Baillie Chris; Mallard TrevorCHRIS BAILLIE (ACT): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise to speak as a proud ACT MP residing in the beautiful city of Nelson. We develop our political affiliations as a result of our experiences in life. Our work our interests our friends and our family all contribute to the views we have of the world and the way we think things should go. I'm sure we all want the same things—or similar things—it's just how we get there that's different.I've always been interested in politics. I vividly remember meeting member of Parliament and Speaker Stan Whitehead when I was 10 years old. A towering figure with a booming voice; the impression he left on me was huge. A few years later I was introduced to Prime Minister Sir Bill Rowling. You could tell he was just a lovely man and dare I say it kind. They were very different men but both commanded a great deal of mana. My being here makes the memories of these encounters even more special. But I'm sure like my father they would have been much happier if I was sitting on the opposite side of the House.A marine engineer my father was very persuasive and a staunch unionist. But as a 12-year-old I began questioning his judgment when he supported marine engineers on the Cook Strait ferries going on strike over one school holiday period because their beds weren't being made. That just didn't seem reasonable to me. But ironically my father gave me what I believe is the greatest thing a parent can give to a child: a work ethic. Some people might say love is number one but I've always thought that if you have to say you love your child then something's not right. Surely that's just a gimmie. A good work ethic prepares you for life develops personal responsibility a sense of community empathy resilience and an understanding that money doesn't in fact grow on trees. As a child and teenager I mowed lawns poured petrol at the garage babysat and sold pine cones. I paid for everything I got bought a car when I was 15 saved to put myself through university and to buy a house soon after. I didn't expect—and didn't get—anything handed to me on a plate.My mum's love was unconditional so my parents were a good match and I had a great childhood. Mum passed away 12 years ago aged 67 and I know she would love to be here now. I'm proud of my family proud of my heritage and I'm proud of my ancestry. My forebears were good honest caring hard-working people. On my father's side well documented since 1840. Mum's side is a bit more complicated and I could be anything.New Zealand's history isn't perfect but we must be mindful that when looking at it with the benefit of hindsight through a 2020 lens to always have 20/20 vision. I'm proud to be part of a party that embraces diversity and unity and encourages and believes in success for everyone.I'd love to be here talking about my 30-year rugby-playing career or my lifetime career as a musician but Pōneke Thirds and Stokes Senior Bs don't quite cut it and I'll keep practising my trumpet in the hope that one day I'll improve. Instead I'll touch on a couple of topics that I know a little bit about.The great boxer Muhammad Ali once said He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." This is true in many aspects of life but none more so than owning a business today. It takes courage to often put everything on the line: house family relationships job security; all to employ staff work hard and try and get ahead in life. Small businesses are the engine room of our economy and can't be taken for granted and they carry disproportionate risk. The risk of employing people giving people a chance but paying the price if they aren't up to the job. The risk of the biased personal grievance process being abused and mediated unfairly—lawyers do very well and it's cheaper for businesses to just pay the often unjustified demands. The risk of increased compliance leave and taxes being heaped upon them because of the misguided view that businesses can afford it. I'm no health nut but I've had one sick day in the last 10 years. The current environment actually discourages employment.We must not fall into the lazy thinking that if people are paid lots they'll work hard. People should be paid lots if they work hard and that's just common sense. I recently offered to split any profit I made with my employees. The only catch was that they would be OK to split the losses as well including the loan I had to take out during lockdown in order to pay rent rates and other fixed costs businesses had to pay so their employees would have a job to come back to after they were well looked after by the Government. They declined my offer. The assumption that businesses can just keep on absorbing extra costs is naive and unrealistic. Productivity must increase at least at the same rate and this can't be ignored when striving for better conditions and more money for employees. It is time to end the ideological dogma that business owners are somehow the enemy. US President Thomas Jefferson once said "I find that the harder I work the more luck I seem to have." Jobs build self-esteem self-reliance and purpose. We must stop the tailspin of welfare dependency and that sense of sitting outside the community that flows from it.The effects of this disconnect are none more obvious than in many aspects of police work in New Zealand. The rise in antisocial behaviour the appalling domestic violence statistics and the increase in drug use are all blights on this wonderful country. The meteoric rise in mental health associated offences highlights a failure that must be addressed. I have attended tragic incidents involving young women old men and all those in between where the pressure of life has got too much. It is unfair and wrong to expect police to bear the brunt of accountability as a result of failures in other departments and entrenched social issues. I learnt a lot during my time in the New Zealand Police. It's a hugely rewarding job and I have enormous respect for front-line officers. I learnt that things aren't always as they seem.When working in a team policing unit in Wellington we attended a large protest right here outside Parliament. Hundreds of angry people wanting to get up the steps and through the doors—maybe just to watch question time but I'm not sure about that. The front line of protesters were organised. On command they would all lift the steel barriers and move them gradually forward towards the steps. Six times they were told by a sergeant with a very loud voice helped by a loudhailer to not touch the barriers or swift action would be taken. The front-page photo in the Dominion Post the next day was of a distraught young woman holding a broken finger and an article on police violence. I learnt about the influence a member of Parliament can have when a few months later during another protest I watched an Opposition education spokesperson stir up a