O'Connor Simon; Rurawhe AdrianSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): It's pleasing to take a call on this third reading of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill and I think it's probably a relief to the Minister and perhaps to the whole House that we have reached this third reading. It was mentioned a number of times in the Chamber as we progressed through the committee stage that it's been around 16 years to get to this point. In doing so can I acknowledge actually the Ministers that have been involved: obviously the Minister who has progressed it here to the end the Hon Carmel Sepuloni—I acknowledge her work—but also the likes of Minister Anne Tolley who brought it in many ways to where the bill is today in its current shape.So perhaps if it's not drawing the bow too long it has cross-party support. As previous speakers have indicated the National Party will be supporting this but I think in many ways there's been a lot of cooperation. It's not of course without a little bit of controversy and I might touch on that a little bit later.But in thanking the Ministers I thank too the officials and advisers who worked incredibly hard to bring the bill to this stage. I think it's always important to acknowledge it's not the MPs alone—or by any means—that pull this stuff together. There's been an enormous amount of advice to bring it to this third reading. I acknowledge their important work and in some ways their patience as well as many of them had to listen through the committee stage. For some members—maybe the person speaking who was able to speak for 20-plus minutes on clause 5—their patience has been appreciated.It's also important I think to acknowledge all those who submitted who came before the committee. It's no secret that this side of the House is and remains disappointed that the Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) put forward by the Minister—SOP 187—did not have the chance to go back to select committee. I acknowledge what the Minister has said: that she was able to engage various submitters to inform the views. It remains the National Party's position that we would have liked all those who wish to submit or resubmit to have done so. It's certainly a growing concern of ours SOPs coming to the House—not in and of themselves; SOPs are good but they are substantial—after the select committee stage and consequently the public doesn't quite get the opportunity that we would like and we would argue that they would like as well. So an encouragement to this Minister but also to the Government: allow the select committees to do their work.We support this bill. We support the intent. We think it's the right time—in fact high time—that there's been further structure put around social work. As many have said—and I have previously—those involved in the social working sector do an incredible job. It's at times thankless though I hope too that those who work in the sector appreciate the changes that they bring about.It's one of the challenges—not that I've been a social worker but having spent a number of years in the voluntary and community service—that engaging with people you enjoy helping them you stand beside them in good times and bad but you don't often get to see the changes. I suppose that's not what you go in for and I suspect that's the same for the social workers but I hope they do know that their work is appreciated and it is valued and that actually in the work they do—while they may not always see the fruit of their labours—indeed great work is being done and changes are made for the good of New Zealanders.This bill as has been well described by other members is providing more structure. First and foremost it's protecting the title of social worker". No one once this bill commences will be able to use that title if they are not registered with the board. I know there are still some niggles left. Some submitters have noted that actually there are people who are social workers who do not use that title. Perhaps one example is someone who's an academic and lecturing in social work may not strictly be a social worker in title but I think there's enough scope—no pun intended here—to protect that. But I think it's one of the simplest but most effective means that this bill—and hopefully soon to become an Act—brings which is the protection of that title. People will not be able to use it unless they have the requisite qualifications as to be set by the board and to be properly recognised.As you would expect this bill has a number of clauses enabling the transition. There's obviously a whole number of people out there already who are social workers and need to be progressed across if you will to this new system. But as I say there's potentially a few niggles left around how the title develops but I'm relatively confident that the bill—and through the work of the newly established board—will be able to progress through that.There's also been the whole query around scopes. This side of the House still has some questions around how that will be developed. I've certainly raised it before in other contributions to the House of just how wide the scope of social work is and how to precisely define it I think will be a challenge moving forward. I noted particularly in the committee stages and will do so again here in the third reading that there are so many ways of enacting social work that defining the scope may prove difficult and while there's been a very strong emphasis on the individual—defining that—that could become a challenge for the board. But importantly that now—when this legislation becomes law and receives the Royal assent—will be the challenge to the board itself.It's positive as I say. National is happy and keen to support it. We have been throughout the process. I think it's really important to stress that the opposition which the Opposition has provided—if that's not an awkward sentence—has been primarily to the way an SOP was handled. In fact in the SOP itself there were aspects we could happily agree with. As the Minister then in the chair pointed out a number of parts of it in fact were in the original legislation but we on this side have had concerns about how the process was handled. In order to register my and certainly other colleagues' concerns about that we rightly raised a large number of questions in the committee of the whole House first and foremost to express our opposition and secondly to actually begin to tease out what we were not able to do in the select committee. But returning to where I started it really was with thanks I think—it's excellent that as far as I can see or hear the whole House will be supporting this bill. We'll obviously see when it comes to the final vote but thanks must end with those who are on the front line in the field and serving New Zealand through their social work by standing behind—behind but probably more often beside—Kiwis who are struggling for one reason or another and are providing that support that they need. So in commending this bill to the House I commend the work that social workers do for all Kiwis. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): This is a split call. I call Priyanca Radhakrishnan—five minutes."