Ngaro AlfredHon ALFRED NGARO (National): Madam Chair it's great to be given the call on this bill especially on new clause 7 and thank you for the honour to be able to do that. Alongside my colleague Brett Hudson who was talking about the role of the review and who the appropriate agency or organisation to be able to conduct that review would be Madam—Mr Chair apologies. They've changed Chairs. My view and my contribution to this debate in regards to the new clause 7 under Chris Bishop's name in regards to the review authority that would be appropriate—I was part of the Justice and Electoral Committee that actually was part of the review of a general election. One of the issues of concern that were raised there was around participation and I was actually there with the Green MP Holly Walker at that time. A number of us went down to the different universities and while we were there we heard firsthand—the question that we asked was: how could we increase participation? Now I bring these comments to this debate because what's important from my point of view is that if it's an Act of Parliament in which parliamentarians will vote this through—not all parliamentarians but parliamentarians that will vote this through—then it should be parliamentarians that should be conducting the review. I would in my submission to this debate say that the reviewer should actually be the select committee. It's appropriate because as we witnessed in the review when we were going around and down to the universities and out into the community and talking to the constituents and people in the wider parts of New Zealand what we heard time and time again were the issues of concern around participation. They talked about civics education and they talked about online voting and so forth and that was critically important. So Mr Chair and also too to the Minister—and I suppose particularly I want to then put my focus of debate also to the Green Party who will be listening at this point in time—actually it's not without means in which they can still be supportive of the bill but they can support this new clause and this amendment going into the bill. It would ensure that it allows for a democratic process which the Green Party supports. It would allow for an inclusive and participatory nature in which they can be out there consulting with the community at large. It would tick off all of those boxes that are principles and values that the Green Party would uphold. So I would actually petition through to the Green Party that we would seek your support on this clause being critically important. It actually does not mean that it would negate your vote for the whole of the bill but what it would mean is that while you're having to support this bill—and we know that it goes against a lot of your values and a lot of the principles that you uphold—supporting this new clause 7 and this amendment would I think be important to still upholding some of those values that you currently have as well. So I think that's important and I want to add to that the fact that—and I hope that the Minister may consider this—the appropriate role that could be taken by the reviewer is actually the select committee. The members of the Justice Committee which is cross-parliamentary travel up and down the country. They play that role because it's important to be able to hear from the constituents firsthand. It's not so much an out clause but it's a clause that would allow the Green Party for instance to be able to hear and see what those concerns actually were and see whether there were people out there who feel that by having an elected member and even a list member—and being a list member of Parliament myself—but having a valid and important role there are times in which you have to stand up for your constituents and while we may not be electorate MPs our electorate—they often say—is the whole of the country. So there have been times in which I have travelled the country talking about for instance issues for the Pacific community and there have been times in which I have had to challenge some of the views even in our own party because that's part of that political process. That's part of what we actually get voted in for. Fletcher Tabuteau: Preaching—preaching.Hon ALFRED NGARO: So I think it's critically important that we have the values and opportunities—and as the member has said Preacher Fletcher Tabuteau". Let's hope that maybe he could say that actually even though this is a New Zealand First bill this new clause and this amendment could be something that they could support. Why? Because it would allow for that consultation. It would allow for the Justice Committee to be able to go out and again as we do and as the committee has done for many years—this still continues on. It's a process that's already been in play for a number of years. This is nothing new that you would be voting for. In fact if anything it would just add to it. So if you believe in the convictions—this is the Government of the day; sorry Mr Chair. If the Government of the day believes in its convictions that this bill is an appropriate bill and it is a right bill supposedly democratically principled—which we don't believe it is. But if you believe in it then why not allow this clause?"