Brown SimeonSIMEON BROWN (National—Pakuranga): Thank you Mr Speaker. As this is my first time speaking in this House let me congratulate you for your election as the Speaker of this House and your team the Deputy Speaker and two Assistant Speakers. Thank you for your service in presiding over this House of Representatives and this debating chamber.While I am thanking parliamentary figures I would also like to acknowledge Her Excellency the Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy for her role in opening Parliament last week. I'm also grateful for the service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Queen of New Zealand and for the service she has given to New Zealand over the past 66 years. We have the finest constitutional framework anywhere in the world. It has served our country well and I am sure will continue to do so for many years to come.With that in mind I'm particularly humbled to find myself in this room and incredibly honoured to be standing here as the new member of Parliament for Pakuranga. I would like to acknowledge and thank the people of Pakuranga for the faith they have placed in me as their member of Parliament and representative in this House. I'm conscious that it is my responsibility to represent the views and values of my constituents and I'm eager to do that because I share their values. The values of Pakuranga are the values that have made New Zealand great—a commitment to hard work fair reward personal responsibility equal opportunity and common sense. These time-honoured values are cherished by Kiwis across the country and are instilled in children by their mums and dads every day.I'm the second of five children born to Ivan and Sarah Brown who are here in the gallery this evening. I was born in Rotorua but my family moved to Auckland when I was 12 and I've lived there ever since. I was not brought up in a wealthy family. We were comfortable but there were challenging times. My parents were able to provide me and my siblings with what we needed but I know it wasn't always easy. However when I look back I see the truly important things they provided in great abundance. I was raised by two loving parents. I was taught discipline the importance of working hard to get ahead and taking responsibility for my actions. Their love and commitment to each other has been their greatest strength and has been the best example I could ask for.I married my wife Rebecca at the beginning of 2016. I want to thank her for all her love and support that she has given me in my journey to this place. She is my rock and I could not have come this far without her unconditional love encouragement and wisdom. Rebecca is from Sydney and is the daughter of Lebanese parents whose families moved to Australia to find a better life for their families. Rebecca then met me and moved to New Zealand for what I hope is an even better one. Thank you for your love Rebecca.I graduated from the University of Auckland where I studied law and commerce. I went on to work as a commercial banker with the Bank of New Zealand working with a range of small and medium sized businesses in Auckland. This experience has given me an insight into the engine room of New Zealand's economy and the fact that this country is built on the backs of men and women who take risks who mortgage their homes and go out to try and achieve their dreams. A Government is at its best when it backs its citizens and trusts them to pursue their dreams. Too many Governments in the past have obstructed those who want to get ahead. I believe that Kiwis can fly if they are not tied up in red tape.I've been involved in politics for a good part of my life now. My first experience in this field was attending my local residents association the Clendon Residents Group and being elected as the secretary at my first meeting as there was the need for some fresh young blood. From there I chaired the inaugural Manurewa Youth Council was elected to the Manurewa Local Board in 2013 and served as its deputy chair. I was thrilled to help progress a number of key projects and initiatives along the way.One issue that I was particularly proud to be involved with during this time was the passing of the Psychoactive Substances Act. That Act effectively banned the sale and supply of these dangerous drugs. I'm grateful that this Parliament passed that legislation and I was proud to have played a part in getting policy put through Auckland Council and then through this House. There is more to do on this important issue and the issue of protecting our young people from the harm of these products and other harmful drugs. It will always be an issue that I care deeply about.I would like to acknowledge Angela Dalton councillor Daniel Newman and the Hon George Hawkins who I worked alongside during my time in local government. Thank you for the opportunities you provided me and the advice you gave. You taught me that actions speak louder than words—a maxim I will always honour.Being elected as the MP for Pakuranga has been the biggest honour of my career but winning could not have been done without the help of an excellent team of supporters and electorate team. I'm pleased to have so many good people to work alongside and I look forward to continuing that work into the future. My electorate chairman Peter Martin epitomises Kiwi commitment. My electorate and campaign teams include John Slater Simon Williamson Hadyn Padfield Jenny Gibson Chloe Masters Katrina Bungard Sarah Fenwick Rahul Sirigiri Nathan Wilson Daniel Church Carla Mikkleson Te Haua Taua Cedric Jordan Michael Baker Gaylene and Evan Whetton Bill and Maggie Burrill Erin Dillimore-Muir Lynn Kidd and Josh Beddell. I will also acknowledge Sean Palmer for his advice. Their support has been fantastic and their advice has always been flawless. I'm proud to be their member of Parliament and I want them to know that I know I would not be here without their help and support. My appreciation also goes to the National Party president Peter Goodfellow our board members regional chair Andrew Hunt and the staff at regional HQ.It would take me about 10 hours to properly thank all those who have helped me in my campaign and I don't believe this House will grant me the opportunity to do that. Instead I'll ask the forgiveness of those I can't mention by name and hope they know how much their support has been appreciated. They should all be proud of the excellent result they achieved at the last election: significantly increasing National's party vote in Pakuranga to the third highest in the country. Of course I cannot fail to mention my predecessor in Pakuranga Maurice. Maurice if you're watching this and you probably are thank you for all the work you have done for this electorate and the nation. As you can see we've built on your success. I think a pool party in Los Angeles is definitely in order.As I stand here today making my maiden speech I am conscious that we are standing inside a war memorial commemorating the brave men and women who have fought for the freedoms and peace that we enjoy as a nation. When I contemplate their sacrifice I realise that I'm fortunate to be standing here. Because of the heroic deeds and selfless actions of the generations who have gone before me a new generation my generation is free to shape its destiny. The traditional values previous generations have fought to uphold are what have brought me here and are what I will be fighting for. We are fortunate that today we do not have to defend these values by force of arms like previous generations did but that does not mean they are