Pillay Lynne: Valedictory Statements 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Pillay Lynne: Valedictory Statements 
[Sitting date: 04 October 2011. Volume:676;Page:21665. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour) 
: 
 This will be the last speech I give in this House and I start by acknowledging Pete Hodgson and Jim Anderton who are also giving their valedictory speeches today. They have both made a tremendous contribution to our Parliament and to our country. Their combined service adds up to 48 years. I am very happy to be saying farewell with them today. 
I have had some good advice that a valedictory speech should be dignified and not churlish and I will do my best to meet that standard. However there are some things I really want to say so if I offend anyone in the House today I apologise in advance. It has often been said that there are no friends in politics. That has not been my experience. I have made some wonderful friends and not only in the Labour Party. Of course I have made a few enemies too. In the interests of dignity I will not mention their names and I remain hopeful that they will not mention my name either. 
I first stood for Parliament in 1999 because I was committed to improving the rights of working people. That was a difficult time for so many New Zealanders. As a union organiser I had seen the devastation that the Employment Contracts Act caused in working people’s lives. I got to Parliament for a very brief 10-day stint as a list MP in 1999. I congratulate Keith Locke who actually took my space in the final count after the special votes came in. Keith I bear you no malice. 
In 2002 I was elected as MP for Waitakere. The sheer joy of being part of the Helen Clark and Michael Cullen Government which did so much to bring fairness back to New Zealand is something I will always hold dear not only for the many things that I had campaigned for in my former life—fairer labour laws enhanced health and safety in workplaces Modern Apprenticeships 4 weeks’ holiday paid parental leave increases to the minimum wage and creating jobs for people—but also for the restoration of income-related rents in State houses free early childhood education for every 3 and 4-year-old child affordable doctors’ visits tax credits through Working for Families putting money in the pockets of families who really needed it KiwiSaver help with homeownership and interest-free student loans. Those were exciting times and they have made a mark in our history in making our country a better place for all New Zealanders. 
I have also had the opportunity to be part of some major social changes. These included the amendments to section 59 of the Crimes Act and the Civil Union Act. Social change is always controversial. Emotions run high people become polarised misinformation becomes widespread and there can be more heat than light in the debate. The easy option for some would be to pull back to retain the status quo but I could not in all conscience do that. Chairing the Justice and Electoral Committee on the changes to section 59 of the Crimes Act had its challenges. The law was never about criminalising parents for lightly smacking their kids. Rather it was about protecting our children from being beaten. 
Sue Bradford introduced the legislation to Parliament as a member’s bill. The select committee heard from hundreds of parents caregivers children young people and organisations. I thank all the members of the select committee who treated every submitter with respect. I particularly acknowledge the invaluable contribution of my Labour colleagues Charles Chauvel and Ann Hartley. I also acknowledge National’s Chester Borrows who despite a difference in opinion on how to achieve it shared the same commitment to providing a safer environment for our nation’s children. 
Lobbying at that time was full-on and it was a very intense time both inside and outside Parliament. I recall a conversation with Doug Woolerton from New Zealand First who was supporting the change to the legislation. I said to him: “Dougie are you still with us on changing section 59?”. He replied: “Yes but I’ve just been talking to Chester and I told him his amendment seemed all right. Is that OK?”. I said—and I am sorry about this Chester—“No. Look Chester means well but his amendment won’t be helpful. If you support it I will be heartbroken.” He replied in true Dougie style: “OK sweetheart. I’ll tell him I’ve changed my mind.” Subsequently Doug Woolerton and the late Brian Donnelly were put under immense pressure from members of their party to change their stance. They never wavered and I want to say in this House how much I admired their courage and their integrity. I have strong views about the damaging role played by some members of the media on the issue at the time which makes it especially important that I congratulate all the wonderful organisations that advocated so strongly for our children because they knew it was the right thing to do. 
The civil union legislation was another important social change and I am proud to have been part of that change. I still struggle to understand why some people find it so difficult to recognise the right of all people to have their loving relationships acknowledged and celebrated. 
In 2007 my member’s bill the Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill was drawn from the ballot. When the Human Rights Act was enacted the New Zealand Defence Force had a policy of not allowing women to serve in combat roles which was recognised in that legislation. However the Defence Force had discontinued that policy in 2000. Despite the fact that the discrimination had ceased the wording of the Act prevented New Zealand from complying with the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women known as CEDAW. The bill removed that wording and allowed us to ratify the United Nations convention. It was a historic moment for New Zealand—and we beat the Australians to it. 
Perhaps my proudest experience was being entrusted with the passage of the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill in Parliament. The bill was promoted by the Waitakere City Council under Mayor Bob Harvey’s leadership the Auckland Regional Council and the Rodney District Council. It provided long-term protection for the Waitakere Ranges—in particular from the ad hoc development described by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment as death by a thousand cuts. The Waitakere Ranges Protection Society and the Hon Jonathan Hunt had campaigned for many years and I am proud to have played my part in providing added protection for this iconic landscape for generations to come. 
During my time in Government and in Opposition I have been actively involved in victims’ rights. I was the chair of the Justice and Electoral Committee during the inquiry into victims’ rights in 2007 and later became the Labour Opposition spokesperson on victims’ rights. At the inquiry we heard from many victims of crime and also from some organisations. The messages were twofold. On the one hand some like the Sensible Sentencing Trust and members of the media focused almost exclusively on how long the perpetrator should be locked away. On the other hand others saw more complex issues. Many told the select committee about feeling let down by their treatment within the justice system and there was a need for better information and support more counselling a victims’ advocate and enhanced restorative justice. Some progress has been made but there is still much to do. 
