Tirikatene RinoRINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga): Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I'm delighted to speak at the first reading of this bill. This is a momentous piece of legislation and this is a momentous day for our country. I want to acknowledge Minister Woods the Minister of Energy and Resources for taking the bold move taking the big first step that we are doing and upholding our commitments as a Government that we've laid down in introducing this bill to the House. This is so momentous for so many reasons. This bill is being lauded by many folks up and down the country but especially by Māori. I want to just use my opportunity to speak on this reading to acknowledge all of the Māori groups that have stood for kaitiakitanga that have stood for their customary rights in the moana and on their ancestral lands and who have been standing up against the fossil fuel industry especially.In the time that I have I want to acknowledge and I want to do a big mihi out to my whanaungas up in Te Tai Tokerau up in the North—in particular Te Rōpū Taikaha. I acknowledge the huge mahi that they have put in over the years in particular Mike Smith Hinekaa Mako—I know Hinekaa comes from a very fine whānau—and Te Wāni Ōtene. They've fought for many years protesting oil exploration in the Te Reinga Basin and I know that they will be watching and tuning into this so I mihi to them this evening.I want to also acknowledge the iwi of Ngāti Kuri Ngāti Kahu and Te Rarawa up in the Far North up in Mr King's territory who have also joined in those efforts along with Te Rōpū Taikaha.I want to go to the Tai Rāwhiti to the great East Coast and acknowledge Te Whānau-a-Apanui and Ngati Porou who protested the Petrobras permit. We know the efforts that they went to under great persecution from the previous Government too I might add back in 2010 when they even had the police and the navy turned on them—all for what? For standing up for their moana and activating their mana whenua mana moana and kaitiakitanga rights. So I mihi to our whanaunga on the East Coast—in particular Dayle Takitimu Adelaide Waititi and the whole whānau of Te Whānau-a-Apanui. They are active leaders—active leaders—in this area who brought that massive petition of 140000 signatures to this House back in 2012. So I acknowledge them for all of their efforts. And of course moving to the south to my great electorate of Te Tai Tonga. I want to acknowledge all of the folks up and down the great Te Wai Pounamu who have also had their share of protest—the likes of the groups that were in New Brighton beach braving the icy winds last year but also my own whanaunga down in Ngāti Kuri down in Kaikōura. We know how special Kaikōura is and we've put in special legislation to protect marine mammal sanctuaries and the beautiful taonga that they have there. And I know that they are celebrating the first reading of this bill tonight as well. Last but not least I want to acknowledge the iwi of Te Tai Hauāuru Taranaki in particular Ngāti Ruanui who have been very active in this space over many years not only on the oil and gas but also with the seabed mining as well. So you know this is an opportunity they can all share in and they can rejoice that we are bringing this legislation into the House this evening. As we know we are introducing a just transition to move away from oil and gas exploration. We're not cutting it off at the knees as we speak. No we're not. All we're doing is changing the settings for the next block offer and that's why we need to hasten the passage of this legislation—so we can bring that into effect. We will not be offering new offshore oil and gas exploration permits but the existing permit holders will be able to run the course of their existing permits and likewise we will continue block offers but they will be limited to the onshore parts of Taranaki. So that is a very sensible approach that we're taking but we are taking a leadership position. We are looking to the future and we know that that future will be carbon-zero. I commend this bill to the House. Kia ora.