Willis NicolaNICOLA WILLIS (National): I rise in support of the Marriage (Court Consent to Marriage of Minors) Amendment Bill. Let me begin by congratulating my colleague Jo Hayes as members before me have. She has shown tenacity in continuing to herald this legislation through the House and of course in taking it through from Jackie Blue who first introduced it to Parliament.I want to also acknowledge the role of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians the cross-party group who promote an increase in women's participation in Parliament and work on issues of importance to women and girls. It's a credit to that cross-party group that a piece of legislation like this has gained the support of all parties in the House. It demonstrates that as MPs we can work together constructively to make improvements to our law because as previous members have commented this was not an entirely straightforward piece of legislation. It came with challenges along the way and as MPs we were able to work together on it.Of course what this bill does is reduce the risk of 16- and 17-year-olds being forced into marriage and it does that by requiring Family Court consent and by also continuing the requirement for parental or guardian consent. I think it's important to note that this is a safeguard. This is not a practice that is hugely prevalent in New Zealand society but still it is something that we all agree we must protect against because the idea of young people facing physical emotional or financial pressure to marry and at the age of 16 or 17 being forced into a marriage that they do not want through that fear is abhorrent to us all. And that potential for coercion has been recognised in the consideration of this bill by a range of organisations especially those who are interested in protecting and advancing the rights of women. So that risk of coercion has been recognised by the National Council of Women of New Zealand New Zealand Family Planning the Women's Refuge and many other organisations who examined this piece of legislation.So this legislation really ups the bar for a 16- or 17-year-old to get married in this country. A Family Court judge has to be satisfied that that person has been free from undue influence or coercion that that person understands the consequences of marriage that they want the judge to consent and that marriage is in their interest. Reflecting on those things I thought back to my own marriage some 11 years ago—my wedding back in 2007. And you know I was pretty young. I was 26. But the idea that that day of joy and that choice of absolute free will and that desire to commit to someone for the rest of my life would be something that was forced upon me is an idea that's both foreign and frightening.And I thinking back on that experience then contrasted it with the experience of another young woman who marched just earlier this month against forced marriages in Auckland and whose words I think this House should hear tonight as we consider why it is we are passing this legislation. She said in relation to being forced into marriage If I had agreed to it I would move from a psychologically abusive family to an abusive husband having to deal with emotional and physical abuse as well as rape. I know that listening to your parents seems like the right thing to do. But it was wrong." Like most young women she too wanted to fall in love the right way with someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. "I realised it was wrong when my parents were making the decision for me to spend the rest of my life with a complete stranger … I did not know him I did not like him."So it is that woman and others like her that today this House is supporting. And before I finish my speech I want to further commend to this House as we reflect on this issue another piece of legislation that would protect the rights of women like her and that is the Family and Whānau Violence Legislation Bill a piece of legislation that National brought forward and took to its first reading and that included a proposition of a new offence of coercion to marry as part of the family violence reforms.I implore the new Government to continue with that reform and maintain that new offence because that would criminalise a person who coerces another person into marrying someone or coerces someone into entering a civil union against their will. That's contained within the Family and Whānau Violence Legislation Bill and there is nothing to stop the new Government from progressing that legislation through the House a.s.a.p. I commend this bill to the House and thank you Mr Assistant Speaker.Bill read a second time.Name changed to Minors (Court Consent to Relationships) Legislation Bill."