Kanongata'a-Suisuiki AnahilaANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI (Labour): Talofa lava e te Mana Whakawā. It is an honour and a privilege to speak on the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Minister the Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall and her leadership now at the second reading here in the House.I also want to acknowledge the submitters. I know that it's been a while since it came to the select committee but the Health Committee was one of the first committees that I was on and I remember the discussions on this so I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the 16 submissions received. I think it's important that we say in this House—record—the names of those who've made submissions because it is really important that we do so if I can just read it out. I want to acknowledge the Māori Women's Welfare League - Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko I te Ora who when they gave their oral submission had attended with Dame Silvia Cartwright; the Auckland Women's Health Council; the Federation of Women's Health Councils Aotearoa; the Cartwright Collective; Chris Berriman; Family Planning; Mrs Georgina McPherson; the National Council of Women of New Zealand; Mrs Uputaua Ioapo-Peniata; the New Zealand Nurses Organisation - Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa; the New Zealand Medical Association; Jillian Lamb; the Office of the Privacy Commissioner; Southern DHB; Waipatu Karamu Māori Women's Welfare League; and the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. Of those 16 submissions we had oral evidence of three submitters and of course we heard many times from the Ministry of Health.I referred to the attendance of the Māori Women's Welfare League at select committee with Dame Silvia Cartwright. I think it's important for the House to remember that the report of the cervical inquiry was in 1988—33 years ago. I want to read this excerpt from the background provided by the Māori Women's Welfare League because we are decades down the line and it's still important that this is a focus and I quote In her report of the cervical inquiry in 1988 Dame Silvia Cartwright recommended that a nationally planned population-based screening programme should be implemented as a matter of urgency. In relation to that recommendation Dame Silvia [Cartwright] stated that a special duty was owed to Māori women who had three times greater risk of contracting invasive cancer complicated by barriers to Māori women being screened which were identified as a 'financial cultural and questions of accessibility.' Dame Silvia Cartwright identified the need for a programme to be developed in consultation with Māori women". It is 33 years down the line and we are still talking about this. I refer to the Māori Women's Welfare League because in their submission it was important that whare tangata and its sanctity is important and continues to be but also in the information shared by the ministry. So we've heard from the Minister speaking about the definitions of bringing into technology of this bill—making it come to technology in terms of fax machines and whatnot but really what remains the same is the concern about the sharing of information relevant to Māori women. One of the focuses of the group was about the sharing of data for research and for publication. So I'm glad to hear from the Minister that the fourth change that is recommended by the committee will introduce the new clause 6A to the bill and that the clause provides that section 112ZE(1) of the principal Act does not override the requirement of the kaitiaki regulations and I think that's important. I really want to talk about the sacredness of the whare tangata. As a Tongan we refer to the whare tangata as the "fonua" which is one of our many words for fonua. It could mean land; in terms of Māori it means the whare tangata it means the afterbirth so it is important—this is really important. In terms of whether it's invasive through sharing of information for publicity in terms of research it must—and it must—go through the kaitiaki programme because of the importance it has for Māori. But when we talk about Māori we forget that it's important for New Zealand. So in the care that they provide for information for Māori women we then follow on as new migrants to Aotearoa after Māori. So I really want to echo that care that it is important in terms of the act in itself of providing information in terms of cervical screening and it's also important in the sharing of the data whether it be for publication or internally. I just want to echo too the acknowledgment that our fellow MP our fellow sister the Hon Kiritapu Allan is going through a tough time but with all the whole country's prayers and all of this House we want to say "Kia kaha wāhine toa." In your experience that experience itself has helped women come out to look at their health in a new way of achieving health for themselves.It was said before that this is mainly a women's issue but it is actually all of us—it's an issue for all of New Zealand. And when we do care about the whare tapa whā the fonua the woman we protect our future. And in that case I commend the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill to the House. Fa'afetai tele."