Utikere TangiIMPROVING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SURROGACY BILLFirst ReadingDebate resumed from 13 April.TANGI UTIKERE (Labour—Palmerston North): Kia oranga. Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. It's a wonderful opportunity to move from one great bill to another this afternoon. Can I just obviously speak in support of the Improving Arrangements for Surrogacy Bill and in doing so I want to congratulate and acknowledge my colleague and friend Tāmati Coffey. I recall actually Mr Coffey's contribution in the former bill that has just succeeded with its third reading where Mr Coffey identified that he had not actually had a member's bill that had been drawn from the ballot at that point and then I think in the very next ballot that followed that contribution from the member in the House his bill was drawn. So I know what it's like to have a member's bill drawn and I certainly congratulate the member on what he has brought to this House.The title of the bill says it all really. It is a bill that is seeking to improve the arrangements for those that are involved in surrogacy arrangements. Having said that though it does seek to do three key things and the first is that it seeks to simplify surrogacy arrangements. The natures of them can be quite different from individual and whānau to whānau but simplification is certainly a good thing.The second is that it seeks to ensure that the information that is contained on a birth certificate is complete and that it recognises the child's right under international obligations and conventions to know the genetic origins of the child themselves but also for identity purposes. This House has spent some time certainly in this current term of Parliament looking at issues around birth certificates and the nature of the information that is contained on those certificates. I know that the Governance and Administration Committee which obviously has been kept quite busy from time to time often does turn its mind to issues of that particular nature. But it's also important for the historical record and for archival purposes as well. So that's the second point.The third one is that in the context where surrogacy arrangements have been made there is actually provision for some form of enforcement. Enforcement certainly provides for certainty and I hope that there is never a need for enforcement but it acknowledges in the member's bill that there may be situations and occasions from time to time where enforcement may be a necessary option and it may be needed. One such example that is cited in the member's bill is that where intending parents don't follow through there is a requirement for child support to follow. So there are obligations and responsibilities that are contained within the member's bill.To me it's actually quite clear and that is that New Zealand's current laws where it concerns surrogacy but also more broadly adoption are not currently fit for purpose they are not modern and they are not up to date. So I congratulate the member on bringing forward a bill that seeks to address those concerns: to make the legislation more fit for purpose to make it more reflective of modern situations and to make sure that it is up to date.When we look at the current context those prospective parents who wish to adopt in the adoption space must wait for the physical birth of the child before they can even commence the adoption process let alone consider the various aspects of diversification within a family unit that that might lead to as well. If a surrogacy arrangement is in place then in that circumstance the surrogate child born into that arrangement is effectively arriving into a situation where there are no initial rights or responsibilities in relation to the child. Even if the parties—the parents and those that are the participants—are in agreement there is currently no opportunity in law for that to be considered. So it is such an important issue.It's very clear that there is a need to balance the rights and responsibilities of all parties and all participants: the child the intending parents and of course the birth mother. When I have a look at the bill the bill itself will actually seek to amend a number of Acts—five Acts and two sets of regulations—but also it introduces a number of specific clauses which I won't go through that obviously give effect to what will occur in practice.Just in conclusion I do want to acknowledge that I understand that this will go to the Health Committee. I know that the Health Committee is a hard-working one and I look forward to having that come before the committee and to work alongside colleagues. Again I commend this bill to the House and again congratulate my colleague Tāmati Coffey.