Dowie Sarah: Address in ReplyText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDowie Sarah: Address in Reply[Sitting date: 22 October 2014. Volume:701;Page:158. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill):Mr Speaker Prime Minister parliamentary colleagues and the National Party team as I deliver my first words in this awe-inspiring Chamber I am mindful of the journey that I have travelled to be here. I am reflective on the definitive decisions I have made the key opportunities I have seized my discipline my faith in the end goal and the overwhelming loyalty of my supporters. Many try to get here and fail but with the support and sacrifice of my husband Mark my children Christabel and Hunter the help of my parents Ann and Alan Dowie my National Party friends—in particular Garry Thomsen Anne McCracken and Jon Turnbull—for their colossal efforts and now with the mandate of the good people of the deep south I am standing here humbled feeling surreal. I also acknowledge our party president Peter Goodfellow and board member Roger Bridge for their encouragement and wise counsel.Mr Speaker I congratulate you on your re-election. I have learnt much already from your own experience as a Minister and member in Opposition and now I look forward to learning from you as to the rules of engagement in the House.I am the Invercargill electorate’s first elected woman MP and the moment is not lost on me. The Invercargill electorate has in the past been coined conservative but is now charging forward into a new era. The Invercargill electorate is a mixture of both urban and rural. It takes in the Catlins to the east and its ecological fame. It includes a yellow-eyed penguin colony a Hector’s dolphin pod and the petrified forest. Riverton and westward encompasses rolling hills windswept forests and stunning rugged coastline scenes. To the north there is Edendale and Wyndham’s fertile plains. To the south is Bluff with its oysters and traditional port activities as well as Rakiura which contains our newest and most remote national park. Finally there is the city of Invercargill our southernmost provincial city steeped in Scottish tradition and one that holds on to that pioneering spirit. It is an electorate of “can-do’s” aspiration innovation. Businesses carving out new niches are capitalising on the tried and true of the primary sector education and tourism and developing and manufacturing new products for export. It is a quiet storm that is building to success.However Southland will be tested moving forward. We need to build on the industries we have and ensure we develop opportunities for the future. Industry productivity is challenged through a failure to attract more skilled people and families to the province. Although Southland’s economy needs to continue to grow based on its strengths in an environmentally sensible way it must also diversify to sustain it. It also faces some real challenges in funding for essential services especially when the spread of those services is across isolated areas. Despite these challenges Southland continues to box above its weight per capita by generating over 12 percent of New Zealand’s total export receipts. We enjoy higher than average household incomes and high employment rates and we are some of the happiest people in the country—and that is according to the last annual regional economic activity report.There has been much media coverage in recent days and months about the cost of housing in Auckland. So I say to those Aucklanders who want a great lifestyle and affordable housing: does Invercargill have a deal for you! I am deeply passionate about the region and will fiercely advocate for development that has already been identified to continue to create varied jobs and generate more wealth and more opportunities for Southlanders. I will assist and support those who have innovative new ideas and will be vocal on the delivery of effective essential services across the region. That goes for anyone who wants to bring their business to one of the most cost-effective provinces in the country.I intend to champion Southland’s progression to make it a province of choice for our people and families to thrive in and gain their fortune. I am a proud mother of two preschool children. Although I am acutely aware of the juggling that I will have to do to ensure that I do the job well and also maintain that all-important relationship with my family I am not afraid to say that having children has changed my perspective for the better and driven me to contribute to this level. It is very hard to articulate the change in perspective as a mum but it is a bit like going from watching black and white television to colour—or for the Generation Ys out there from digital to HDTV. I intend to use this breadth of view and colour in my approach to policy making—one that is holistic. I do not view my life in a silo and hence I am supportive of the Government’s efforts to break down the silos of the Government in its problem solving. My opinions are mainly moderate centre-right and my approach to policy making will be for the benefit of all New Zealanders.I am also the daughter of two police officers and by trade a solicitor so law and order and justice are in my blood. I was raised with a strong ethic of “Reap what you sow.” The consequence of crime and the reality of it was in the forefront of my upbringing. My mother’s first husband Constable Donald Stokes was brutally murdered at age 23 while in the line of duty in Dunedin in 1966. I was raised with his photos on the walls and the tragic end of his life has been etched