Davidson MaramaHon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence): Thank you Madam Chair. I actually am appreciating this debate in the Chamber tonight. I am going to acknowledge the Hon Paul Goldsmith in that the principle that the member is actually raising is that Are we making sure?"—what I just heard in the most recent contribution from the Hon Paul Goldsmith is that "Are we making sure that we are guarding against the unintended consequences that we are not in fact actually setting up victims and survivors for further traumatisation?" I want to acknowledge the principle of that debate. We have heard some of the opposition—not necessarily in the parties tonight in this House but from the community and from the sector—which does not even try to uphold the principle of making sure that we are not further re-traumatising victims and survivors through the justice processes. So this is a really good crux of this debate here in the Chamber where we have representatives from all across the different sides of the room holding on to these important principles and debating the pathways to uphold them. I absolutely want to acknowledge authentic political debate that actually crosses party divides something which we should be seeking to do as often as possible when it comes to such important issues that there are high stakes—I completely agree; I think all of us agree—for not upholding the right to fair trials.There are high stakes for making sure that we are upholding actual justice processes. On that I again would then fall back—I was supposed to make this a short contribution—to the crux of the sector and part of the drive behind this legislation which goes back to the risks of videos and evidential video interviews being shared with the world which are higher than ever especially when a common reaction of those accused of adult sexual assault is to attack the character of the victim by ridiculing the accusations and—and this is the crux—by making that evidence public and that we have had instances and I know that's what this legislation is wanting to address. So if we take it back to that principle if we take it back to what we are actually trying to do with this legislation and taking on board what the Hon Kris Faafoi has just outlined in terms of again comparative examples for our Aotearoa New Zealand demographics and country demographics and understanding where we can learn on how we can better protect everyone and also the evidence in what we know around pre-recorded cross-examinations. When walking alongside victims we know that the anticipation and subjection to cross-examination is of course a stressful experience—of course—and that this is almost always conducted during a hearing even in cases with child victims.But here's the crux that I wanted to pick up on: allowing pre-recording of cross-examination improves accuracy of testimony and increases fairness of trial. So making sure that we can and must do that bit of work in the House in legislation and again my point—I do repeat it—of looking for operational changes of policy changes to any concerns that might restrict defendants' access to a fair trial to viewing the evidence in that we can actually put this legislation in place and get regulations per the consultation working with victims' advocates—and I think this is key—in those regulations to making sure—making sure—that we have got a strong framework that both upholds the right to a fair trial and protects and does not retraumatise victims.My last few seconds is you know this goes to broader work. And yes thank you I received the acknowledgments of launching Te Aorerekura strategy to end family violence and sexual violence along with many colleagues who have worked on that in that we are moving away from also such an adversarial approach to justice. I welcome this step. Thank you."