Andersen GinnyVIRGINIA ANDERSEN (Labour): Thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Election Access Fund Bill and I'd like to acknowledge Chlöe Swarbrick for bringing yet another great member's bill to this House. I'd also like to acknowledge Mojo Mathers here today and all the work that she has done over the years to bring this piece of legislation to this House today. I acknowledge those in the gallery today as well and their participation in hearing the first reading of this bill. This bill is about furthering the participation of people in New Zealand society and that's a good thing for this House to be supporting. I'm proud to be part of a group that will be supporting this bill further to select committee enabling people to live full lives and take full advantage of the opportunities that are available to us as New Zealanders. It is important that all those things are made equally available to everybody.Specifically this bill looks at enabling people with a disability to be a candidate in the general election with the establishment of an Election Access Fund. The fund will be administered by the electoral body by the Electoral Commission and specifically it will enable any disabled candidate to cover disability-related costs of standing in a general election in terms of having an interpreter or having access to being able to do that.Can I just say and pause at this time that the importance of inclusion and people having the ability to participate—I would just like to stop and acknowledge for a moment a champion within my own area by the name of Michael Grigg. Mike Grigg passed away this year sadly. He was a tireless champion for those people with any disability to be fully included and have the ability to participate in New Zealand. He fought strong—with the Hutt City Council with Government with anyone who would take him on—to enable people to have rights. He was a frequent visitor to my office and I learnt a lot about the importance of inclusion from him.So this Government is working to build a more inclusive New Zealand and by doing that it's important to look at all the areas where there can be improvements to how that works. In terms of employment: with equal opportunities in hiring practices—that is incredibly important—in education: ensuring that children coming through our education system have full access to learning sign language—students as well as teachers—in health: ensuring that the support and the implementation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy is fully implemented; and also through our housing projects that are going on right now to make sure that we are building houses that are accessible and that those homes meet the needs of people.In terms of my own experience in terms of my own learning about the importance of this area I'd have to say it was participating twice in a TriAbility Triathlon in Wainuiōmata where able-bodied competitors competed alongside those people with disabilities. What it taught me was the importance for people who don't have disabilities to be included in those areas so that we learn—so that we understand and learn the importance of everybody having access. Through having an electoral fund that would set up the ability for people to be included—I see that in a similar way: that by working together and by being side by side in our daily work that enables a greater understanding by all New Zealanders of some of the difficulties that those with disabilities face on a daily basis.I look forward to this bill coming to the Governance and Administration Committee as I sit on that committee as deputy chair. I look forward to hearing all of the submissions and how we can improve what we do right now. It is up to the community to come and talk to us and tell us how this bill can make the most of what it offers now. Thank you for the opportunity to speak Madam Assistant Speaker and I commend this bill to the House.