Lee MelissaMELISSA LEE (National): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise in the privileged position being the last speaker in this debate and I'd like to acknowledge all my sisterhood who have arisen to speak on this topic. I feel extremely honoured and privileged to be woman MP No. 105 and I have this little camellia to prove so. It has No. 105 on it and it was gifted to us as members of Parliament being women members of Parliament in this Chamber. I'd like to begin my contribution by quoting one of the maiden speeches that I have become aware of by the fifth woman MP on the National side Colleen Dewe. It was given in 1976 when she said—and I quote—My hope is that I am merely a forerunner of many professionally qualified women who will realise that the surest way of encouraging women to involve themselves in public life and to ensure that opportunities for women in commerce and industry are available is to become a member of this House." It is to get involved. She also said that "It must be the right of every woman just as it is the right of every man to choose her career in life." We are privileged in the House in New Zealand to be given the right to become a member of Parliament—an equal right—unlike many people around the world. I come from a country where the common word for women who make a fuss at home and at school is ajummas waving their skirts around—their ajumma power. They say it in a derogatory way in Korea when mothers get involved in the issues of their children at school. They look down upon those women who fight for the rights of their children by calling them in a derogatory way ajumma power. We should be very proud of the ajumma power that women feel when they feel strongly enough to get up and to get involved. In this House sometimes I'm a little bit jealous of my colleague Amy Adams for the letters "AA". Amy Adams gave her number—No. 98 I believe—and I am only No. 105 because I'm Melissa Lee. But it is really wonderful. The first Asian woman to become a member of Parliament in this House was back in 1996: the Hon Pansy Wong. She was the first Asian woman. After more than a hundred years of Asian people living in this country she was the first. She was a great role model for me and she was part-way responsible for my path to actually come to this House. She encouraged me. I wasn't so sure if I actually wanted to have a public life having seen people being criticised. Often Asian people don't like the sorts of challenges that happen in the House and the combative nature of public life and I think often that is one of the reasons why a lot of ethnic women do not put themselves forward. So I'd like to acknowledge my ethnic Asian MPs who are currently here. Golriz Ghahraman is here Dr Parmjeet Parmar is here and Priyanca Radhakrishnan is here and they are the only women apart from Pansy Wong who have been in this House. There aren't that many Asian women and I hope that there will be more Asian women who actually put themselves forward. I put the challenge out so that they will actually come into this House because they have so much to actually contribute to this House in public service and I think they will do an extremely great job. I'd also like to quote the words of—oh gosh—Esme Tombleson MP for Gisborne in 1961 where she also said that more women are needed in every sphere of endeavour. Parliament is one of those. She also quoted that we need more women in science as well. I'd like to hope that I stand on the shoulders of my forebears who have actually come before me and I hope that the future generation will stand on my shoulders to represent the womenfolk in this country.I don't have a lot of time left but I'd like to call upon my sisterhood to rise in celebration with a waiata if you would actually give us permission.SPEAKER: I have.MELISSA LEE: Very good. We're going to be singing "Ka Waiata".Ka waiata ki a MariaHine i whakaaeWhakameatia maiTe whare tangata.Hine pūrotuHine ngākauHine rangimārieKo te whaeaKo te whaeaO te aoKo te whaeaKo te whaeaO te aoKia ora tēnā koutou katoa.[Let us sing to MaryShe who said yesLet something happenShe allowed that she would carry.A beautiful girlA strong-hearted girlA humble girlThe mother The mother of the whole worldThe mother The mother of the whole worldThank you one and all.]Motion agreed to."