Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill

I present a legislative statement on the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.

I move, That the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill be now read a first time.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was New Zealand’s head of State for more than 70 years. She lived a life of service, and the outpouring of affection that we have seen for her here in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world shows that this is a very significant moment in New Zealand public life. Our Government has determined that a public holiday on the day of her memorial service here in New Zealand is an appropriate step to take. It is, firstly, a mark of respect for a much-loved and long-reigning sovereign. Secondly, the establishment of a public holiday allows families and communities to gather together to watch or participate in the national memorial service or other services that will occur all around our country, and it allows people to come together and share their memories and their reflections on this important day.

The bill designates this day to be Monday, 26 September, which is next Monday. This will be a one-off public holiday and the date will be written into the text of the legislation. Normal public holiday arrangements will apply on Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day. Workers who do work on that day will be entitled to a day in lieu and time and a half, but workers who are normally rostered to work on that day will be entitled to not work on that day. There will be no trading restrictions in place; it will operate as a normal public holiday. The bill also confirms that Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day will not be considered to be a working day for certain statutory or contractual purposes, which is important in terms of making many calculations in the law and in employment agreements.

Public holidays are a day for our nation to breathe, for the relentless focus on work and commerce just to be paused a little bit for one day, to enable us to step back and participate as a society in important national moments. The end of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable and historic reign is such a moment. I’m quite sure that millions of New Zealanders will value the opportunity to remember and celebrate the remarkable life of the only sovereign that most of us have ever known. I commend this bill to the House.

The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Well, thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to make it clear at the outset, as the House has now moved into urgency to consider this piece of legislation, that the National Party and His Majesty’s loyal Opposition will be supporting this piece of legislation. We do so for a number of reasons, many of which have been already canvassed by the Minister in his introductory remarks.

Normally when the House goes into urgency to debate and pass a Government bill, it’s for reasons not of this sort. This is a unique event in the lives of most New Zealanders in that, as the Minister has said, for the 70 years and for Her Majesty to have passed away in her 71st year of reigning as our Sovereign lady is something that most of us have never had to consider or contend with or be involved with in the past.

I’m, like many New Zealanders, a little bit sleep-deprived today, because I spent quite a long time last night completely mesmerised and in awe of the television coverage of the royal State funeral—the processions and the pageantry and the appropriate farewell that was given to our late Queen Elizabeth II. So I think—and we think, on this side of the House—that this is an appropriate piece of legislation to establish what will be a one-off memorial day marking the remarkable service and dedication, over such a long period of time, of our late Queen.

But in doing so, we also acknowledge that there is a cost and that is not something to just ignore or to pretend isn’t occurring. But I would contend that, even in a time of financial difficulties that our current economy is in and when we have a cost of living crisis, I think, actually, on balance, most New Zealanders and most New Zealand businesses will think that this is an appropriate way to mark—as a nation, as citizens, as communities, as families, and as a country—the remarkable dedication and dedicated service that Her Majesty gave to us over that period of time.

So this piece of legislation means that, like the Sovereign’s birthday, Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day will be treated as a day on which, for instance, schools will be closed under the Education and Training Act. It’ll be, surprisingly enough, a non-release day for people who are involved and incarcerated in Corrections department facilities. So they’ll lose a day, and that may be something that they’re not initially aware of.

There will be other impacts as well, but I’m pleased to see that the Government has not gone so far as to restrict trading. Alcohol will be available to be sold, retail premises will be able to—

💬 Ian McKelvie: We’ll be able to drown our sorrows.

Ha, ha! My friend and colleague Ian McKelvie says that we’ll be able to drown our sorrows. Well, maybe a small toast to our late Queen might be appropriate; just a small tincture. I know that in your case, Mr McKelvie, it will only be a small tincture.

But I’m pleased that the Government’s taken a view that this one-off memorial holiday should be treated in much the same way that we acknowledge the monarch’s birthday each year in New Zealand. And in an area like mine—in the beautiful Coromandel—that ability to trade on the day is actually quite important. That will be of some benefit to people who will choose to mark this day by actually visiting other parts of the country and turning it into, actually, a memorial weekend rather than just a memorial day. Some of us will be attending here in Wellington at St Paul’s cathedral, where there will be a memorial service. That will commence with a period of silence across the nation, and we also think that’s appropriate; we think that’s the right and proper thing to do under these circumstances.

