SpeechSHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote): Thank you Mr Speaker. As chair of Labour's rainbow caucus tonight it is a great pleasure to speak on the third reading of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill to ban conversion therapy now. If I was to look back at the whakapapa of this particular piece of legislation it fulfils a key manifesto commitment that we made to New Zealanders at the general election to ban conversion practices and protect our rainbow communities from the demonstrable harm too many are currently subjected to. This bill is an example of Government responding to grass roots activism. And I turn to our young people this evening and I want to acknowledge you Young Labour Young Greens and Young National for working together on a petition to the last Parliament asking us to act to stop these barbaric practices now.Also I want to acknowledge the organisations that have engaged with their communities and encouraged them to have their say in this process: to RainbowYOUTH Outline the Conversion Therapy Action Group our church groups Rainbow Auckland and university chaplaincies. And of course our rainbow caucus want to put on record our thanks to Minister Faafoi and his officials for their solid work on this bill. Minister I thank you for your strength in confronting what are difficult issues and for skilfully managing your way around our passionate rainbow community.It was difficult for members of the select committee to hear evidence for and against the bill. Some of us are members of rainbow communities and all of us either have rainbow family members or friends. The stories we heard stirred memories for many of us. For instance I recall asking submitters from within my own faith community how we could come to a better appreciation of how sexuality gender and faith go to making up a whole person who deserves love their acceptance and their pastoral care similar to the way that I live my life. Their response was that my happiness would be transitory if I continue this way that they were looking for restorative therapy and no they weren't going to call it conversion therapy because I had it would seem been converted from the way that I was born to another way. They prayed that I would be restored to what God wants me to be. This would follow the natural law.And I've spoken before and I continue to speak about the importance of kotahitanga on this issue. And I've seen the journey that other church groups have made towards acceptance when they have come to confront their attitudes towards conversion therapies and I applaud them for doing that. I remain hopeful that others will walk the same pathway and I'm happy to play my part in that too. But tonight I say that God wants me to be me.The public debate around conversion practices which has generated large amounts of discussion in my view has been an educative one for our country. But through the debate and around the bill we've learnt that there are a whole range of other practices that people have been subjected to to try and get them to change who they actually are.I want to put on record my thanks to all members who have supported this bill. I'm grateful to sit alongside so many others who have had the courage to treat this issue as an issue of humanity. Rainbow rights are human rights. And I ask those members who are considering voting against this legislation this evening to think carefully about determining that vulnerable members in our community should not have their basic rights protected.Tonight Labour will proudly add banning conversion practices to the rollcall of progressive legislation that we have championed for our community. As a party we are relentlessly proud of rainbow New Zealanders. We will continue to back them to live their lives authentically happily and with dignity. There is still more work to be done creating more inclusive schools and more inclusive work environments. And to the young people that I continue to meet and this time last year Birkdale Intermediate and Northcote College and tonight my godson sitting listening at home with his two mums this bill is for you to change for future generations: aroha atu aroha mai—love given is love received. Love is love. I commend this bill to the House.SPEAKER: Marja Lubeck—is it five or 10? A five-minute call.