Mallard TrevorMr SPEAKER-ELECT: Order! I want to start off by thanking members for the somewhat delayed confidence they have shown in me. It is an enormous opportunity and I particularly want to thank the Leader of the Opposition for not forcing my colleagues to say that they had confidence in me doing the job. I want to congratulate all members who were elected to the House and in particular the class of '17"—the new members. You will always be a group that came in at the same time. You will work together across party lines but being part of a big team that comes in is something that is special and important. Experienced members will have noted that I was not dragged up here. I thought feigning reluctance would almost certainly be a breach of privilege. I wouldn't have wanted to rule on it and of course the colour writers for the newspapers and the cartoonists might have made something of it as well. My role is to ensure the rights and the privileges of this House are protected—and in particular the freedom of speech of all members of this House—not for your sake and not for our sake but for the sake of the people of New Zealand. It is through you that they speak and it's important that their voices are heard. Now I do expect debate to be vigorous—I've had some experience. People elected here have very different views. Many are ambitious and sometimes that shows. But the laws and the policies that we debate are not academic—just about all of them affect people's lives. This House has the responsibility to hold the Government to account. Oral questions can and will sometimes find some Ministers wanting. That is the role of the House—to hold them to account—and I hope that some of our backbenchers who are on my right understand that as well. As my fellow Wainuiōmatian once said "It isn't tiddlywinks." At the same time I want to invoke the dying wishes of my friend Helen Kelly when she implored us to be kinder to each other. We can be we should be and we can do so without sacrificing either intellectual rigour or principle. I have been a member in this Chamber for—I was first elected here 33 years ago. The make-up of this place has changed significantly in that time. We are getting closer to representing New Zealand but the way that we work does not necessarily reflect that in many ways. I must say that hearing the murmur of at least three babies in the gallery reminded me that we do have to make this place much more child- and parent-friendly. I will use the discretion that's available to me to do that but more importantly I hope that the Business Committee can pick up some of the ideas that were not necessarily picked up as part of the last Standing Orders review and make this place better than it currently is. My door will be open for all members. I'm certain that you'll want me to explain a ruling or two and I am certainly not guaranteeing that they will all make it into Speakers' Rulings as being correct. I do offer to run seminars for members on how to be effective at select committees how to be relevant and not repetitious in the committee stage of the House and—as has been the case for members on both sides—if there's personal advice about the appropriate thing to do that you don't want to share with other members my door is open for that as well. In conclusion the Speaker's office has tremendous authority. I will use that authority to preserve and enhance our democracy but in the end it is not the authority but respect that makes the role effective. That can only be earned and I hope that I can earn it. Thank you members."