We, on this side of the House, have—as part of our values in terms of our principles as a party—loyalty to our Sovereign. And Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was, without doubt, a big stable, influencing factor in pretty much all our lives. I don’t think there are any members in this Chamber who would recall—with the possible exception of Ian McKelvie—a time when Her Majesty had not been our Queen, and he would have been far too young at that stage to remember that period of time.

So this stable factor in our life, in our community, in our nation has been very, very important. She devoted almost her entire adult life to fulfilling the pledge of service that she made as a young princess: that her life would be devoted to service of her people, of her subjects, and to the Commonwealth and the Realm nations. As our leader, Christopher Luxon, said, “The strength and stability of Her Majesty’s leadership of the Commonwealth was a reassuring anchor for New Zealand and New Zealanders in uncertain and changing times. Through both the tumultuous and the good, her dedicated service embodied the values of duty, commitment, and strength.” And I think that there would be very few New Zealanders who would not concur with that view from Christopher Luxon.

So, on this side of the House, we acknowledge and support the motion that is before us. We understand the reasons why this piece of legislation is not going to a select committee process. This is a unique occasion when the processes of parliamentary procedure can, with legitimate cause, be put aside. And I don’t think that there will be too many New Zealanders who will be troubled by the actions that we are taking in the urgency debate tonight.

There will be some, however, who will want to use the opportunity, once the memorial day is passed, to open a broader debate about New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements. I would simply say to them: please have the dignity and grace to allow that debate to occur—if it is to occur—after a suitable and appropriate period of mourning, when we as New Zealanders can acknowledge with all the appropriate manner and customary care that we want to do as a Commonwealth country, to mark Her Majesty’s memorial. Because it will be a day for us to celebrate and commemorate her wonderful life.

Like many other people in New Zealand, I’m of an age where I can remember being taken by my mother to the footpath outside what was then the Mercury Theatre in Auckland. My brother, sister, and I waited patiently for what seemed like an eternity, for a fleeting glimpse of a magnificently dressed, gloved woman with jewels and all sorts of things—a vision that most of us had never seen before. In a fleeting moment, she passed before us with a gloved wave.

I’m very thankful that my mother had the fortitude to do that for us as young children. We may not have appreciated it so much at the time, but looking back with reflection and fondness, it’s a very fond memory of mine personally. I know that there will be literally hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who will have similar fond memories of an association with a much-loved and admired monarch who many of us felt, actually, we had an almost personal relationship, even though we may never have met her. We knew her from magazines, from news reports, from television, and from the many and varied activities that she and her family had undertaken during her long years of reign.

So I want to conclude by reconfirming that His Majesty’s loyal Opposition are going to support this piece of legislation. We do so understanding that it comes with some cost, but in this case we think that that cost is something that can be appropriately borne. And so we support this legislation.

I also rise to support this bill, which we seek to pass under urgency. This is, however you view the monarchy and its relationship with New Zealand, a historic moment in our culture and for the world. She was a remarkable lady; she maintained her grace and her poise, but to reign over us for 70 years is—it has been world shaping for all of us. To get a moment to reflect on that with our families and to reflect on the relationship that the Crown has with mana whenua also, potentially, because, of course, that is an extremely special relationship—it is appropriate to take this time. I commend this bill to the House.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to support this bill and acknowledge, actually, the very impressive words and contribution of my colleague Scott Simpson. If I have one critique of the conversation that we’ve had thus far, it is that the Government has been entirely silent on the implications that this has for businesses who, certainly under this Government, have felt hugely put upon in terms of more compliance, more cost, more annual leave, more sick leave, more holidays. It was not even really part of the Minister’s introductory comments that there was any acknowledgment that there is a cost associated with this bill. I think that’s a mistake, and it’s a disappointment, actually. It shows a lack of respect for those who actually create the wealth and income in this community that the Minister was entirely silent on the implication for them and their businesses.

However, I think others in this House who have decided to take that to the point of view of opposing this have missed the significance of what we are reflecting on here this evening: that is a life of remarkable service and contribution to the world, but particularly as the Sovereign to this fantastic country; 70 years of service—selfless service. A paradox, really, when you are born into such privilege yet are remembered at the end of your life as someone who has given selfless service as a queen. I think it is absolutely appropriate for us, as a country, to reflect quietly in our own ways—individually, as whānau, as family—in response and reflecting on a remarkable 70 years of service. That is why the National Party so strongly supports this one-off public holiday on Monday.

