Nakhle RimaRIMA NAKHLE (National—Takanini): Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise as the last person to commend this bill to the House. And it warms my heart as it has warmed everyone's heart that we're all in agreeance on this subject that this bill must go forward. I mihi to you Ashley Jones—you're in the House. A lot of this is because of you. So thank you for your courage thank you for putting yourself out to exposure thank you for being one of the main catalysts behind the kōrero that we're having today.The proposed legislation Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill is in the name of our Labour colleague the Hon Dr Deborah Russell. It was introduced into the House back in May 2023 by a former Labour Party list MP Angie Warren-Clark. So I thank her as well for charging that through that first reading. And then it was referred to the Justice Committee which I am privileged to be a part of and which is chaired by my good friend here the MP for Rangitata James Meager. And that's where we were privileged enough to listen to the submissions that were brought forward with respect to this bill. The intent of this amendment bill is very clear actually it's to amend the Family Proceedings Act 1980 so that a party to a marriage or a civil union who has been the victim of family violence inflicted by the other party in the relationship can apply for an order from the Family Court to fast-track their marriage or their civil union so it could be dissolved—that is to get a divorce—without having to wait for the two years to pass which is currently a requirement of the law as it stands. This bill will also remove the requirement for parties of a marriage or a civil union the subject of the application to live apart for two years before a dissolution is given on the grounds of family violence.I'd like to just touch quickly as a couple of my colleagues did earlier on the grounds upon which this order for a dissolution can be made. The grounds would be established if the applicant is a protected person under a protection order made against the applicant's spouse or civil union partner. And the following types of protection order as mentioned earlier but I'd like to put on record would establish the grounds for this dissolution: a protection order made under the Family Violence Act 2018 a protection order made under the Sentencing Act 2002 or a registered foreign protection order.Alas my time is limited tonight so even though I'd like to go through some of the other submissions that we listened to I think I'd like to add to the acknowledgment of Ashley Jones tonight. The submission that Ashley prepared for us in the select committee to listen to which of course strengthened the need for why this law must pass. If I may just read a few quotes from Ashley's submission: In 2021 I started and submitted a petition "Change our archaic divorce laws so abuse victims can be free of their abuser"." And I remember what our colleague from the Green Party just said earlier that a lot of these people many times women are stuck when they find themselves in this situation.Ashley went on to say "I strongly believe if victims were able to file for a divorce it would remove a lot of the further abuse that continues throughout the two year stand down period." That's the ultimate goal here. The ultimate goal the ultimate intention objective and indeed the hope is that family violence harm in New Zealand will be reduced by passing this law. No it's not going to eliminate all family violence but someone that's been through it Ashley Jones who sits here with us in the gallery tonight almost like the shepherder herself of this bill said it in her own words that it will remove a lot of the further abuse that continues throughout those two years. "Abuse is about power and control" Ashley wrote "and this current system allows many occasions for the abuser to still maintain that power and control even in cases where a protection order is in place."Ashley thank you. Thank you for highlighting some of the horrible statistics that exist in our beautiful country New Zealand. And sometimes it's very difficult to reconcile with the fact that we live in such a beautiful country Aotearoa New Zealand and yet we're riddled with such horrific statistics when it comes to family violence. Bless you with the rest of your journey Ashley and thank you for everything that you've done. I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): Is this a—Glen Bennett: Te Pāti Māori call.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): Oh OK. You're taking the Māori Party call? I call Glen Bennett."