Allan KiritapuELECTORAL (MĀORI ELECTORAL OPTION) LEGISLATION BILLThird ReadingHon KIRITAPU ALLAN (Minister of Justice): I present a legislative statement on the Electoral (Māori Electoral Option) Legislation Bill. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: I move That the Electoral (Māori Electoral Option) Legislation Bill be now read a third time.This bill promotes Māori participation and engagement with the electoral process and it has been a long time coming. This change is about fairness and supports our 2020 manifesto commitment to continue to protect the integrity of New Zealand elections and voters' access to the polls including a review of financing rules. The timing and frequency of the Māori electoral option has been raised as an issue for a number of years including in the Electoral Commission's reports after each general election and in the subsequent select committee inquiries. Māori have been calling for the removal of a major barrier to electoral participation for years.Although generally speaking we have a robust electoral system that gives priority to making it easy for voters to take part the timing and the frequency of the Māori electoral option is confusing and frustrating for Māori voters and their ability to take part meaningfully in elections. The Māori electoral option is a four-month period that occurs every four to six years where Māori voters can choose to move between the general and Māori electoral rolls. The option period is the only time when Māori voters can change their roll choice.I just first briefly want to acknowledge my predecessor the Hon Kris Faafoi who stewarded this bill into the House for its first readings. I also too want to acknowledge my colleagues particularly Parliamentary Under-Secretary Rino Tirikatene for his constant and consistent pleading to this House that we make these amendments. Both those members they picked up—or rather submitters picked up—on the themes. Both the Ministry of Justice and the Justice Committee were in no doubt that the change is well and truly overdue. The last Māori electoral option was in 2018 and the next one is due to be in 2024. This timing means that without changes being made Māori will be locked into their roll choice for two general elections—the first in 2020 and then the second in 2023.Submissions were clear that the four-month period every five to six years for Māori voters to change rolls is unjustified unfair and often difficult to understand. Māori voters can feel trapped on an electoral roll that doesn't represent who they are. This undermines the trust and confidence in the electoral system and we know Māori are already less likely to be engaged in the system than other voting groups. Many submissions noted more flexibility to changing rolls would allow the Crown to better meet its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.I want to acknowledge the chairperson Ginny Andersen and her colleagues on the Justice Committee for their work in stewarding through this bill. This bill amends the Electoral Act to introduce the continuous model and the Local Electoral Act is also amended to reflect that change. It also makes consequential changes to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (Maori Constituency Empowering) Act and the bill has received strong support at the local government level. It is important that the rules for local elections and general elections are aligned as much as possible. The continuous model introduced in the bill allows Māori voters to change rolls at any time except during certain pre-election periods. Māori voters will not be able to switch rolls in the lead-up to a parliamentary by-election. The by-election exception recognises that Māori voters can switch rolls in order to vote in a by-election that they may not have otherwise voted in. It follows the principle that the voters for a by-election are expected to be largely the same population who voted in the electorate at the previous general election. It also recognises that by-elections involve a small poll of voters focused on a single electoral outcome.Following amendments made during the committee of the whole House stage last night Māori voters will also not be able to switch rolls in the three months before polling day for general elections and local triennial elections. These new exception periods align with the period leading up to a general election when traditionally parties and candidates begin stepping up their electoral campaigns and voters start turning their attention more towards their upcoming electoral choice. We know that more voters attempt to change rolls in the period immediately before a general election. Over 22000 people tried to change rolls in the lead-up to the 2020 general election.As a result of the changes in the bill the Electoral Commission must provide Māori voters with information about the type of roll they are enrolled on and the differences between the Māori and the general election rolls before general and local triennial elections. This will provide Māori with the opportunity to change rolls should they wish to before the exception period begins.The bill has also needed to accommodate for the rare situations where the three-month period leading up to a general election is not possible or where the Prime Minister announces changes to a polling day. The bill also adds back in some technical provisions that are in the current Act but weren't required in the bill as introduced.This bill will go through this House in unanimous fashion. I want to particularly acknowledge my colleagues across the House—Paul Goldsmith and his contemporaries—for the way that they have engaged with the Government with respect to the amendments that came through in the Supplementary Order Paper last night. I want to acknowledge Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer who have been passionate advocates for these amendments as well. I want to acknowledge Golriz Ghahraman and the Green Party for their consistent advocacy for these amendments in this bill. I want to acknowledge Nicole McKee who spoke with her colleagues and through some discussions the ACT Party I understand will be supporting these amendments. This is an impressive state for this House recognising the constitutional significance of our House getting to a point of collegiality and recognising the significance of the amendments proposed. I thank every single member that has participated in terms of getting our House to where it is today.Others will speak to no doubt their various personal experiences of what it is to change rolls or what it might mean for their young up-and-coming siblings or children as they start to talk with them more about the significance of voting what it means to participate in either roll and how it makes New Zealand a little bit unique in the global sphere. I am glad that these discussions hopefully will be happening in the home and at schools to increase participation of all New Zealanders in our democratic processes.I'm incredibly pleased to be stewarding through this bill this afternoon. I look forward to Māori having greater flexibility to be able to change to a roll that best reflects who they are for the 2023 upcoming general election. I commend this bill to the House—oh sorry sir. Finally I just want to acknowledge the—sorry sorry. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member is still on her feet.Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: I'm still on my feet. I really must acknowledge a couple of officials—Georgie Handley and Hayley Denoual for their work in terms of all of the various ups and downs and changes. I just want to acknowledge them. I commend this bill to the House.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are you sure? The question is that the motion be agreed to.