van Velden Brooke; Mallard TrevorBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT): Thank you Mr Speaker. It is an honour to stand here as the deputy leader of the ACT Party and as a member of this 53rd Parliament. I'm humbled by the support shown to me here in the Chamber today and from those watching at home and at work. It is the first time in nearly a decade that ACT has had a deputy leader elected to Parliament and I will do my utmost to help lead and provide guidance to the eight other new members of our team as we navigate this exciting chapter in our party's history together. I wish to thank our volunteers from all across New Zealand for their tireless efforts to make this election a success for ACT. I'm amazed by the number of people who asked for a hoarding and used their own hammer and nails to secure ACT's message to their fence line and public spaces. I received notes of support from people who had seen the hoardings on their drive to work from the Far North to the deep South.A real highlight of the campaign for me was meeting Chris a volunteer in Christchurch who was out delivering leaflets on his bike when he handed one to me out on my way to start campaigning. Thank you Chris and thank you everyone who gave up your time. It takes initiative and hard work to join a political campaign but so many people gave up what they could for no other benefit than the hope of a better tomorrow.To my family and friends there is no way to truly express my gratitude for your constant encouragement and understanding. To my father and my flatmates I appreciate every late night and early morning pick-up and drop-off to the airport and every supportive cup of tea that I know is waiting at home. To the ACT Party board of trustees thank you for placing your faith and trust in me. I think it says a lot about the board that they selected a 27-year-old liberal woman as the deputy leader of the party. A special thankyou to you David Seymour for your mentorship support and for always challenging me to do and be better. It is your leadership over these last six years that sees me standing in Parliament today.I sincerely thank those New Zealanders who put their trust in ACT this election. Thank you for not only electing me but all 10 of us ACT MPs to Parliament. By lending us your vote you've asked us to represent you. During the campaign I heard so many fears concerns and aspirations for the future. People came out to public meetings to share their vision for our country not only for their benefit but for the benefit of their children and their grandchildren. I promise to keep listening. As the parliamentary prayer we say at the start of each day states laying aside all personal interest" I will bring your voice to this House.My family has a long history in New Zealand. My first ancestors to this country John Pugh and Norah Dillon arrived separately before the Treaty of Waitangi was signed and my family understands that they were both present at the signing of the Treaty. Norah was a Bounty immigrant from Ireland a single woman of little means; John a carpenter. My last ancestor to arrive was my grandfather Ari van Velden. He arrived in 1952 from the Netherlands. I've heard many stories from him about his village living under German occupation during World War II. I hope we never forget those atrocities of the last century and that we never repeat them.My family background is made up of different cultures and different languages and well over a century separated Norah John and Ari coming to these shores but they all had something in common: hope. They had hope for a better future security and for more opportunities. I believe no matter the colour of our skin or when we or our families arrived in New Zealand every person who comes here determined to build a better life is a New Zealander. We are all equal and we all belong here.I was born in Auckland in 1992 to my parents Robin and Adele. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for how I was raised. Nearly all parents want their child to succeed but what success means is different for every family. I always knew that no status level or wealth or career I would choose to pursue would earn my parents' respect. Only my character could do that. My parents showed me the value of honesty integrity hard work and responsibility. I learnt that there is strength in humility. As the youngest of four and the only girl I'm sure my brothers will seek to keep me humble.I wish to acknowledge my grandfather Bob here today just shy of his 90th birthday. Bob has been one of my biggest supporters and reminds me to never let my standards slip. Bob and Gran were big believers in opportunity through education and raised three independent strong minded and determined women my mother and my aunts who were all successful in their chosen fields. My mother and my aunts were my role models as a child. Because of them and how I was raised I believed I could achieve anything that I set my mind to. My mother passed on to me this belief in opportunity through education and I was fortunate to receive a great education at Cornwall Park District School Greenhithe Primary School and St Cuthbert's College.The walls of this debating chamber commemorate the sacrifices made by men and women in war for the freedom and lives of others. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to my own great-grandfather Stanley Eyre Baxter who bravely fought at Gallipoli. For me the battles etched into the wood here serve as a sombre reminder of the seriousness of the responsibility that we hold. The laws we make in this House have real consequences and impact on every person. It is also a reminder that while we need Government to preserve our freedoms concentrated power can threaten our freedoms.I have been privileged to work in Parliament before being elected on the End of Life Choice Act. I was never motivated by a personal experience of bad death but I travelled around New Zealand hearing people's personal stories and I felt how much pain there is in our communities. It became a very deep personal issue for me to work on. I know in my heart that working on it and passing the End of Life Choice Act through Parliament was the right thing to do. I saw how real change happens when a single member of Parliament with compassion and respect for New Zealanders takes a stand on principle. I want to be part of more positive change in New Zealand. For me that does not mean putting forward ideas about how I think New Zealanders should act or to impose my morality on others. I am here to listen to ask questions and stand up for the dignity and freedoms of each individual New Zealander. I believe in creating laws that respect the inherent dignity of every New Zealander and provide choice and opportunity. That is why I firmly stand in favour of bodily autonomy.I studied economics and international trade at the University of Auckland. This is when I became an ACT supporter. Economics opened up my mind to alternative solutions to the big issues we face today such as poverty and the environment. It was a revelation to me at the time that trade and free markets have pulled billions of people from hardship and poverty. It is only through prosperity that people have the wealth and living standards needed to care about the environment. Throwing more money at problems is not the solution. A Government action—whether that's a new regulation tax or hand-out—no matter how well-intended does not always lead to better outcomes. I believe that we should not judge policies and programmes by their intentions to do good; we should judge them on results. This requires critical thinking—people unafraid to question challenge the status quo and put forward new ideas. That's what I found in the ACT Party.When I look around New Zealand today I see an increasing number of families unable to find affordable homes to live in more children leaving school without the skills they need to thrive and more people struggling to get the care they need for their mental health or addiction. We need a higher standard of debate reasoning and better lawmaking in New Zealand. I want to help build an aspirational society. Every child should have access to a world-class education that inspires a thirst and curiosity for knowledge and provides the foundational building blocks for ongoing learning. New Zealand can be a country where every person has the opportunity to know the feeling of accomplishment that comes from hard work and putting in effort—where the entrepreneurs who take risks start small businesses and provide opportunities for others don't feel bad for striving for a better future for themselves and their families and their country. Every person in New Zealand should know that they could one day own their own home.I want to acknowledge Sir Roger Douglas founder of the ACT Party who is present in the Chamber today. Sir Roger had a vision and a conviction of values. He demonstrated that ideas matter that change is possible. I wish to always remember this. The wellbeing of all New Zealanders depends on us fronting up to the difficult problems with ideas and solutions. As I stand here today I am confident that our ACT MPs will deliver for you. David Seymour Nicole McKee Chris Baillie Simon Court James McDowall Karen Chhour Mark Cameron Toni Severin Damien Smith—I am humbled to be part of your team. We will not let you down and we will work together to build a better future for New Zealand. Thank you.[Applause]SPEAKER: Now I'll get a signal at some stage from Dr Kerekere as to when her team are all in. I call on Dr Elizabeth Kerekere to make her maiden statement."