O'Connor GregGREG O'CONNOR (Labour—Ōhāriu): Just reflecting on the previous speaker Joseph Mooney I think there wouldn't be anyone in this House or probably anyone in this country who would think that by the time these issues get to court then something hasn't gone wrong and it would be so much better if everything in life could be resolved without the intervention of lawyers and courts. However that's not the world we live in and this bill is here to address those situations where those other systems—whether it be parenting whether it be marriage whether it be whatever could have intervened to stop this happening—has failed.So what this bill is about is ensuring that once we do get to the stage where we are in court we focus on the right things. Anyone that's ever been in a Family Court—and I assume the previous speaker has been with his profession; I know a few on this side will have been—you actually see the looks on the faces of the young people particularly or the children there who are bewildered by the surroundings. They are bewildered by the fact that they are really by the nature of the beast expected to take sides and bewildered by the fact that everyone in the courtroom is often someone who looks very differently and sounds very different from those in the world that they have grown up in—that look of bewilderment means that you just understand that trying to make some sense trying to allow those young people or children to walk out of there with some sense of I would say satisfaction but at least some sense that the outcome is something that is going to benefit them is really what this bill is about.I think it's important that we actually have a look at what it was intended to achieve: just to reinforce the expectation that a child could have reasonable opportunities to participate in the decisions affecting their care and welfare. As I look through the submissions on the bill I'd probably look at the Law Society submission who noted that it is now well recognised that the views of even very young children can provide important information for decision making in parental disputes. I think that probably of all the submissions really drew my attention. If we can build—and this is the attempt of this bill: to build around that expectation.Of course having the right lawyer—again I reflect on the previous speaker. It's a shame that we have to have lawyers at all but I suppose I would say that as an ex - police officer. But certainly once we get the lawyers involved—that we get the right lawyer people that actually do understand and more importantly can speak the language of the child. Again my reflection or my memory of this system is having young people or children have matters explained to them and standing looking blankly—the inability to speak language that the child will understand. That is a very important factor because this is often the last chance saloon. Getting it right here is going to have a complete and utter subsequent direction for this child in the future.So it also is to reinforce the need for the court to recognise and respond appropriately to family violence and particularly it has on children. We're building a picture here where we must take cognisance that by the time people walk out of this court there is at least some sort of judgment some sort of satisfaction and by focusing on the needs of the child it will at least give some chance—the best chance—that it will be the right solution. So to that end I have no hesitation in commending this bill to the House.