SpeechSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I'm actually very pleased to take a call on the St Peter's Parish Endowment Fund Trust Bill. It did I will admit come as a bit of a surprise. I do not sit on the Governance and Administration Committee. It may even be a surprise for the parishioners of St Peter's! I don't think I've been called upon because I'm a trained theologian; I don't think that's the case. I don't think this is an attempt to advance the cause of ecumenism because I'm a Catholic but I'll do my best to the Anglican Communion. I also don't think it's because I've had an excellent working relationship in the health sector with Ross Tanner. I think it's because it's an opportunity and it's an opportunity first and foremost to say thank you. It's first and foremost to say thank you not only to those who do religious service but it's also an opportunity to thank those involved including actually the Minister the Hon Grant Robertson who's speaking.Part of the reason I am involved is that I've had to deal for a variety of reasons with religious trusts over the years. I'm not a lawyer or anything like that but as those in the gallery will know and those listening often when these trusts and funds are put together for vestries or parishes or for religious good the intentions at the time don't often translate well into the future. As the parishioners and certainly the trust board know an enormous amount of work has to be undertaken. So can I start with some thanks as we come into this second reading and if I might I'll start with the Minister. I think actually—and he touched on it himself from his own personal side—Grant Robertson is a great example of a hardworking local MP. I say that obviously on this side of the House. See what religion can do! Look quite seriously he's a connected MP who actually works for the good of their community and when there's a need works hard. I think it comes with a gravitas and mana so I just acknowledge the Minister for the way that he has shepherded this private bill through.Certainly the select committee has had to do a lot of work alongside their officials. Any time you are changing a trust things get complicated let alone when you bring in the Charities Act or the laws around the Anglican Church both in Crown law but I would probably suggest even within the Anglican tradition itself and right through of course to the Charities Acts. The purpose of this though is relatively simple: the trust wants to use its money more effectively and they've been limited to date from a very initial small endowment to what has now become quite a substantial amount of money which as I understand the parish wants to spend. Even though I'm an Aucklander I know of St Peter's; I know of the good that they do. It's a massive contribution into Wellington and as Mr Robertson put it's a way amongst others to address loneliness at whatever level you want to articulate that. So this piece of law as it progresses through the House will give much greater flexibility to the trust board to spend money. Reading through the original trust's Act and so forth they were very limited based on either the income of this year or of the previous year. But so much more can be done. I know the select committee—and we might bring it up at the committee of the whole House stage: it's really around the question of how we go from having it so tight and limited to whether it's far too open as some may have suggested. I don't think that is the case by any means. I think this is one of the great things of parish endowment funds and the like: that actually you've got a group of people who see the wellbeing not only of that fund but of the people they serve. There are also questions around the whole interaction—or rather the committee was looking at the interactions—between obviously the endowment fund itself the initial legislation back in the 1920s and again how that fits in with the current Charities Act. As Crown Law has advised this is a piece of law that is important to be working its way through Parliament. So as I say we're pleased to support it on this side of the House.Look I'm not going to chew up the House's time by running through all the particulars other than to say that this has been well considered I think well traversed and ultimately—ultimately—I think it's going to further the aims obviously of St Peter's. And I want to really stress that word further" because the work that you already lead in the community is important well-known and respected; this is going to enhance it even further. And if I could somewhat bookend where I started this is ultimately going to be an expression of that love and faith in society. It is one thing if I might to preach and to talk—says a politician!—but it's another to actually do. If I might it's that whole faith and works playing together without creating a new schism or argument. We have faith and works working together and the jolly decent thing is that you have a lot of money to spend. I have absolute confidence that will be done so well for the people of Wellington. Thank you very much."