Bennett GlenGLEN BENNETT (Labour—New Plymouth): Kia ora Mr Speaker. It's a pleasure to stand here and to listen to people's personal stories and for this piece of legislation to actually be about people's lives. So thank you for those who have shared personal stories have shared their own experiences and have shared the challenges that they are facing and that they may face when it comes to surrogacy.I want to speak in favour this evening of the Improving Arrangements for Surrogacy Bill. I really want to talk about this bill being about enabling it being a bill about powering people. It's a bill as we've talked and heard about already this evening that is looking at the 21st century—2022. The ways that families are formed in 2022 are quite different to the good old or the bad old or the whatever old 1950s or before—was it 2.1 children and a mum and dad? And there's so many different variations of what families look like today. I guess I stand here as someone in that category who hasn't gone through the surrogacy process. My husband and I have talked about it but haven't really landed on whether that's something we want to do. But in terms of being a foster parent and through the Oranga Tamariki system for years now having young people who are my family who are now growing up and having their own families it's always a weird look. I know; I look so young and fit! But when a youngie in the supermarket says Koro Glen" and everyone looks and thinks "Glen you're far too young for that." But actually it is a makeup of family that is different to what was the norm back in the 1950s or 1940s or 1930s; we're in the 21st century. So this bill is around recognising families and how they can be formed.A colleague of mine actually asked one of their friends who is looking into surrogacy and said "What is it you'd want shared tonight if you could have a say?" The first thing they said was: "Catch up New Zealand come on. Let's just get on with it. Let's catch up. Let's keep moving." But they also talked about the fact that the bill again is around enabling and empowering. Here's a few things that they said: "I've never personally felt more disempowered by something."—in the process they're going through at the moment. They also talked about that you're making intending parents basically prove their fitness to be a parent. For many families that conceive in more ordinary ways there's never a question or a conversation around "Are they fit to be a parent is it the right financial position right now to be a parent?" So the fact that we're normalising and we're bringing surrogacy into the 21st century is very much around protecting people and making people feel empowered.We also went on to say that the power imbalance across the whole surrogacy process was really hard that the power imbalance was tough for them and is tough for them as they go through that process. So we want to tautoko those out there who are looking who are exploring this space—as my colleague Sarah Pallet said to acknowledge and thank those who choose to put themselves in a place where they are a surrogate where they carry a child for someone else. What a gift that is; what a sacrifice that is. So as we move through the stages of this legislation hopefully we can celebrate what others are doing in terms of giving back and sharing with others.So to Tāmati Coffey thank you for your work. I don't think your work getting out of the biscuit tin because that is chance let's be honest but your work in creating and developing this piece of legislation and obviously having the foresight of your own personal journey but then sharing in the journeys of others around Aotearoa when it comes to surrogacy.So I support this piece of legislation. I am not on the Health Committee—as much as I'd love to be it feels like everyone in this room is—but I look forward to following and tracking actually with submissions and hearing people's lived stories lived experiences around this. I'm in support and I want to commend this bill to the House."