Motions — Prime Minister—Best Wishes for Impending Birth

I seek leave to move a motion without notice or debate wishing the Prime Minister and Clarke Gayford well with the impending birth of their child today.

💬 SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I move, That the House wish the Prime Minister and Clarke Gayford well with the impending birth of their child today.

It is unique circumstances that the country itself finds itself in today, and it is a really, really big time for both the Prime Minister and for Mr Gayford. I know certainly the whole House and the whole country is sitting on the edge of their seat, and I just wanted to put on record that we wish her and this baby the best of health, a speedy and, hopefully, really pleasant birth—as good as they can be. I know this is an exceptional day for them, and we certainly just want to really wish them both—and the whole three of them, we hope—all the best for today.

💬 Hon Chris Hipkins: Mr Speaker?

💬 SPEAKER: Well, I’m going to be a little bit liberal now, because we’ve just accepted a motion without debate.

💬 Hon Chris Hipkins: Well, the motion was just debated.

💬 SPEAKER: No. That was the motion, actually. I’m sure the House—there’s a bit of fairy dust around us and if the member wants to respond—

I’ll be very brief in speaking on behalf of the Labour Party to this motion to also add our best wishes to the Prime Minister, which, of course, have already been passed on in person. It’s a very unusual situation, I think, that the Prime Minister finds herself in, where the international media is staking out the hospital, waiting for the outcome of this particular delivery. There aren’t many people that face that when they are giving birth, and so I think that adds an added dimension of pressure to the Prime Minister at a time when she’s probably got more than enough pressure to cope with as she goes through this process. But I think the whole House wishes her all the very best. It is world leading for New Zealand, and I think we are all very proud of her.

Motion agreed to.