Everyone immediately reflects on their own particular relationship with our late Queen. For me, it was a personal meeting on 1 November 1995. It was a Government House function. I was working for the Prime Minister Jim Bolger at the time. I was there with a huge number of other people and did not expect to find myself in a queue, only a handful of people away from Her Majesty. I quickly saw the opportunity to stand at attention as she was moving along the line. I had a Heineken in one hand and was not particularly well briefed as to what I should do. So, as she approached, I put out my hand, and shook it, and said, “Your Majesty, my name’s Todd Muller. I work for Jim Bolger.”, and she said, “That’s lovely.” But in all seriousness, she immediately said—and I think this just talks to the millions of experiences that have been shared in public lately—“And how was Bill Rowling’s funeral?” Because she knew that the Prime Minister was at Bill Rowling’s funeral that day. So hearing that I worked for Jim Bolger, the first thing she asks of is how did the farewell of a former Prime Minister go—how was his family, and was it an appropriate send-off? You know, I thought that that, in its little glimpse for me, talked to someone who immediately is focused on other people. We had a further conversation around what it was like working in a Prime Minister’s office, and then she moved on to the next person in the line. I have to admit, looking at the queue that then followed and reflecting that was probably the third or fourth function that she did that day—and she did that for 70 years; connecting with people and being interested in them—I find just breathtaking.

I think it is absolutely right that we do spend time in the hurly-burly of our life to actually pause and reflect. I don’t think, at times, we do enough of it, you know, when we have a public holiday to actually just reflect on the purpose of it. I would hope that on Monday we do take time as individuals and as families just to reflect not only on the Queen’s service but on the nature of service and the nature of selfless service. I often wonder what she thinks and thought of subsequent generations to her own, that she always called the “greatest generation”, the generation that she was most closest to in age, that had seen their fathers and uncles fall in the trenches of World War I, but went again to defend freedom and democracy, into that fire, when they were young. She was young at the same time, and you could tell that there was such an immense bond between her and that generation—that despite what they knew they were walking towards, they did it anyway because the values of decency and democracy needed to be upheld. And if not them, then who? So they walked towards the fire and in many cases death.

I wonder what she thinks or thought of the generations that have come since: obsessing on our phones, reflecting on curing our image on Instagram and other social media environments. I wonder what she would think of that in terms of the focus of selfless service versus a society which, perhaps, is becoming more focused on self as opposed to selfless service. So that’s what I will be reflecting on.

Now, I appreciate that my personal reflections are only valid for me and not necessarily for anyone, either on this side or on the other side of the House. But I think it is valuable to reflect on the nature of service—what it means to have a sovereign, for someone to have been so connected to this place, this institution, for 70 years, this country for 70 years, and so focused on the individual journeys that she was connected with over those 70 years. A remarkable lady—someone that I was very moved when I heard she had died; more moved than I expected to be. I had seen the photo of her meeting Liz Truss and I noted “Gosh, she’s really looking frail.” But when I got the message, as we all did, that she had passed, I was deeply moved. I’ve reflected since: why is that? Partly it’s her service; partly, I think she reminds me and reminded me of that generation that has passed. My great-uncle who lost control of his RAF fighter jet and pulled it down before a school and lost his life in 1940; my grandparents, who then went on to serve their community in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

I think part of the reason I have been so deeply moved is she reflected a core part of who I am and my family’s connection with this country and my family’s connection with service and that great generation. So let’s spend some time on this public holiday on Monday individually reflecting on what service, sacrifice, means in the context of this country as we look forward to the next five years or 10 years. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Unlike some of the members on the other side of the House, I never met Queen Elizabeth II, but I, too, did stand and see the fleeting gloved wave in 1981, as a girl guide lining the streets in Hamilton. But I guess the closest I got to the Queen was a photograph of her and Prince Philip that proudly sat on my grandad’s shelf in his house. He was a steward for her and Prince Philip in 1953, when he was in the RNZAF, and toured the country with her and Prince Philip. He spoke so fondly of her. When you spend time with someone in a very intimate space—the doors are closed and they get to relax—you get to see someone and you get to know them. My grandad wasn’t one to suffer fools, but he certainly never spoke of her or Prince Philip with anything but deep admiration.

So, like we hear from the other side of the House, Monday will give us an opportunity to reflect not just on her leadership and her service and what she meant to the Commonwealth and to our country but to individual people that she forged relationships with and, also, a wonderful opportunity to reflect on a generation that was committed to service. And whether it was born out of World War II, as we’ve heard reflected, I know that I won’t just be thinking of Her Majesty but also people like my grandad, our grandads, who served in World War II and were part of a generation that we really are saying goodbye to. It is a day to reflect and I’m very humbled and grateful to be able to recommend this bill to the House.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to take a call, probably a short call, on behalf of the Green Party, noting our support for the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill. The Green Party is—no surprise—fully supportive of work-life balance and people having opportunity and time to reflect and, as I think Minister Wood suggested, step back from the focus of work and commerce. In that spirit, we are all for this.

