Fox MaramaMARAMA FOX (Co-Leader—Māori Party): I come to this House to say hallelujah hallelujah and—one more time—hallelujah. I am going to congratulate the Associate Minister of Health the Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga on his procrastinated bravery. The Government has finally come to its senses and we stand here to pass the plain packaging legislation that was introduced by my predecessor Tariana Turia. I am not going to take too much out of the Associate Minister because actually we have engaged in some very good conversations about where we can go and the 10-year road map to take us to 2025—oh except that a year has gone by since we started that conversation so now it is 9 years. But that is all right. We are going to put some plans in place to bring us to that point. But we are here today to celebrate the fact that we are going to usher in the next step the next stage for plain packaging and the fight against tobacco. And why? Everybody knows why: because half of smokers—as the previous speaker Denise Roche said—will die from smoking-related illnesses and the other half will be sick. Of those people who smoke half will die; half will be sick and lead debilitated lives. Six million people die annually around the world from smoking-related illnesses. Recently yes I was confronted by the spin doctor who gets to trek from country to country to country. Everywhere a country wishes to make legislation to cease the march to the urupā this man is sent around the world to try to dissuade the conversation to convince people that the black market is going to open up and people are going to be hurt and therefore we should not do anything. We should just stop. We have been accused of being a kuia State. Well I tell you now to those members who accused us of being a kuia State that our kuia were not impressed that they were being used in a derogatory way like that. They asked me to make that point clear and so I do. We should be proud to be considered kuia in this country because they are knowledgable they are wise and they have made it to that status because they are still alive. There are a number of our whānau who are not alive. Just last night I was visited by Campbell Knox who 2 months ago buried his darling wife who had smoked for 40 years. He came to bring me his wishes to tackle tobacco control in this country. He said she tried everything. She was non-stop trying the e-cigarettes she tried the patches she tried cold turkey. She tried every cessation method out there and could not kick the habit and eventually she died trying. Today I want to remember her and remember that conversation with her husband. Her name is Memory. Her husband said to me: Marama we must do more for our rising generation so that they don't have to make the choice that my wife could not." The incentive for our rising generation is an incentive of hope and the brightness of a future where young people today do not have to choose to give up because they never started. When we put taxation in place we put it out of the reach of young people to spend $20 to $30 on a packet of cigarettes. We must make further steps. If we pass legislation after the procrastinated bravery—but bravery none the less—of bringing in plain packaging well what about cars with children being smoke-free? What about voluntary smoke-free communities? What is the next suite of activities that we can herald in to ensure that our young people do not face the same future as Campbell Knox's wife Memory who spent the last 2 years clinging on to every minute to try to spend some more time with her children and grandchildren? I commend the bravery of the Associate Minister to the House along with this bill."