Dowie Sarah: Passports Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second ReadingText is subject to correctionDowie Sarah: Passports Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second Reading[Sitting date: 08 September 2015. Volume:708;Page:1. Text is subject to correction.]SARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill):Of course I rise in support of the Passports Amendment Bill (No 2). I think that for half past 9 at night on a Tuesday this is actually quite exciting because there is nothing worse than having to renew a passport after 5 years and having to go through overly complicated bureaucracy to do so. So 10 years will of course be well received. Kiwis are well known for flying even though technically the bird itself does not fly. But we fly. We love to travel and it will be wonderful to have a 10-year validity period for our passports and to be able to travel for extensive periods if desired without having to turn round and renew a passport and go through all of that documentation process again and again and again.It was a pleasure to sit on the Government Administration Committee and hear from officials and learn from submitters. There were 20 submissions; 19 were in support. It is wonderful that people in support can be so vocal in respect of a bill and the one had no concerns in respect of privacy issues so I take that as a pseudo support. It is wonderful that people can submit and be vocal on such a positive bill. The advances of course in our passport with biometrics make the document secure and it is a well-received passport around the world. To travel on a New Zealand passport is revered. We are well respected overseas and it is certainly something that I experienced as a traveller on my OE several years ago. We will not mention how many years ago that was.Chris Bishop: Where did you go?SARAH DOWIE: Well I based myself in Britain Mr Bishop with my now husband who was a professional cricketer for Wimbledon. We travelled extensively around Britain and around Europe and the passport was very well received in the EU especially in some of the more obscure countries you could say. We are well known and well known for our compassion as a country and as a civilised country.Chris Bishop: That member’s not well known.SARAH DOWIE: No. No I do not think so. Look this is a very positive bill and as I said before most people—well I would think all people—would be in support of it. The officials did a fantastic job in bringing the information together and reporting to us. They were clear and concise and that enabled the committee to be efficient and report back to the House in the timely manner that it did. This is a wonderful bill. I cannot wait to have a 10-year passport myself. Unfortunately I did have to renew mine prior to this bill coming into force so I will have to put up with a 5-year—Hon David Cunliffe: Oh no! Oh my God!SARAH DOWIE: I know you are pretty upset about that are you not? You are upset about that I know. But one day I will have a 10-year passport in my hot little hand and I will be able to roam throughout the world for an extended period and take in the culture that the world has to offer.Because it is such a positive bill we are bringing the commencement date forward by a month because everybody is so excited. I think it is wonderful to finally get to this stage and for half past 9 at night I think it is a fantastic way to end my time speaking tonight. So I commend this bill to the House.