Allan KiritapuKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour): On 15 March our country radically changed for ever. I too want to acknowledge alongside my colleagues the leadership of our Prime Minister in responding to the traumatic events of that day. I also want to acknowledge the Opposition and I want to commend the actions of this House in almost its entirety as it stood pokohiwi ki te pokohiwi—shoulder to shoulder—in recognition of the values that we uphold as a nation and as a country in denouncing behaviours and denouncing that action and in recognition of what we as a country and what we as citizens of this nation deem to be appropriate and inappropriate actions and values for our home for our place. I want to acknowledge over opposite my colleague Barbara Kuriger. That day I stood shoulder to shoulder alongside Barbara Kuriger and Jonathan Young as we watched the Prime Minister. She had to leave us that day and it was Andrew Little who stood in. That was the first time—I think it was just an hour after the events that unfolded that afternoon. Collectively there was an acknowledgment amongst every person in this House that it was not a time to play politics. It was a time to come together. It was a time to stand together and uphold what we as a nation held as right. So I just want to acknowledge you Barbara and every member of this House and every citizen in this country who came together and who showed up at the memorials who showed up at the mosques who showed up—who showed up. We know as a society that we are an inclusive community and this Act that is going through this House today with almost unanimous support is an action that we as a nation can be collectively proud of. We are picking up the work of what was commenced in 1992 in this House under the leadership then of the Hon John Banks. We heard from the Hon Lianne Dalziel now the Mayor of Christchurch who participated in those debates back in 1992 when they were arguing for the absolute ban on any military-style semi-automatics (MSSAs). Due to politics and due to time and events at that time they couldn't get that legislation over the line to denounce and to ban MSSAs but now by almost unanimous support in this House we will. So I want to thank the support of our communities because we all here in this House are but representatives for the people up in our homes—me in the mighty East Coast and our friends over in the rural regions and the urban regions—whatever the race the class or the creed. We've seen people from every single part of our community come up and say that actually we don't need to tolerate—as the Hon Peter Tapsell called them—Rambo-style military-style semi-automatics. They're not necessary for hunting. In particular circumstances they have a very minor role to play in pest management and control but people up and down our nation have said that we don't need these. We've heard from a number of people over the period of listening to the submitters but one particular submitter really struck me. His name was Dr James McKay and he led the surgical response on 15 March. Forty-eight citizens came to the Christchurch Hospital and had to be triaged and as I heard from the Prime Minister just prior barely any of those people that came before him had single bullet wounds or entries. You had centre-fire bullets that had shattered and imploded in people's bodies and they had to triage them. So I just want to acknowledge him and his team those first responders who are living with the trauma of what they saw that day but too are still treating many of those people who were injured on that day. I also want to acknowledge the Minister of Police Stuart Nash and his team including the Commissioner of Police Mike Bush for your incredible response. I want to acknowledge the Acting Deputy Commissioner Andy Coster and Assistant Commissioner Tusha Penny for the way that you've worked with us throughout the course of the select committee police policy managers Geoff Dunn and Sheryl Pinckney—I hope you can get a little bit of sleep after this—and Barbara and all the team that have worked diligently over the last period. I commend this bill to the House.