into my mind from a young age.On 13 November 1990 death on the job was again a reality as my father received a call from headquarters to advise that one of his best friends Sergeant Stewart Guthrie had been shot dead at Aramoana. I remember him methodically and soberly getting dressed in his uniform and walking out the door. The sum of the following 22 hours with helicopters flying across the airspace of Dunedin and the general unknown was not lost on anyone in Dunedin. However it was obviously more pronounced for those with loved ones who were murdered or connected in some way. The sacrifice of brave men and women who put themselves on the front line to defend our liberties and the way of life that we hold dear in New Zealand is never far from my thoughts. I take this country’s security and our personal security very seriously and as such I promise to uphold it making sure that the police and other agencies have the resourcing and tools required to mitigate threats and reduce crime.At the same time I want to assure equal access to justice and the rule of law. New Zealand as a safe and fair community is something to always be vigilant about. But nurturing and growing a safe community is not enough on its own—well not enough for me. I believe in the concept of social justice in so far as it relates to enabling every New Zealander the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life and achieve their hopes dreams and aspirations. This cannot be done however by keeping people down on an endless series of hand-outs. It is about creating an environment where people are supported to take responsibility for and to navigate their own lives for they are best placed to make those decisions. It is about helping people gain the skills to get them into work. With a bit of can-do attitude they will find that they have options. I believe as did the Hon Ralph Hanan Invercargill’s last Minister in furthering the real progress of all the people.I am here to serve all New Zealanders to build on the wins that this Government has already achieved. I am here because it is our duty to build a New Zealand that the next generation our children are proud of and where there is opportunity to get ahead in a country that has a heart to help those less fortunate but also rewards those who have the determination to work and make their own luck. I want our children to be pleased with the legacy we have left but also have the fortitude to build on this Government’s platform and drive forward initiatives for the betterment of all.On a lighter note I remember Sunday nights at 7.30 p.m. in front of the telly with mum and dad watching Our World a series of fascinating nature documentaries that are probably responsible for fuelling my interest in science. I studied ecology at the University of Otago Coupled with a law degree it became a powerful combination in helping my all-round understanding of environmental and conservation issues. It was a desire to still use my law degree but more of my science degree that saw me working for the Department of Conservation for 5 years. However the department at that time is certainly not what it is today. The culture back then was that of dogmatic no and ultimately I became frustrated when well-put-together environmentally sensible proposals were shut down with no logical thought to the greater picture of conservation.It should be noted that I believe there is a place for preservation in New Zealand but there is also a place for sustainable development. The idea of protectionism which is often seen as competing with development recreation and enjoyment can be effectively balanced. We are ultimately part of our environment; we are not separate from it. We are dependent upon the environment for our well-being and our living. These two concepts are not mutually exclusive.However this frustration was nothing but a godsend as it catapulted me back to private practice and wanting to stay involved in environmental issues at a higher level I joined the Bluegreens. Our rationale is that economic growth goes hand in hand with improving the environment and therefore this resonates with me. Inevitably I was drawn into the mainstream of the National Party: party conferences policy days and candidates’ training—the final step that sealed my fate as to seriously consider politics as a career. I am therefore sincerely grateful for the advice and friendship of Glenys Dickson whose gentle well-timed and highly effective nudges steered me here today. As Amelia Earhart once said: “Adventure is worthwhile in itself.”So what have I learned in my short 40 years on this earth? What attitude will I bring to Parliament? I believe a superior understanding of the rules wins every time. I guess therefore Mr Leader of the House that I will be a regular attendee at procedures meetings. I believe you should play the cards you are dealt play them well and then wait for the re-deal. With hard work and perseverance eventually things must go your way. Fight hard but fight fair and never lose sight of who you are or where you are from. Humility is a characteristic that should never be underrated. I believe that one should be kind because you never know when you may need kindness in return to get you by.On winning the seat of Invercargill I was told by a friend to dream big. In response I defer to one of the most powerful symbols of triumph over adversity—someone who achieved and inspired despite the odds. Helen Keller said: “One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.” I promise to listen to learn to work to dream and to do my best to soar. Thank you.