Andersen GinnyGINNY ANDERSEN (Labour):. Thank you very much Madam Speaker. First and foremost I would like to respond to the point made by Andrew Bayly in terms of questioning what the main problem or the main issue concerning democracy in New Zealand is that this bill needs to address. And the answer to that question for Mr Bayly is that in 2017 19000 New Zealanders turned up to vote on election day who were not able to.This is a Government who's focused on tackling the big issues. This is a Government that's prepared to make sure that every New Zealander gets a fair go and that means every New Zealander gets a vote. Whether they're a shift worker whether they've got five kids whether they didn't know it was happening or whatever the reason might be this is a Government that favours all New Zealanders having the opportunity to vote and we see that as being good democracy. So I'd like to run through a few of the arguments that we've heard from National members tonight as to why New Zealanders should not be able to vote on election day. May I say I have been underwhelmed by these arguments and I'm going to run through them quickly. I've got some favourites. The one that's coming in at the top—I'll do our top five of stupid arguments as to why New Zealanders should not be able to vote on election day—and the No. 1 silly reason that's been presented tonight by the National Party is that it takes too long and that there will be additional days required to count the votes of the 19000 people that turn up. That will be such an impediment to democracy that we should just not let them vote in the first place—love that one. The second one the No. 2 stupid reason raised by the National Party today as to why New Zealanders should not be able to vote on election day is that the uncertainty of the election turnout—which was raised by Mr Penk tonight—would mean that we wouldn't know what would happen on election day if we let all these people vote and we might get a surprise over the outcome of the election. That one really baffles me. I don't understand the logic behind that. The No. 4 stupid reason as to why New Zealanders should not be allowed to vote on election day is that the queues will be too long. There will be so many people just wanting to get in there and have a vote that we won't be able to handle it. There will be halls schools and malls overwhelmed by democracy. We won't be able to cope with the fact that people are so engaged with their political system that the whole country is going to shut down. The No. 5 stupid reason raised by the National Party tonight as to why New Zealanders should not be allowed to vote on election day is that in fact people won't enrol early. People won't enrol early. It will be a disincentive. We'll all just sit at home watching Netflix for two weeks instead of getting out and enrolling to vote and even if we do turn up on election day and enrol and vote somehow that's a loss to our country's democracy because we didn't do it a few weeks beforehand. So I would like to come to the point that there have been no substantial issues raised as to why this bill is an impediment to democracy or is an impediment to being able to do anything. The only reason that's been raised tonight—which I thought was very interesting—is that the National Party members don't support this bill going through for the next election but it might be OK for the next one. So it's: Don't rush us. It's a bit scary. We're just getting our heads around it and if we do it next election and we have a chat about it we'll feel fine and we'll support it then. We're up for democracy a bit more in another three years' time." I don't understand that one either. I would like to remind the members opposite that in December of last year they were well-informed by the Minister of Justice at that select committee that there would be a bill coming that made the amendments that have been tabled and put down in this House today and at that point in time no issues were raised. Not one concern was raised. We have had high drama raised and some mock and feigned excitement about the fact that this has been a travesty in the face of justice and it has been a complete constitutional outrage when really underneath it all there is a fear that New Zealanders will get out and vote more than they do now. That threatens their status quo and it concerns them that they won't maintain what has been going on for a long time and that is that not all New Zealanders get a voice and get a vote. We are very focused on this side of the House on making sure that we do give people those opportunities so that they can enrol. Young voters if they're not aware of it can go into the shopping mall on the day and go in and take their vote. They can go in when they see the queues the TV and the excitement. They will see and sense that vibe. They can go and take that opportunity with that ability—that civic right to have a voice and that civic right to vote—and that is what is missing from this debate. There have been zero substantive reasons provided by those members opposite as to why New Zealanders should not be able to vote on election day. I challenge anyone on that side of the House to come up with one decent reason because tonight that has not happened in this House and that is why I am proud to see this bill. I commend a bill that promotes democracy in New Zealand to this House."