Seymour DavidDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise on behalf of the ACT Party to join with other leaders in offering the victims condolence and the perpetrator condemnation. I extend not just to those who were attacked but to every Muslim New Zealander our sympathy but also our solidarity. It is important that that solidarity is comprehensive so let us close ranks around the cherished values of our country. Let me adopt from the opposite end of our political spectrum the words of our Prime Minister: we grieve together. We are one. They are us."Normally in New Zealand all the bad news is in the world section of our newspapers. How could it be that our country is supplying bad news to the papers of the world? It is tempting to say that we have changed for ever. Well cold comfort it may be but one of our darkest days has also shed light on our true character. Up and down this country we have opened up seemingly bottomless wells of love and strength.I'd like to pay tribute to those first responders including the very first responders who heroically confronted the terrorist practically unarmed. I hope that the Crown suitably recognises you. To those who followed up—the police the medics hospital staff teachers—this Parliament thanks you for your service. To those who have held vigils created memes of affirmation left flowers and donated millions of dollars you show the warmth and resilience of our communities.Please allow me a small amount of disagreement then with those who say our country has changed for ever. Changing New Zealand was the terrorist's objective. Changing New Zealand dishonours the victims by letting him win. The values that we've seen expressed over the past several days are the same ones that are recorded in our country's founding document for almost 180 years: that we and what we treasure should be safe from harm; that we have equal rights and duties. The inherent rights to safety and equal treatment of every individual in this country have been recorded more fully in our New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.It is worth remembering what that Act guarantees. Among its promises are the right not to be deprived of life; freedom of thought conscience and religion; freedom of expression; freedom of peaceful assembly; and freedom of association and movement. One of them is worth quoting at length—manifestation of religion and belief: "Every person has the right to manifest that person's religion or belief in worship observance practice or teaching either individually or in community with others and either in public or in private." The terrorist may not like it but this country has shown and this Parliament is showing that we will never dishonour the victims by backing down from our fervent belief in these freedoms for all of us. But let us also remember the words of the Canadian author Naomi Klein who warned in her Shock Doctrine that "in moments of crisis people [can be] willing to hand over a great deal of power". It is important that we maintain our tradition of sober robust law-making at all times but especially now. Clearly there are policy issues that must be addressed. Some of them have already been raised today and they relate to gun laws to speech and social media and the performance of the security and intelligence services. It is critical that we get these issues right and that any changes are relevant to and effective at solving the problems that have been so nakedly laid bare in the past four days. It would be a shame to fall for the old fallacy that we must do something: "This is something so let's do this thing." On the issue of security and intelligence in particular we need to know how it is possible that what has happened has happened and what might be done to prevent it from happening again. Given that it involves the performance of Government agencies I cannot see how the issue arising could be visited by anything less than a royal commission reporting to the Governor-General at arm's length from the Government of the day.The same could be said for this House and the Government's existing schedule. I hope that critical policy issues will be given time to be properly ventilated through the usual processes. Giving all current submission and report dates a fortnight's stay as a rule of thumb I believe would be an excellent gesture. Suffice it to say this Parliament stands ready to assist in getting the policy response to the terror tragedy right. It must be a high-quality response in keeping with the underlying values of our country. The best way to show defiance is to refuse to erode our free society. But so much for those future challenges. For now let us honour the heroes console those who have lost and commemorate those who were lost. As a touching image shared by many on the internet and already touched upon as this debate concludes I say to the victims "This is your home. You should have been safe here.""