Wall Louisa: Sullivan Birth Certificate Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWall Louisa: Sullivan Birth Certificate Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 19 February 2014. Volume:696;Page:16108. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]LOUISA WALL (Labour—Manurewa): I moveThat the Sullivan Birth Certificate Bill be now read a second time.Tēnā koutou katoa. This private bill allows the birth details ofRowen Sullivan to record the reality of her family. As the Government Administration Committee states in its report the bill with the amendments recommended will make “what is a matter of fact that Diane Sullivan and Doreen Shields areRowen Sullivan’s parents a matter of law.”For those who are not familiar with the background this bill arose out of the fact thatRowen Sullivan cannot by law have the names of both her parents on her birth certificate. After 7 years together her parents Diane Sullivan and Doreen Shields had a daughter who was born by an assisted human reproduction procedure to Diane on 23 February 1993. At that time only Diane’s name was recorded onRowen’s birth certificate as her birth mother.In 2006 Diane was diagnosed with a terminal illness and passed away in 2010 whenRowen was 17. At that timeRowen and Doreen decided that Doreen would apply for an adoption order as that was the only legal option available to them to record their parent-child relationship. But in doing thatRowen received a new birth certificate with just Doreen’s name on it and her mother Diane’s name had been removed. That was the law but it means that the reality ofRowen’s upbringing and family was not recorded and there was no ability for her or Doreen to take advantage of changes made by the Status of Children Act and last year’s marriage amendment Act.Rowen’s age and the passing of Diane meant that was not possible. A private bill is the only wayRowen’s parents can both be recorded on her birth registration details from which a new birth certificate can be issued.I particularly want to acknowledge the members of the Government Administration Committee so ably chaired by the Hon Ruth Dyson for their work and the amendments to the bill that they have recommended. The amendments reflect the commitment of the select committee to understand what this bill is seeking. The amendments recommended by the select committee clarify what this bill is about. It is aboutRowen Sullivan havingthe names of both her parents on her birth certificate. The select committee has rightly renamed this private bill the Sullivan Birth Registration Bill because it is the details held ofRowen’s birth registration which currently record the adoption order in the name of Doreen Shields that are the basis for the issuing ofRowen’s birth certificate. Should this bill passRowen’s parents will legally be the two women who were her parents in true life: Diane Sullivan and Doreen Shields.On a personal note I would also like to thank the members of the select committee for the manner in which they heard and reported on a matter that is extremely sensitive for the promoterRowen Sullivan and her living parent Doreen Shields whom I acknowledge in the House tonight. Doreen andRowen have asked that I pass on their thanks to the select committee. In Doreen’s words she told me: “Rowen and I had no idea what to expect from the select committee. We thought it might be quite intimidating and we wondered if maybe they wouldn’t really be very interested in the bill. As it turned out we didn’t need to worry about either of those things. We are really impressed with the care the committee took to understand whatRowen wanted to achieve with the bill and with the changes they made to it.”I am honoured to be the sponsor of this bill which I recommend to the House with the amendments proposed by the select committee. Appropriately I will leave the last word to the promoter of the billRowen Sullivan: “It’s hard to believe that I’m about to turn 21 and am hopefully very close to finally having official recognition of both my parents. I feel very lucky to live in a country where it’s possible for that to happen.”Nō reiratēnā koutoutēnā koutoutēnātātou katoa.