Roberts AngelaANGELA ROBERTS (Labour): I firstly want to acknowledge those in the gallery. I just want to acknowledge your participation in good faith in our democratic processes with not only bringing petitions to this House but despite what my fellow member of the select committee says we have actually heard many of your heartbreaking stories because you have brought them to select committee. We heard you. We saw you. So we have had the opportunity to receive your participation in good faith in that democratic process. I just need to note the hard work that continues to happen.The range of petitions that have been brought to this House—clear evidence that the impact of border closures is not just hard but incredibly complex. I just want to reflect at this moment on the impact that the border closures have had on our rural communities. It is clear that our primary industries our rural communities have carried our economy through COVID-19 and the significant challenges and pressures that border closures have placed on our rural communities have been reflected in at least two of our petitions.As you go through the petitions you think about how the situations have changed and evolved and how border settings that have adjusted in response to the issues that have been very bravely raised have been significant. Changes to immigration settings have happened and they continue to happen. New opportunities to revise settings continue to arise. Decisions have been made to extend visas vary visa conditions and waive some application requirements across entire visa categories. Some work visas were extended to allow workers to stay and remain in current roles to help maximise the available onshore workforce when the border closed. The most recent extension was made in December for workers with visas expiring from 1 January to 30 June. We hear about decisions being made at the last minute—but better to be nimble than not be able to make a decision at all. Where there has been additional capacity in managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) we have been able to let limited numbers of people through: extending 7800 working holiday visas and easing conditions to allow holders to work in industries like horticulture to take some of the burden off of our rural communities who want to make sure that they can continue with their livelihoods; provide an exemption for about 5500 Recognised Seasonal Employers—recognised seasonal workers—and that's a recognition of the value that we place on those workers. They are highly skilled and incredibly vital to bring that harvest in—for example in Blenheim.The trans-Tasman bubble has freed up more rooms and it has allowed us to allocate more places in managed isolation—for example for critical workers. We're able to bring them in to support the economy. The New Zealand Winegrowers association was really pleased because workers will arrive in time for winter pruning a skilled role in which they excel and it will benefit the workers their families and our rural communities. This additional labour supply is absolutely necessary to meet seasonal peak demands and it will set the industry up. It gives them some certainty as they go through their annual preparations for next year's harvest the pruning.So this is just one example of how just like with the petitions the issues are raised. And when it is possible to respond and still keep all of us who are here safe we do so. COVID risks keep shifting. MIQ capacities keep changing but you have heard on the forecourt in select committee and here in this House that there is a clear commitment to continue to adjust immigration settings for not just economic reasons but humanitarian ones as well.Motion agreed to.Interim report noted.