SpeechANGELA ROBERTS (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. It is a great privilege to rise as a member of the House who lives in a rural community to support the Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society Empowering Bill.As we've already heard this is an enabling bill that will support the Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society to remain flexible nimble and responsive—and progressive which is why it's been around for more than 150 years.We've heard about the intent of the society to bring town and country together—a very wonderful ambition that hasn't changed in 150 years. But time has moved on and the ability of the society to succeed in its endeavours it believes of course is hampered by the fact that until hopefully this bill gets passed they will be able to do other things with their capital assets.I have yet to take up Anna Lorck's generous invitation to attend the prestigious event that is the Hawke's Bay show. I will obviously have to do it soon but—maybe it's because I've been very satisfied what happens down the road from my place in Stratford. I suspect there may be a little bit more rain at ours but I know from our magnificent Stratford Agricultural and Pastoral Society show that this is an event where deals are made townies get educated rural living and the rural economy is celebrated and there is a little bit of joy—and that makes me happy.I've heard that they have 30000 visitors to the show and we know what happens—the same things as the A & P shows around the country: we get to educate those townies. I can remember queuing up for tickets a while ago in Stratford and somebody was going—they must have come from New Plymouth; you know the big smoke—The A & P. What does the A & P stand for?" "Oh it stands for agriculture and produce." So you know luckily we got to correct them on that one.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Pastoral!ANGELA ROBERTS: I know that but they didn't. So there was a good learning opportunity there for the townies.It's a great chance to go and kick some tractor tires and watch the kids having conversations with their dads about whether or not they're allowed to buy a new tractor—especially interesting when they do live in town.We know that there's fantastic livestock events and equestrian events and it is a place where we grow world-class livestock and shearers and wood choppers—and actually world champion livestock and shearers and wood choppers. Just need to do a little shout-out to our world champion timber man the wonderful Jack Jordan who attended Stratford High School—just saying—and a brilliant young leader internationally. I spent many years watching that young man chop wood at the Stratford show.So we know it's a magnificent event around the country and it's great to know that the Hawke's Bay A & P Society will be able to continue with that work. The A & P show of course is all about fun as well. And fun is a serious thing.So there's the Ferris wheel; I'm sure that they have the equivalent of McDonald's farm—the petting zoo—over in Hawke's Bay but there is nothing quite like sitting around on the hay bales and making sure that your toddlers learn to gently pick up a chick without squishing it. And again educating our own children and the townies. But having fun is really important for our rural communities because it helps us to connect with each other and it's so good for our wellbeing.It's a really important occasion for us to come together and to feel really good about the places that we live in and remind the rest of the country that rural New Zealand is such an important part of our economy and a really important community to support.This bill will enable the very progressive society in Hawke's Bay to continue with their innovations such as scholarships and things that will support innovation and investment. It's a really exciting bill it's a simple bill and it's wonderful to see something so sensible and practical passing through this House that does something very real to support our rural communities around the country. We know it's happened before and it will happen again if necessary and it is because of this that I commend the bill to the House."