Smith NickHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson): Can I compliment my previous speaker Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki on her contribution and pick up her challenge for a male member of this Parliament to contribute to the positive support for this bill. It is an important step for women's rights in New Zealand it's an important step for young people's rights and I also think it's quite an important step as our country becomes more multicultural and while sticking to those important principles of recognising and accepting diversity in being clear that there are some values that transcend culture which we need to reinforce as part of New Zealand law.I am the proud parent of two daughters; one of those turns 17 next week. I find it unconscionable to think of a young woman that age being forced into marriage. Whether it's by some misread parental obligation or forcing—or however that comes about—it is right that this Parliament is saying no to that in New Zealand and introducing the important check of our Family Court protecting young people in that situation.I do agree with those contributions that have been made by many far more capable women colleagues on this issue that this is a form of emotional abuse it is a form of sexual abuse and sadly it can also be a form of physical abuse. As a member of the Justice Committee which considered this bill I was quite surprised and shocked—maybe I have a rather naive background in my lovely corner of New Zealand in Nelson—to actually realise that there are young people in the situation particularly where we have new migrant communities where young women are being forced into marriage and into abusive relationships at a very young age.I do want to acknowledge that this is not entirely exclusive to new migrants. There are some rather peculiar strict religious communes of the sort of Gloriavale where I think New Zealanders are equally uncomfortable about the forcing of young women into relationships without them being able to enjoy the basic freedoms that we would want to see associated with New Zealand.In the select committee consideration of this bill I found the hardest part was actually in terms of dealing with the situation of de facto relationships. When you're a legislator it is relatively easy to say You can't get married or you can't enter a civil union." because there is legislative and statutory processes that people go through. It is a whole lot more difficult when Parliament wants to get into trying to regulate as to where people might or might not have de facto relationships. When I visited my daughter at Otago University and was told about some of the people that were young—17 years old—in the equivalent of flatting situations I had some concern about how we make sure that this legislation is practical as well as being effective in meeting its objective.I do want to comment on the broader issue around how New Zealand deals with this issue of cultural tolerance because yes we want to be a country that welcomes a diverse range of countries. I am one of those of the view that we are a richer country for the wide range of people that come to our country. Today there's been a very significant celebration in my own community of those that have come from Burma as migrants as they've marked the "8/08/88" of their communities and the harshness and their culture. But where is that line that we need to find as a Parliament between being culturally sensitive to people that may not see things in the way in which New Zealand's own cultures have developed and on the other hand being firm enough that actually no these things regardless of culture are not right. That is where this bill has things in the right place.I do want to join with others and compliment the members that have been responsible for advancing this bill. Firstly our former colleague from this side of the House Jackie Blue who advanced this cause; obviously the sponsor of the bill Jo Hayes who's put a large amount of work into it; but I also want to acknowledge Priyanca Radhakrishnan who I sat on the select committee with. I openly acknowledge your expertise and your contribution. You were very persuasive in persuading me in a number of details of this bill that were more realistic and more knowledgable than I have and in that way this is a good bill.The final point that I want to make in this legislation is this really challenging boundary that we have between where people's liberties are to be able to hold different religious beliefs different family arrangements and where Parliament draws some lines in the sand. I have to say I don't think this is a simple area. Yes this particular issue has been relatively easy to draw the line at 18 but if we are to be a culturally diverse society if we are one that is going to be tolerant of religions if we're going to be tolerant of different family arrangements that people have where does the State intrude?In my early parliamentary career I had a pretty controversial engagement with the Exclusive Brethren community about where our law works with their particular religious beliefs and the way in which they treat families and members of the community or whether it be the Gloriavale incident I still think Parliament has more work to do in this area in introducing the role of the Family Court to protect vulnerable members of our society from some values and some particular points of view that I think the majority of New Zealanders find inappropriate—as is the marriage of young people under the age of 18.I think it is entirely appropriate that Parliament tonight celebrates the passage of this bill. As a long-serving parliamentarian I do pay tribute to the women members who have championed this cause particularly those that've been involved in the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians. It is the passage of this bill that is a reflection of a very strong large number of women that now serve in this Parliament who make sure that our country addresses issues of this sort and ensure that New Zealand values protect woman protect young people and protect the values which New Zealanders collectively hold.Bill read a third time.Waiata"