Kanongata'a-Suisuiki AnahilaANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI (Labour): It's an absolute privilege to lend my voice to this very important bill that's historical in this House. I stand here as the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Pacific region chair which New Zealand is part of—of 13 countries in the Pacific.I want to acknowledge the sponsors of the bill—the leadership of Joanne Hayes Priyanca Radhakrishnan Jenny Marcroft Golriz Ghahraman—and of course our co-chair of the New Zealand branch of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Louisa Wall for her courage in terms of her contribution to where we are right now. I also want to extend my thanks to all the members of the Business Committee—who through their leadership have enabled this process to happen—and every member of this House because when Joanne Hayes had put this motion to the House one member could have opposed it and even including the member for Botany Jami-Lee Ross did not oppose this. So I want to acknowledge that leadership because that's the sort of behaviour we as a country are looking for. When our Prime Minister stands on the world stage and talks about manaakitanga and stands here welcoming new New Zealanders as refugees talking about manaakitanga she's talking about compassion. She's talking about aroha. She's talking about care. This bill—I'd just like to remind everybody—the Crimes (Definition of Female Genital Mutilation) Amendment Bill is an example of what that is.Who are we really? Who are we to tell another culture that we disagree with their practice? Who are we to do that? I want to acknowledge the Hon Anne Tolley. She spoke about the woman—and I want to honour her memory—Bogaletch Gebre an Ethiopian human rights activist and scientist who passed away recently who was the champion of women's rights against female genital mutilation.The reason why I bring that to this House is because I want to put into perspective the courage of this woman and her memory—what she's left behind. We've heard from people in this House. The Hon Poto Williams spoke about it. She said that there are about 200 million women in the world who have gone through this but the population of Ethiopia is 112 million. To put into perspective the courage of this woman is that this is the 12th ranked highest-population country in the world and 98 percent of women—girls and women—have had this experience and are scarred by female genital mutilation this practice. Really who are we—a country of is it just over four million?—to tell the 12th most-populated country in the world that this is a practice we're against? Well it is because we believe in doing what's right. We are a country who's known for her courage in doing what's right.I have had three children and for all three I've had an operation. In that operation—I think we call them caesarean—I have had all the services available to me. I have had—what's that word in terms of numbing?Hon Members: Anaesthetic. ANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI: I've had that. But to think—and I woke up and there's the baby nice and well surrounded by this health system who is second to none in the world I believe—our health system is second to none. I've woken up well taken care of and if I'm in pain I get something for that too. But to think that girls women millions and millions experience this trauma—6000 a day experience this trauma. We cannot as a country just sit here and say that it doesn't involve us. New New Zealanders who come into this country with the practice need us to demonstrate our aroha.On that note—I know I'm running out of time—I just want to acknowledge everybody in this House for your respectful behaviour in this kōrero around this practice that we must stand against. I commend this bill to the House. I'd like to remind everybody that the bill is sponsored by four members—and we could have had six but there are just some things where it needs to be just the women's voice. Ka kite.