Strange JamieJAMIE STRANGE (Labour): E Te Māngai tēnā koe e Te Whare Pāremata tū tonu tu tonu.[Salutations to you Mr Speaker; continue and remain standing Parliament House.]On 2 October 1849 a brave young Englishman left his home in Swindon and travelled to London with his mother father and three siblings. As the dark-haired 21-year-old said goodbye to his family on the wharf he proceeded to board a ship beginning a 12000-mile journey to the other side of the world. Robert was leaving behind a society based on class entitlement a lack of opportunity for the common man and widespread poverty. He hoped for a better life a more equal society and a country where if you worked hard you could succeed regardless of which family you were born into. While on the boat he formed a special relationship with a 16-year-old girl named Blanche. Upon arriving in Nelson they were married. Robert became a policeman mainly presiding over goldfield matters. He and Blanche had three children they worked hard and purchased some land and built a house all of which stayed in the family for the next 150 years. My great-great-great-grandparents Robert and Blanche Strange had hope and aspiration and in 19th-century Aotearoa they combined that with opportunity in order to bring about success. I'd like to begin by thanking my wife Angela. I appreciate your friendship support and unconditional love. Thank you for making me the man I am today. As I promised you 21 years ago marrying me won't be boring. To my four children who are watching this at home—Jack Brooklyn Chloe and Charlotte. You keep my heart soft. I love you all. While I was writing this speech on my computer my son came up to me and he said Daddy I know how you can write it really quick." and he started tapping random words into the computer. You'll be pleased to know I have only partially taken his advice. To my mother and father—my mother is here today—thank you for all you have invested in me from coaching my sports teams growing up making me practise the piano and always being available to talk whenever I needed you. I'll do my best to make you proud. To my brother and three sisters I appreciate you all. We're in this life together. Growing up my brother Daniel and I shared a room for 18 years often talking long into the night picking World XI cricket teams. To those in the gallery today—friends and family—I appreciate you making the effort to be here. I would like to acknowledge my fellow MPs from both sides of the House all of whom care deeply about our country. I would also like to thank our parliamentary staff who serve our democracy with professionalism and enthusiasm. My parliamentary career was almost over within two weeks when I inadvertently sat in the Hon Damien O'Connor's chair during one of our caucus meetings. Fortunately my family connections with Damien were enough to smooth it over. You see Damien knew my late grandparents Murray and Dawn Strange. Murray a dairy farmer in Collingwood Golden Bay had three ambitions in life which he stated in the late 1960s: number one was to milk 300 cows number two was to produce 100000 pounds of butterfat in a calendar year and number three was to be president of the New Zealand Rugby Union. The first two he achieved in 1982—and was likely to have been the first in the South Island to do so—and after much perseverance and dedication in 1984 he did become president of the New Zealand Rugby Union. The All Black captain that year was the late Jock Hobbs. My grandfather proved that good things come from small towns—Morrinsville anyone? Regional New Zealanders are not just there to make up the numbers. They're the engine room—the tight five—of our economy. My grandparents often spoke about a time in New Zealand history when everyone was basically the same. In the pre-1960s before refrigeration people relied on each other for their very survival. One farmer would kill an animal and share it among the others and then another farmer would do the same and on it would go. They had haymaking gangs all the children went to the same local school and a strong sense of community permeated every aspect of New Zealand society. Community is at the heart of everything we do. When people lose their sense of belonging they become isolated often causing harm to themselves and others. In 1976 my 19-year-old mother gave birth to me in the Nelson general hospital. My father worked for the Public Trust Office and still does to this day. At age 12 we shifted to Hamilton where I began attending Hamilton Boys High School. After training as a schoolteacher my mother applied for 70 jobs without getting one. Then one day she came home and announced "I got a job." "Great" my brother and I said "where?" and she said "Hamilton Boys High School." The motto was "A wise man carves his own fortune". I was taught the importance of hard work dedicated focus and respect for authority. I would like to acknowledge in the gallery today former Hamilton Boys High School old boy and Labour MP Martin Gallagher. I would also like to make mention of current and recent Waikato-based Labour MPs the Hon Nanaia Mahuta Sue Moroney Dianne Yates and the Hon Mark Burton. My path to Parliament came via the Taupō electorate in 2014 and Hamilton East in 2017 before being elected via the Labour Party list. I would like to sincerely thank both the Taupō and Hamilton East Labour Party members and volunteers. Your tireless support for a change of Government and a new way of thinking has brought all of this about. I was bitten twice during this year's election campaign—by dogs that is—prompting a local reporter to pen the phrase: "Twice bitten still not shy." I believe this mantra will serve me well in this House as I will certainly not be shy about standing up for the hopes and dreams of those who are not achieving their full potential in our society. I'm passionate about Hamilton and the Waikato. Hamilton is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. It's a cradle-to-the-grave city. I would like to acknowledge Hamilton's Mayor Andrew King and the two National Party MPs the Hon Tim Macindoe and the Hon David Bennett. I will be a strong advocate for Hamilton and the Waikato region. Hamilton is a growing vibrant city as the Hon Phil Twyford found out on the weekend. Due to the large number of people visiting Hamilton his car was stuck just north