Simpson ScottHon SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): Thank you Mr Speaker. Notwithstanding that last contribution I want to thank and congratulate members who have participated in this adjournment debate because we have come to the end of what has been a very long year both in terms of real terms and in terms of Parliament. And I want to acknowledge all of those people that you oversee who make this place run on our behalf—who serve and provide us with the services and the ability to do the jobs that we do—on behalf of us all. So it has been a long hard year and none more so than for those who were impacted by the weather that occurred first in Cyclone Hale and then in Cyclone Gabrielle and I know that all too well for people who live in my own beautiful Coromandel electorate but in other parts of the country that has been the case as well. But here we are nearly at the end of the year on the cusp of the prospect of a new year of new hope new vision and new direction for the country. And it can't come soon enough because if ever there was a symbol of how out of touch and how tone-deaf the Labour Party had become it was that last speech. They were out of touch disconnected and remote from the people of New Zealand. They no longer shared the reflective views aspirations and hopes of so many New Zealanders that put them on the Opposition benches for those reasons and there they will stay for a very long period of time.But we are ultimately a participatory democracy. It involves people participating and as my late mother used to often say The world would be a very boring place if we all had the same views and opinions." This is a robust debating chamber. It is a Chamber where strong views and strong opinions should be strongly argued and that's right and proper in a functioning democracy. But it couldn't happen—none of us could be here without the help and support of the volunteers that put us here from our various parties. And I want to acknowledge in this final contribution this year those people from every political party—whether they are parties that we agree or disagree with—that make democracy in our country work. They are the people who put up the hoardings deliver the pamphlets knock on doors make phone calls and have the commitment of their views and opinions and then the commitment to actually go out and do something about it. And those are the people who I think are the heroes of our democracy. The people who frankly get up my nose are the ones who say "I don't care it doesn't matter it's not important." But it is important they should care and it does matter. So to all the volunteers from every political party whether they're candidates doorknockers pamphleteers phone ringers or whatever I say thank you on behalf of our democracy.Every three years we have a general election. We can be proud of that in New Zealand. We have a peaceful easy transition of power. That doesn't actually happen in every country as we all know so well. So I want to acknowledge the respectful professional way that the outgoing Government transferred power. As I say that doesn't necessarily happen in every country. We as Kiwis I think can be proud of that process. We may not like the result—many people—but we get on with it and we do it and we accept it. Then we have the ongoing robust debate as we should. Nothing wrong with that; that's exactly as it should be.So in conclusion on behalf of my National Party colleagues National Party supporters volunteers and members up and down the countryside ACT and New Zealand First members parties supporters volunteers Te Pāti Māori Green Party Labour Party—all those people I want to say: thank you for your contribution to our functioning participatory democracy. I want to wish you all a safe peaceful happy contented Christmas. Finally it would be remiss of me as the humble but hard-working member of the Coromandel not to invite you all to come to the beautiful Coromandel and spend some time and more importantly some money in my electorate. Mr Speaker thank you very much merry Christmas kia ora."