Williams Poto; Seymour DavidHon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector): Thank you Mr Speaker. When I came to the House before question time I had a vastly different speech prepared to give in this general debate and having been part of your presiding officers' team Mr Speaker I know that you work extraordinarily hard to ensure the mana of this Chamber and this House. Today Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: I am going to ask the Serjeant-at-Arms to get Mr Seymour and bring him back to the House. Thank you.Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Thank you. Every member of this House is deemed by the fact they are elected by the people of New Zealand to be honourable. Today I am feeling a little bit of mamae in my heart because as members of this House we are all stained by the actions of other members and we are all touched by the hurt and by the anguish that their families feel and people who are impacted by the actions of members of Parliament as well. In my speech today I just want us to think about what brings us here. As I look across the House I look at respected colleagues people who I've actually campaigned against and people I've campaigned with.Matt Doocey: And beaten.Hon POTO WILLIAMS: That's right Mr Doocey but graciously I hope. I know that most of us come here with good intent and with the knowledge that the people in our home patches want us to do well for them. Every time some rubbish thing happens here it reflects badly on all of us and our people back home go Come on guys. What's this about?" I look to what brings me here. The reason I'm here is I want to make sure New Zealand is the safest place for our kids. And having spent a long time working in the area of family violence I know if we want to break the cycle of violence we have to create an environment where our kids can be safe where they thrive where they reach their potential.But if they look to us in this House what is the example they are seeing of their leaders? Are they seeing people who are wanting to create an environment where we can all thrive? It's been a rubbish couple of weeks right? And we've been throwing stuff around at everybody. But have we been thinking about those people that this stuff impacts—our families victims the people in our electorates who are looking to us for hope? We have gone through one of the most difficult times in our country and I don't say that lightly coming from Christchurch—we've been through some tough times. COVID impacts all of us and we know how wonderfully we have done as a team of 5 million to get us to the point where actually we are the envy of the world. People want to come here. People want our products. People want to trade with us because they know that actually Aotearoa New Zealand is the best little place in the world to be. We should be upholding the mana of that by being the best that we can be as parliamentarians.And I know we can be. But unfortunately when we throw stuff around whether it's true or not it sticks. And it smells. And it stains. I look up to the gallery at the people who have come to hear the next bill who have come here with pride and respect and the expectation that they will be served by the people in this Chamber to effect what they want to have happen with their bill. We can only do that if we remember the premise of why we are here. It's a privilege to serve our communities. We are here to honour the wishes of our communities and our people.Every time I arrive on the forecourt in front of this building I say to myself "What a privilege." Every time I go home to my home pitch of Christchurch East and I hear the concerns of my people and they give me a bit of you know "You should be doing this and you should be doing that." I take that all on board because they have given me the privilege of being here to represent them. Every time I look into the faces of my grandchildren I think "Your nanny is here to do a good job to leave this country in a better place for you." So I just want to remind all of my fellow parliamentarians: we are all honourable and I have the greatest respect for this job and this institution. Thank you Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: As I indicated earlier I have required David Seymour to return to the House to apologise for the unparliamentary remark he made at the end of his speech. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT): I withdraw and apologise.The debate having concluded the motion lapsed."