Collins JudithHon JUDITH COLLINS (National—Papakura): Thank you Mr Speaker for this opportunity to contribute on what is I think a very—well it's a memorable day. I think many of us were up until the very early hours of this morning watching what I have to say was pageantry to end all pageantry. I don't know why anyone else bothers to do it the way that the British can do it. It was unbelievable. I was determined that I was going to get a decent night's sleep but in the end I chose to continue to watch this amazing send-off for an amazing human being because that's who the Queen was.She was also by the way the representative of the Treaty partner to tangata whenua. So when I hear her and who she represents disrespected in this House I am disgusted. I like instead the respect that I expect will be shown by other members of this House towards this very gracious person.Ninety-six years old—that's older than even you Mr Speaker and significantly older than the senior whip I'm sitting behind! It's also by the way 70 years of service. Honestly I don't even think that departed member from this House Winston Peters could even compare to that. Seventy years of receiving bouquets of saying the right things of asking questions of being briefed of being able to bring happiness to people—what a wonderful thing to do—and to bring unity to people and we've seen that over the last 10 days of mourning before her funeral. What a wonderful thing for her to have done. And never giving up. I just think she's one of the most amazing people of my lifetime and of many others.She is the only monarch that we have known all of those of us in the House—the only one that we have known. I had a quick check before I said that through the ages of our MPs. She's the only one. And one day—one day; we shouldn't begrudge that should we? I feel for the businesses who feel that every single thing coming out of this Government is another impost on them another cost for them another obligation for them but I also know that many of those business people will feel exactly the same way that most of us here do: that if we're going to have a one-day one-off public holiday in recognition of service it is for this monarch because as my colleague the Hon Scott Simpson has said—and I agree with him—if there's another one who ends up with 70 years of service into their 71st year then we can have another holiday then too.This is not our holiday by the way; this is the Queen's recognition from this country because we are happy recipients—well most of us are anyway—of being part of a constitutional monarchy that is above politics; that can always be relied on to speak to the people without fear or failure; that can always be relied on by her Prime Ministers of all ilks to give them the best advice—certainly in Britain anyway—that she could and to listen to them.I thought some of the speeches that we've seen on this matter have been some of our best. I also think that some of the speeches that I've seen in the British Parliament in Westminster have been unbelievably good. As Theresa May said it was one of the few meetings she had which she knew would not be briefed against to the media straight away. Isn't that true. To have someone of that experience who as Boris Johnson said sent off her 14th Prime Minister to be followed by her 15th and then she passed away you know a couple of days later—what an outstanding contribution. The way in which she kept the Commonwealth together and showed the way through to accepting peoples right across the globe—with yes some common heritage but also quite a lot of discord but to bring them together with a common purpose. What a wonderful contribution and to continue to do that until essentially the day that she died.Surely if anybody is worthy of a public holiday in this country a one-off public holiday surely it is she. Surely it is the Queen that we have known all our lives—surely it is her. I can't think of anyone else who would be better qualified for it. When we've seen her send-off and we've seen—I'd love to be able to tell the story that Glen Bennett has said in which he gave some flowers to the Queen; I didn't get to do that but wouldn't that have been wonderful?Like the Hon Scott Simpson I remember getting to wave at the Queen as a little child. I remember very well being taken on school trips to do that. One of the reasons was the wonderful unifying factor she is not only for this country but for all the countries of the Commonwealth. At a time when there has been so much disunity in the world she was the one who has been able to stand like a beacon. Some of us were brought up to listen to the Queen's speech each Christmas. I always enjoyed that primarily because there'd be only little tiny moments of personal reflection. Mostly it was about us the people and just occasionally would have this little moment where she would reflect a little bit on her own year.But she made some very smart decisions. Number one: she never gave an interview to the media something I wish we could do without. Wouldn't that be a joy? That would bring us all together wouldn't it? It would be a delight. She always stayed above that and I think that is one of the great things. But the other thing is we saw her as a mother as a wife as a grieving widow when her husband Prince Philip died and having to sit alone because of the COVID restrictions. And didn't she do it with dignity? Everything she did was with dignity. She didn't go sobbing all over the place telling her stories to tabloids attacking anybody else on their personal situations. She just rose above it every single time. When I think about what she did in her work with forming a relationship a bond with the Irish people that was a very smart but brave thing to do and the right thing to do. These are the sorts of things where we'd look at Queen Elizabeth II and think Of course that's the right thing to do." Why did no one ever think that she wouldn't do that? Because she would. It was her family who stood by and assisted her to do that.I am a constitutional monarchist—like Sir Tipene O'Regan who I thought spoke terribly well actually about that—and the reason is because the monarchy does us no harm which is always good but secondly represents a Treaty partner. It also represents a culture that many of us feel connections to and have connections to but it actually represents our history and our present and I would say our future. Having met His Majesty King Charles when he was Prince of Wales and having met the current Prince of Wales I think we are in good hands. They are grieving. They are doing their job. They are doing their duty and I would expect nothing less.So thank you for the opportunity to make a contribution. I hope that those who are having to pay for the public holiday the businesses will reflect on the fact that they have lost a champion for democracy in the Queen but they have a new one in the King."