Valedictory Statements

Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. As I rise for perhaps the last time in this House, in the wake of Aupito’s inspiring valedictory, I’ve decided to come as my proudest lesbian self in my boiler suit.

First up, I want to acknowledge all the support and the resilience of my family: my mum, Judith; my dad, Ray; my brother, Ian; and my friends, despite the fact that I’ve been a bloody terrible friend and family member for the last decade. I specifically want to acknowledge my mate Liz, who I share a mortgage and side-by-side homes with in the fabulous Cannons Creek, who has kept things running when I’ve been absent.

In my time in Parliament, I’ve been lucky to fall in love with Kath and become a member of the council of mothers, with Kath, Justine, and Danielle caring for the two fabulous young wāhine Pipi and Vita. Yes, I see you. It’s been so beautiful to be welcomed into such a generous extended family as a well-intended though often absent member. Love you lots.

Kath, I need to particularly thank for putting up with some of the worst dates ever, including protests, election panels, vigils for murdered women and children; for forcing her introvert self out door-knocking; for staying up with me until 3 in the morning, swotting up on progressive political messaging ahead of caucus meetings; and for being there when I was struggling to breathe in the wake of Metiria’s resignation, feeling as if the bastards had won and needing to be on TV in less than an hour. So many acts of kindness; thank you—but I still won’t be proposing!

I’ve spent much of my life disengaged from parliamentary politics because the politicians I saw in the news seemed more interested in one-upping each other than genuinely working for our communities. I used to say I decided to stand for Parliament to stop yelling at the politicians on the radio, and now I’m leaving because I want to stop yelling at myself on the radio.

It’s been a real privilege getting to fight for people in this place. But my theory of change is about the movement, not the individual, and part of the job that no one really gets to see is that absolute joy of connecting with those on the ground doing amazing mahi, people reflecting on how we could do better, and organising to make it happen. In my experience, none of the good things in this place happen without those people and groups. They are the heart of our democracy. And that’s not a criticism of this place; that is something that I think reflects well on us.

This speech is my love letter to my colleagues and everyone in the public sector and communities who I’ve had the incredible privilege to be challenged by, learn from, and work with. Every single day, there are people all over this country and in this place bringing the beauty of environmental and social justice and democracy to life through their work and their advocacy, and, tonight, I want to celebrate them, including all the incredible Green members, and staff here and in the party.

Specifically, I want to call out to the teams in my office: Marie Retimanu, Jessie Dennis, Raewyn Tate, Sarah Saunders, and my ministerial office from last term, Claire Lyons, Heather McDonald, Stephanie Rodgers, Sarah McGray, and Mel King—I really am indebted to their singular and collective brilliance.

I want to acknowledge the unions—particularly E tū—the Coalition for Equal Value Equal Pay, Graduate Women, YWCA, Mind the Gap, National Council of Women, and my “she-roes” Kristine Bartlett and friends for all of their work to ensure every worker is paid according to the value of their work.

Our economy has too long relied on exploiting traditional women’s work. It’s been a long battle, and we’re not there yet—come on, pay transparency and the care and support workers settlement—but over 175,000 women have got massive pay rises in the last six years.

I also want to acknowledge Auckland Action Against Poverty, the Child Poverty Action Group, New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services, Wesley Community Action, the City Mission, the Salvation Army, beneficiary rights’ groups from Southland to Northland, We Are Beneficiaries, Metiria Turei, and many others. Government has the power to eliminate poverty.

There is frustration at the painfully low implementation of what was recommended by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG). WEAG create a pathway that represented the interests of business, working people, the sick and disabled, and our whānau and communities. The potential for wellbeing from this consensus has been squandered by a Government that limited itself by refusing to take on the inequities of our tax system. Just tax the rich, already.

That said, I will be very excited, though, to see fair pay agreements roll out, and I feel lucky to have worked with unions and the Government over the last six years to help get us to this point. I really hope that people who care about reducing inequality vote to ensure these agreements come to fruition. Our communities need this foundation.

Fired Up Stilettos and our Uber drivers are more examples of ordinary people supported by union colleagues putting themselves on the line for work rights for themselves and others. This is work towards human dignity. We should celebrate them, and we should make their lives a little easier by increasing the labour inspectorate and creating stronger protections for all workers, not just employees.

We need far more fundamental reform of ACC to ensure it can deliver on Owen Woodhouse’s intent—this has been said in this House. A shout-out to ACC Futures Coalition and others. There is so much potential, here, to strengthen our social safety net. Maternal birth injuries was a start, but we need to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of accident, illness, or birth, as intended. That work is to come.

I may have said before in this House—and I am serious about it—that family violence and sexual violence are endemic and a shame on this country. Sadly, there’s no one solution to changing it.

I need to acknowledge the Hon Andrew Little and Jacinda Ardern for letting me roam well beyond a tight interpretation of my delegations last term, to unleash some of the wisdom from our communities, and I am so grateful.