I note the discussion from members of the Opposition—“But what about the cost to businesses?”—and I do want to take just a moment to touch on that point. In terms of—I have spoken to people in small businesses that are feeling things are hard. I’ve also spoken to a lot of workers who are finding things hard. We are living in a really difficult time at the moment, and a chance to rest and step back and reflect on things bigger than us actually feels very timely. To measure everything in dollars and cents may be to lose the value of everything. But even if we did measure this just in dollars and cents, we saw through Matariki that the costings of that holiday could well have been on the positive side of the ledger to our communities, and businesses as well, compared to the costs. So we do need to keep our heads up, as a House, on the things that really matter.

You may note, in my speech so far, I am not speaking particularly to the point of the role of the Queen. I do recognise that there will be—and there are, I’ve heard over the last week or so—many reports of people who are grieving in this country and around the world, and I acknowledge that. The Greens are all for those people being able to have that space to grieve. There are others in this country and around the world, people like me, who are not—who felt like the Queen was a titular head of State who my only connection to was through Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which I recognise as our founding document in this country. I do want to acknowledge the Queen for her reflection on the imperfect implementation of that agreement between the Crown and hapū and iwi.

So, for the Greens and for myself, I hope that when people are memorialising the Queen next Monday, they remember—and I googled “What’s the point of a memorial?” The answer I got was: “To remind”—and it was in italics—“people by connecting to the past, present, and future.” So this is not just about one person; this is about us as a country and our connections and history. For me and for many in the Green Party, we cannot disconnect this conversation from the conversation of colonisation and where we stand in relation as Crown and hapū and iwi. So I and the Green Party would love to encourage New Zealanders, as they memorialise, to look back and look at where we are now, and ask themselves “Are we compliant with Te Tiriti o Waitangi? Are we compliant and enabling He Whakaputanga? And what is the next step in our journey?” Because this is a day of potential reflection.

And I would love to encourage people to take that day to look up a report online called The Report of Matike Mai Aotearoa - The Independent Working Group on Constitutional Transformation, which is around constitutional re-envisaging of this country that is delivering on those commitments that have been made by the Crown and the people of this country. This is part of memorialising; I would say this is core to this conversation—that people will have time for a reflection at a really important moment in our history. We recreate our present in moments like this, which then creates a path for a future that recreates the harm of the past or sets us on a path towards something better. The Greens want us to take this opportunity to move towards something better. I will just end my speech there.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s a pleasure to rise tonight, on behalf of the ACT Party, in opposition to this bill. But, firstly, I’d like to acknowledge the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She did mean a lot to a lot of New Zealanders. I think, in part, that’s because every time you went to the supermarket or to a bookstore and saw a magazine, you saw the face of the Queen, or you saw a face of a royal member. When you’ve seen that so many times, you feel an attachment to these people that a lot of people have never met. But we’ve seen what’s been happening in their lives and how that affects New Zealanders. So people in New Zealand feel a strong attachment to our royal family and to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

But it’s also, in part, because the Queen, over seven decades, visited New Zealand many times and touched the hearts of countless New Zealanders through personal interactions and through going through small towns up and down New Zealand. And we should acknowledge the life of service that the Queen had and gave to people. But I don’t believe that Queen Elizabeth II would have wished for her memorial, or for a reflection of her life of service to the people of the Commonwealth, to negatively affect other people that she so cared for.

I think, in this debate in particular, but in passing this law to pass a one-off holiday for Her Majesty the Queen, we are forgetting about the effect that this will have on the lives of people—real New Zealanders. And we’ve heard that businesses have really, really struggled through the COVID pandemic. They have really struggled with this Government, in particular, passing more and more regulations, more costs, and more public holidays on to businesses. That’s made it so hard to get up in the morning and create a living for people, their own families, and their business. This holiday is estimated to cost another $450 million to our economy and to businesses up and down New Zealand. But on top of that—and this is the aspect I would wish to speak to, tonight—is the effect that this will have on people who have medical conditions, people who are trying to access our healthcare system.

