SpeechHARETE HIPANGO (National): Thank you Mr Speaker. I take a call on the Coroners Amendment Bill which was referred to the select committee on 30 August 2022. My National Party colleagues who were members participating in that—the Hon Paul Goldsmith the Hon Mark Mitchell and Simon O'Connor—my colleague Chris Penk and I are carrying the banner for the National Party as this bill is about to be passed from the second reading through to committee of the whole House and the third reading this evening. It does have the support of the National Party although there has been a minority view expressed within the Justice Committee report indicating what my colleague has spoken to. And I do acknowledge Minister Tirikatene in the House. It is indeed an honour to stand and speak before my former colleague from the Māori Affairs Committee and former chair. So congratulations Minister in carrying this through its passage and into the making of law this evening. The differing view that has been espoused by the National Party is in relation to the investigation of sudden deaths including the circumstances of death. So although I didn't participate in the submissions and the discussion that happened at select committee in my former life I did appear in the coronial court I did appear at inquests so I do have some lived experience as a practitioner but also as a family member for persons who have gone through the process of the coronial court system and the impact that it does have in terms of delays. I picked up a book during recess and I did a touch of reading. I haven't gone through all of it. It's written by Wallace Bain who for 28 years gave service as a coroner and retired in early 2020. This book—there's a relevant significant part—is called A Coroner Speaks for the Dead to Protect the Living. Really important; that's the importance of the coroner's court where we have persons who are grieving bereaved family members getting to the crux getting to the heart of finding out what the causes of death were suspicious or otherwise. And there's an important part—speaking to the National Party's particular view that's taken. Mr Bain has stated that the Coroners Act its first purpose is to establish (1) that a person has died; (2) the person's identity; (3) when and where the person has died; (4) the causes of death; and (5) the circumstances of the death. This bill does address that in terms of the process and ensuring that there's unnecessary delay associated with the overload on the whole of the court system in particular the coroner's court system. Mr Bain further goes on to say The second purpose is to make specified recommendations or comments that in the coroner's opinion may if drawn to public attention reduce the chances of the occurrence of other deaths in circumstances similar to those in which the death occurred. It is in this area surrounding the circumstances of a death that a coroner and the coroner's court provide a very significant role for society and are able to meet the ever increasing demands of our complex society as it cries out for the truth"—cries out for the truth—"surrounding the circumstances of death." So that's the whole heart and crux of the concern that is in the minority view by the National Party which will be debated further under the Supplementary Order Paper in the committee of the whole House. So I thought it important to highlight that because that is a statement that has come from one of our longest-serving most distinguished and experienced coroners Wallace Bain.So on that note this coronial system is about ensuring that there is no prolonged suffering for the members to ensure that it is in better heart and that there are no ongoing coronial events associated with these delays and making sure that the whole system gets pumping is much healthier and upbeat in how it services our community. On that note for the second reading I commend the bill to the House."