SpeechHARETE HIPANGO (National): Thank you. I rise as the last speaker for the National Party and it's important for New Zealanders to know the extent the reach the breadth of family violence in our country. Each year New Zealand police conduct more than 100000 investigations—and that's only of reported incidents—related to family violence. It is estimated that one in four women and one in eight men experience family violence in their lifetime. Madam Speaker and New Zealanders listening in this is a very important piece of proposed legislation: the Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill first reading.First of all I acknowledge Ashley Jones supported in the gallery because it was through the harrowing lived experience of what you've been through that this legislation is now going to change the lives not just for you but for many other victims of family violence. Ka nui te mihi ki a koe.I also acknowledge the proponent of this member's bill my colleague Angie WarrenClark and also my colleague Chris Bishop both of whom were available to Ashley at some point in time during this harrowing journey. The point of this legislation is for those persons who have been the subject of family violence and in a marriage or a civil union. This bill will enable the expedition of the dissolution once upon a time framed as a divorce; so a dissolution of that civil union or marriage. It will expedite it. Because what the law requires at the moment presently under the Family Proceedings Act—the grounds to be satisfied are that there's been an irreconcilable relationship or the nature of it is irreconcilable and it has irretrievably broken down. And also the legal requirement is that there is a period of two years of separation of living apart before in the eyes of the law it will validate that dissolution or divorce—previously known as—of the marriage or civil union.What will be interesting when this bill does come to select committee—and that will be in the 54th Parliament and this being the 53rd Parliament to see this introduced at the first reading and to ensure that it gets carried through—is the submissions from the sector that deals in family violence. And anticipating that there may well be a submission from Ashley at some point in time but also a submission around the relevant parts and componentry of this proposed legislation to do with the meaning of a protection order. Because the facets of a protection order for those of us who have practised in the Family Court and also in the Criminal Court there's a temporary protection order that can be made on a without notice basis where the other party to the proceedings does not have their evidence heard and the judge will make a finding of fact or determination based on one party's view. And often that will be the victim or the person subjected to the family violence. Then there's what's known as a final protection order so it will be interesting to hear submissions anticipated submissions from the New Zealand Law Society from the family law section of that New Zealand Law Society and also the criminal bar.But importantly this legislation is recognising that the victims of family violence who are in a legal relationship defined as either a marriage or civil union are locked into that. So I listened to Ms Warren-Clark's context and background of Miss Ashley's journey to get to this point and stage in the harrowing lived experience of the violence. And although the perpetrator of that violence had been imprisoned the victim or subject of the violence was imprisoned in a legal relationship. The whole point of this is to expedite the termination or the dissolution and the completion of that to be able to be removed from having been incarcerated also through that legal relationship.The other point before closing is that as an advocate for my lifetime for children and young people there's a particular and an important component of this bill that addresses the fact that children who are part of that relationship arrangements for the welfare of the children on dissolution is to be considered. Madam Speaker I commend this bill to the House.