We have heard from people within the medical community that passing this one-off holiday is going to cause chaos in hospitals and GP clinics up and down New Zealand. The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners chief Dr Samantha Murton said, “It is going to make our lives much more difficult”. I spoke last week just to one GP who said that they are having to cancel 120 booked appointments because of this holiday. That has a flow-on effect, not only for that 120 lot of appointments but all of the appointments booked for weeks and months in the coming future. We know that this will have a flow-on effect for people who’ve been waiting—for months and months even—within our hospital system. At the end of June, just this year, 7,500 people have been waiting over a year for non-urgent surgeries. This will come as a blow to some of those people that will be told that their scheduled appointment will now have to be rescheduled because the Government has decided that there needs to be a full public holiday in commemoration.

I want to point to one particular area of the country, which is the Wairarapa. Now, the Te Whatu Ora district director for Wairarapa has said 488 disruptions to appointments and surgeries will happen in Wairarapa alone because of this. How large will this problem be across the whole country? This will have a detrimental effect. To the person that I spoke to who’s had their scan cancelled, there’s a feeling of anxiety, of people not being able to access the healthcare that they need when we already know that our healthcare sector is overstretched and over-burdened. This places another burden on those hospitals and those clinic staff, who now have to rebook countless numbers of people and postpone, even further, people who may have been hoping to get their appointments done in good time in the months ahead.

Another quote that came from the Association of General Surgeons, from Rowan French, said, “We normally plan about two months ahead, so two weeks is a very short time to make any changes,”. Hospitals are racing to cancel the operations that they have planned, to reorganise theatre spaces, and to recreate schedules. We are extremely short-staffed in our hospitals at the moment. We know that there are thousands of New Zealanders who haven’t been able to get their surgeries because of COVID, because they’ve only been doing those very, very acute surgeries, rather than the non-urgent surgeries, and this will be having an ongoing detrimental effect in people’s lives.

The last point I wish to talk about was the fact that, you know, we should pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen. She has done a life of service, and is of huge importance to us all. But this one day off—this one particular day—has been scheduled just so the Prime Minister can come back and be here for this holiday. There is cynical timing about why this particular day has been chosen. We shouldn’t allow this holiday to allow health to come to a grinding halt, and I don’t believe that Her Majesty would have wanted people to miss appointments and healthcare options for a day of commemoration.

You know, New Zealanders are feeling the loss of Her Majesty the Queen. She really was a true leader, and she selflessly served the Commonwealth every day of her life. But this is at an enormous cost—not just to businesses, and children who are missing education, but the patients who will be missing their appointments. It is possible that the Government could commemorate this day in a better manner. They could introduce legislation that allowed for people to have a public holiday but to use their annual leave, rather than forcing businesses to use their own money.

While we do respect the Queen, there is no way that the ACT Party could, in good faith, vote for this piece of legislation. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare. Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth was a much-loved and admired monarch whose record reign of 70 years is a testament to her commitment and to her service. She’s an example to all of us and those who serve their communities around Aotearoa. Around the world, people are feeling an acute sense of loss. Our Government has determined that it is appropriate for New Zealanders to come together on Monday, 26 September as a time to be a part of those global acknowledgments of her service.

I want to acknowledge the comments of those around the House tonight—the Hon Scott Simpson, Todd Muller, Jan Logie—I’ve enjoyed all of your reflections on the importance of that public holiday and your reflections on what you’ll be thinking about. For me, I will be thinking about the strands that bind us as New Zealanders, and those strands which go from 2022 back to 1840, when the Treaty was signed.

I was in the crowd, as a six-month-old baby at the 1990 Waitangi commemorations on the shoulders of my father—he was the chair of the commemorations—when the Queen delivered what I think is one of the most important speeches to the discussion of our future in Aotearoa. She said, “I am the descendant of one party to the Treaty of Waitangi, and many who are here today are descendants of the original Māori signatories, your tūpuna.” She said, “Today we are strong enough and honest enough to learn the lesson of the last 150 years and to admit that the Treaty has been imperfectly observed. I look upon it as a legacy of promise.” It’s with that spirit of hope that I will go into our public holiday on Monday. That’s why I commend this bill to the House.

I call Ian McKelvie—five minutes.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s a pleasure to take a short call on the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill. This will be, I suppose, to quote Sean Fitzpatrick, a speech of two halves. But, firstly, I’m a huge admirer of the late Queen and believe the least we can do as a country is take a day off to remember her extraordinary service to New Zealand, to the Commonwealth, to her own country, of course, but also to the world. I think that was very clearly indicated by the extraordinary events, really, that’ve happened—starting in Scotland, interestingly—in Britain in the last few days, or last 10 or 12 days, in fact, and the extraordinary response that she got from the rest of the world and world leaders, who turned up from everywhere to what can only be described as an extraordinary display of, I suppose, British history, to some extent, but also it was an extraordinary event. I think anyone who stayed up last night and watched it would’ve—in fact, my wife stayed up for hours watching it. I didn’t; I went to sleep in the end, but it was an extraordinary event.

