Upston LouiseHon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō): Thank you Madam Speaker. I am very pleased to rise and speak in this amendment bill which for those who are just listening or watching for the first time this is parliamentary history being made today. It's being made because this is a piece of legislation that's being introduced on a members' day which is actually a multi-member piece of legislation. The critical work that's happened behind the scenes has happened with the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians New Zealand group of which I am proudly a member.So this is a bill that's jointly sponsored by four women members of Parliament: Jo Hayes is the National member Priyanca Radhakrishnan from Labour Jenny Marcroft from New Zealand First and Golriz Ghahraman from the Greens. It is really important because so much of what the public hear about what happens in Parliament unfortunately is the areas that we disagree on. I'm very pleased that today as we debate in the first reading the Crimes (Definition of Female Genital Mutilation) Amendment Bill there is wide-ranging support for this piece of legislation being introduced.A number of people have raised with me almost a level of surprise about the fact that this is a piece of legislation before the New Zealand Parliament. So I do want to just reiterate the fact that New Zealand actually classified female genital mutilation as illegal in 1996; so there was an amendment to the Crimes Act back then. But this piece of legislation is now bringing it even more up to date because the current definition is limited and outdated.We want to make sure that girls in New Zealand no matter their cultural background or their country of origin are protected from what is unfortunately a very barbaric act of violence against them. It is primarily children. They are girls that this practice—and actually the element of it that I think is important to note even if a girl or female agrees to the practice it doesn't protect those from the law. So it is a really important piece of legislation for New Zealand in progressing the rights of girls and women in this country but also incredibly critical and historic in that it is a multi-member piece of legislation that we are introducing and doing the first reading on a members' day.I have to be honest and say when I first became a member of Parliament 11 years ago this issue was something that was being discussed and I sort of thought Well that's actually not an issue in New Zealand." Naively I had thought that this wasn't an issue that New Zealand girls faced but it absolutely is. It has very long roots in history in cultural social and religious beliefs.The reality is New Zealand is a country that has a very proud tradition of supporting women and their rights. I'd love to say that we're there. We've still got unfortunately a long way to go. But this is a very important action and it is an action. When you pass a piece of legislation it is a very important action that you are committing to and it has been committed to with four members of Parliament four women members of Parliament from four political parties. I don't think there is a stronger message that you can send to the New Zealand public for those that come to New Zealand—they might be coming as refugees they might be coming as immigrants to this country—who see this as a land of opportunity which it absolutely is. Part of that opportunity is though totally and absolutely protecting girls from this level of sexual violence. We are saying as a New Zealand Parliament men and women alike this practice will not be tolerated. It will not be accepted in New Zealand. I think that this is a very very strong message that we are sending.So it is important that we are very clear about the fact that there are zero health benefits from female genital mutilation. So despite what some people may say there are zero health benefits. It harms girls and women in physical emotional and mental ways and that is not something that we will tolerate in this country. I'm just hoping in the period of months ahead of us where this goes through the process of every piece of legislation there will be scrutiny. I'm hoping in the select committee that it manages to go through a reasonably swift passage so that when this law is passed we are able to protect even more girls and women in New Zealand. Thank you Madam Speaker."