McClay Todd; Salesa JennyHon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) (remote): Madam Speaker thank you. I too stand with others in support of this legislation and in the strongest possible terms to condemn the actions of the Russian Government Vladimir Putin and the atrocities that are being caused by the illegal invasion of the Ukraine. Here we are in New Zealand a long long way away from Europe and from what's happening but it is touching people within the borders of our country. I particularly want to offer thoughts to Ukrainians who live in New Zealand who have loved ones that they find it hard to get in touch with that they're worried about and New Zealanders who are married to Ukrainians or have friends or family there that they think of. All MPs I'm sure have had local people get in touch with them. I just today had a local man get in touch with me who was worried about his wife's family—his brother-in-law their children and others—and a plea from him to me as the local MP as I'm sure all MPs are receiving to ask the Government to persuade the Government to quickly make a decision over the ability to reach out to Ukrainian loved ones and offer them safe harbour in New Zealand. Countries of Europe are doing that. We're hearing that as many as 5 million Ukrainians will leave their country because of this illegal act on the part of Vladimir Putin. Some of them will be taken up in the countries surrounding them and other parts of Europe but for those that have family members in New Zealand it's important that we do our bit. The Government has the ability to make a decision quickly on this and I implore them to do so. Every day they take to consider it is an eternity for those who are there in the Ukraine and just as long for those in New Zealand fearing for their loved ones.This invasion is of slim provocation. It is a war crime. It is an illegal unlawful and unprecedented attack on this country and it must be resisted. I'm very pleased that we're in this House passing legislation collectively in urgency but I would say that it is a shame that we have to come here in urgency because there was an opportunity for the House to join together and do this earlier. This isn't being political; this isn't having a go at the Government; but it is saying that actually there were opportunities before now—and as late as last week—to pass this legislation or legislation like this to send a message to Russia and the Russia administration about the views of New Zealand its Parliament and its people. I get that when you're in Government you like to do things your own way but actually when challenged with this last week in question time David Parker on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs—well he was Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time—said that the Autonomous Sanctions Bill that had been before Parliament that could have been adopted last week and would achieve exactly the same as this legislation in so far as Russia is concerned—David Parker speaking as Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the legislation that Gerry Brownlee had before the House that he tried to move so that we could adopt it last week was lacking in the areas of cyber-security and humanitarian issues. Well this legislation does not deal with cyber-security or humanitarian issues at all and so I think all this was was the Government last week not wanting to move forward in the way of cooperation in the House that we are now seeing by all parties in supporting this legislation. It was about actually wanting to take the weekend to bring something forward and show that they are doing it.We support this because what's happening by Russia in the Ukraine is wrong. New Zealand stands on its own two feet internationally. We speak with our own voice. We don't do what others tell us just because they do so. But there are times when action needs to be fast and it needs to be swift. The Government did put in place restrictions fairly quickly in some areas but they were limited in what they could do and here we are today passing legislation to give them the ability to pass regulation so that they can put in place sanctions against Russia when almost every other country we would stand with—in this case a position of principle against the atrocities caused by the Russian administration against the people of the Ukraine and the democratic country of Ukraine we are tardy. Because Australia has already done it. The US has already done it. The UK has already done it. Most of Europe has already done it. Many many countries have already done that. So I look forward to when we join them and the world sends another message to Russia that what is happening is not acceptable that it is illegal and that we will stand against it and are opposed to it in the strongest possible terms. But the Government could have done this earlier rather than taking their time in the way that they have. Yesterday on TVNZ 1 there was a report about trade and the effect it will have upon New Zealand. Whilst our trade with Russia is modest because of trade elsewhere and oil that others import there will be some challenge to New Zealand. But I called at the time for the Government to put in place trade sanctions against Russia. You see one of our larger companies Fonterra has done so already weeks ago. They've made the choice to not export to Russia at this time. They chose to do that themselves. They considered it. They wanted to make a stand. And some would say Well it was not a lot of trade that goes on behalf of Fonterra into Russia. It was symbolism." But it's important symbolism and it's symbolism the Government could have shown already. If the New Zealand dairy farmer can work out that you should put trade sanctions against Russia at this time surely the New Zealand Government could. There are some opportunities in this legislation for trade sanctions but they're not strong. In fact the Government does not need this legislation to put trade sanctions in place against Russia. They could have done so yesterday. They could have done so last week. They could have done so at the same time that Fonterra and New Zealand dairy farmers did: two weeks ago. They could do so tonight before this legislation goes through. I would ask them to send one more signal along with the Parliament to Russia: of trade sanctions and in the strongest possible terms as we are seeing other countries now do. The US has just announced it will no longer import oil from Russia. That will have an impact upon them. They will be shorter of oil. The prices will go up and hit consumers and families in the pocket there. The New Zealand Government has the opportunity to make a stand and to do so quickly not two weeks from now following others as we're now seeing with this legislation. Countries of the world—the US and the UK—have said they are looking to the World Trade Organization about removing the most favoured nation status in trade from Russia. This is something the Government should be considering and looking at. In the case that as other speakers have said this atrocity this fighting this invasion will not be short-lived and will go on for a long period of time we should be considering all tools that we have available to us to bring pressure on Russia and continue to send the message that what the Russian President is doing is not acceptable to the people the Parliament and the Government of New Zealand.The final thing I would like to say is there will be many many stories of brutality both directed towards the Ukrainian people and I see on my TV tonight against Russian people in Russia who are protesting against this illegal invasion. We must stand with them and our thoughts must be with them. My final plea is to all New Zealanders in as far as Russian citizens who are also permanent residents and citizens of New Zealand. They have chosen New Zealand as their home. They are one with us. They support us. We must be understanding of them of the concern that they have for what's happening in their mother country and the dictatorship that we see from Russia. As far as decision making is concerned there is no democracy in Russia. New Zealand is a democratic country. We welcome our Russian friends who live in New Zealand. They are good New Zealanders and we stand with them as they stand with all of us tonight. Thank you Madam Speaker.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): I call on Vanushi Walters for the last call on this first reading of the Russia Sanctions Bill. Vanushi is connecting with us remotely."