Seeing as Todd Muller started telling stories, I thought I should tell a story about Government House. I don’t get to Government House very often, but I did get there one day and I was standing in a line waiting to meet one of her grandsons, actually, and I had a mince pie in my hand—anyone who’s had a mince pie at Government House will know they’re pretty special. I had it in my hand, and he walked out the door and I was the first in line—Chester Borrows was second in line. I shoved the mince pie in my pocket, and just as I shook the prince’s hand, Chester banged on my pocket like that. Ha, ha! It was a very uncomfortable feeling. But I thought it worth telling that story, because I did have the opportunity in my lifetime to meet most of the royal family, and that was one I’ll always remember because of Chester’s attitude to it.

But I do think that—and I had an opportunity last week to say a few words about this, too, so I think it’s pretty special—the heroes in this—and I don’t want to make any excuses for us supporting a public holiday, because I absolutely think it’s warranted and I think that it’s the very least we can do to respect an extraordinary woman who played such a massive part in world affairs, ever since the end of the Second World War, really. But I do think the real heroes in this are those people who—farmers, for example, who have lost a day’s processing, and some of them have waited weeks and weeks and weeks for that to happen; those people who have had medical appointments cancelled; those people who have had their dentist appointment cancelled. I was at the dentist last night; I can still feel it—they’ve had dentist appointments cancelled that they’ve been waiting weeks for. Those schoolchildren who no longer will get what, effectively—in a very difficult few years—is yet another day away from school, and they miss out on school. Those are the heroes, I think, of the fact that we—and I, as I said, absolutely accept we should have a public holiday to acknowledge the Queen. I really quite look forward to next Monday, because I think the memorial service to her will be pretty special, and I think that the day will be special to New Zealanders and we’ll remember it forever. But there are some heroes from a New Zealand perspective on that, and those are the people that have sacrificed a lot to allow the rest of us to have a day off, and I think we should remember that, particularly as we go forward.

So I think, you know, I make no excuses for the fact that the National Party have supported the Government in the opportunity to provide a public holiday in memory of who can only be described as the most extraordinary person that has lived in our times. I think her contribution to the world will last for years and years to come. So with those few words, we certainly support this bill, and I support it myself.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer—five minutes.

Kia ora rā. We arrive here with our own experiences, and I think I’ve been very open and honest, since my maiden speech, that I arrive here as a mokopuna of muru raupatu and an uri of Taranaki. I’ve been raised to navigate between the respect to mana and the reminder of mana. So fighting for a Treaty-centred Aotearoa that reclaims equality, a dignity, and, ideally, whenua isn’t a policy or politics; it’s actually about making something right that was horrifically wrong and so dehumanising. Having our natural development interfered with does not make me a victim. No one in Taranaki sees ourselves as victims; we see ourselves as extremely resilient. That means that we have huge aroha; we have huge forgiveness and compassion. It’s an experience that I have that many couldn’t imagine, and it’s an experience I have because I am a mokopuna of muru raupatu from Taranaki.

It makes me, also, an extremely hopeful person—hopeful that one day I don’t have to stand up here in this House and feel w’akamā about explaining why we don’t support a memorial or this type of holiday; hopeful that one day I don’t have to defend our views as indigenous peoples or tangata whenua; hopeful that I don’t have to feel so hōhā that we’re seen as knocking an old order because we’re so hopeful for the new order and what that could mean and bring for us as Aotearoa.

So being asked to have a memorial in 2022 for a kaupapa that represents and has targeted tangata whenua in a way that nothing or no one else ever has is a big order. Being asked to have a memorial for something like this kaupapa that has created so much violence, loss, grief, and displacement does nothing but trigger us and reminds us of our differences at a time when we need to remember what we have in common, and the respect we deserve as tangata whenua. We believe with all our hearts, everything inside us, that we can be a better nation. That’s exactly what our ancestors taught us to be and to contribute towards.

I’m tired of being told when it’s appropriate to be traumatised. I’m tired of being told that our grief for our extraordinary leaders and rangatira doesn’t matter as much. I’m tired of being told when we’re allowed to remember and when we’re not allowed to remember. So I’ve arrived here to give voice, insight, in this very short call to all of those who have been affected by the monarchy, who’ve been affected by their imperialistic grievances. I’m not here to takahi anything else, but to be that voice when we know we’re in a House that has a majority and the bill is going to pass anyway. But I want it to be remembered, in the years to come, that we stood up and we said that there is a Tiriti that should be honoured, that this is a nation that has tangata whenua who will never forget—and should never forget—what the British imperialists did to our ancestors. I ask for your aroha and respect to understand that difference of opinion.

