Macindoe Tim: Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Act Repeal Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMacindoe Tim: Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Act Repeal Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 02 March 2016. Volume:711;Page:9351. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): Could I begin by thanking all members who have contributed to this debate for their very thoughtful contributions. I am sure that those who have been in here or perhaps tuning in around the country who have been listening to the debate will have been moved as I have been by some of the personal stories that members have told about their association with people who are blind or partially sighted. For instance we have just heard from Kevin Hague of his account of Jim. I relate to that story very closely and I thank him for sharing that with us. I fully understand as Mr Hague has suggested that often it is those who cannot see physically who have enormous insights into the world and we can learn so much from them. Unanimity of views may not make for riveting after-dinner television or for sensational headlines but it does indeed demonstrate the capacity of members of this House to focus on matters of some sensitivity such as this and to work cooperatively and intelligently on these non-controversial matters that are very much in the public interest. So I thank members for doing that.As many speakers have noted during the debate the principal reason for the introduction of this bill—which has of course been requested by the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind itself—is that the statute it seeks to repeal is now redundant. I want to apologise to members for my initial hesitation earlier in the debate over the particular select committee to which the bill would be referred in the likely event that it passes its first reading but I am delighted to hear that it is being welcomed by the Health Committee and that will be under the excellent chairmanship of my good friend and colleague Simon O’Connor the member for Tāmaki.I was interested to hear from my colleague David Bennett the member for Hamilton East that his grandfather was blind. As a former member for a Hamilton electorate Mr Assistant Speaker you will know that the two MPs for Hamilton frequently see more of each other at many of the events that we attend than I often feel I see of my own family. And yet I have to say that I was unaware until this evening that Mr Bennett’s grandfather was blind just as I am sure that he would be unaware that my wife’s grandfather the late John Johnson was also blind in his latter years as a result of the condition that we know as glaucoma.John Johnson was a truly admirable man and I held him in the highest of regard. It was a great privilege to know him in the years after our marriage—I think he survived for about 12 years after I married my wife. He was dearly loved and is still greatly missed by his children and grandchildren. I want to put that on record because I never heard him complain about his condition and in all the time that I knew him he was completely blind. I spent a lot of time with him when I could. He could never see me but he was a tremendous conversationalist a deeply intelligent man and as Mr Hague was mentioning when he spoke of Jim recently he had tremendous insights into the world. I was as I say greatly in admiration of him. He was an avid reader before he lost his sight and so therefore to lose that ability must have been deeply frustrating to him. And he was deprived of the joy of seeing his great-grandchildren—he had several great-grandchildren in his twilight years.I mention him and want to put him on record in the reply in this debate because his lack of self-pity was a feature I have witnessed and admired in many of the blind and partially sighted members of our community. It is humbling for those of us who are fully sighted to detect the acceptance the gratitude and the can-do attitude that so many Blind Foundation members demonstrate. Sometimes those of us who do not live with a significant disability need to be reminded of just how fortunate we are and how little we really have to moan about.Again I commend the Hon Nicky Wagner for sponsoring this bill and for her dedicated efforts as Minister for Disability Issues. She does put a huge amount of time and energy into that portfolio and I know she enjoys it and I know she is appreciated for that effort. I also know that she will be as delighted as I am to hear that this bill has attracted the unanimous support of members of this House tonight. I thank members sincerely for that support and I especially thank and commend the foundation for its outstanding service throughout its history in New Zealand from 1890 to the present day. I warmly commend this bill to the House.Bill read a first time.Bill referred to the Health Committee.