Walker Holly: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWalker Holly: General Debate[Sitting date: 30 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19680. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]HOLLY WALKER (Green):This is probably the last time that I will address this House. As members will be aware I have stepped down from the Green Party list and I am not seeking a second term in Parliament. Having been here for only 3 years I have decided not to give a formal valedictory speech as I do not have enough to talk about to take up 15 minutes of the House’s valuable time. But nor did I want my last words in Hansard to be on the Epsom by-election debate following the unfortunate departure of Mr Banks so I am pleased to have the opportunity to make a few parting comments in this general debate.I did not plan to leave this House so soon after arriving. I had hoped that this would be the start of a long career in politics. In my maiden speech I expressed the hope that when I left we would have made real progress on reducing inequality and eliminating child poverty. So I am sorry to be leaving without meaningful change in either of those important indicators and before having the chance to be part of a progressive Green Government to address those and the equally vital issues of climate change environmental protection and economic transformation. However we are all of us always only one unexpected event away from a big lifestyle change—the birth of a child a change in employment a family challenge—and so it has proved for me.When presented with the choice between continuing my parliamentary career and supporting my family when they needed me I am not sorry to say it was an easy choice to put my family first. It has been noted by some that my departure is a sign that Parliament is still a difficult place for young parents. Some may conclude that it is not possible for a mother to be in Parliament with a young baby. My feelings on this point are mixed. In my Green Party colleagues here I could not have asked for a more supportive team in my attempt to combine the important roles of parenting and Parliament. The Speaker also has been more than fair in his willingness to grant me compassionate leave in the evenings to enable me to continue to breastfeed my daughter. My family friends staff Green Party members and supporters and even some MPs from other parties have rallied around me and provided meals babysitting housework and moral support to allow me to continue and I am so grateful to all of you.Many people have also asked me whether Parliament needs to change in order to better accommodate the needs of young parents. Some changes have already helped—the introduction of the new category of compassionate leave for example. But short of radically overhauling the whole institution to allow for example job sharing or a temporary replacement from the list for an MP on parental leave and perhaps one day we will get there it is hard to pin down specific changes that would have made it easier for me to carry on—a change in the sitting hours perhaps. But really it comes down to this. Being an MP is a 24-hours-a-day 7-days-a-week job and so is being a mum. It is bloody hard to hold down one 24/7 job—excuse my language Mr Speaker. Holding two at the same time has in my case proved impossible. That will not be the case for everyone and I sincerely hope that others will succeed at this in future because this place does need more parents and more young mothers in particular.As I step aside at least for now from this bear pit of parliamentary politics I do take comfort in the knowledge that those coming up behind me on the Green Party list will make outstanding MPs and I look forward to watching them in action during the 51st Parliament. My own commitment to good green change is as strong as ever. I love New Zealand and I want to see a cleaner environment a smarter economy and a fairer society. I still want to see a meaningful reduction in child poverty and inequality and I want to see progress on climate change environmental protection and innovation. So I will have to find new ways to help achieve this from outside Parliament. Wherever that leads me—whether back here in some capacity one day or in a completely different direction—I will always be proud to have served as an MP for these 3 years humbled by the trust that was placed in me to enable me to do so and grateful to all of those who have made it possible. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa.