Luxton JoHon JO LUXTON (Labour): Thank you Mr Speaker. I'd like to begin my contribution this evening by acknowledging two amazing wāhine toa Sina Latu and Suliana Ika who are involved in the mahi that we are discussing with this piece of legislation tonight. They work very hard for the community of South Canterbury providing social worker services and I just want to acknowledge them tonight. I'd also like to acknowledge all others involved in that work in the social worker sector because what they do is work with such a diverse range of people—some of our most vulnerable people with some extremely complex issues. I can imagine it would not always be an easy sector or profession to work in.I am pleased to speak in support of this legislation but I too want to express my disappointment that the Minister—as was mentioned by Hon Willow-Jean Prime—in her wisdom chose to change the extension to a two-year extension only. As my colleague Adrian Rurawhe said what will the country be missing out on by not having a four-year extension in order for people to register as social workers?We know that prior to 2021 registering as a social worker was voluntary. I think that this is the right thing to do to ensure that social workers are seen as a profession. When you study for such a long time to gain your qualification it is important that all social workers are registered just as it is important in the teaching profession that all teachers become registered in order to have that profession and the acknowledgment of their study recognised but also so that the people that they work with have greater protections as well with the social workers that they are dealing with.We've heard that there are the two pathways obviously to becoming a registered social worker: one through a registered training organisation and a recognised qualification but also through the experience pathway. And I think the experience pathway is an extremely valuable way for people to become registered social workers because it gives an opportunity that perhaps may not otherwise have been available to them. If I look at people who perhaps maybe have been working in the sector for some time but are unable to go through that formal study because of the expense of it this is an opportunity to allow people to gain their qualification and recognition and registration through this pathway.We also know that with the pay equity extension out there it looks to increase the pay of around 5000 people. I think this is also an incentive for those who've been working within the sector to perhaps want to become a registered social worker when they can see that there is the pay incentive. They'll have professional development paid for their registration's paid for annually and things like that. So I think that that is a really great way of incentivising people to become a registered social worker.The Hon Willow-Jean Prime mentioned about the increasing recognition of the value of indigenous te ao Māori practice in social work with the experience pathway supports. And the Minister in her contribution mentioned that it was only a small percentage of people that were using the pathway that identified as Māori and quite rightly as the Hon Willow-Jean Prime pointed out that has increased quite significantly. And what we do know is with the shortage of at least 700 social workers across the country which was in 2022—which may well be more by now—that there is a large proportion that are needed that are Pasifika that are Māori that are disabled etc. It's important that these people have the opportunity to come through this experience pathway.I also agree with words that have been spoken on this side of the House that I think it's unfortunate that perhaps the Minister didn't think a bit more longer term in that we may well find ourselves back here in a couple of years because we still haven't been able to address that workforce issue in people registering to become social workers because the two years has been not enough time to enable them to do that.So I am pleased to support this piece of legislation. It is really great when we have legislation that comes through the House that all parties across the House can support the kaupapa of but it is very disappointing that it has been reduced to two years and not four years as was in the initial piece of legislation. So I commend this bill to the House but do express my disappointment. Thank you Mr Speaker.