O'Connor Simon: Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Act Repeal Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Connor Simon: Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Act Repeal Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 02 March 2016. Volume:711;Page:9345. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): I am very pleased to take a call on the first reading on this Wednesday evening on the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Act Repeal Bill. It is a repeal bill as has been noted. Look its purpose is relatively simple. It is to ultimately strike a piece of legislation off the books to enable the foundation to stand completely independently if you will of Parliament by engaging now as a fully incorporated society.Can I begin though by acknowledging the members of the royal foundation for the great work that they do in the community. I have had good reason to engage with them from time to time back up in Auckland usually through friends and acquaintances who work there who speak incredibly highly of the organisation. I acknowledge too in my short time here in Parliament those from the foundation who have come before Parliament to advocate for the blind—for those who are visually impaired—and who have always done so in a very constructive manner. I think most recently in the education sector as we did a review of parental engagement we had people from the royal foundation come in and explain to us how important it is to have access to something as simple as—well what we take as being relatively simple—PDF documents from school and to be able to format them in such a way so that parents can read and be fully engaged with their children be it the child or the parents who have visual impairment. So again it is with thanks that I take this call for the work the support and the advocacy that is done.As we have heard from the two previous speakers and primarily from Tim Macindoe who led off reading the bill is here to deliver on an ambition of the Blind Foundation as it is known to modernise its structure. I think one element I have been struck with when looking through the history of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind is that it has evolved over time. If I can indulge my own historical interest and perhaps that of Paul Foster-Bell who is with me here in 1889 there was a meeting with the Bishop of Auckland—I assume that is the Anglican Bishop of Auckland—who called together what was called the Association of the Friends of the Blind. From there—well a year later—it turned into the Jubilee Institute for the Blind which I imagine—Paul Foster-Bell: What was it the jubilee of Simon?SIMON O’CONNOR: Well I am not 100 percent sure actually but it will be one of the royal jubilees I am sure which led in 1908 to the Jubilee Building in Parnell which is actually one that I lived very close to.Tim Macindoe: Could’ve been the jubilee of the Treaty of Waitangi.SIMON O’CONNOR: You never know actually. But actually the Jubilee Building is remarkably well-known in Auckland. Whether it is absolutely known for its association to the Blind Foundation I am not 100 percent sure. I know that the foundation is now based next door to it. But the Jubilee Building has now been taken over by the council and the community comes together there and I think there is actually strong and good symbolism in that.But that was one of my little learnings. As I went through the history I also noted that in 1927 what was then known as the New Zealand Institute for the Blind set up a military band. That was a little learning—I think I have always associated seeing-eye dogs and the like with the foundation but not necessarily a military band. In 1955 there was then an Act of Parliament and that is what we are beginning to repeal this evening. An Act of Parliament was passed in order to regulate and work for the foundation. In 1972 the foundation received royal patronage. I believe Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra was out and she gave over that royal patronage. In 2002 as we have heard from Poto Williams there was a review of the Act of Parliament. Then in 2015 the foundation celebrated 125 remarkable years and in that time as this little bit of history has touched on it has evolved it has changed and it is now seeking via this repeal of legislation to modernise itself further.What I think is clear through all 126 years is the desire to form a strong community of like-minded people—the common bond around visual impairment and blindness—to be able to live their lives as they see fit and to advocate into the New Zealand community so that we understand not only their situation but to allow them to be the Kiwis whom they want to be. So I support this bill and like others I commend it and look forward to it coming to a select committee.