large group of angry students into a frenzy. This resulted in an attempt to smash the doors of Treasury to gain entry. I thought then that he was very irresponsible. He went back to his cosy office and once again police were portrayed unfairly in the inevitable aftermath.Police are the engine room for upholding law and order but yet again there is an attitude and an environment that makes it hard for them to do their job. Yet again they are too often taken for granted. Sir Robert Peel was the founder of modern policing back in 1829. One of the core principles he established is and I quote "The key to preventing crime is earning public support. Every community member must share the responsibility of preventing crime as if they were all volunteer members of the force. They will only accept this responsibility if the community supports and trusts the police." Putting police in unwanted situations because of political agendas and ideologies has seriously compromised this trust epitomised by the recent firearms legislation debacle. Increasing violent offences against police and burgeoning gang crime is a very concerning problem that needs to be addressed. The inevitable criticism police receive every time a young person does something stupid and illegal is very unhelpful—criticism that is often given by people in positions of power or those who hide behind keyboard anonymity. Support for police is essential and not just with empty rhetoric.But ultimately we need to address the underlying social issues and this starts with looking after our kids. The good news is that kids haven't changed. They are the same awesome impressionable know-alls as they were 10 20 50 years ago. As the Greek philosopher Hesiod said in the 8th century B.C. "I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words". The pressures young people have today are different to other generations but they're no more challenging. What has changed is the way we bring them up the way we educate them and the way we allow them to grow and develop into good independent contributing members of society. Teaching is a wonderful career and there are some great people teaching our kids but we need to constantly evaluate content and outcomes to ensure our young people are prepared for the great wide world.To be here I had to resign from the best job in the world teaching fantastic students at a great school that embraces diversity and free thinking—the school that I left as a sixth former way back in 1979. I had a poster in my classroom that said "Just because you're offended doesn't mean you're right." and this is becoming more relevant every day. The increasing inability of young people to listen to a different opinion debate ideas challenge beliefs with fact preferring to condemn all opposition is concerning. Unfortunately this is too often encouraged and demonstrated by adults including teachers hung up in their own world of woke conformity and self-righteousness and those who are actively trying to strip away our rights to speak freely.My granddad was barely out of his teens when he fought for this country in World War I. He watched the bombs being dropped that killed his 22-year-old brother in France two weeks before the end of the war. They fought to protect the democracy and freedoms we enjoy today and we need to cherish and protect every one of them. For the sake of our kids we must reject any attempt to stifle our freedoms especially our freedom of speech. Bullying is not OK; we all know that but we must educate and not legislate and adults must be role models and not just role players cowardly hiding from face-to-face uncomfortable situations. We must help students build resilience to face the real challenges of life in becoming an adult not encourage a culture of delicate sensitivities. The oldies here will remember being told "Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me." Our parents knew.The toxic and false reality of social media the increase in drug acceptance and welfare dependency are challenging issues. Teachers have to recognise their role is to inspire and encourage discussion and debate while helping young people to develop the skills to persevere through hard times. Young people are finding it harder to stay in school. There are increasing depression rates and New Zealand's appalling suicide statistics show that what we are doing now isn't working. The climate of fear has a lot to do with it—bombarded daily with messages of doom and gloom. I think we're letting our children down. Young people need hope and a reason to work hard and succeed.I began by saying I believe we're all here for the same reason but that our life experiences determine the philosophies we have and how we think things should be achieved. Should a teacher give students the answers to an exam and teach only what the students want to learn to make them feel good or should a teacher give students the resources knowledge and confidence to take responsibility work hard and succeed? Or an analogy I alluded to at the start: which parent loves their children the most those who give their child everything protect them from all unpleasant experiences and reward them for mediocrity or the parent who gives their child the skills to succeed and to cope with an ever-changing sometimes difficult and unpleasant world? I know which philosophy I think is right but I'm sure there's a happy medium.I'd like to acknowledge the fantastic support I've received in this journey. My incredibly patient and supportive partner Tanya who's been with me through all this and some pretty tough times over the last few years—thank you so much. My beautiful girls who now think they might give politics a go because they reckon if Dad can do it anyone can. My extended family who understand how important this is to me. My dear auntie rang me on election day and said "Well done Chris. I'm so proud of you and your mum would've been proud too—but you know I'll never vote for you don't you?" Teaching runs in the family. To my mates who have supported me from the start and now can't believe it I know they'll keep me well informed of the important issues of the day and to those friends and colleagues whose life experiences have been different from mine but value friendship over political ideologies. Thank you to my Nelson electorate committee who are the most enthusiastic and dedicated group of New Zealanders I know and to our supporters everywhere who voted for ACT because they're concerned at the current direction this country's heading. And lastly to the ACT Party and the team with me in Parliament today the values and principles we all believe in—freedom equality and personal responsibility—are more important now than ever before and I'm proud to be part of this extraordinary whānau to represent those New Zealanders who put their trust in us. Thank you. [Applause]SPEAKER: I call on Nicole McKee to make her maiden speech."