Barry Maggie; Williams PotoHon MAGGIE BARRY (National—North Shore): Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. I rise with pleasure to speak to the Election Access Fund Bill at its first reading in the name of Chlöe Swarbrick. I also acknowledge Mojo Mathers who was the architect of this bill. I think that as a country—as other speakers have mentioned—that has one in four New Zealanders who are disabled this is a very important and I would say overdue piece of legislation.The bill will establish a contestable fund to be administered by the Electoral Commission and used by any disabled candidate to cover the disability-related costs of standing in a general election. That is an eminently sensible thing to do. It is something that we need to do. As a House of Representatives we need to represent all aspects of New Zealand society and all people and we are the better for it. In debates in this House if we can understand better the barriers that exist the problems that occur and therefore as legislators find ways through this minefield then I think it is a very important element of informing and making our debates and therefore our legislation so much better and better informed.National has always been very confident about wanting to support people with disabilities and I commend the Hon Nicky Wagner as a former Minister for Disability Issues who with her Enabling Good Lives I think has done some tremendous things—a vision and a set of principles for transforming the cross-agency disability support system so that therefore people with disabilities have greater choice and control over their supports and their own lives. I think it says it all: Enabling Good Lives. This is part of that—not only a good life but also a significant and meaningful one in terms of a contribution that people with disabilities can make to lawmaking in New Zealand.National fully supports increasing access to electoral processes for disabled people because we want them to have that strong voice. We are of course as other speakers on this side of the House have indicated somewhat uneasy and not inclined to support State funding for political parties. We're very much of the view that political parties should be able to attract their own support. By helping them and financing them it takes away some of what we consider perhaps the grassroots momentum that propels people into this place and under the political banners. So I think that will be something that we will examine very closely if this bill gets through to select committee and we are supporting it to do so. I guess the main provisions to go through that—with clause 6 enabling the Electoral Commission to establish a contestable fund. It is very interesting to tease out what elements of that contestable fund are accessible and available and where you draw the line. I think by discussing the broad range of prospects and possibilities it's also perhaps important to discuss what the parameters might be. Would the Electoral Commission for example at some point feel it might be appropriate to assist in childcare facilities or transport mechanisms for getting people into political meetings or into places where they might be standing for political life? I guess these are the kinds of things—overcoming disability-related barriers is one thing but where do those limits come in?Clause 7 of the bill requires the commission to determine that criteria for eligibility and that includes the individuals standing as candidates. I think that anybody—and we all in this House have stood as candidates. We know it's a gruelling rigorous and robust process and I think that people with disabilities need and deserve to have some assistance to get them to where they need to be to mount a realistic challenge to be considered as a candidate. Non-profits organising election education events is also I think a very good thing. But it will be interesting to tease it out at select committee.Clause 8—grants not being counted as a donation—I think that probably does need to be explicit. Clause 9 requiring the Minister—and we're assuming here it's the Minister of Justice although it has been suggested by its sponsoring member to go to the Governance and Administration Committee and there may be more developments on that this afternoon. But if it was the Minister of Justice—to periodically review the Act to consider the fund's impact on participation and access and whether any other changes are needed and whether it has to come back into primary legislation before the House or if there are other mechanisms and other devices for ensuring that disabled people have proper access to this House of Representatives. Therefore I support the progress of this bill through to select committee. Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Who's taking the next call?Chris Bishop: Oh well I'll take it.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): OK; I call Chris Bishop.