Allan KiritapuKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour): First of all I want to acknowledge that this bill both now and in the first iteration when it was introduced into this House—on all sides of the House there was a palliative energy that has run through and that's again very evident tonight so I just want to acknowledge that. I also just was reflecting this afternoon: you know we spent in this House on this particular piece of legislation first the integrity Act and now the integrity repeal—it's going to be in excess of about 28 29 hours of this House's time. I want to acknowledge the calibre of the contributions that have been made because this is critical to our electoral law. It strikes at the heart of our constitution—can't run against those particular aspects that the Hon Dr Smith has made.But I'm hesitant that we start to rewrite history when we reflect on some of the things that have happened in this House. One of the questions that came up from the member just prior—there was a question he asked about whether the actions were right when one of the former members of this House the Hon Dame Tariana Turia: were her actions right when she (a) crossed the floor and (b) made her decision to leave the Labour caucus as it was then and so forth? Well I won't make any comment about the first but to the latter what I want to acknowledge is what she did in the aftermath of her decision. She decided to go back to the people. She decided to go back and seek a mandate from her constituents. She decided to go back on a new platform and she put her principles her values to the people and it was for the people to determine as to whether or not they would support her.I contrast those actions with many—don't actually want to name them all in this House but how many members have we seen—we've seen it in this Parliament the 52nd Parliament. How many members have we seen that sit up on those back back back benches they collect a wage for however long it is that they sit in this House they purport to advocate and be champions of—Nicola Willis: They do. Don't be so disrespectful. They work very hard for their constituents.KIRITAPU ALLAN: —whether it's Botany whether it's whoever. The member will work—oh actually no I disagree with that. I think they work very hard for their own gain more often than not because the reality is for most of us—look as much as I think you know I got here on my own merit I certainly did not. There is a party that I belong to it's its principles and its values and it's on the back of my party that I stand in this House. Now if I have some fundamental change of heart in my principles my values or indeed perhaps the party pivots on me—who knows? I was reflecting earlier with some colleagues just prior—I think actually it was the Hon Ruth Dyson. She was a big part of the fourth Labour Government—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Could we just focus down on the bill.KIRITAPU ALLAN: Well it all goes to the heart of it Madam Speaker.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well then make that point—make that point.KIRITAPU ALLAN: This is the context and this is what the Hon Nick Smith asked us to look at. It was—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Actually we have a bill in front of the House we're debating—KIRITAPU ALLAN: We do and we've got—Madam Speaker—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Don't argue with me. Would you please come to the bill.KIRITAPU ALLAN: Madam Speaker I will talk to this bill—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Good.KIRITAPU ALLAN: Time and time again because what this is it's about whether or not a person who comes into this House under the banner of a political party can at any point of the duration of that term jump off that political party's waka. Why is it important to reflect on the history of our parliamentarians and the political actions of our predecessors in this House? It is critical that we look back and understand our history so that we can debate this particular legislation in an informed manner.Now there's been a lot of chat tonight that this is about perhaps actions and there's a lot of hurt feelings in this House that go back a lot longer—almost older than I am I think particularly between some of the members that have been scrapping it out. Now look I don't want to relitigate that history but what I do know is that as a member of Parliament in this House we have had 28 hours of debate on this piece of legislation. We have decided as a House—and we are relitigating this again—that a person who enters into this place under the banner under the principles under the values of a political party should in fact stay there and to that end as we've already discussed we support this bill.