Radhakrishnan PriyancaPRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour): Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. This is my first opportunity to speak in the House this year and it is a particular privilege to make a contribution in the third reading of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill as a former social worker myself or at least that's what I consider my role to have been in a former life prior to entering Parliament because of course I fall into that category of people who didn't register. My qualification wasn't a social work degree per se but I worked with people who were going through some particularly tough times. So in preparing for my contribution today I actually looked up what the definition is of social worker and there are a few different definitions out there. But the general consensus is that it's a practice-based profession that it's about promoting social change that it's underpinned by the principles of social justice human rights and collective responsibility and that it's about engaging people and structures to address life's challenges and to enhance well-being—and that's definitely the role that I was in previously. But as I said I probably could have registered because the Social Workers Registration Act 2003 provided for a system of voluntary registration but I didn't and that's the point—that's what this legislation does. It actually changes that system of voluntary registration and makes registration mandatory. As previous speakers have said this something that is supported by the sector and both members of Parliament and the Minister for Social Development have worked very closely with the sector to finesse the bill to the point that it's at today. So we've heard that the objective of this bill is to professionalise the social work profession. It's also about protecting people—protecting members of the public—from harm. It makes it compulsory for all social workers to register and it protects the title of social work. Now that's the other point that I wanted to make. In my previous role nowhere in my title did it say that I was a social worker and that's where some of the discussion we have heard in this House has been. Many submitters to the select committee—and it was a privilege to be part of the Social Services and Community Committee that considered this bill—made the point that the bill should address the issue of scopes of practice which actually define what social work is. My Green Party colleague Jan Logie very astutely went into the complexities of what social work is and some of the difficulties of defining the scopes of practice and that's largely what we heard from many submitters as well. So I'm particularly pleased that there is a two-year lead-in period where there will be extensive consultation on scopes of practice. That lead-in period also allows the Social Workers Registration Board some much-needed time to communicate with those in the sector about what's needed from them once this bill comes into effect as well. The two-year time frame is particularly important for those who are in the position that I was previously in who maybe didn't have the right qualifications and who may want to avail themselves of the recognition of the practical experience pathway. So many of us who worked in this sector had some very extensive on-the-job training and were qualified and competent in that respect but may not have actually gone down the pathway to register. The two-year period and the extension to three years who need to avail themselves of this pathway is incredibly important for that as well. I just want to end my contribution—I won't go into a lot more detail of what the bill does because previous speakers have done that. But I want to congratulate the Minister in charge of this bill the Hon Carmel Sepuloni because of course she had a member's bill that was drawn from the ballot four years ago so we could have been here four years back but because the then Government didn't support it we weren't. But we're here today and it's a huge step for the sector. So I congratulate the Minister and acknowledge the work of the former Minister for Social Development the Hon Anne Tolley in this space as well. The officials have worked tirelessly on this bill to finesse it through its passage through Parliament and those who submitted on this bill who primarily are those who work in the sector and who work incredibly hard to do some exceptional work to enhance the well-being of our communities in Aotearoa—I end by thanking you for the that work you do. I commend this bill to the House.