Sio Hon Aupito WilliamHon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO (Associate Minister of Justice): I rise to take a call to support the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill at its third reading. This bill is one of the coalition Government's priorities. It is a bill that serves the significant constitutional objective of preserving the proportionality of party representation in Parliament as determined in the last election. This bill upholds the public's confidence in the integrity of Parliament in the integrity of its MPs and in the integrity of our voting system.The bill amends the Electoral Act 1993. Prior to that we had first past the post. If a member of Parliament came in here through the party system and decided for a number of reasons to vacate their seat or to leave the party there would generally be a by-election. The expectation of the public would be that there would be a by-election. In 1993 we introduced this proportionality system. What was the reason for that? It was about ensuring that proportionality of where the voters wanted to go would be upheld. I think there may be some confusion from some on the other side of the House because I think for the first time they are seeing what I would regard as a true coalition Government. It is a true coalition Government of three independent parties who have a point of difference in the electorate that they would be advocating for and in the cohort of voters that they would be championing but none the less ultimately all three parties are fundamentally in agreement about where they want this country to go: a far better kinder nation than ever before. So I don't see any problems.I disagree—listening intently to the words of the speakers on the other side I have to say that scaremongering is so outdated. This bill is forward-looking. This bill is about keeping the proportionality. I don't see a problem. If the leader of a particular party has an issue with any member the two-thirds majority which they are required to undertake is a constitutional norm. There is a constitutional norm of a two-thirds majority.Hon Tim Macindoe: So name one constitutional expert who agrees with you. Name one.Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: What that means Mr Macindoe is it is not up to the one individual to determine what happens to that person. There is the collective of a party system. That's the party system that we have—that's the party system that we have. So if a person chooses for whatever reason to vacate their seat—if it's an electorate member they have the option of a by-election. If it's a list member—how do list members get chosen into the House? They were elected by their parties. They are elected. They sign an authority—they sign an agreement—to abide by the rules of their particular party.I just want to say I listened intently to the Hon Dr Nick Smith who said he hated what is happening. But I want to say I hate the feigned anger—the feigned anger—as if they were pretending. I hate the pretence of attempting to talk about protecting human rights of New Zealanders. What did they do about the human rights of workers in the last nine years? What did they do about the human rights of the poor and those who are desperate and wanting welfare protection that they did not give? What have they done about the rights of people who want to own their own home? In the last nine years they didn't even consider that. So tonight when I hear the right honourable Dr Nick Smith say that he hates this and that it somehow undermines human rights I'd say to him that I hate his pretence about suddenly wanting to protect human rights when in the last nine years all they did was put the thumb on hard-working New Zealanders. So I've got no hesitation to recommend this bill for passage.