Davidson MaramaHon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green): Thank you Mr Speaker. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): I apologise. I'm catching from the Speaker himself some of his disease—I'll blame him. Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON: We're here to help Mr Speaker. Thank you very much. On that note I back myself to stand up and make a contribution to the Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill. I haven't been part of the select committee process and the following of the bill to this point but I am really pleased to be able to offer my perspectives on the value of social work and on why the Greens are supporting the delay of the repeal by bringing through some of the community stories and social work through my role as violence prevention Minister which I was very privileged to have over the past three years.I understand that what we are essentially trying to do here is find an intentional balance between making use of the incredible experience and heart that is across our communities on many different levels who want to do the essential work of social work while maintaining a pathway towards professionalising and most importantly ensuring that it is safe practice. As a violence prevention Minister I understood deeply the importance of safe practice and the consequences and ongoing harm when social work practices or when any practices of working with whānau and people who need support are not safe and how that can actually add further harm and actually add further negative consequences not just for any individuals but for wider whānau.So this is what I understand this bill is trying to get a sense of and balance that intentionally in this second reading. [Interruption] Am I OK here Mr Speaker? ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): No it's just that the Hon Marama Davidson now has an extra seven minutes because that becomes a 10-minute call—Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON: Oh I see. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): —and it's a good excuse to get your name exactly right too. Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON: Well done on being opportunistic there—thank you. I was talking about how I'm so glad to see that we are all supporting this. This feels fairly cross-party political pragmatism here where we can all authentically see the value of this intentional balance so that we can ensure we are supporting the gifts that are there in our communities right now but who—as many others of you have already outlined—may not have so far yet had the privilege or the benefit of a professional pathway. So to some stories to illustrate why the Greens are particularly supportive of this legislation. Over the past few years all of us in our communities have seen firsthand the impact of increasingly detrimental weather due to climate change not the least those on my East Coast whakapapa side—all up Ngāti Porou Whānau-ā-Apanui and Kahungunu of course—and also up in my Ngāpuhi and Hokianga whakapapa side who also experienced firsthand some of the most devastating impacts of those crises. When our communities are flooded when we've lost power when people's health is ill and when people have passed from these events the extra stressors that are likely means that we require help. Now violence is never ever OK. Unfortunately extra stressors can lead to increased violence and increased harm for people for families if we haven't wrapped around the support in those times of crisis. It is social workers across the country social workers who have the relationships and connections in their community social workers who are trusted on the doorsteps and in the lounges and the garages of whānau who may not be trusting anyone else and social workers who have a whakapapa presence and connection. I really want to acknowledge Minister—oh sorry the former Minister the Hon Carmel Sepuloni who is no longer a Minister for highlighting particularly iwi Māori and Pasifika agencies and my colleague Ricardo Menéndez March who outlined the need to ensure we have social workers who reflect the communities and the experiences especially those who most require the support in those challenging times. I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears firsthand and heard the stories of families who have been helped by social workers who otherwise may not have acquired the full necessary professional qualifications at this point in time and I want to put a word in. I've heard us thankfully acknowledge disabled people Māori Pasifika and ethnic groups who absolutely must have social work practices that are safe and relevant and appropriate for their experiences. So too can I include men who are working with men to ensure that they are living violence-free lives. Many of the men who are doing this work have lived lives using violence. They have very often come from prison and have spent time in prison and have absolutely not had the benefits—this stigma—or the opportunity to attain full professional qualifications. But I implore this House to understand that often it is only their experience that can cut through to other men who are using or have used violence and who are needing that lived experience to feel that their voice is relevant that their experiences are understood and that it is a non-judgmental but fully accountable pathway to eliminating violence from their lives and from their realities. The majority of those social workers have not yet been able to acquire social work professional practice. I absolutely implore and commend this House for recognising a balance and delaying the repeal of the former pathways so that we can ensure we are not losing the essence and the treasure that is this very work—the very work that is going to ensure that we can fully eliminate violence in the next generations. For this reason I acknowledge my colleagues across the House who have highlighted the common sense of this legislation. I put on to the record the very stories and the experiences that I have had the benefit of seeing and hearing from firsthand which are that in many situations men who have used violence have had the most positive experience for healing and restoration when they have been supported to work with other men who have had those same experiences. When they can immediately remove any fear of stigma and judgment that's not removing accountability. Accountability is even stronger when you have had men who have used violence who have then been able to be supported to be healed and so I really was looking forward to putting that example on the floor. We are proud to support this bill. Thank you Mr Speaker.