Hipkins Chris; Brownlee GerryRt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition): Mr Speaker. It's difficult to put into words what a huge and momentous day this is for New Zealand and no one will be feeling that more than the survivors of abuse in State and faith-based care whose experiences have been heard and now told by the Royal Commission. As I look in the gallery Mr Speaker I see many familiar faces. I want to acknowledge you the survivors for your strength your courage and your perseverance. How long and hard you have fought. Many of you have dedicated your lives to this fight and many of you have dedicated your lives to protecting and being a voice for future generations so that they do not have to endure what you had. We see you we hear you and we thank you and whilst a formal apology is still some time away we are sorry. As a society and as a country we are sorry. For too long across governments across generations far too many people have turned their backs on you. The State and its institutions not only allowed this abuse to happen it then denied you your voice and worse covered up the extent of the atrocities that took place. Mr. Speaker debts come in many forms not just financial and New Zealand owes an enormous debt to the survivors. The Royal Commission has shone a light on a nationwide intergenerational shame for New Zealand. We must finally hear the voices of the survivors and we must take action. Reading the report Mr. Speaker I cannot imagine how it would feel to be told as a child that nobody loves you and then for those who were entrusted to care for you to then set about demonstrating that through their actions. I cannot imagine the trauma—the lifelong trauma—that would have inflicted. I was moved by a quote relatively early in the report from one of the survivors: I was always unwanted as a little kid and now I always think I'm unwanted by other people or my partners. The trauma endures. The trauma doesn't go away." Abuse in state care took many forms: shame humiliation physical abuse physical violence sexual abuse sexual violence weapons electric shocks drugs deprivation isolation. The burden of abuse in state care afflicted some sections of our population more than others. tamariki rangatahi and pakeke Māori were often targeted due to ethnicity and as the report finds this was often overlaid with racism. Pacific children were similarly targeted; deaf and disabled as well. The survivors live on a day-to-day basis with the consequences of that abuse but so do we as a society. The report asks the question how did this happen? I want to quote directly from the report a sobering finding: "Society's discriminatory attitudes towards difference including racism ableism disablism sexism homophobia transphobia punitive attitudes towards whānau and individuals who need support all had one thing in common: they devalued and dehumanised children young people and adults in care." Mr. Speaker those words are a siren call to all of us today. They are a ruler that we should measure our actions today against because the abuse in State care is not over. I want to quote another sobering passage from the report: "Most of the factors that led or contributed to abuse and neglect during the inquiry period continue to persist." Mr. Speaker if this inquiry is to mean anything we must consider the voices of the survivors in the actions that we take today as we respond to contemporary challenges of today. I want to in that regard quote again directly from the report—make sure I get the right quote—and it's from Dr Rawiri Waretini-Karena's who was quoted start of this report. "I was 18 when I walked into the yard—never been to prison before. I walked out into the yard and there were 50 men there. I knew 45 of them that's because they were beside me in the social welfare homes the family homes and the boys' homes. So that's when I realised there was a pipeline to prison process." Mr Speaker we must remember that. We must acknowledge that the shameful history of abuse in state care has led to prisons overflowing with some of the survivors of that abuse. Gangs contain survivors of that abuse. I want to address the Prime Minister and thank him for his words. Our Government set up this inquiry and we'd made some changes. We changed the redress rules on an interim basis and we did set up the Survivor Experiences Board. But Prime Minister we didn't do enough and the ball now falls to you and your Government. This must be bigger than politics. We owe it to the survivors and to future generations to finally deliver justice and to finally end the ongoing abuse that happens in State care. This work will extend beyond the life of any one Government so we should work together to make sure that happens.I finally want to end with the words of the Royal Commission and how they began their report because I want those words to be read into the record of the House: "Greetings to you who came to us with nothing in your hands with sorrow clouding your hearts the burden of guilt weighing heavily on your very being spirits crushed by the shame that still pervades your minds proffering a simple prayer deliver us. We listened to your anguished memories heard the sobbing of your hearts and have been tasked to give you solace from the harsh winds of time resolution from the gravity of your abuse. May the unseen hand of Providence shine upon you the wisdom of the ages guide you and that the truth and justice we have sought together may find you respite. Finally let us pay homage to those who did not see the end of this long journey those of you who now rest beyond the collective realm of memories into the deep recesses of night we bid you farewell. Sleep in eternal serenity in the embrace of your ancestors. While your voices are now silent your words will endure. Rest in peace. And in that peace we hope you find solace in this report."SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to."