Little AndrewCORONERS (ACCESS TO BODY OF DEAD PERSON) AMENDMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): I move That the Coroners (Access to Body of Dead Person) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill. The bill implements part of the Government's response to the Māori Affairs Committee's report Inquiry into whānau access to and management of tūpāpaku. The bill will codify the current practice of coroners and ensure that all cultural beliefs including tikanga Māori continue to be recognised and supported in our coronial system. Before I discuss the changes made by the bill I'd first like to recognise the work of the Māori Affairs Committee in initiating and conducting their inquiry last Parliament. I'd also like to thank the submitters who took the time to share their views and experiences of the coronial system with the committee. New Zealand is a culturally diverse country and so it's fundamental that we continue to improve the experiences of whānau during what is an incredibly difficult time for all involved. An estimated 31000 deaths occur in New Zealand each year most of which are the result of natural causes. Approximately 20 percent of these deaths are referred to the coroner to be investigated which is over 5000 deaths being considered by coroners each year. A coroner's role is to investigate the cause and circumstances of sudden unexplained or suspicious deaths. Importantly they identify lessons that can be learnt to prevent similar deaths in the future. I'd like to take this opportunity to commend the high standard of work carried out by our coroners and our coronial case managers every day. The Māori Affairs Committee initiated their inquiry in 2016 to respond to concerns raised by whānau regarding their access to and management of the tūpāpaku of whānau members. The committee made eight recommendations to the Government and the Government's response was tabled in the House earlier this year. The Coroners Act establishes the coronial framework in New Zealand and regulates whānau access to tūpāpaku. The Act seeks to balance the cultural and spiritual needs of family and those in a close relationship with the person who has died with the public good associated with a proper and timely understanding of the causes of death. The Government considers that the overall coronial system extending from the police leading the response at the scene of an unexpected death through to collection of the deceased's body by the family-nominated funeral director responds well to cultural and religious needs. However there are always opportunities to improve the responsiveness of the coronial system to cultural considerations and it's important that we listen to the views of the people in our society. We wanted to make sure that we carefully consider all opportunities for improvement in this area and make the necessary changes when required. The Coroners Act sets out what coroners must consider when making decisions about who can view touch or remain near the body. Currently section 26 provides that coroners can take tikanga Māori into account when making these decisions but it is not an explicit requirement under the Act. One of the Māori Affairs Committee's recommendations was to amend section 26 of the Act to provide an explicit requirement that coroners take account of cultural considerations when determining who can view touch or remain near the tūpāpaku. The Government accepted this recommendation and this bill implements this recommendation. The ability to stay with the deceased and carry out traditional cultural activities is an important feature of many cultures religions and ethnicities. It's a traditional Māori cultural practice that immediate whānau do not leave the tūpāpaku until burial. As New Zealand is made up of many diverse cultures and people of different religions we wanted to make sure that all cultural beliefs including tikanga Māori continued to be recognised and supported during what is a challenging time for whānau and all other parties involved. Importantly this bill does not aim to change the current practice of coroners. The bill codifies current practice as coroners are already working closely with whānau to determine when it is appropriate for whānau to remain with the tūpāpaku. I've also invited the Chief Coroner to issue practice guidelines under the Act for coroners to follow when making decisions under section 26. This Government is committed to ensuring that all cultures and religious beliefs continue to be recognised and respected in New Zealand and I believe that this bill will help to achieve that commitment. I commend the bill to the House.