Thanks to the efforts of Te Ohaakii a Hine—National Network Ending Sexual Violence Together, Ngā Kaitiaki Mauri, all our Women’s Refuges, Te Kupenga, Korowai Tūmanako, and Ange Jury, Kim McGregor, Louise Nicholas, Heather Henare, David White, Ken Clearwater, HELP Auckland and HELP Wellington, all the Rape Crisis centres, START, Shakti, Sharma, E Tū Whānau, Pasefika Proud, Le Va, Te Pūtahitanga, Māori Women’s Welfare League, Prue Kapua, Tā Mark Solomon, Te Whakaruruhau, Te Hiku, Aviva, Shine, Tū Wahine Trust, Tu Tama wāhine, Kite Rapu i Te Ora Trust, VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai, Mojo Mathers, Debbie Hagar, Laurie Mackness, Sue Hobbs, Thursdays in Black, Community Law, Elisabeth McDonald, Yvette Tinsley, Julie Tolmie, Jan Jordan, the Family Violence Clearinghouse, and so many more people who hold the wisdom.

For all their efforts, we managed to get a dedicated Minister—go, the Hon Marama Davidson—family violence legislative reforms, sexual violence legislation, and a plan to address the issues identified in the 2009 Task Force for Action on Sexual Violence. We got around half a billion dollars towards community-based services including tailored services, we set up infrastructure to break down Government silos and create processes of genuine accountability, and we started the long journey of the Crown taking responsibility for the harm it has caused and ensuring people get the right help when they need it.

Interim Te Rōpū—sorry, you never got a decent name—did the foundational work that led to Te Aorerekura, a national strategy to end violence over generations. I do believe having a plan that was driven by Māori leadership, not our Public Service—and no shade meant—has given us something far more inclusive, far more real, and less risk averse. I get so frustrated—and that’s polite—when I hear suggestions that enabling Māori leadership is divisive. The experience of communities I speak to and listen to is the polar opposite.

I was attending a community election panel organised by Te Pae Ora a few weeks ago, and I was so encouraged that so many of the questions from the floor to all the parties were seeking to get a commitment to Te Aorerekura. We need community to hold everyone in here to account to ensure the work is sustained and driven, regardless of shifts in political or news cycles. I trust them to do this. The staff of the joint venture, now Te Puna Aonui, had and have a really tricky job leading change right across the public sector and I am incredibly grateful to them. It has not been easy. There is so much more to do. But the community, with Marama Davidson, have this.

One of those things, though, that we need to do, is we need to do much better by our children who have experienced violence or neglect, and I want to pay tribute to all the survivors who have shared this story with the royal commission and to VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai, and children’s rights advocates Hands Off Our Tamariki, and our Children’s Commissioners. Children who have experienced trauma need love and care and to know what loving relationships look like. The royal commission has already highlighted the intergenerational impact of abuse in State care and how that drove gang culture. When we punish these young people for the survival skills that they’ve learnt because of our failures and past violence, we condemn ourselves to repeat history and we make a continuation to continue violence.

I want to thank Women’s Refuge, Shine, Māori Women’s Welfare League, Zonta, the National Council of Women, the Human Rights Commission, and unions—especially the PSA—for everything they did to help pass legislation putting workplace protections in place for victims of domestic violence. This was a world first that the other jurisdictions around the world are now following. Being a world first has been almost as amazing as hearing the difference from survivors that this has made to them.

I also want to give a shout-out to the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand, Dame Margaret Sparrow, the Family Planning Association, and quite a few good women journalists who pushed for abortion law reform alongside many others. I was so proud that the Greens were the first party to put our commitment to reform into policy. It was a highlight, for me, to work with women across this House to progress the reform of our abortion legislation.

In my maiden speech, I also spoke about the beauty of diversity. I want to thank Allyson Hamblett, Jack Byrne, Louisa Wall, Dr Elizabeth Kerekere, Mani Mitchell, Kevin Haunui, as well as Gender Minorities Aotearoa, InsideOUT, RainbowYOUTH, Intersex Awareness New Zealand for all their often unpaid work to ensure a voice rights and protection for takatāpui, intersex, non-binary, LGBTQIA+ peoples.

I was honoured as a cis feminist lesbian to accept petitions to this Parliament to enable self-identification of gender on birth certificates and gender affirming healthcare. We quickly got a political consensus on the right to self-ID when it was first considered by this Parliament, and our longstanding women’s organisations have been strong allies on this, because they recognise that trans women are women and that we will never be free until we are all free. The last decade has been a renaissance for the women’s movement. Just look at the public joy of celebrating the Football Ferns and Black Ferns and the power of the Me Too movement. Strong movements bring people together; they don’t drive people apart. And that’s why it’s been so disappointing to also see the rise in transphobia in our communities and politics, activated from offshore. When Carterton elected Georgina Beyer as mayor, they didn’t see her as a threat to women; they saw her as the eloquent, bolshie woman who would fight for them—and she did.

