Davidson MaramaMARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green): I mean it's just the Opposition going over and over and over the same tired tired tired arguments—or the excuse at least—for why they are voting against this Residential Tenancies (Prohibiting Letting Fees) Amendment Bill to prohibit letting fees saying that it will not benefit the renters. As if they actually care about people who rent! In saying that they have put up nothing to suggest how we actually readjust and fix the power imbalance which is currently absolutely the case for people who rent in this country. So that's why I stand thinking you cannot—sorry; not you Madam Deputy Speaker. The Opposition's arguments are so weak and flimsy that it's actually not about adjusting the power imbalance that is currently in place that is having incredibly harmful impacts on people who rent which is going to increase more and more. It's over half of all New Zealanders but of course for Pacific for Māori for people with a disability it is far more of those populations who currently rent. So I cannot at all take seriously any of the hackneyed arguments that are coming from the Opposition as to why they are opposing this residential tenancies amendment to make it unlawful for a letting fee to be required to be paid.Again this bill on its own is one part of an overall programme to change the way we think about renting in New Zealand in Aotearoa. Renting needs to be seen as a dignified option. Some people don't have any other option—far too many—so we need to change how we see renting as a culture in this country that it is not a second-class citizen approach that people who rent have as much right to be able to live with dignity and security and put down roots in their community whether you rent or own. That is actually what is at the core of this bill to remove the letting fee requirement.And yes it is harrowing for most people to have to gather all of that cash upfront just to be able to try and find a place. I mean that's aside from all the other structural discriminations that happen in the renting process. That's aside from all of that—just trying to gather together all the resources that are required to even think about looking for a warm safe secure home to live in to raise whānau in to be able to be part of a community in. So this is absolutely essential that we keep removing the barriers including letting fees. We cannot go forward. We cannot go ahead with transforming how we see renting in this country without this pertinent vital step. So I'll be very clear about that and the Green Party are particularly pleased to see this because in 2014 it was one of our election priorities as part of our overall Every house is a home" announcement. In that was the removal of the obligation on tenants to pay letting fees. Again in 2016 Metiria Turei's member's bill made it to the floor in here—the Residential Tenancies (Safe and Secure Rentals) Amendment Bill which offered a raft of changes to improve renting situations including again to remove letting fees. So we are absolutely clear that this is an essential part of ensuring that people who rent are given a fair deal and many landlords are also clear about the positive outcomes of ensuring that tenants get a fair go. Those landlords will continue to be great under this legislation. What we are simply doing is just trying to correct it a little bit—just trying to understand that people don't need an extra challenge. They really don't. They don't need extra hardship.This needs to be seen alongside a whole raft of other necessary changes which again this Government is picking up and running with. So I go to the side a little bit Madam Deputy Speaker but only to address the debates from the members on other side of the House who are saying this on its own isn't enough. This isn't on its own—that's because this isn't on its own. It's going to sit alongside healthy homes conversations and changes and of course the Greens have been very clear that we would insist on a warrant of fitness. This bill is going to sit alongside the residential tenancies review and particularly look at how we give secure tenancies for families for people to rent. Of course the Greens have also been very clear we'd like to see rent controls which in part would help to address the very reason that the Opposition are saying they will not support this bill.I just have to say I do take issue with the ongoing arguments coming from the Opposition as if they genuinely care when in actual fact they are putting up no real solutions to address the power imbalance—that would have an impact on their investors and their speculators who they're quite happy and have always shown to want to protect. So they are using people who rent as an excuse for their debate. But I see right through that and will continue to call that out.So yes we do need overall changes alongside removing letting fees to ensure even though there is no clear evidence that it will actually increase rents—this removing letting fees—even though there is no clear evidence and if there is any evidence it is minimal—Louisa Wall: 2 percent.MARAMA DAVIDSON: 2 percent Ms Wall. But that is why we also need to continue with the work to sit alongside this to ensure that we are getting prosperity for more than just the wealthy few. That's our responsibility in this House.And so it was I thought a relatively short contribution that I was going to make and I think that it's incumbent on us to remember that this work is part of a long enduring change that we want to see.DEPUTY SPEAKER: The third reading is a summing up of the bill. I know you can refer to other matters but not at length.MARAMA DAVIDSON: Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. So I agree with this. We're very pleased to see this. Removing letting fees is something that we have long called for and we will continue to do the work to make this bill part of those overall measures. Thank you."