National, and so am I, conflicted though I may be. Actually, due to the wonderful nature of MMP, the Otago electorate, of which I am a proud member, is now to become the Waitaki electorate, which takes in much of Central Otago and North Otago, but also South Canterbury, all the way up to Mesopotamia Station. When I am up there campaigning hard, which I am doing when I am not here, sometimes I am asked which rugby team I support. That would be the only time in my campaign when I am driven absolutely speechless, because I am so conflicted and remorseful. In addressing the bill—[Interruption] I remain silent and nobody knows where my true heart lies, although I must say that many of my younger years were spent on the banks of Carisbrook, watching some fantastic games being played by the mighty Highlanders, which remains a very good team to this day.

The aim of this bill is to facilitate the redevelopment of Lancaster Park, and obviously with the Rugby World Cup coming up in 3 years’ time Christchurch does need a modern sports stadium that will take it into the future. I recognise that, and I also concede that it is something that all Cantabrians—one-eyed and deluded though they may be—seem to desire. As the Minister said in the first reading, the bill will bring ageing and redundant legal structures into the 21st century—and that is what this bill is all about—and provide freedom from significant impediments to further development of the stadium. All joking aside, that is what this bill addresses and that is what it will achieve. It will do that by giving effect to an agreement between the Victory Park Board, established by the Victory Park Act 1919, and the Christchurch City Council.

The Victory Park Board has controlled and managed the land and facilities at Lancaster Park very well for the past 89 years, and it is probably appropriate to extend our congratulations and our appreciation to it today. However, the redevelopment required at the park has grown beyond the Victory Park Board’s financial resources. Therefore, in return for the Christchurch City Council agreeing to fund the redevelopment, the Victory Park Board has agreed to vest the Lancaster Park land, along with land and assets owned by the board, in the council, and that is a sensible thing to do. It is vested in the council in trust, for sporting, recreational, entertainment, public assembly, and other ancillary purposes. With the passing of this bill into law, which will happen this evening, the Victory Park Board will be wound up, and so will be a great part of Christchurch’s heritage and history. As my colleague the one-eyed Cantabrian Kate Wilkinson says, it will not be forgotten. Indeed it will not, and it should not.

It is probably appropriate now to acknowledge the hard work of all the people who have been involved in developing this bill and bringing it to the House. They include the member for Christchurch Central, Tim Barnett, the Victory Park Board members themselves, the Christchurch City Council, members of the public, and in particular Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, which, in the interests of the Christchurch community, has very generously deferred its rights under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act so that the redevelopment of Lancaster Park can take place.

I guess it goes without saying—and it has been said several times tonight, unnecessarily, in my view—that Cantabrians love this stadium. It is—OK, it is—a true sporting and cultural icon to the people of Christchurch. Who can forget—

Nicky Wagner: And Canterbury.

JACQUI DEAN: And Canterbury.

Nicky Wagner: And New Zealand.

JACQUI DEAN: And New Zealand. Who can forget the marvellous, marvellous concerts held at Lancaster Park, where cars full of people from North Otago—probably from as far away as Dunedin and much further afield—

Eric Roy: Invercargill.

JACQUI DEAN: —and Invercargill have had the most fantastic trips through to Christchurch and through to Lancaster Park, whether to watch Dire Straits or—who else has been there?

Kate Wilkinson: U2.

JACQUI DEAN: Oh, yes. They have been several times.

Kate Wilkinson: Billy Joel.

JACQUI DEAN: Billy Joel. Not to mention—[Interruption] Yes, we will get on to him in a moment.

We must not forget, of course, the odd rugby game and cricket match. The one time I went to watch a rugby game at Lancaster Park in recent years—it was about 7 or 8 years ago—man, it was cold! It was very cold.

Eric Roy: It should have been postponed.

JACQUI DEAN: Well, we could see the game, which was a bonus, but it was very cold. So I hope the council is doing something about that as part of the park’s redevelopment.

Moana Mackey: Don’t you live in the South Island?

JACQUI DEAN: I have to tell Moana Mackey—and it is a truth that is obviously not going down well over on that side of the House, or in fact among my own benches—that compared with Carisbrook, Lancaster Park is just cold. When it is not cold, one cannot see the games, and when one cannot see the games the cricket matches are being called off because of rain. But, oh well, people love it.

Lancaster Park is the home of the Crusaders, and I acknowledge that they are a great team, and many members of this House have spent a lot of time supporting that team. Is it not a good thing that with New Zealand rugby, whether it is those of us who live in Otago or further south or those of us who live further north in Wellington and Auckland, we are all very passionate about and loyal to our teams and our stadiums? It probably would be remiss of me to speak on this bill and not mention the Deans family, known in Canterbury as the first family of rugby. Both Bruce and Robbie Deans were stalwarts of the Canterbury rugby team, holding the Ranfurly Shield for 25 challenges—I remember that very well—and also representing the All Blacks. As well, Robbie has had a fantastic record as a coach and a manager.

In conclusion—

Hon Trevor Mallard: Wake up, Mr Deputy Speaker.

JACQUI DEAN: Oh, do members want me to go on? Christchurch, Cantabrians, and in fact all of us in New Zealand want, and will get, a truly modern sports stadium that can move with the times within the right legislative framework, which this bill will provide. I wish the people involved in the redevelopment all the best of luck and I support them in this bill. Thank you.

• Bill read a second time and a third time.