O'Connor Simon: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
O'Connor Simon: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 19 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5388. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tamaki) 
: 
 It is probably a bad start on Women’s Suffrage Day that I have interrupted one of my female colleagues Jan Logie in her speech but there is process. Can I acknowledge 119 years since women received the vote in this country. I think it is important to begin joining with my colleague Judith Collins who spoke at the start by acknowledging important New Zealand women and their contribution and in doing so to acknowledge our head of State the Queen of New Zealand Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth for her 60 years of service all of those women who sit on the executive—my colleagues who are in Cabinet—those across the House who sit here in Parliament from all parties those women who lead in the judiciary those who are in the Civil Service and of course those women who are our mothers our friends and so forth and the contribution they bring. When it comes to women’s voting my mother has always proudly voted and certainly now with me in Parliament she is never shy of an opinion to be shared and she never hesitates there.  
I want to turn to some of those who have spoken in the House about what Kate Sheppard and others would think. I always think it is an injustice to their voices to add our presumption to them. I just want to repeat that for the sake of those listening: when we try to add our voices presumptuously to what Kate Sheppard and others did we do them an injustice. We do not know what Kate Sheppard would think about what we do today and I think there is a certain arrogance in doing that. 
But as we turn to the modern day I think it is really great as a Kiwi and as a Kiwi bloke to stand here to acknowledge all that women are doing in our society. I think it is the women certainly within the National caucus and the body as a whole who are getting on with the business of getting things done. We need only look this week at some of the great announcements that have been put forward including within welfare and within education. We have had some also within the conservation area and so forth. Some really great initiatives are being led by women in this National caucus. 
We are busy with getting on with the job. We are busy as a National caucus and a National Government with getting on with the job. I found in recent days sitting on the Education and Science Committee that we have been looking at the element of digital literacy. How do we encourage young girls and boys to learn to be the future of this country? We have had some amazing examples of men and women who are working to enhance the digital understanding of our young people and I mention this because there is a great initiative happening within the electorate of Tamaki known as the Manaiakalani project led by Russell Burt and the great team at Pt England Primary School. They are getting on with the job and they are getting on with the job on their own initiative but also with that wider support of a Government that understands that you empower individuals to be the best that they can be. And I may be presumptuous therefore to suggest that that was the spirit of the suffragettes—to empower people to be the best that they can be operating within this New Zealand democracy. 
I want to acknowledge too people such as Desley Simpson Kit Parkinson Colin Davis and Mark Thomas of the local board in Orakei also within my electorate of Tamaki. They are getting on with the job be it our local sports fields so that boys and girls men and women can get out and about or making sure places like Tamaki Drive are open and accessible for all New Zealanders to enjoy and to celebrate. These are Kiwis working hard. They are men and women in our community working hard and getting on with the job. And it is the National Government that is standing there in support as well so that the job gets done for the benefit of all New Zealanders. 
I turn finally towards our business. I have been meeting with the business association managers across my electorate: Sally in Ellerslie Wendy in St Heliers and Gary down in Glen Innes. Again these are people supporting Kiwi businesses to get on with the job as new businesses are opening and there are opportunities. It has been the National Government that stood behind them in many ways. We have talked about the 90-day trial period that we have put out creating more than 13000 jobs. We reduced the business tax to 28c in the dollar absolutely supporting Kiwis to get on with the job. We reduced ACC levies. In fact that was Minister Judith Collins one of the fine women of this House. New Zealanders are getting on with the job. We have had great opportunities and if I draw it certainly from the people of Tamaki and those whom I have mentioned they are getting on with the job. They are getting on with the job with the support of this Government which is absolutely committed. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.