Mitchell MarkHon MARK MITCHELL (National—Rodney): Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. It's a pleasure to take a call in this the third reading of the Arms (Prohibited Firearms Magazines and Parts) Amendment Bill. Can I acknowledge the Prime Minister first of all. I was very grateful of the fact that she shared with us some insights around how it crystallised in her mind the leadership that was required and then of course the Parliament coming together to bring this bill to the House to make the changes that we needed.She was very clear about the fact that it was during the briefing with Commissioner Mike Bush and the police team where she got the graphic detail about the attack and also the detail about how the offender was able to actually go through a process of obtaining a firearms licence legally and then acquiring military-style weapons and then of course the ability to be able to get a detachable magazine with a capacity I think she said of up to 30 or 60 rounds. Of course the whole purpose in an attack like that is to try and do as much damage in as short a time as possible and when you're armed with a semi-automatic military-style weapon with a capacity of 30 or 60 rounds then you see the tragic result that we've had to face as a country in Christchurch with 50 of our people dead and another 50 in hospital receiving treatment for injuries—like Kiri was saying horrible injuries—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order!Hon MARK MITCHELL: Madam Assistant Speaker pardon?ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Kiritapu Allan. You use the member's full name.Hon MARK MITCHELL: Oh yes. Sorry Madam Assistant Speaker.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Thank you.Hon MARK MITCHELL: Just very quickly though I do want to address the comments made by the Green member Golriz Ghahraman. I know that they're heartfelt but I think that it's incumbent upon this Parliament now to show some leadership to not be alarmist and to not create anxiety in our country especially when we're already dealing with major mental health issues and anxiety. So now we have to project some confidence. We have to project some confidence in our police service and in our intelligence services. We have to take the action now in the coming weeks and months to make sure that we can prevent another attack like this from happening.I think Ian McKelvie said that we can all remember where we were on that Friday. I remember where I was. I was opening a new business in my electorate in Rodney when I got the news of this attack. It was a huge personal blow because I had invested heavily myself when we were in Government to make sure that we were updating our legislation to try and make sure that we could prevent an attack like this happening in New Zealand.I want to acknowledge the Labour Party because I remember very clearly working with Phil Goff and David Shearer and also the Hon Christopher Finlayson as our Attorney-General on our countering foreign fighter legislation. That was cross-party. But I would say to the Green Party that if you are truly motivated now in making sure that we do a better job of protecting our country then continue to show that support because I could tell you right now at that time we got no support at all; in fact it was quite the opposite.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order! Remember when you use the word you" you are referring to me in the Chair.Hon MARK MITCHELL: Sorry Madam Assistant Speaker.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Thank you.Hon MARK MITCHELL: I'd just like to say that this is an important piece of legislation. We are sending a very clear message as a Parliament and as a country that we don't see the need for military-style high-powered semi-automatic weapons in this country. We don't. You can't justify their use—other than the exemptions that we've clearly stated.I do want to acknowledge our first responders—all of them that responded on that day in Christchurch. I think I spoke in the House in the first reading and said that in the initial chaos and confusion—and I know there was different information that was flying through to the police and they were trying to make very quick decisions on the ground—we still had our first responders we still had our police officers we had our ambulance and paramedics and we had firefighters nurses and doctors. They didn't know what they were dealing with but they were still going out there and putting themselves at risk to help their fellow Kiwis. I want to acknowledge all of them and the outstanding job that they did. We should all be proud of them.I do want to acknowledge Assistant Commissioner Penny and Coster who I've been lucky enough to work with myself. Can I acknowledge both of you and the leadership and the support and also the other officials. I wasn't part of the select committee process but I heard that it was a very good one even though it's been truncated and the public can have a lot of confidence in the work that has been done. Can I acknowledge the chair Michael Wood—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): I apologise to the member. The time has come for me to leave the Chair for the dinner break.Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m."