SpeechNAISI CHEN (Labour): Thank you Mr Speaker. The year 1983 was the year that the internet was invented; I think this House has banned me from referring to how many years that was before I was born—11 for the record. However this year 2022 we're here in the New Zealand Parliament debating this petition—a very important petition brought to us by the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) of Leave no-one behind". We need to talk about this issue of digital exclusion.I know for a fact that the internet has become a default gateway interaction from our people the people of New Zealand with our Government agencies. However not everyone is accommodated by this means of communication and often most people including my own—despite being a millennial being brought up in the day and age of the internet I often still have frustrations; I'm stressed out and I've obviously been excluded from some services on the internet as well. So can I please start by acknowledging the CAB. This is a very important purpose that you have come to Parliament with and I think this is really important that you're seeing cross-party support for this kaupapa.In New Zealand we have a very very diverse community and the fact that digital exclusion happens in our society in our community I think often is a result of different intersectionality as well. We know for a fact for instance that Māori and Pacific people are disproportionately disadvantaged. We know for instance that people with disabilities do not access services as easily online as well and also just the fact that being young doesn't make you excluded from digital exclusion—sorry for the double negative right there!But also we know that as our day and age progresses technology also actually offers us many many good advantages as well. There's lots and lots of efficiencies that we can achieve. But I think at the end of the day my big word today for this speech is equity—making sure that there is equal opportunity for everyone to access the services that they deserve and they expect from their Government but also from other social services and other charity services as well.Can I just really highlight something that's really close to my heart and I thank all of the speakers before me who have mentioned this as well. It is actually something that was mentioned in the CAB's report and this graph I'm holding was actually featured in the CAB's report: areas of inquiry from digitally excluded clients. The top one was citizenship and immigration. I know that when new migrants come to this country they're often facing not only digital exclusion but compounded with that also barriers in terms of their language and culture and understanding how New Zealand as a democratic Government works and lots of that actually adds to the stress of applying for citizenship on top of—as I've heard many times in my office—financial hardship as well. More often than not this leads to inequitable outcomes in their journey to becoming citizens in New Zealand and their access to justice.So this is something really really important and can I just add for the record the second one is rental housing—often also our most deprived parts of our community—and income support legal services and relationships and the list goes on.Can I also just acknowledge the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications the Hon Dr David Clark in terms of his strategy for our country in terms of making sure that everyone is included in terms of all of the investment that we've put into seniors. We've put in $600000 over three years to provide free digital literacy training for seniors nationwide. It's those steps that we'll take to make sure that we are not leaving anyone behind. But can I please as a call-out to all of Government agencies as well remind people that this Government's strategy for a digital Public Service recognises that some people can't or don't want to engage online or use digital services. Digital transformation is about how we meet everyone's needs through better design and collaboration whether online face to face or through others or by the phone.My final plea is to the community of New Zealand and I want to just start by a quick recognition of the Pakuranga CAB and my next-door neighbour Pam who's been a long-term volunteer there at that CAB. I know for a fact that we need to help each other in this digital day and age; often I know I get called into my own family to help out with my grandparents' digital needs. So can you please those who have cell phones those who have computers and access reach out to those in need as well. Thank you Mr Speaker."