Mooney JosephJOSEPH MOONEY (National—Southland): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise to speak on the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill. This is an example of this House taking members of the community who are not a majority and taking steps to protect them. That is something to be commended. It's something that we should all reflect on.I have had concerns about this bill which I expressed at the second reading and in particular the ability for parents to withhold parental consent to medical intervention for children. A Supplementary Order Paper was put forward by the National Party. I am happy to say that the Minister did directly address that and put on Hansard record that that is not the intention of this bill. I am bolstered in my confidence in that that will be taken into account by the fact that there can be no prosecution without the Attorney-General's consent. The Attorney-General is a legal expert and will be looking at the Hansard before determining whether a matter should be prosecuted. That gives me confidence that the clear intention of Parliament as expressed by the Minister will ensure that parents are not prosecuted in those circumstances.I also did have some concerns around the overreach into the family home; the expression of opinion expression of religious belief. I do note however that in clause 5(2)(f) it makes clear that a conversion practice does not include the expression only of a belief or a religious principle made to an individual that is not intended to change or suppress the individual's sexual orientation gender identity or gender expression." And that on my reading makes it clear that it is not intended to affect opinion—i.e. a belief or a religious principle which people are entitled to do. Again there cannot be a prosecution without the Attorney-General's consent who is a legal expert and will analyse any factual scenario against the clear intention as expressed in this bill and in the words of the Minister. So I thank the Minister for making those matters clear during the committee of the whole House stage.This is fundamentally—I think it is good that Parliament is putting a very clear line in the sand here that it wants to ensure that this group is a valued people who in a rainbow community are valued members of our community and that they should not be exposed to conversion practices that are directed towards people in a harmful way that are directed towards making people feel that they cannot be who they are and that is to be commended.I would just make a note Elizabeth Kerekere made a comment that did send a small chill through me when I heard it and I know it comes from an intention to be in a good place. But she did say that she was taking notes as people made their submissions to the select committee and that she hoped that they would lose their right to practice. I do have concerns about that because we do need people to come to Parliament to make clear what their views are and for us to hear them. We don't have to agree with them but we should allow them to express those views without having the fear that the submissions they make will be used against them in the future. So I would caution against that.This is the continuation of I think a good trajectory for our country. The first parliamentary attempt to make homosexual reform was I think in 1974 by a National MP. It wasn't until 1986 that the law was reformed. And I note the changing of social mores where at a previous part of our history society thought it was OK to send people to jail for being homosexual and we've now moved to a place where we're making it very clear that people should feel safe to be who they are. And that is something to be commended. For those parents who are concerned I would point to the safeguards both in the Minister's speech and the Attorney-General must consider any factual scenario before recommending a prosecution. So on that basis I will be supporting this bill at the third reading.SPEAKER: Shanan Halbert—five-minute speech."