Cheung CarlosDr CARLOS CHEUNG (National—Mt Roskill): Mr Speaker I congratulate you on your election to office. I'm looking forward to learning from you in the next three years. Members of Parliament ladies and gentlemen friends and family kia ora talofa mālō e lelei namaste salaam ni hao 大家好 and good evening.The Bible says Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight." I speak to you today as the first ever National Party member of Parliament for Mt Roskill and only the second Chinese electorate MP in NZ history. This is also the first time a National MP has won this seat since its creation. I am conscious of and respect the history we made.I will start by thanking all the people who supported me in making our campaign for Mt Roskill a success. I thank the National Party for the honour and privilege of being its representative. I thank our Prime Minister the Rt Hon Christopher Luxon for his leadership and passion in serving our country. His example of service is what New Zealand needs and I am privileged to be part of his team to bring our country back on track. To our president Sylvia Wood; deputy leader Nicola Willis; and our campaign manager Christopher Bishop I say thank you for an excellent campaign. I also acknowledge all the current and former MPs who took time away from their obligations to help us in Mt Roskill. I especially acknowledge my big sister Melissa Lee and Paul Goldsmith. They both encouraged me to stand as a candidate took me under their wings and never stopped providing the assistance support and accountability I needed. I also acknowledge all the candidates for all the friendship and support during the campaign.There is no doubt that I had the best campaign team in the country. A special thankyou to my campaign managers Shu Chen and Deane Jessep. They ran an exceptional campaign; unlike anything Mt Roskill has ever seen.Thank you to all the National Party board members; our regional chair Ward Kamo; and my committee chair Diana Burslem; my supporters; my volunteers and the Young Nats—many of whom are right now sitting in the public gallery and many of them watching on the television in their homes.I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge my opponent Michael Wood. He ran a clean and respectful campaign and I am proud to succeed him in serving the people of Mt Roskill as an electorate MP in Parliament.I would like to say a few words to my Asian and Pasifika communities. It is truly a blessing to receive support from different ethnic groups. I feel blessed to be accepted by you and will raise your voice in Parliament. To my Chinese community I know many of you have voted for the first time to support me even if you live outside my electorate—I know a few have actually texted me and sent me a message saying they can't find my name on the voting paper but thank you. 感謝大家一直以來的支持 我會繼續努力為大家服務將您的聲音和需求帶進議會. 感謝大家的支持 這次的勝利不屬於我一個人它屬於在座的所有人.我們一起創造歷史 未來我們還需要繼續努力 為大家服務.I thank my family: my mum and my dad Teresa Mak and David Cheung; my brother Dr Antonio Cheung; Rita Tsai; and my in-laws Chi Ming Brianna Joanna and Victoria Lai for their ongoing support.Finally it is well known that behind a successful man there is often a special woman. I'm lucky I have not only one but two: my wife Fiona and my little daughter Renée Cheung. I thank my wife for everything she has done for me. She is my number one supporter my better half and my prayer warrior. Fiona had to balance her time on campaigning with her role in local government and taking care of family. Thank you.Mr Speaker today I want to share with you who I am and what I wish to achieve as the representative of Mt Roskill and the people of New Zealand. I am who I am because of my family and the values I have been taught. I was born in Hong Kong. My parents are hard-working middle-class people. For them family has always come first. They always want the best for us. I remember when I was young my dad was away from home much of the time self-sacrificing to provide for us. My mother gave up her career to look after my brother and me to ensure we have a firm foundation of education and stay away from troubles. They will explore every opportunity for us to succeed. 謝謝你們對我的栽培和付出 我希望今天的我能讓你們感到驕傲.Here are three things I learnt from my parents. Number one: the value of education. Education is the key to a better future. When you invest in it it can break many cycles and shape lives for the better. Leaving very little for themselves my parents supported my brother and me to New Zealand to seek for better education. Both of us now have a doctorate degree in biomedical sciences. With investment and sacrifice every New Zealander can reach the same educational heights should they wish.Number two: finance management. My parents prioritised their spending and placed our education as their top priority even over their own needs and leisure. They never spend more than they can afford. This example has taught me to manage my own money well just like how we should do in our Government: we need to stop wasteful spending and invest our money wisely.Third: integrity and kindness. Since we were young they taught us to give to those in need even though we were not wealthy. From serving as a boy scout to engaging in volunteer work as I grew older my parents showed me the importance of serving people with a genuine heart.This is why I'm here today. After the election I have heard and seen many saying "Why is it that Carlos won? Who is he? Is it because of his high educational achievements or perhaps his business experience or maybe his support from the ethnic community?" Though those things are true it is much simpler to me: I have a heart for service and with humility I display it for all to see and follow if they want.Over the years I've served in various community groups and have worked with different ethnic and religious backgrounds. It breaks my heart to see families and children in poverty. People receiving benefits have not seen their lives improved; they are still struggling. Many of our younger generations are more afraid to dream big than at any time