I want to acknowledge the Inclusive Greens, Disabled Persons Assembly, People First, CCS Disability Action, Paula Tesoriero, the Disabled People’s Organisations, Deaf Action Aotearoa, Arts Access Aotearoa, Access Matters, Huhana Hickey, and all the brilliant disabled activists and allies who I’ve had the privilege of learning from. We have a very long way to go as a country to remove all the barriers to disabled people being able to fully access their human rights. I’m so pleased that the staunch advocacy of disabled people has led to the delay—and hopefully review—of the poorly named and even more poorly drafted Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill.

Change is possible. Still, I’ve found it hard to hang on to the progress we’ve made, because I’m so aware of the remaining gap between what we’ve achieved and what we still need to do to truly uphold the mana and potential of people and planet. We’re watching countries burn right now. We’re seeing beaches covered with dead fish because the oceans have become too warm for them to survive. Too many of our communities are experiencing climate change viscerally, and the stress and fear is real.

We’re also facing a biodiversity crisis that might spell ruin even before complete climate breakdown—I know, I’m a downer! Those who know are questioning why our political leaders aren’t responding to the same information that they’re seeing with urgency. And I know that the Hon James Shaw struggles with this frustration as he continues to turn up every day to fight for what is required. But when we see the most marginalised people being used as scapegoats to feed political ambitions—people still struggling to pay the bills and care for their kids; when children are still being raped and sexually abused and we don’t trust the system enough to protect them, let alone help the person who hurt them to change—it’s easy to feel hopeless. Somehow, we need to find a way to hold the possibility of transformation at the scale our circumstances demand. Now, more than ever, we need hope. We need hope in the possibility of collective action.

I’m 100 percent confident that the Greens hold the things I really care about and I can walk away with just gratitude and huge respect to them, and a sense of knowing that they will continue—but they cannot do it alone. In my 12 years, I’ve seen significant change that has happened because people have come together to create that change. The challenges in front of us now are bigger than they have ever been, and only if we come together can we meet those challenges and create a future where our children can thrive.

The time is now, and we do not have time to wait. We need to stop thinking that politicians are going to fix this without stepping up to help them; no one in this place succeeds alone. Our power is only derived from our communities, and the most meaningful thing we can do is to honour that gift and give the power back. Every decision to join a group, create a petition, join a march to vote—join the Greens—turn up for a better future to stand for hope; to stand together for urgent climate and environmental action in a society where everyone can live in dignity under the shelter—and the power of Te Tiriti will help create that future.

I began my maiden speech saying I look forward to our ongoing journey, and that is how I will conclude.

Ka whawhai tonu mātou, āke, āke, āke. [We will continue to fight, for ever and ever.]

[Applause]

Waiata—9 to 5

Mai i ngā maunga ki ngā ngāhere, mai i ngā awa ki te moana, e rere aku mihi ki a koutou katoa. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. E rere hoki aku mihi ngā whenua huri noa i te motu, me koutou anō hoki o tēnei wāhi, Taranaki Whānui, tēnā koutou katoa. Rātou kua whetūrangihia kia rātou, tātou ngā kanohi ora ki a tātou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[From the mountains to the forests, from the rivers to the ocean, I acknowledge you all. Greetings to you all. I acknowledge all the tribes across this land, as well as those of this area, Taranaki Whānui, I greet you all. Those you have passed on, and those of us present, I greet you.]

Mr Speaker, I never intended to be an MP, especially after working in the Government research unit and then as a ministerial press secretary in the late 1980s and seeing the hours MPs worked. But Nick Smith and Rodney Hide changed that when, in March 2010, they axed elected regional councillors on Environment Canterbury, me included, to install commissioners more sympathetic to irrigation development. I was angry that a Government could so easily cancel an election, overturn local democracy, and pass legislation under urgency with no public submissions. Anger became action.

Thank you, Grace Taylor for the mentoring and encouragement to stand, and the Aoraki Greens, especially Prue, Kay, Roelien, Rosemary, Tim, Nikki, Jacinta, Dot, Jan, Bruce, and so many others for all your support and campaign mahi over the last 12 years.

In 2011, with Russel Norman and Metiria Turei as co-leaders and an energetic party organisation, the Greens got 11.1 percent of the party vote—still our highest-ever under MMP, and I hope exceeded this October. That saw me, Jan Logie, Julie Anne Genter, and 11 other MPs elected, with 14 MPs returned again in 2014.