No doubt, in years to come, when we sit here and we say, “Where were you on this side of history?”, we can sit there and say that we were bold and courageous and we believe that there’s a time when we should say stop. Now is that time when we should say that enough is enough and it’s OK to let it go and to focus on repairing and being the best nation we can be.

Nō reira, i te āhuatanga o tā tātou tupuna, ngā mihi aroha. Ngā mihi, kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou katoa.

[Therefore, in the manner of our ancestor, my heartfelt greetings. Acknowledgments and may peace be with you.]

Thank you.

Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare. It’s a pleasure to take a call on the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill. I would just like to take a moment to acknowledge the loss of the immediate family of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and all those lives that she has touched in some way. While there’s been many stories tonight recounted of how someone has met the Queen, I cannot match any story. My story was from 1986 when my dad took my brother and I to the corner and watched a car drive past and we waved our Union Jacks as she drove past the corner of Cashel Street and Fitzgerald Avenue. I remember that very clearly.

I guess before I conclude and say that the day that we are passing this legislation for is to remember a long reign that has contributed a significant amount, I would just like to reflect, to think how much the world has changed during the course of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Just alone, the idea of what being famous is or how her image is portrayed, how that has so hugely changed in the course of her time as Queen, and how she has not changed in any way in terms of her service and dedication, yet so much around her has changed over those years. I would like to pay tribute to all of those, particularly in the United Kingdom, who have stood for many hours in order to pay their respects, and how many lives that she has had an impact on. So, to conclude at that point, I commend the bill to the House.

Well, thank you very much, Madam Speaker. It’s an absolute pleasure to rise to speak on the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill. I rise on behalf of the National Party and as the member of Parliament for North Shore.

As has been articulated so far, the National Party strongly support this bill in recognition of the significant service that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has made over a period of 70 years, supporting not only as the Queen of the Commonwealth but also the Queen of the UK. I think the recognition of a memorial day to enable Kiwis across this country to stop, reflect, and remember the service and contribution of what can only be outlined as an amazing woman should occur, and very much is supported on this side of the House. The reality, right from the outset of the National Party back in the establishment in 1936, actually, is that our values have included—and I quote our constitution in 1936—“To unite all men and women of good will who are unswervingly loyal to His Majesty the King.” And, of course, at that time, that was the case. Our values now reflect—and first value: “Loyalty to our country, its democratic principles and our Sovereign as Head of State.” So I think there is no surprise, on that basis, in terms of where this side of the House sits in terms of the support for Queen Elizabeth II and her contribution.

I want to articulate a few examples that I’ve had through my lifetime in terms of interaction with the royal family and their contribution, and just to reflect on a little bit of that. But I think, you know, it is important to recognise that, as many speakers have said before, 70 years is a heck of a long time in order to serve, and the longest of any monarch. And, of course, you know, Queen Elizabeth II came into that role at the age of 25, which is very young, and she was 96 when she passed. So for anyone with any experience of that, that lifetime of contribution is absolutely so significant. I think we’ve seen, as we’ve watched the outpouring of significant support and emotion and everything else—I was looking at the statistics in terms of how many viewers around the world actually watched the funeral on the TV last night—it’s just unfathomable, in terms of the scale of support. And so while there are a few that aren’t in support, they are the minority. Globally, the recognition and acknowledgment of her service is very clear.

As many or some may know, Her Majesty became the Sovereign head of the Order of St John. I am a member of the Order of St John, and St John Ambulance obviously operates here in New Zealand. She became the Sovereign head of that order in 1952 at her accession, and has been a great supporter of the Order of St John and the services which they provide. I do want to recognise a number of my ex-colleagues, as a prior member of St John in London—Putney district was my unit—and friends were part of the funeral support progression. I also acknowledge those members of London Ambulance Service, the Metropolitan Police, and the royal armed services as well, for, I think, all of that support that goes from behind that significant, I guess pageantry, of what we saw yesterday. There is a huge amount of mechanics. And, jeez, don’t the Brits do it well in terms of putting on such a demonstration? We know that the Queen played a significant role in terms of the planning of what occurred last evening, and I think she can only be very proud. I know any of the volunteers relating to that would be very proud to have played their small part.

