O'Connor Simon: Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
O'Connor Simon: Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:677;Page:689] 
SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tamaki) 
: 
 It is in absolute delight with this robust and continuing debate that I stand in support of the Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill. As we know it is here to incorporate the humanities into the Royal Society bringing about a series of minor changes—minor changes—which for some reason took an incredible amount of time to go through and a very great number of clauses. But before I discuss that I should acknowledge the honourable member who is sponsoring this bill for leading the process. I think it is always important to give thanks. As someone with my own member’s bill— 
Hon Member 
: Beg for forgiveness. 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: —indeed beg for forgiveness. There are very important lessons we could all learn. But as someone here with my own member’s bill now I am incredibly keen on aspects of very important legislation to be able to stand and make sure I understand the process fully and to engage with it. So I am incredibly grateful for this chance post my maiden speech to stand to speak on this topic to follow the lead of the honourable member and to have a chat. 
I thank my colleague Colin King for his words as well because learning is important. I said in my maiden speech that ideas are powerful and something like the Royal Society of New Zealand is ultimately about ideas. When we talk about the filibustering or the slowness of the nature in which this bill has had to come through Parliament at one level that is a good thing. Thoroughness is good; rigor is important in study. However there was a rigor mortis. There was a rigor mortis I think in what was happening. But you see the flip side to all of that really was that that whole filibustering that dragging everything out and slowing it down was completely against—completely against—the intent of the society in wanting to celebrate ideas. Ideas importantly are always about progress. It is all about progress. One of the most unfortunate elements I am told as this bill has dragged its way through was trying to block one of the great ideas and bills that was put through last year.  
 As we stand here though I just need to say—as we are talking about support of course and with my constitutional bias—that I do need to let members across the way in particular know that my support for this bill is not due to the title “Royal” being in there. I do know that it is a jolly good reason to support a bill but that is not the reason. This bill is ultimately about knowledge and it is about learning. It is a bill that is important for advancing and celebrating learning in the area of the humanities. More often than not for those who know their history there has always been a great division between the humanities and the sciences and this has always been rather counter-productive. 
This bill and again I do thank the honourable member for bringing it forward in that timely manner shows that incorporating humanities into the Royal Society of New Zealand will allow a far more holistic robust and some could say organic approach to research in this country. In fact it is going to ensure that the humanities are recognised for being the major contributor to New Zealand society that they are. It is a delight to be able to stand and take a call because I am someone who has benefited from the humanities over the years having studied and worked in a lot of the areas of which the bill’s digest talks to actually—particularly a love of philosophy. It is marvellous to see that being incorporated—and it is good philosophy too not the stuff that pops out these days the sort of pop philosophy but you know good stuff and something that the Royal Society would happily celebrate. There are things like theology of course. One must acknowledge that and our colleague across the way of course. It is great to see that religion and theology are going to be acknowledged by the Royal Society. As someone too who has enjoyed the arts media and film again it is tremendous that the Royal Society now is going to embrace this. 
Again when we do look at the humanities in fact they derive initially from the liberal arts the earliest forms of learning that humanity has known and so it is great to actually be able to draw this into a bill—to draw it in beside the sciences so that together they can help New Zealand progress in the way that I am sure we all want it to do. When we do talk about benefit though I think it is really important to make the distinction that science is about talking about the nature of life. The humanities is actually trying to find what the meaning is and bringing those two pieces together under the umbrella of the Royal Society is going to bring great strength robustness and rigour to New Zealand. 
I think also it is really good to see that the Royal Society is going to be celebrating the contribution that so many of our academics in particular play in the humanities. There is the chance to become a fellow or an honorary fellow—whatever the appropriate other gender title would be—and the chance for them to be— 
Simon Bridges 
: “Fellow-esses”. 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: “Fellow-esses” yes “fell-esses” ladies—I should really work on this. But I think it is really important to acknowledge that this bill is going to give the opportunity to a large number of New Zealanders who have great success in the fields of the humanities to be recognised for what they to do to be members to be fellows. I think that is really important not only for what they do. 
Simon Bridges 
: I thought we passed this bill last year! 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: Well if only we had Mr Bridges; if only we had. But here is this opportunity now. 
Simon Bridges 
: This is like  
Groundhog Day 
. 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: I know; it just goes round really. But I think it is important to add words. Words as I have said before are powerful powerful things and it is a marvellous thing that this bill is here. I just want to come back though to the importance of celebrating success. That is something I believe in very strongly and one of the reasons I came to National actually—celebrating success. This bill provides that opportunity to celebrate the success of those who work in the humanities of New Zealand. Twice a year of course we have the royal honours where great Kiwis across the spectrum are recognised. Well here is another opportunity under this Royal Society to celebrate humanities in New Zealand—those people who are contributing in marvellous ways. 
Simon Bridges 
: I want to know why Bob Clarkson hasn’t been given a knighthood. 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: Well exactly. Maybe this is something that could be considered in a future bill—not just fellowships but titles with those as well.  
I come back to what are really the core purposes. The Royal Society is now here not simply to celebrate science but here to also celebrate the humanities. That is absolutely the most marvellous aspect of New Zealand society. I for one who again has benefited so strongly from the humanities say it is great to be standing here today and celebrating that in so many different ways. 
As I said at the start there has often been a division and I think it is absolutely marvellous that groups that are often celebrating division and are always worried about things are actually after a very long time prepared to come together and to celebrate that. So of course— 
Simon Bridges 
: Why worry? Be happy. 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: Oh yes but we do continue to speak because ultimately I think what we come back to with all of this is that the Royal Society is an opportunity for Kiwis to speak. We do it in all sorts of different ways. There are some of us standing here in the House and there will be some outside who choose to protest—not necessarily on this bill—but this Royal Society is a chance for Kiwis right across the academic and intellectual area now to celebrate. 
It is an absolute delight to stand up here in support of this bill. Again it has taken a long time to get here. I think it is important to echo that. I am a great believer in echoing what has happened. As this bill has taken a long time I think it is important too that my gift in response is to reflect that back in this performance to make sure we go through it bit by bit. That is my celebration that is my gift and I do notice now of course that this bill will bring in theatre; this will bring in theatre. So this is my small contribution to that theatre to reflect it back at you that ability to just sort of discuss and debate to keep repeating those aspects and to drive them home. I feel that by doing that you will all experience— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: So once again thank you. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Before I call the next member I just want to inform the member that you have to be careful in using the word “you” because you are actually referring to the Speaker. If you look at Standing Order 104 I think it is you actually speak through the Speaker to the House. 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. I think that echoes the whole point of the learning that this bill is all about. So thank you.