One of the things I am most grateful for in the Green Party is our strong kaupapa. MPs move on, but we keep pushing on our priority issues until we get change, even if it takes years. The “dirty rivers, clean water” campaign which Russel, Catherine Delahunty, and I all worked on at different times during six long years in Opposition is just one example. Alongside NGOs and local communities, we highlighted the damage to rivers and streams from agricultural intensification, we helped stop the Ruataniwha dam, and built the public mandate to end Government subsidies for irrigation in 2017 and for David Parker to implement stronger national direction on freshwater. Stronger regulation is now making a difference, but cow numbers and nitrate pollution of waterways and methane emissions remain too high. I look forward to Steve Abel and Lan Pham being elected and continuing to push on issues such as tighter drinking water standards for nitrate.

Last month, Federated Farmers CEO Terry Copeland said—and I quote—“We have seen peak cow in this country. With hindsight should we have done so much dairying in Canterbury? Probably no.” Scientists such as Dr Mike Joy and Dr Russell Death, former Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Alistair Humphrey, environmental NGOs, Fish and Game, and the Green Party have all been saying that for 15 years. Government and MPs need to listen more intently and act more quickly on public concerns and be less persuaded by vested interests.

Thank you, Russel Norman, for your strategic smarts and leadership as a political campaigner. The Keep Our Assets campaign to oppose the partial privatisation of our energy companies built a mass movement. It changed public opinion about State asset sales. A National Government ignored the successful referendum results but no further assets were privatised.

I acknowledge Metiria Turei, whose championing of justice for people and planet has not been properly recognised here. Metiria’s honesty in a speech at the 2017 Green AGM and her critique of the social welfare system, and need for reform so everyone has what they need, resonated with the public. The bump in Green support in the polls helped propel Jacinda Ardern to Labour leadership and victory.

The 2017 election and its aftermath was a time of heartbreak and excitement: heartbreak at the forced resignation of Metiria and the loss of caucus colleagues Mojo Mathers, Denise Roche, and Barry Coates, and excitement that the Greens were in Government.

I got a dream job as Minister of Conservation, Minister for Land Information, and Associate Minister for the Environment with responsibility for waste. Thanks to an energetic, cohesive, and professional ministerial office team of advisers and private secretaries who worked closely with agencies, we got heaps done over the next three years. In conservation, this included the largest addition to an existing national park—thank you Sandra Cook, Ngati Waewae, and Ngāi Tahu; a revised Threat Management Plan to better protect Māui and Hector’s dolphins; changes to the Conservation Act to benefit our threatened native fish; and a new Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, Te Mana o Te Taiao.

In Budget 2018, we got the biggest funding increase for conservation in 16 years, and then in 2020, $488 million of the $1.2 billion Jobs for Nature package. Thank you to Grant Robertson for recognising the importance of natural capital in your Wellbeing Budget framework and to James Shaw for helping get it and a new revenue tool—the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy across the line.

The increased Budget funding enabled Te Papa Atawhai to undertake its biggest-ever predator control programme, and Predator Free New Zealand Ltd to support iwi and hapū, councils and community organisations establish more landscape scale projects.

If anyone wants advice on effective lobbying, I suggest they talk to Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Ngāti Porou. With the help of a helicopter, they dropped me deep in the forests of the Raukūmara Range to see how large numbers of deer had not only eaten out the forest understorey, but also stripped the trees of bark. I was close to tears seeing the collapsing forest; there had been no pest control for decades. But that resulted in Raukūmara Pae Maunga. It’s a tremendous Treaty partnership between Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, and Te Papa Atawhai with significant funding to help control pests, goats, and deer over 150,000 hectares. We really do need to get on top of rising deer numbers throughout our forests.

Banning single-use plastic bags was not a priority for Ministry for the Environment (MFE) officials in 2017, and one guffawed when I first suggested it. We made it happen partly because of the deluge of letters on the issue from school students, especially to the Prime Minister. It was an honour to be a Minister under the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, with her formidable intellect and support for action on waste. To any tamariki listening: your letters matter.

I am proud of the work that I, and the ministerial office team, did with a small group of MFE officials to kick-start a major work programme on waste. It included properly regulating outdoor tyre storage to prevent tyre fires, starting work to standardise kerbside recycling, phase out single-use plastics such as tableware, and establish mandatory product stewardship schemes for refrigerants, tyres, and electronic waste. All of that work has continued and increased under the current Government—except the development of a beverage container return scheme; that should restart.

We expanded and increased our only environmental tax—the landfill levy. It’s expected to generate around $260 million to help fund central and local government minimise waste with community organisations. Imagine what a wealth tax could do.

As Minister for Land Information, it was satisfying to work with top-notch policy folk at Land Information New Zealand to develop and introduce the Crown Pastoral Lands Reform Bill. It stopped tenure review and required a stronger sustainability focus in the management of 1.2 million hectares of South Island high country. High country leaseholders opposed the bill, but the sky hasn’t fallen since it was finally passed under Damien O’Connor last year.

Increasingly, the public understands the scale of the twin crises of climate and nature. A powerful remedy to existential despair is connecting with others to promote change. That creates hope and, eventually, political action. I am so grateful for the advocacy and activism of citizens and community organisations who have a vision for a better future, informed by science, matauranga, lived experience, and practical doing. People who call decision makers to account and make life uncomfortable for Ministers and departments, who connect and strengthen our communities are treasures in our democracy.

