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Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General) : Hearing the dulcet tones of Lynne Pillay takes me back to those very happy days between 2005 and 2008 when we were getting ready for Government and she was the chair of the Justice and Electoral Committee. How we enjoyed working collaboratively and positively together on the electoral finance legislation! It was one of the thrills of my life! I regret to say that I was the one who was responsible for pulling the National members out of that select committee visit to Australia, because we do not believe in trips like that, which are primarily vacations.
 
 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General) : I move, That the Limitation Bill be now read a second time. This bill was introduced in June 2009 to replace the 1950 Act that, as I noted last year, is creaky, outmoded, and long overdue for replacement. So this is indeed an exciting day for all of us because today we move a step closer to replacing the 1950 Act with a modern, clear, and comprehensive statute that will set out the general rules for determining the limitation periods for civil claims. Our rules are based on the United Kingdom limitation rules, which have been described as a “ghastly network of unreformed legal fossils impervious to natural understanding and intelligence”.

Simon Bridges: Like the Labour caucus.
 
 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General) : I will not speak at any length on Part 1, which simply outlines the preliminary provisions, but I do want to say something about Part 2, which is, in many respects, the core of the bill and sets out that there are to be defences to money claims.
 
 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: There is nowhere else I would rather be. I have to say, with respect, that I thought the discussion in the Committee was excellent. I particularly note the contribution of my friend Ms Pillay, and I say “my friend” advisedly because we enjoyed working together, she as chairperson and I as deputy chairperson of the Justice and Electoral Committee, even though we disagreed on everything and she took the Labour members off on a wonderful jaunt to Australia and I pulled the National members out because I thought that they should be at home working.