Macindoe TimHon TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): Thank you Madam Speaker. I look forward to your benevolence continuing and I too wish you a merry Christmas.Hon Amy Adams: Geez that's risky for Tim!Hon TIM MACINDOE: Ha ha! Yes I might finally get to complete my maiden speech.Yesterday afternoon and evening there were some very moving and heartfelt tributes in this House to all who have been caught up in the terrible tragedy that occurred on Monday on Whakaari / White Island. So I'd just like to commence by echoing the comments of my friend and Hamilton colleague the Hon David Bennett and also the member for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti who has just resumed her seat the Hon Meka Whaitiri in again just placing on record our deepest sympathy. I did have a chance to speak on an unrelated bill yesterday. While knowing that I can't bring the Speaker into the debate I hope that I can acknowledge the member for East Coast the Hon Anne Tolley who has just returned to the House who I know has been fully involved in assisting constituents and supporting first responders and others. I just say to her and to everybody up in that area how grateful we are for the tremendous compassion and hard work of the first responders medical teams and others who have been working in the most distressing of circumstances. It remains an unfolding situation and I just want to acknowledge everybody and particularly again want to send my deepest sympathy to victims and their families in what has been the most horrific and unexpected tragedy.Could I also say how delighted I am to be able to speak in support of this bill. It's not often that we can rise in this House and genuinely embrace measures from other parties. But on this occasion I congratulate Darroch Ball for his initiative in bringing this bill to the House and I would ask Mr Patterson to convey that sentiment to him to say how thrilled I was to hear that it also enjoys the support of not only my own party but also of Labour. I echo the comment a moment ago of the chair of the Justice Committee Meka Whaitiri I too welcome the fact that this will be coming to our select committee and I look forward to working on it—in particular because I believe that there will be an opportunity to strengthen the bill even more. I look forward to hearing the submissions of those who may be of a like-mind.I was a member of this House in 2012 when a measure was introduced—and I think I can possibly say that the then Minister of Police may have been the Hon Anne Tolley; I'll see if I can get the exact detail—amending the Sentencing Act which required the courts to consider offences against the police prison officers and fire and health services at the scene of an emergency as aggravating factors when it came to sentencing. So this is very much an extension of that very sensible initiative that therefore picks up on the work that the then National Government was doing. Sadly even though that very good measure was introduced at the time what we have seen in recent times is further attacks on those who are doing their very best in the most critical and distressing of circumstances—often first responders on the scene of a terrible accident and that sort or perhaps providing services in our emergency departments around the country.I'm sure that all members would share the sense of outrage that I feel whenever I hear reports of our medical teams or our first responders being attacked when they are doing their level best in many cases to save lives and to bring some comfort to people who are in terrible agony or their families who are watching on feeling helpless and who absolutely rely on the efforts of those people. So when they are coming under attack that is naturally frightening for them and totally unacceptable. We all know that often it reflects impairment—often drug- or alcohol-induced but that's not an excuse; it's simply an explanation of what is happening. Therefore I warmly support this particular measure.I've heard reports on several occasions from the emergency department head and others in my own area of Hamilton through the Waikato Hospital of people coming into the wards—particularly the emergency department—and literally intimidating and sometimes attacking their staff and doing the same to ambulance officers. We all want to do everything we can to ensure that there is a minimum risk of that happening or at least to ensure that the penalties are appropriate.Also can I just conclude by acknowledging the prison officers. There are very few of us who would want to work in our Corrections facilities and I'm always deeply grateful to those who feel a calling to that particular role. They deserve our utmost gratitude and support. The last thing they deserve is to come under some attack but we know that they deal with very dangerous and volatile characters. Again I'm pleased that they are included under this particular bill.I hope that we will be able to take it even further to ensure that anybody providing a service of that sort will be covered. Unfortunately we can't stop it happening. But we can do everything we can to send a message that it's unacceptable behaviour.