in New Zealand's history. That made me realise the policy is not heading in the right direction. We need to break the poverty cycle. We need a new approach. We need to teach people how to fish rather than giving them a fish. This is why I decided to stand as a member of Parliament. It is time for me to do more for my community to serve them in the one place where we can make the big changes needed. I have seen our grassroots struggles and now I want to make a bigger and larger difference for the people of Mt Roskill.We MPs are also here to create inspiration and establish better policies for our nation. As someone who achieved a doctorate I know that education is critical for firm foundations in life. Our education system should prepare our children for the future and to be globally competitive. This is why our policy of one hour of reading writing and mathematics each day is so important; it sets a good foundation for our Kiwi kids.Education though isn't just about knowledge; it has a fundamental role in creating good mental health and fortitude. We must ensure our children are mentally prepared for the outside world. They need to learn the fortitude to dream big. Yes we understand the real world is full of challenges and failures. We must teach them to pick themselves up and carry on. Our kids need to learn how to react how to be resilient when criticism comes their way. We want our next generation to be fully equipped.Our health system is also failing us. The service needs real change. It should prioritise patient needs not their race. The previous Government focused on metadata and ideas of diversity equity and inclusion but never on the root cause of the problems or the real patient outcomes that mattered. Going to the hospital for treatment is usually the last resort for a patient. Our healthcare system should be focused on both treatment and prevention. I'm proud that our Government is willing to invest in our health system by operating a third medical school. We will increase the numbers of healthcare professionals and improve outcomes. We want to build a healthcare system that people can rely on.To the people of Mt Roskill I am humbly honoured to be their MP. Mt Roskill is a special place for me. It is my family home. Mt Roskill is a unique electorate. It is one of the most culturally diverse in New Zealand consisting of over 100 ethnicities well over 150 languages spoken and many different religions practised. Nearly half of the Mt Roskill electorate is from the Asian ethnic group which is one of the highest percentages of any general electorate and over three times the national average. Over half of the population were born overseas the fourth-highest share in New Zealand. I got to meet so many residents during and after my campaign. I heard their voices listened to their concerns and shared their fears.In the past 12 months Mt Roskill has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons with supermarkets being ram-raided dairy owners attacked and many robberies. Just last Saturday while I was practicing this very speech another sad and unnecessary stabbing happened at one of our local supermarkets. I visited to check on the staff but like them I felt helpless. This is not the Mt Roskill I know and this is not the Mt Roskill we want. Solutions to these problems must be prioritised right here in Parliament by all of us fellow MPs. None of us can do it alone. We must come together work together and make change. We need to be tougher on crime especially violent crime. People who commit crimes must face real consequences and yes when released back into the community they also need to be capable of being productive and law-abiding. The police and the justice system must have the support and resources they need to achieve this. Everyone must feel safe living in Mt Roskill.The economy in Mt Roskill can be better. We need to strengthen it by providing more opportunities for our people to succeed. We need to support our local businesses more and in return create more good jobs for our people. Everyone should seize every opportunity to be successful but first we must make sure they have them. We want to see a thriving Mt Roskill where there are vibrant markets and thriving business hubs.Housing intensification is also another important issue in our electorate especially after the floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. It has been one year now and many people still cannot move back into their own homes. Many houses are empty and unsafe to live in. Infrastructure must be in place for our growing population. We cannot afford to get this wrong. It requires strong leadership from both local and central government politicians and I'm committed to working hard on this. People in Mt Roskill must have a place to call home for the long term.Mr Speaker if you will indulge me I would like to direct a few words to the next generation in Mt Roskill. Youth of Mt Roskill you are very talented and gifted full of energy and have great potential. You are the future of our country. Dream big and dare to fail. Believe in yourself. Do not be afraid of failures; overcoming them will make you a stronger person and this is the path to success. Your Government can equip you through education safety and opportunity but it is up to you to seize the day so back yourself work hard and maximise your skills to achieve your highest potential.I commit myself to serving all New Zealanders both those born here and those who have chosen to make this beautiful and bountiful country their home. I offer my deepest sacrifice and will give tirelessly in service. I only ask that all other Kiwis try their best to do the same.I would like to conclude as I began with a verse from the Bible: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others." Amen.[Applause]SPEAKER: We have one more maiden speech to go. We are past the time but the House has by way of Business Committee made that indulgence. Could I please ask people to clear the galleries as quickly as possible so that the next lot of audience can take their seats. Thank you."