SpeechHARETE HIPANGO (National—Whanganui): Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā ā tēnā tātou katoa. I stand to take a call and I reflect as to the reason why I am taking a call. I share with my colleagues in the House and those members of the public listening now that I do so because for the 30 years I practised as a lawyer I was a voice for the children. I was appointed counsel and lawyer for children advocating for their care and protection and I stand to address the House today in that capacity and continue to do so.I also stand because I believe—and again I stand to be corrected—that as a Member of Parliament I will be one of the few in this House who has advocated in the specialty area of child welfare protection domestic violence and law. I stood before the Family Court to be a voice for my child clients for my women clients for my men clients and also for my family clients and I was a voice to challenge and also to remedy some of the wrongs and a voice and a presence to protect and advocate and I continue to do that now. I think it's become abundantly clear that I oppose the law that is proposed in terms of the reform around abortion.There were three symbols that struck me today in the course of my life. The first of that was in terms of my role of advocacy. The front page of the Dominion Post—regrettably a grandmother appearing in the Whanganui District Court yesterday being sentenced for the taking of her mokopuna's life. I was counsel for the child for that little one and I was also an advocate and representative for the grandmother and the family at some stage and here I stand before the House speaking in terms of child welfare protection and advocacy. The other tohu or symbol is that I saw today for the first time here in Parliament a pregnant woman who is full term—and I believe is a member of staff for New Zealand First. The third tohu or symbol was when I went to dress today. This heitiki that I'm wearing is a Māori symbol of the embryo of life. So those were three signs to me that it was appropriate that I stand to seek a call.I am going to continue in the brief time I have following on from my colleague Christopher Penk in terms of the legal advocacy. The law as it's proposed—and my colleague Jonathan Young spoke about section 159 of the Crimes Act—and I am hearing quite clearly in my view the misrepresentation of abortion law being taken out of the Crimes Act: that it be decriminalised. It's always been positioned there because the whole point of abortion is that it's not been illegal; it has been legal where the procedures—and it's been treated as a health issue—have been complied with and adhered to under the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act. It's only when there's been non-compliance—that there has been the illegal taking of a child's life—that it has become a criminal matter and nothing changes. All that does change is that the conditions for what is acceptable in form of termination of the unborn child.Section 159 talks about the definition of a child as only becoming a human being when it has completely left its mother's body. As a specialist legal practitioner in child care welfare and protection there is a real anomaly and I challenge this Parliament—and this I am predicting will get past the first reading to select committee—to look at all the child welfare legislation. Our Minister for Children addressed this House. Oranga Tamariki—the definition of a child and the variations of that under the Care of Children Act. Oranga Tamariki—formerly Children Young Persons and Their Families Act. Guardianship act—is the child ranging from under the age of 14" or "under the age of 25 through" in the definition of a child. I advocated and represented and applied to the Family Court for ex parte applications for custody status of an unborn child. That custody status was granted and I again hearken to my colleague Jonathan Young talking about the legal personification of the Whanganui River.In the very brief time that I have I challenge my colleagues and the members in this House to very carefully reflect on and look at the laws around child welfare care and protection and I quote our Prime Minister—and I agree—"I feel a huge duty of care to our most vulnerable and genuinely believe our success as leaders should be judged on no less a standard than the wellbeing of children.""