Chairing the Environment Committee this term has been a privilege because of engaged colleagues, talented select committee staff, and the range of business the committee has dealt with—some it, like the Natural and Built Environment Bill, formidable in size—but nothing deters the Office of the Clerk and staff supporting select committees. They and the Parliamentary Library, the Parliamentary Counsel Office, and legislative counsel facilitate a huge volume of quality work within often tight deadlines.

Ministers and MPs may be the face of politics—thank you, news media—but our democracy exists because of the work of so many people in this building and beyond. Thank you for your dedication and expertise. But select committees need more staff and resources to counterbalance executive power, especially with complicated and technical bills. Having a separate financial appropriation for Parliament approved by the Speaker, rather than by Treasury and the Minister of Finance, would strengthen Parliament independence and could help here.

To all the Parliamentary Services staff and contractors—cleaners, buildings, security, ICT, finance, travel, and Copperfields—thank you for making this place function and for your humanity. Thank you to Green Party members, national office staff, and parliamentary and ministerial staff past and present. They see MPs at their best and worst. As a colleague said, “MPs get on this train called politics while staff provide the tracks to keep us going in the right direction beyond whatever today’s limited focus is.” They go above and beyond, repeatedly.

Thank you to caucus colleagues for your glorious individuality and all of the laughter. James Shaw, thank you for giving it your all to push the law and policy changes and investment we need to avert climate catastrophe. Your single-minded focus has seen more achieved in the last 5½ years than the previous 30. Marama Davidson: wāhine toa extraordinaire. I acknowledge and honour the strength and purpose of your leadership, your dignity, integrity, warmth, love of and connection with people.

When I directed the Department of Conservation to implement a much-neglected statutory plan to control and reduce Himalayan tahr numbers so that alpine plants stood half a chance, there was an outburst of misogyny and online hate. Marama, Golriz, Nanaia Mahuta, and Jacinda Ardern, and others have faced down much worse for much longer. They are strength and courage personified. We must all call out inflammatory statements and personalised attacks which feed the trolls and, instead, promote debate about ideas.

I leave here with some frustration about what has not been done. On land, we have long recognised the benefits of protecting land and waters, plants and wildlife, for their intrinsic value, human health, culture, and wellbeing; 30 percent of Aotearoa enjoys some protection from extractive uses as conservation land and waters. Why is it so hard to do the same in the sea?

Less than 0.5 percent of our oceans are protected. There are no protected areas in our entire exclusive economic zone, despite it being the fourth-largest in the world. All of it is open to fishing despite our responsibilities under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Protection around Rangitāhua, the Kermadecs, is no further ahead than when I mentioned it in my maiden speech, despite the best efforts of David Parker and mana whenua.

It was challenging to get change on anything involving fisheries and oceans last term, even when this was a ministerial priority. Seabirds are amongst the most threatened groups of birds globally, and fisheries bycatch is one of the greatest threats to many species. It’s unacceptable that commercial fishing kills an estimated 13,000 seabirds each year, and yet there was so much resistance to a zero bycatch goal in the reviewed National Plan of Action for Seabirds. All we could get was “New Zealanders work towards zero fishing-related seabird mortalities by 2050”. That’s not good enough.

No new marine protected areas have been established in six years, and despite pushing for a network on the south-east Otago coast, they have yet to happen—four years after ministerial decisions and 10 years after the South-East Marine Protection Forum was established. Work was under way on reform of the Marine Reserves Act, but progress since is not obvious. It would be wonderful to debate legislation to establish new marine protected areas in the Hauraki Gulf before the House rises.

There are many extremely dedicated people in the Public Service, but across Government agencies we need to recognise the urgency of action for nature and climate and act as if our lives depend upon it, because they do. The oceans have buffered us from the worst effects of climate change. They can protect us if we stop harming them.

Many in the agricultural sector know that land use and on-farm management practices need to change. Good farmers are retiring steep hill-slopes, planting stream banks, trying more diverse pasture species, and reducing stock numbers, yet too many in the commercial fishing industry continue to deny there is a problem in fisheries management and with methods such as bottom trawling.

What’s next? I don’t know yet, but there’s no shortage of issues where people and nature need a helping hand, and this unfit body could do with some exercise. I have too often been an absent friend and family member because work has taken priority. I look forward to reconnecting.

My parents, Tony and Meryl Sage, were in the gallery for my swearing in, but are now with the stars. Their unending love and support, and a rough and tumble childhood with three brothers—John, Phillip, and the late Stephen—have helped me survive here. With most of my immediate family living overseas, thank you Mike, Chris, Diana, and the wider Suggate whānau for always being so welcoming. Kia kaha Jesse and Claire—thinking of you.

