Adams AmyAPPOINTMENTSElectoral CommissionHon AMY ADAMS (Minister of Justice): I move That pursuant to section 4D of the Electoral Act 1993 and section 32 of the Crown Entities Act 2004 this House recommends Her Excellency the Governor-General appoint Kristy Pearl McDonald QC as deputy chairperson of the Electoral Commission and Alicia Wright as Chief Electoral Officer each for a term of five years. The Electoral Commission plays a central role in New Zealand's constitution and democracy. It ensures that parliamentary elections by-elections and referenda are held so that New Zealanders can effectively participate in their democracy choosing their elected representatives and expressing their views on important issues. It manages the Māori electoral option allowing those of Māori descent to choose which electoral roll they want to be on and overseas the enrolment of electors for parliamentary and local elections. It also supports the Representation Commission in setting boundaries for general and Māori electorates after each census and it provides advice and public education on electoral matters. Given the significance of the commission Parliament has decided that its three board members—the chair the deputy chair and the Chief Electoral Officer—are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the House of Representatives. Both the chair and the deputy chair serve in part-time roles while the Chief Electoral Officer who is also the board's chief executive works full-time. The people appointed to these important positions need to have strong experience in governance and knowledge of the public sector. They need good strategic planning skills and unquestionable personal integrity and independence. The Chief Electoral Officer as the chief executive of the commission also needs to be a strong manager of people and to hold expertise in financial and risk management. The appointee needs to have a sound understanding of the electoral process and a track record of demonstrating a clear commitment to neutrality and delivery in a complex political environment. The term of the current Chief Electoral Officer Robert Peden expired in August 2015. Mr Peden kindly agreed to continue to serve as the Chief Electoral Officer while awaiting the outcome of the appointment process. Additionally a new deputy chair needs to be appointed after Jane Hūria advised that she was also not available for reappointment and resigned with effect from 30 September this year. I particularly want to thank Mr Peden and Ms Hūria for their public service to the Electoral Commission and to New Zealand. Their dedication to the roles and to the Electoral Commission has been greatly appreciated. Their work was of a very high standard and was carried out with the utmost integrity. The Electoral Commission is undoubtedly the cornerstone of ensuring our elections run smoothly and fairly. It is important that political parties across the spectrum are confident in the Electoral Commission's neutrality. In the interest of ensuring that all parties were confident of this I invited all political parties in Parliament to be part of a multipartisan appointment group which undertook the selection of the new Chief Electoral Officer. I would like to thank all members of that group for their efforts in this process. Alicia Wright is I believe an outstanding candidate for the role of Chief Electoral Officer. She has held senior leadership roles in central government for the past 13 years. She is currently Deputy Secretary Evaluation at the Ministry of Defence and has previously served as General Manager Centre for Social Research and Evaluation at the Ministry of Social Development. She has extensive policy operations management and central government experience and is adept at working with volunteer networks and through online channels. Likewise Kristy McDonald is an outstanding candidate for the position of deputy chair. She is a Queen's Counsel and has extensive experience both as a litigation lawyer and in numerous governance roles. She is a former chairperson of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and the Judicial Control Authority for racing and was the inaugural chair of the Real Estate Agents Authority. She is currently a member of the Accident Compensation Corporation board and chair of Kiwifruit New Zealand. Ms McDonald has also been involved in a number of commissions of inquiry and ministerial inquiries including the commission of inquiry into police conduct and the Pike River inquiry. It is with great pleasure that I commend to the House Ms McDonald and Ms Wright for these two very important roles. They are both highly able New Zealanders and I am confident that they possess the range of skills and attributes that will ensure the Electoral Commission continues to administer our electoral system impartially efficiently and effectively.