of the city for an hour in traffic. This explosive growth is creating a number of infrastructure challenges particularly in terms of housing and transport. Also a number of our city's assets are beginning to age. Much of this growth is from Auckland. After years of making fun of Hamiltonians thousands of Aucklanders each year are now packing up their rucksacks and venturing south over the Bombay Hills realising that the Waikato is a pretty awesome place to live. And we have the best cricket ground in New Zealand. Many of my favourite memories have taken place in Hamilton including the birth of our four children in which I played a small but important part. Children have been a strong focus of this 52nd Parliament which is wonderful to see. They are not just our future; they are our present. Our tamariki and mokopuna deserve the best start in life. I believe many of the social issues we are encountering today can be linked to challenging and often difficult family environments. We must strengthen the confidence skills and knowledge that parents grandparents and caregivers have in the task of raising their children. Kids who have support over the crucial first years are much more likely to do well in school more likely to move New Zealand ahead in decades to come and less likely to live in poverty and commit crime. We need a productive export-led economy that encourages New Zealand businesses to focus on high-quality niche markets. If we want better wages we need a dynamic manufacturing sector supported by Government and built around enterprising innovative companies with a well-trained productive and engaged workforce. In my 20s I worked as a church minister. We would run hot dinners for those who were struggling help out at-risk youth—one of whom we fostered for a period of time—prepare and deliver food parcels help families reunite and care for the elderly. I developed the skills to engage with a wide variety of people and the altruistic aspects of the job were very rewarding. When someone breaks an arm the injured limb asks the heart for more blood. The heart can either say "No it's your own fault. You shouldn't have been climbing that tree." or the heart can provide extra blood for a period of time until the limb has recovered knowing full well that when one part of the body suffers we all suffer. In my 30s I worked as a schoolteacher. I believe we need a diverse education system with a wide curriculum that caters for many learning styles. Education changes lives. It's the single best way to lift people out of poverty and deprivation. As a music teacher I taught a year 8 boy I will call Jimmy. According to national standards data Jimmy had spent every moment of his primary school education well below the standard. Twice a year for eight years he was told "You're a failure." However when he came to my music class Jimmy excelled. He had a natural sense of rhythm and quickly mastered the drum kit. For the first time in eight years he was top of the class. As time went on I could see his confidence grow which then spilled over into other areas of his schooling. As a teacher of the arts I was not just teaching guitar drums keyboard and rock band; I was developing confidence creativity and cooperation. Which employer would not want those attributes in their employee? And creativity in particular is going to become more and more important as our job market continues to evolve. The key to fixing the much-talked-about educational tail is by addressing social issues: a full stomach children getting enough sleep ending child poverty and encouraging parents to see the benefits of their child's education. In my 40s I've become a member of Parliament. I bring with me my life experiences including extensive overseas travel and a belief that I can add value here. I will never forget the sense of honour and humility and the weight of responsibility I felt when I first entered the doors of this building. It's vital that we as MPs remain in touch with the grassroots members of our society. We must continue to lean our ear to the whispers of the most vulnerable and broadcast their message loudly for all to hear. In today's "me first" society a number of people have become isolated. I believe Government must work with community groups churches iwi sports teams and other organisations to promote a shared sense of well-being. When people are connected they can dream. When they dream they can achieve. And when they achieve they can help others achieve. And what does this achievement look like? It's the young family turning the key in the door of their first home. It's the small-business owner competing with the multinationals in a globalised market. It's the solo parent throwing their graduating cap in the air as their children look on with pride in their eyes. There's a generational change taking place in politics across the globe as a new group of people say "Let us have a go. We've got a few ideas on how we can improve our world." And it's not just about age; it's about having a progressive collaborative philosophy. It's about putting people first. I believe climate change is the number one global issue currently facing our planet. New Zealand can lead the world in this area. As our Prime Minister recently said we owe it to ourselves our children and future generations to mitigate the effects of climate change. In closing I recently read a children's book where a young boy is told by his father that he loves him regardless of what he does. The son replies "So even if I do bad things you will still love me?". "That's right." his father says. After thinking for a while the child asks "Then why should I do what's right?" to which his father replies "I don't know. You tell me son." After a few seconds the son responds "Because I love you too." I love our country. I appreciate the diverse colourful culture we have created over hundreds of years. We're not perfect but we value honesty hard work equal opportunity and genuine community. We're not 19th century Victorian England; we are Aotearoa New Zealand. Kia kaha. Kia kaha! Nō reira e kī ana te whakataukī "He waka eke noa"![Be resolute! The proverb says therefore "A canoe used without restriction!"]—a canoe in which all belong. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.[Applause]HakaWaiataSitting suspended from 6.10 p.m. to 7.30 p.m."