Biggest thanks go to my life partner and anchor, Richard Suggate, who has encouraged, listened, loved, done way more than his share of household chores, and kept me going when it’s all turned to custard. Thank you for so much practical aroha, including for Mother last term—love you lots.

It’s been a privilege to be a paddler on the Green Party waka in the parliamentary fleet. It’s been hard work but hugely rewarding. I’m delighted to pass the paddle on to others and wish everyone well. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Noho ora mai.

[Applause, hongi, and harirū]

Waiata—Purea Nei

Kia ora. Am I correct and we’re swapping out audiences? We are. So can ask members’ folks that are in the gallery above me to make room for the friends and family of the Hon Poto Williams.

Kia orana tatou katoatoa. Kia orana tatou katoatoa na roto i te aroa ma'ata o te Atua.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have written various iterations of this speech, starting a cathartic process and realising that over those weeks, what I wanted to do is leave this place paying respect for my time, acknowledging those who have helped, and giving thanks and love. So that is what I am going to do, also quoting former Deputy Speaker, the late Hon Chester Borrows, who said—he admonished me with this line—“The kūmara does not speak of its own sweetness.” So in his honour, I shall add a healthy dose of self-deprecation.

I was a community worker before coming to Parliament, saying once that my lived experience and my extensive work history in family violence meant I could survive anything. Then I joined the caucus of the Labour Party under the leadership of David Cunliffe.

My first words uttered in this House were, “Thank you, Mr Speecher.” Like this time, it caused Grant Robertson to guffaw out loud, me to blush to my hairline and take a deep breath, and calmly continue. The ability to “Keep Calm and Carry On” is my superpower and the trait that members who know me, know me for that. It has stood me in good stead as Assistant Speaker and been a valuable tool as Minister, but mostly it is a reminder not to take oneself too seriously.

I came to this House with two clear agendas. The first, to be a good local electorate MP: to advocate strongly for my community, impacted by the most significant natural disaster of that time. We worked so hard, while the ground continued to shake, to get fair rebuild and repair strategies or adequate payouts so that my community could get on with their lives. I hope, for my community, that I have filled that brief.

When I look back, I see the tears that flowed in my office from the 2,628 households—let me repeat that, the 2,628 households—that came to me for help with their Earthquake Commission, insurance, and earthquake issues, and the tears that flowed when, months or even years later, they were back in the homes that they cherished and the community that they loved and those issues were finally behind them. We all thought, “If only I can get my house repaired, I will be fine.”

Nobody knew that more than the tremendous team of dedicated staff in my office in Christchurch. These women held what seemed like therapy sessions: consoling, cajoling, and encouraging; photocopying; filing for Official Information Act requests; taking photos; speaking, in a vocabulary that seems foreign today, of sub-floor, pack and jack, and levelling strategies; making tea; holding hands; and getting into battle against the big guys with the big money, and getting results. Hours, weeks, months of tireless work so that our people got what was right, with their homes repaired and rebuilt, as stated in their insurance contracts. When the unfairness of Government policy or status quo got in the way, they fought tooth and nail to get this changed. It is truly humbling work, to be trusted with the most difficult issues that your community faces, but rewarding when we make a difference.

When the opportunity to propose shovel-ready projects came about, like a good advocate for my community, I literally stalked the Minister of Finance, chased him down hallways, and stood guard at the entrance to the Chamber to secure the $7 million for the New Brighton collective of nine community projects that would not be there in New Brighton today without the Provincial Growth Fund. Whilst we technically didn’t qualify, I added a dose of Aupito’s cunning to my plan to secure the funds, and learnt a valuable lesson in shameless hustling for my community.

Which brings me to the second part of my agenda. Each year, on the anniversary of becoming an MP, I review my maiden speech and I reconfirm my commitment to James Whakaruru: to end family harm and bring voice to the experiences of children living and experiencing the trauma of family violence in their homes. As Associate Minister for social development and then Minister of Police, I had direct influence on the development of Te Aorerekura.

Others have felt the need to judge me, and I came under the most blistering scrutiny on social media but also mainstream media. One particularly cruel incident was Jenna Lynch’s Newshub poll on whether I was the worst police Minister. If only the press gallery were subject to the same scrutiny as Ministers, such as proactive diary release and disclosure of conflicts of interest. The irony is not lost on me that in my life as an advocate for those bullied, harassed, and abused, I should be the subject of bullying.

But I know what I have achieved and what I am proud of: the largest increase to the police budget ever; significant investment in the enhanced safety programmes for front-line police so that we keep our police safe, and, as a mother, I know that Di Hunt, mother of Matt Hunt, would have wished for this to be in place to prevent what happened to her and the families of police killed in the service of our country; Te Pae Oranga and working alongside its patron, Kīngi Tūheitia; working with the Minister for Pike River re-entry to secure further boreholes to provide the evidence to, hopefully, secure a prosecution; working with the families of the victims of the mosque attack and putting in place the recommendations of the royal inquiry; the first ever Minister of Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People, and the first ministry of its kind; working to continue the arms register, and, despite misinformation from the ACT Party, this register will significantly dampen the ability for firearms to find their way into the hands of those who would do us harm; getting kicked out of the House with the other Opposition MPs who stood up to John Key and his minimising of domestic and sexual violence; doing the haka on Willie Jackson—soz not soz, bro, but sometimes you just need to be told!—and, sublimely, approving the lights on Hagley Oval.

