Soper Lesley: Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Soper Lesley: Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:638;Page:8523] 
LESLEY SOPER (Labour) 
: 
 When I first spoke in this House in my inaugural speech an important part of that speech covered women’s issues. I spoke of our proud past as the first country to give women the vote and of our present with the Labour-led Government delivering paid parental leave the Action Plan for New Zealand Women action on pay equity childcare provisions action to advance the New Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy and action on women’s health and employment issues. I also spoke about our future—a future that is being led very well by our Minister of Women’s Affairs Lianne Dalziel. I said that although there had been major advances for women and that Labour had delivered most of them the picture was not yet one of equality. Here today is another step towards equality for New Zealand women. 
I have risen to speak on the Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill. This bill is another example of a Labour-led Government that prides itself in its belief in a society where discrimination on the basis of gender is a thing of the past as is racial discrimination and age discrimination. Good on my colleague Lynne Pillay the member for Waitakere for bringing this matter before the House as a member’s bill and good on this Government for adopting it as a Government bill. We have a Labour women’s caucus and a Minister of Women’s Affairs who noticed these forms of discrimination. We are prepared to do something about them unlike the do-nothing attitude of the National caucus towards women’s issues with the ink hardly dry on its plans to disestablish the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. But oh sorry that is right: in another Key flip-flop National has decided to appoint a women’s affairs spokesperson after all. 
I will comment on the last National speaker’s little tirade on Nancy Wake. National MPs voted against awarding a special honour to Nancy Wake. Judith Collins may need to speak to her MPs who are flip-flopping again all over the place. 
As I was saying this bill removes discrimination on the basis of gender. It will repeal section 33 of the Human Rights Act the section that allows discrimination against women in relation to combat roles. When the Human Rights Act was enacted the New Zealand Defence Force had a policy of preventing women from serving in combat roles. To do the New Zealand Defence Force justice and to pay it a compliment I should say that it withdrew that policy in practice in the year 2000. The passing of this bill confirms its sensible modern practice as well as validating career options for women who have progressed significantly since the integration of women into the New Zealand armed forces 30 years ago. 
I have a niece in the armed forces who has recently been deployed overseas. She and others have endured and enjoyed deployment to some of the hardest operational environments our forces operate in rising to every challenge and doing themselves much credit. There is no doubt that our women take a full part in the operations of our armed forces. That does not mean just killing; just as important it means peacekeeping and rebuilding as well. 
David Lange got it right when he said nearly 20 years ago when opening the offices of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs that discrimination against women in the armed forces was offensive. He was right. The armed forces have recognised it and it is time we updated the Act and removed the section 33 exemption from the statute book. As the Human Rights Commission said to the select committee it is difficult to see what the purpose would be of retaining an exemption that perpetuates stereotypical assumptions about the roles of men and women in the military. 
The other thing to be proud of in passing this bill is that New Zealand will now be able to ratify its obligations under the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women commonly known as “CEDAW”. Section 33 was New Zealand’s only remaining reservation to that convention. New Zealand has a proud record on women’s rights and on allowing women to enjoy all their human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women has long urged us to withdraw that reservation. It is a proud day when we can say that we have reached that point in New Zealand. It is a great day when human rights and our commitment to international obligations both win. I commend this bill to the House and I am proud to speak on its passage. Thank you. 
Bill read a second time.