secure. Today we fight to maintain the democratic principles upon which our nation was founded: preserving the right to speak and think according to our conscience and the protection of the vulnerable and disenfranchised in public debate. Unfortunately these principles were so well protected by previous generations that many today do not appreciate what life is like without them and so do not value them as they should.Freedom is not simply doing what we want to do to satisfy our individual desires and needs. We are not ships in the night but he iwi tahi tātou—we are one people. We must use our freedoms to serve the common good for all in our society. Moreover the future security of our democracy and the health of our community are grounded in the past out of which they grew. We must look back in order to move forward. G K Chesterton called tradition the democracy of the dead and this place Parliament with its traditions is underpinned by the freedoms won for us by the ANZACs the suffragettes the civil rights leaders and those who throughout our history have fought for this country and its values—freedom informed by truth and all that is just the willingness to do the right thing no matter the cost irrespective of contemporary fashion or whim.As I look forward to my time in this place I will also be looking back conscious that I stand here on the shoulders of those who have gone before me in seeking by the grace of God to help make our country an even better place for the future generations. Like so many others it is that desire to make this country a better place that has driven me to stand for Parliament and to serve in this House. I'm fortunate to have many friends precede me into Parliament. I've known people like Judith Collins and Simon O'Connor for many years and am glad to be taking a seat alongside them. I'm also delighted to see my good friend Christopher Penk beginning his career and I look forward to learning the ins and outs of Parliament alongside him. I'm also looking forward to hearing what kinds of flattering things you've got to say about me in your maiden speech!I joined the National Party because I share its values and believe that those values are what create a prosperous and successful country where all New Zealanders are valued and have the opportunity to succeed. I'm proud of the National Party's conservative tradition and I look forward to advancing the wisdom of those values across the House. I'm proud of this tradition because I care about people. I believe that Parliament is there to help make a difference in people's lives but not to run their lives. The role of Government is to help create the conditions where people are able to thrive from their own hard work and to succeed based upon their own skills. I believe that people succeed when the Government allows people to thrive and make decisions for themselves.I also believe in good governance. When Governments are forced to intervene in people's lives it must be for the right reasons based on a desire to improve their lives and any intrusion must be as small as possible. Too often decisions are hastily made or laws are quickly passed with little thought about the unintended consequences they have. Good laws are made through good process through sound reasoning and proper consultation. I hope we will see principled actions and well-reasoned policies from this Government not merely politically expedient propaganda. I won't be holding my breath and I hope you don't either because they say it'll cause brain damage.I believe that the crucial role of Government is to protect its citizens and the nation. The protection of the citizens of the country is central to the role of Government. Maintaining law and order and national security are areas deserving of more investment and will be welcomed by the people of Pakuranga. We need more investment in tackling gangs and continuing to crack down on the illegal supply of drugs flowing into our country.The Pakuranga electorate is full of entrepreneurs business owners and investors. The Government's role in business must be to provide opportunities for businesses to grow and succeed. This means opening up new trade links reducing red tape and regulation and investing in much-needed infrastructure projects. Two such projects close to my electorate's heart are the East-West Link and the Auckland-Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative. I am tremendously disappointed to hear that the new Government intends to put the brakes on this kind of growth and I will do everything I can to encourage them away from this myopic decision. Traffic congestion is a huge issue in Pakuranga for the people who live there and businesses that operate in East Auckland. These transport projects must be progressed and I will champion them and others like them during my time in this House.One of the other values that I will be a staunch advocate for during my time here will be the importance of freedom of expression. As members of Parliament we are fortunate to work in an environment where freedom of expression is generally protected. But we must ensure that freedom of speech is not merely a parliamentary privilege but something people everywhere can enjoy. All New Zealanders should enjoy freedom of expression as that underpins a strong democracy.Of course with every freedom comes responsibility and at times limitations. However those limitations should be rare and a matter of last resort. I'm opposed to the idea that Governments should stop people saying things that offend or annoy others. Governments should not be in the business of protecting people's feelings and affirming every person's sense of self. A safe society is one where we debate ideas rather than suppress them. A tolerant society welcomes all ideas and debates them on their merits rather than determining what ideas are allowed and which aren't.We who work in this Chamber must always remember that the Government wields tremendous power. Too often private individuals are trampled by Governments rather than protected by them. This applies to freedom of speech of course but in other ways as well. It is often the case in society that the weak can be neglected in favour of the strong and those who shout the loudest get the most attention from the Government. I believe that it is the role of this Parliament to protect the most vulnerable and to ensure that their rights are safeguarded. It is to our shame that New Zealand has a rising epidemic of elder abuse in our country. We must address this and other disturbing trends.I worry that our society is becoming harsher less caring and less compassionate. It is not sufficient to merely spread these words throughout society; they must be backed up with actions. I believe that many of society's problems are rooted in poverty. However unlike some I am not solely focused on material poverty. There is a growing poverty of compassion a poverty of respect and a poverty of understanding between communities and generations. This must be stopped and I will do everything I can to help. This is a far better way to build a kinder society than the redistribution of wealth because making New Zealand more caring tolerant and compassionate will enrich us all.In conclusion just as we acknowledge God at the opening of every parliamentary day I acknowledge Him now as I start my parliamentary career. I humbly acknowledge my need for His guidance during my time here and pray that my time would be to the betterment of the welfare peace and tranquillity of the people of Pakuranga and New Zealand. Thank you very much.[Applause]