When I was there in 2012, I actually was fortunate, as a member of St John, to work on the Mall at the time of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the 60th anniversary. I guess at that point in time we thought “Coo, that was a long period!” You look back, and 2012 was what feels like a long time ago, but I remember that fondly. I remember a number of Kiwi expats and friends and family having picnics on the Mall, and the Union Jack flags down the Mall that leads to Buckingham Palace. My role was in regards to providing first aid support to the large and significant crowds that were there. The British street parties; I remember in our street in Putney, we all celebrated the Diamond Jubilee for the Queen by having street parties. They closed the streets, we put tables out in the middle of the street, we had ticker tape across our trees, neighbours brought out—it was sort of like “bring your own plate”—and we sat and we had a drink and everyone celebrated. I think those memories of recognition and also the important role that the Queen played are memories that I will never forget. But, I think, in a small way, we’re fortunate enough to see the impact of what the Queen has and did do over her period of time.

The other aspect I recall of when we were in London was actually attending one of the Queen’s garden parties. The Queen, obviously, hosts three to four garden parties a year in London at Buckingham Palace, and I was lucky to go along to one of those with my wife, Shannon, along with a number of Kiwi expats, I guess, at the same time as well. I remember, you know, watching while having a cucumber sandwich and a cup of tea, as you do—and very, very nice china; I think for Kiwis we thought “Well, this is a bit posh, but, you know, let’s get into it.” But the Queen, she literally—and I remember it from a distance—she’d just walk around and she’d interact with members of the public. She had her corgis and all the pageantry around that, and she—well, I never saw her but from afar—just looked so comfortable in terms of the way in which she interacted with people from all backgrounds. I think, as a Kiwi living in London, to be immersed in that period again reinforced the significant contribution and just the way in which she had the ability to simply interact with the average person, and I think that can’t be understated as well.

I grew up in Cambridge—Cambridge in New Zealand, that is—the home of the thoroughbred industry. I just lived down the road from Cambridge Stud. And so I do want to recognise that the Queen visited Cambridge in 1954, and then in 1990 she returned to Cambridge Stud, which was owned, and still owned, at that time by Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan. I know that Sir Patrick Hogan has been quoted in a number of papers in terms of what he recalls from the interactions with the Queen at that point—we know that she was an avid lover of the thoroughbred industry. And so having grown up in that part of the world and knowing that the Queen used to come to our small town was also something quite special, and just showed the breadth and variation in terms of her background.

I’m not just a New Zealand citizen; I’m actually a British citizen as well, and so, therefore, as a dual citizen of both countries—I was Kiwi born and bred, but, because of the duration we spent in London, both my children were born there—I think there is an acknowledgment in terms of the way in which our friends and our colleagues that we still keep in touch with have been impacted by the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, and I think it is one that is also felt here. I think my community on the North Shore of Devonport has one of the highest proportion of British passport holders of any electorate in the country, and I know, as I walk around and talk with the many voices, as I have over the last period of weeks, that there is absolutely that acknowledgment and I think there is that appreciation. So while we are a small part of the Commonwealth and a small part at the bottom of the world down here, we do have significant respect and honour for the role in which she has played.

I want to finish by simply reflecting on the significant service—the significant sacrifice—that Queen Elizabeth II has made. The sheer weight of numbers, I think, that we’ve seen in terms of the last 12, 24 hours, and longer, really adds up to show how much Queen Elizabeth was and is and remains respected and loved by those around the world. We will remember Her Majesty for her significant contribution and what she has done for our country. On that basis, I commend this bill to the House.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As the member of Parliament for Northcote, it’s my pleasure this evening to support the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Holiday Bill. Like many of our people, we have been thinking of Queen Elizabeth and the constant presence in our lives.

Growing up, my mum encouraged a strong following of the royal family and the sense of history they bring. Every year, watching the Queen’s Christmas message is a tradition that I personally respect, the commitment to dignity, to service, and greater sense of obligation that Queen Elizabeth brought into our lives. I speak often about my Māori whakapa, in this House, and this is an opportunity to also acknowledge my Pākehā descent. Tonight, I pay tribute to the dignified way she managed a complex relationship, being the embodiment of the Crown in whose name Te Tiriti was signed with tangata whenua, which is the foundation of our nation.

It is likely we will never see another like her in our lifetime. I want to thank her for her service. It is important that this day is recognised as a one-off, acknowledging 70 years of service to our country, Aotearoa New Zealand. Moe mai rā e te Kuīni. God save the King.