Andersen GinnyGINNY ANDERSEN (Labour—Hutt South): Tēnā koe e te Māngai. It's a privilege to stand and speak on the Human Rights (Disability Assist Dogs Non-Discrimination) Amendment Bill. First and foremost it's important to acknowledge the genesis of this bill which came from Mojo Mathers who had many previous bills that have furthered the rights of the disability community in New Zealand—and this is yet another one. I'd like to also acknowledge Ricardo Menéndez for taking on this bill. I think it's really important that we continue to have these debates and continue to talk about how we can improve accessibility in New Zealand; no matter how small those steps are they're important ones.This bill amends the Human Rights Act 1993 to enhance the protection from discrimination for people who rely on disability assist dogs. And it quite rightly identifies a very clear issue: that currently Section 21 of the Human Rights Act only references guide dogs" in its definition of disability. This bill takes a step to fix that issue by changing the wording to the broader term of "disability assist dog" as defined out of the Dog Control Act in 1996 ensuring that those who rely on the kinds of disability assist dogs are afforded the protections that currently exist for people with guide dogs.The example that springs to mind is the person who wants to step on a bus with a guide dog and is denied entry and that is not right. It's hard enough in itself with disability to find yourself on public transport and get where you're going without having a bus driver telling you that your dog can't come on the bus. So if we can do anything within this House to provide more fluid easier transitions for people who on a daily and hourly basis have to grapple with the obstacles that a disability presents then that's a good thing to get done.This bill will help ensure more Kiwis are protected from discrimination under the Act and hopefully enhance their rights under the Act as well. Labour supports this as a positive change one that will modernise out-of-date language in the Human Rights Act and also protect the basic rights of those New Zealanders who are living with a disability.We would like to acknowledge all those that have done this and I've already mentioned Mojo Mathers but there's a couple of other people who I would personally like to mention and they are the people that have shaped my further understanding of disability issues in New Zealand. Number one would be Ruth Dyson. Ruth Dyson was a fearsome champion for disability rights within the Labour Party and within Government who took on that role and really owned it who fought strongly and was always available to provide advice and information in relation to issues—and I learnt a lot as a new MP with her wisdom.The second person who I've learnt a lot about is someone who's now passed away and his name was Mike Grigg. He was a strong advocate a person with autism who was fearsome in his advocateship for accessibility. As soon as I became a member of Parliament in Hutt South I was told in no uncertain terms that I would have to seek a meeting or Mike would seek me out. And no doubt he did that with every single elected official whether they be from local regional or central government and he in his fight for increased accessibility for himself and his son taught me a lot. So I would like to mention Mike and all he has done for the disability community in New Zealand and in the Hutt.We support this bill because it aligns with our values and it is important that we protect the basic right of disabled New Zealanders to live free from discrimination. It makes a simple but effective change to our human rights law to help ensure that it covers the wide range of support dogs that assist disabled New Zealanders today.Section 21 of the Human Rights Act which lays out the prohibited grounds for discrimination is enshrined in the heart of our human rights framework. And it specifically identifies guide dogs under the clauses that relate to discrimination against disabled people.At that point I would like refer to some of the submissions that were received at the Social Services and Community Committee. I'd like to acknowledge those members—Angie Warren-Clark and those members of the Social Services and Community Committee that went through this bill added to it and heard those submissions. The Human Rights Commission gave a very strong submission in terms of what this does and I'd like to quickly refer to what they've pointed out because I think it nails it pretty well. It says in their submission that "This Bill represents another small step to enable disabled New Zealanders using disability assist dogs … to live fulfilling lives and [to] participate in an equitable and accessible society."; and I think that is so important. They reference that this bill aligns with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities particularly Article 9 relating to accessibility.The New Zealand Government stands by the fact that it has an obligation to take appropriate methods to ensure that disabled people have rights and have access on an equal basis with others. And we need to be able to identify where that discrimination is occurring and this bill takes a step in that direction.I think it's also important to talk about the types of things that guide dogs do because typically we think that they just help somebody get from A to B but they do a whole lot more than that. They help to alert deaf people if there is a fire alarm in their home if the doorbell is ringing. They help people who have epilepsy to manage seizures. They also help retrieve objects for people who are in wheelchairs. They might even help a handler with limited mobility with everyday activities such as opening a door or getting something. They also provide support for those people with autism those who are neurodiverse; they provide that support and ability. And as a society as we get more perceptive about identifying and understanding the neurodiverse spectrum it's really important we also identify ways that help people get on with their day-to-day lives and if having a dog nearby makes that better then so be it—in terms of my point of view.In some cases dogs even save lives. It's important to note that for those they assist these dogs are much more than just a tool they are a loved and trusted companion and they are a doorway into enjoying a more fulsome life. We need to make sure that we not only support by giving kindly when we see collections at the supermarket or at our street to make sure we have more guide dogs and more encouragement for supporting those organisations but that we recognise that dutiful role that guide dogs play to people and that they are such a critical part of their lives.I think it's also important to note that when discussing this bill the definition sets a high standard. The previous bill set a very high standard for what is included under the Human Rights Act. They must be certified as one of the eight organisations they must meet very specific criteria in order to be certified. So it's not the case that any person will be able to claim that an animal is a disability assist dog and try and claim that protection under the Act.So for some of the examples that I've just provided it does not seem right or fair that you would deny someone the ability to have that support just for the fact that it doesn't meet the criteria stipulated in legislation—that seems antiquated and this bill seeks to rectify it which is a good thing.Our wider support for disabled New Zealanders—this is part of what we support in going forward. And it is really important that we pay reference to the New Zealand Disability Strategy that spans for a decade 2016 to 2026. The strategy and the Disability Action Plan are key mechanisms for continuing the work that we do today to continue to progress New Zealand's realisation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.The Disability Action Plan is the primary vehicle in New Zealand that we seek to continue to make these gains. It is comprised of 29 comprehensive work programmes and aligned with outcomes that deliver each day in different ways to try and make these barriers that we see fewer.While we are seeing promising progress across Government there is always much more work to be done. It is critical that actions and work programmes agreed in the Disability Action Plan are progressed. And these happen from central government right down to day-to-day work we see in our local and regional councils.I'd like to quickly mention that in conclusion there have been other great bills passed improving access of individuals with disability to participate as candidates in general elections—Chlöe Swarbrick passed that bill in the last Parliament. There's some great members' bills that continue to advocate and promote rights for the disability community. I'd like to finish by congratulating the member for bringing a great bill to the House and I look forward to more bills just like this coming forward. I commend it to the House."