Whilst Mark Mitchell and Stuart Nash continued to do their arm wrestle and bench press competitions, I secured the ratio of one police officer to every 480 Kiwis, a gold standard—[Interruption]—oh, thanks, Sally Page—that means we will always have sufficient police to do their extraordinary work to keep us safe.

To Commissioner Coster and your amazing team, Penny Nelson and the wonderful Department of Conservation team, Paula Tesoriero and the Whaikaha team, John Snead and the building and construction team, the Department of Internal Affairs and the community and voluntary sector team, Chappie Te Kani and the Oranga Tamariki team, Andrew McKenzie and the Kāinga Ora team, Anne Shaw and the Christchurch recovery team, Debbie Power and the Ministry of Social Development Team, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment teams across many portfolios, especially immigration—ka nui te aroha ki a koutou katoa. As I have told all of you, you are my favourite officials, but only John Snead and Amy Moorhouse know the truth.

It has been my greatest honour to serve in Jacinda Ardern’s executive and Cabinet. It’s been a true privilege, and I want to thank Jacinda for her belief in me, her kindness to me and my family when I went through some of the toughest times in my political life. You gave me the strength to face the day, every day, because what we were doing was right. My words are humble but they are true: Jacinda, thank you.

In my time as Assistant Speaker, which I really enjoyed—from the front of the Chamber you can see a lot of things playing out, such as when the National Party are running the numbers for their coups. I have always loved the processes of the House and the privilege that comes with this role, but mostly the ability to sit people down and to shut them up and to deliver the death stare. I would’ve liked the ability to use the occasional cattle prod, especially on David Seymour—just jokes!

But I also recall the power of the Treaty bills, the passion of the debate, the gallery filled with iwi and waiata and whaikōrero, the arduous urgency—sorry, people—and the endless extended sittings, where I once spent 15 hours in the Chamber in one day. But I also recall the important debates on legislation that made history and made it better for our most vulnerable and marginalised. The Clerks are like the secret society: the elves that work their magic overnight and, like magic, everything operates smoothly, like a well-oiled machine.

The hours are long, there’s lots of wine therapy, and colleagues have become my work family because we see more of them than we do our real families. I have two work families: the amazing Canterbury caucus and the stellar Pacific caucus. Megan Woods, you are one feisty and amazing woman. Over the last 10 years, we have had the most sensitive and the most robust conversations, sometimes within the same conversation, and I thank you, Megan, wholeheartedly, for all the support, the rev ups, and the friendship. And Duncan, you are welcome to help me spill red wine on my carpet anytime. You are great colleagues, wonderful local MPs, and I promise to be helpful, in a “stay out of your hair” kind of way.

My other family, my aiga Pasifika, includes my ex - bench-mate Aupito. I think they split us up because you are a bad influence, Aupito—you are so cheeky. When I first arrived here, there was Kris Faafoi and Aupito as the Pacific caucus, and I like to think I was the thorn between the roses. Aupito, you have worked hard for the Pacific people. You built Pacific capacity in the Parliament and in the party. I’m so proud of what you have achieved for Pacific people and how you built our caucus strength, and the numbers and the triumph of the Dawn Raids apology. Anahila, you picked up the mantle and you made sure we engaged widely and we built our knowledge and our networks. And to the first Pasifika to be Deputy Prime Minister: Carmel, we have shared lots over the years, and I’m truly humbled and honoured to call you friend.

To the Pasifika caucus, we have been on the eight-week challenge for three years now, and the only one to benefit is KFC. Remember the principles of Pacific world domination, as designed by my cousin, Caren Rangi—the importance of having Pacific people in key decision-making positions. Also, remember to mention Pacific world domination often, especially in front of Willie Jackson, because it really makes him mad.

Chippy—Prime Minister—thank you for your advice and your guidance over the years, and for your quiet encouragement when you would sit on my couch and play coach before question time. The best piece of advice you ever gave me was to take your chance at every opportunity to speak at committee stage. I took that and ran with it, and when I asked you about what happens if I run out of things to say, you said, “Just start again from the top.” You said, “It doesn’t really matter, because no one is listening, anyway.”

Prime Minister, you have always been a steadying influence. You keep it real and you keep it simple for the people of Aotearoa. It’s an easy option for New Zealanders come October: steady, trustworthy, competent, and hard-working; relatable to Kiwis up and down the country; and building on the amazing work we have already accomplished. I admire you greatly. I know you and the team will fight hard and win this election. Prime Minister, you are the bomb, or, in the words of my grandson Fletcher, “the bom”.