I am not renowned as a bipartisan person; I will admit that. But this is one issue that cries out for a bipartisan approach. Victims’ rights and law and order should not be political footballs. If there is one message I would like to leave this House with it is that making the Department of Corrections our second-largest Public Service agency is really nothing to be proud of and it will do nothing to guarantee community safety in the long term. 
On a less bipartisan note one of the most challenging issues I have been involved in was the accident compensation scheme’s cuts to counselling for victims and survivors of sexual abuse. Many campaigned for reinstatement of that counselling including survivors and the professionals and organisations that support them. After almost a year and an independent inquiry some counselling support was reinstated but not before immense harm had been done and to people who had suffered so much already. I admired so much the tenacity and the courage of those women and men and it was a privilege to work alongside them. 
My other recent role has been as Opposition spokesperson on disability issues. Whilst we were in Government some exciting things happened in the disability sector. These included making New Zealand Sign Language an official language of New Zealand in 2006 New Zealand being awarded the prestigious Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award in 2007 and ratifying the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008. However there are many challenges ahead. In these hard economic times disabled people are the most adversely affected in terms of education training and employment opportunities. It is the Government’s role to ensure that all citizens have the ability to participate in society and to reach their full potential. 
My maiden speech drew on my experiences as a union organiser—in fact it was those experiences that brought me here—and my belief in the need for a strong democratic union movement remains. The contribution of unions and workers is essential to the well-being of working people and their families. I can only hope that I have honoured their contribution during my time here. 
There are many people here whom I want to acknowledge today: all the hard-working parliamentary staff the messengers the security people the cleaners the Hansard select committees buildings travel and library staff—all of the workers here without exception do a tremendous job. My office in Waitakere has been very busy and people have come with many issues from immigration to accident compensation housing training jobs education and health to name just a few. We could not fix everything but I know we were able to assist in making some really positive changes in people’s lives. That is one of the most rewarding parts of the job and it happens only because of the extraordinary commitment of wonderful staff. 
I thank all of my staff over the last 9 years. In particular in Waitakere I thank Debbie Taylor Don Clark Elysa Hyde and Megan Murphy who is with us now. Here in Parliament I thank Gay Pledger Michiel Burger and Ritchie Wards who is also with me now. They are all fantastic people and have done so much to support me personally and they have gone all out to assist the people who needed it most. 
My thanks go to my hard-working westie Labour team over the years including but not restricted to my famous fellow westie MPs: Carmel Sepuloni David Cunliffe Darien Fenton and now Phil Twyford. I thank Enzo and Gina Giordani Debbie Taylor Mike Loughran Brian and Mary Lythe Beverley Buffett Don and Noreen Clark Trixie and Bruce Harvey Hamish McCracken Barbara and Len Hill Gerry Neil MacKenzie Ngaire Kimberley Inu Mohammed Faiaz Tala Eric Bechet Jeremy Greenbrook-Held Gary Marshall Kerry Christian Barbara Hutchinson Celia Dave Downing and Dave Munro. Their support both for me and for Labour never wavered. They are all people I very much admire and am proud to call my friends. And of course I thank all of my mates in the wider Labour whanau. 
I will get a bit emotional now—just pause everybody for a moment. My taxi driver Dorothy works harder than anybody I know. I will really miss those Tuesday morning and Thursday evening journeys hearing about her family. Dorothy’s five children are all at university or will be there in the future. That is testament to her and her husband’s support and self-sacrifice. I am heartened that policies like Working for Families interest-free student loans abolition of youth rates and increases to the minimum wage have helped. Those journeys have been a constant reminder of why I am here. 
My best wishes go to Phil Goff Annette King and our team—my talented caucus colleagues and our fantastic staff—for building on Labour’s legacy taking into this election the most progressive platform Labour has presented to the people of New Zealand: a fairer tax system a $15-an-hour minimum wage no asset sales integrating our environmental and economic future and putting children at the heart of our policies. 
To Charles Chauvel Moana Mackey Darien Fenton and Carmel Sepuloni—my very very good friends—I will miss you all. Also to Carmel you have hit the ground running in Waitakere and I look forward to working alongside you in the next 2 months. I can say in all sincerity that Carmel Sepuloni is twice the woman I am. 
To my brother Graeme; my sister-in-law Pru; my favourite niece Jessie and nephew Rufus; and my very very good friends Dave Hollander and Kaine Thompson thank you. You have been a big part of my life here in Wellington. To Mike’s and my modern blended family—blended families are now the new mainstream. To Mike’s children and in-laws Nancy Michael Ewen and Kelly; to those beautiful grandchildren Kai Mahe Lena and Archie; and to my sister-in-law Sharda—actually my first husband’s second ex-wife—and my stepson Ashwin I am so happy you are all in my life. To my son Mark my daughter Kirsty my son-in-law Shane and our grandsons Nikau and Mikaia I love you all dearly and I am so looking forward to spending more time with you. To Mike my rock I have such high expectations of your support and you almost always deliver. I am so lucky to have you as my partner and you are lucky to have me too. 
Helen Clark went off to the United Nations Michael Cullen went off to chair New Zealand Post and I am going around New Zealand in a campervan. Mike and I are looking forward to it: an opportunity to explore our beautiful country and catch up with many friends which we have been unable to do for quite some time. The Government will be very relieved to know that we will be complying with the Freedom Camping Act and all waste will be contained and disposed of appropriately. 
Now I am out of here. This has been a wonderful 9 years for me and a privilege very few people get to experience. I leave paid political work with a commitment to continuing in voluntary political work. Thank you.