Nash StuartHon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Thank you very much Mr Chair. I'm standing up tonight in my role as the Minister of Police and also the Minister for Small Business. I've heard the arguments and I've listened to this debate—the various readings—and one thing I would say is that there is not a single approach to family violence or family harm. If there was we would've implemented it years ago and we would've done away with it but as everyone acknowledges in this Chamber it is a scourge. It is a real problem.I suppose where I disagree with the previous speaker Denise Lee and with a number of speakers is that we do need to deal with this as a society as a community. If it was just a community issue then we would just deal with it within the community. If it was just a Crown issue then believe me we would be implementing the steps to deal with this here and now but it crosses right across every single part of our community. The Crown—yes we have a very important role to play which is what we're doing. The police have an incredibly important role to play. The honourable Jan Logie is playing a very important part but also our businesses are a really important part of our community. Maybe in my role as Minister of Police I've seen a little bit more than most people I've heard a little more than most people and I've seen evidence of the massive harm this causes and this imposes on our families.I would like to talk about Part 5 and this is about the changes to the Human Rights Act. The reason I want to talk about the Human Rights Act is we believe that this is so fundamental to human rights. We are not just implementing a Domestic Violence—Victims' Protection Bill; we're coding in human rights legislation that this is so important and what this means is that you cannot discriminate—not you Mr Chair; society or businesses cannot discriminate based on someone who is a victim of domestic violence or family harm.I just think that there is a time to play politics. We're politicians and we argue across the House because we've got different philosophical beliefs and we have different ideas about how to solve problems. But there are times when as a Parliament we should come together and actually do the right thing. When I heard Melissa Lee speak about this—not Melissa Lee sorry—Hon Members: Denise Lee.Hon STUART NASH: —Denise Lee; sorry Denise—I thought there was a lack of sincerity in her voice because I am sure—I am sure—that deep down Melissa—Hon Member: Ms Lee.Hon STUART NASH: —knows that this is actually the right thing to do. And do you know the interesting thing I heard in a number of speeches? People were saying You know the vast majority of businesses actually do do the right thing." They do actually look after people who are victims of domestic violence because they understand that that person is a really important part of their business. Well I tend to agree with that—I do—but there are some employers who don't. There are some employers who will discriminate against someone who has reached rock-bottom.I'll tell you some of the interviews I have seen. This is the worst thing that can happen and all the stats say it is usually—not exclusively but it is usually—a dad who is smacking the living daylights out of a mum and sometimes the kids. There has got to be a safe place. If in fact there is prejudice in the workplace let alone in the home and in places in society which Ms Lee highlighted as well then let the workplace at least be a shining example of where we are going to stand up for the rights of people who are victims of domestic violence. It is why it is in the Human Rights Act. It is why we are actually saying we're going to change the definition from "and social and racial harassment" to "sexual harassment adverse treatment in employment of people affected by domestic violence and racial harassment." We are putting this on the same level as racial harassment. I think that's exactly where it belongs because it is just totally unacceptable in this day and age to discriminate against someone who has absolutely reached rock-bottom.What would the Opposition have us do? Are the Opposition saying "No no no it's OK. Small business can't cope with that so when someone's down let's just give them a couple more kicks and get them out of the workplace."? If we think that is the way to treat Kiwis who are totally and utterly victims then the Opposition has a problem.As mentioned as the Minister of Police and as the Minister for Small Business I completely buy into this bill and I thank Jan Logie for bringing it here. It is a really important part of what we need to do."