This mahi is not for me on my own to claim, but we do not do this work by ourselves, so I need to acknowledge the tribe. My first thanks goes to Heather Mannix, Leeann Apps, Kath Hamilton, Laura Price, Cameron Taylor, Donna Burr, Emma Williams, Moana Fuli, Bronwyn Presland, Paul McMahon, Tiarne Gush, Danye Whitmore, Sera Benseman, Matt Swann, Georgina O’Reilly, Paddy Greig, Sally Paige, and Ryan Jones—you are my Xena warrior princes and princesses. But all of my team members, advisors, press secretaries, administrators, and department private secretaries: you make us all look good and you take a lot of flak for that. So for that reason, all of you in the gallery who have worked in my office, please stand up so we can applaud you.

My Christchurch Labour Electorate Committee: special mentions to Tim Baker, David Close, and David Lawrence; the late John Chirnside and Marie Rean; Sarah Whitcombe Dobbs; Kevin Brett; Peter Crop; Peter Parsons; Liam Bateman; Toupili Pamatangi; Sandra Sim; Alex Hewison; Jenny Hughey; and my dear friends, Hugh and Raewyn Perry. All the volunteers over the years who knocked on doors, delivered pamphlets, and helped out during campaigns—arohanui to you all. You are heartbeat Labour and strong in your convictions, and I am humbled by your efforts that have supported me over the years. Reuben Davidson, it is with confidence and relief that I pass the mantle to your very capable hands; please look after them, they are taonga.

Thanks to the party; the president Jill Day; and the former presidents Claire Szabó, Nigel Haworth, and especially Moira Coatsworth, who was responsible for bringing some extraordinary women into Parliament in her time. To all the VPs, the sector leads, the policy boffins, and the hard-working Labour on-the-ground volunteers: thank you, and keep it up. Let’s all redouble our efforts to keep our country on this path.

Thanks to my long-suffering family, starting with my sisters, Tokerau, Margaret, and Rere—the backup singers and dancers on the street corner meetings in Shirley and Aranui, the chief cooks and hostesses of campaign time—thank you for being there to pick up the pieces, but mostly for being ignored!

To my beautiful daughter Terai, I agree with your husband: you are the mother of the family. You are the sweetest, kindest person I know, and such a good mum to Bodhi Reid Thomson and Fletcher Jeffrey Thomson, your boys. I can’t wait to have more time to help out and to hang out with you. And thank you Tomo for being such an awesome son-in-law, so that I never have to worry about my family because I know you have it covered. And to my boyfriend, Stephen Hughes, your loyalty and how passionately you have stuck up for me is really humbling. It’s been a rough couple of years, but you always make me feel so safe at home. Whether you like it or not, there’s heaps more time for the illusive art called fishing and for dancing.

You don’t spend 10 years in an institution without gathering a few stories, like the New Zealand parliamentary netball team bumping into David Bennett at Sydney Airport carrying the gear bag for the Australian parliamentary netball team; or the night, Mr Speaker, shared with you and Winston Peters and a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label; or kava in Vanuatu—and, yes, it is as potent as they say. Or a certain away-caucus at Brackenridge, with euchre, too much wine, the musings from a certain senior Labour Party icon, and flavoured olive oil.

I cannot leave without heartfelt thanks to our cleaners, maintenance teams, our security team—thank you for all you have done to keep us safe, for your banter and your chat, your friendly good mornings, and especially for the difficult time we had when the mad music festival called “the convoy” landed on our front lawn. Thank you to chamber staff, Serjeants-at-Arms, and messengers, and a special mention to the dancing Jenny and a previous member of the staff, who shall remain nameless, who on his last day of service may or may not have served gin to you and me, Mr Speaker, in our water glasses—you may or may not recall that yourself, Mr Speaker.

To you Mr Speaker, my dear friend, I am so proud to have served alongside you as a presiding officer and so proud that you are our Speaker. Your dignity, your mana, and your commitment to this institution and upholding good parliamentary practice are enhanced by who you are as a person. A special mihi to you, my friend.

As they say, “You do the crime, you have to do the time”; I must have been really, really bad. I have wrung out every ounce and sometimes found ounces I didn’t know I had. This place is a privilege, but it is hard. It is a workout on your stress levels and your intellect, but service is the most important and rewarding work one can do.

This House will remember my name and my work when I have passed; the words I uttered in this House, for ever recorded in Hansard; and my photo is on a shield in the Speaker’s corridor. So, to end, I quote New Zealand’s most-famous poet, Sir Buck Shelford: “I have left everything on the field, and, actually, I’ve left some parts of myself on the field.”

Mr Speaker, it has been the privilege and honour of my life, and I leave you with nothing but love.

[Applause]

Waiata—Tongareva

The House adjourned at 6.20 p.m. (Thursday)