Brownlee GerryHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National): It is quite appropriate that the House takes time today to remember the tragedy that occurred just three years ago. It is a day that will live in the memory of anyone who was in Christchurch at the time for all of their life. We used to ask the question Where were you when the earthquake struck?" A whole new generation of kids will be asking "Where were you when the Al Noor Mosque was attacked and those 51 people lost their lives to the bullets of a deranged gunman?" They'll remember it because schools were locked down business places were locked down. The city was for a time almost under siege. I'm sure it's nothing like what is being experienced by others in other parts of the world at the moment but it was a frightening time for everyone. And while it's not possible to fully empathise with the emotions that come with the loss of loved ones with the injuries to loved ones and to the disruption terrible disruption to families who were deeply affected by this—the victims of that gunman—it is possible to empathise with in a shared way the violation that that act caused to our otherwise peaceable community. There have been some remarkable responses from those who are leaders in the Muslim community. I think particularly of Gamal Fouda who led that wonderful reflection I suppose you'd say one week after when he spoke to a very large gathering on Hagley Park. It was ahead of the official recognition where he also spoke brilliantly and generously and with a great deal of love and forgiveness for the circumstance that had occurred. And I'm sure that in the living memories of anybody who was part of the Christchurch community at the time the deep respect for the way in which he represented the views of his I suppose you'd say—I was going to say parishioners but that's probably the wrong word—fellow Muslims who were so deeply affected by the event. The support that's needed for those families continues to this day. And it's not so much support that's found in anything that we might do legislatively because I think the initiatives that the Prime Minister outlined earlier in her speech were the right ones and have been widely supported by Parliament. But there is this ongoing worry for many of those families who do need ongoing support and while it's there I hope that there is no point where it might be in any way withdrawn. There is a question about do we do more in a security sense—should our agencies have known more—all of those sorts of things. They're appropriate to ask but I think we do need to remember that many of the people who were affected by the events that day came to live in this country because they wanted to live a life that was free. It was dreadfully disruptive dreadfully—I suppose you'd say—shattered the dream by the events of that day. But for their families none the less the goals that they had in coming here remain true. And so we need to remember that for all of the security measures that we might put in place they have to be measures that are acceptable inside a free society and we cannot completely rearrange everything to affect other people's freedoms simply on the back of the activities of as I said before a deranged gunman. Mr Seymour spoke of the heroes on the day; there were many of them. Firstly all of those people who were in the mosque who had to face the prospect of assisting others who were shot or got shot themselves. There were the families of those victims—not only those of the deceased but also those who suffered pretty horrendous injuries as well. They were alongside as heroes the police the medical people that were so good—having a trauma centre so close was perhaps helpful—but also I wanted to say I think the media did a very good job at that time as well. Everyone wanted to know what happened. Everyone wanted to know what was going on and I think they handled it with remarkable respect. The Christchurch news team initially and then later on some of the more headline presenters from inside the networks. And it's important that they do that because at a time when the city was facing an uncertainty over fears—was it one gunman was it multiple gunmen etc.—it was very important that their work continue. I just want to conclude by recognising the efforts of Temel Atacocugu. He's been walking from Dunedin to Christchurch—he would have arrived at Al Noor about an hour or so ago—retracing the steps that that the gunman took on that day before that horrible event. He's a man who was shot I think nine times who continues to have a battle with his recovery from those events but he's undertaken this effort in what he calls a "walk for peace" and I admire him enormously for what he's done because he is making a very very practical easily understood statement for his fellow New Zealanders to get alongside and I wish him very well for what will be I think a recovery from some of the pain that he's experienced on that particular walk. It is a day where we might remember the tragedy of it. Before that or over the top of that I think we need to remember that the message that came out of it was one of love and forgiveness. That is a remarkable thing and really augurs very well for a diverse New Zealand community moving forward. Salam alaikum.Motion agreed to."