Hipkins ChrisCHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka): I am happy to take a brief call on the plain packaging of cigarettes and to give my absolute and full support to this bill. It is important to remember that this is not an issue that just affects the people who smoke the cigarettes. It affects everybody around them including children including people who are in public places including people who are in the workplace and including the people who when they are using public transport sit next to someone who smokes. This is an issue that affects everybody and I think that the plain packaging of tobacco is well and truly justified. The burden that this will place will predominantly fall on the tobacco industry and I want to be clear about this: I have never been confused about my own position when it comes to the tobacco industry. I have never been conflicted in my own position. It is an industry entirely without conscience and entirely without any moral compass. This is an industry that sets out to kill its customers and it does so without any sense of remorse so the fact that this Parliament is passing legislation that is going to disadvantage it is in my view nothing to be ashamed of and is something that we should be fully in support of. I have always been in favour of measures that will reduce smoking and that will reduce the harm that comes from smoking. I have to say to the members opposite who have changed their position or have been confused about their position that they should search deeply within themselves to find their own moral conscience and ensure that they do the right thing in supporting this not just because they are told to do so by their party but because they actually find within themselves the belief that this is the right thing to do—because it is the right thing to do. I refer in particular to the members who have said things like there aren't any studies to suggest that plain packaging will work at stopping people from taking up smoking or helping them to quit smoking. There's not one study to suggest that". That was a comment from a National member of Parliament. Another comment from the same National member of Parliament: "we are worried about retailers. We are worried about the impact of plain packaging on intellectual property treaties that New Zealand is subject to and global trade treaties." Those of course—members will be well aware—were the comments of Chris Bishop who is a National member of Parliament. The fact that he may have made those comments as the Chair pointed out before he was a member of Parliament does not change the facts of the matter. When voters vote they vote for us based on who we are as people and what people say before they become members of Parliament has a bearing on the views that voters should be entitled to form of us. I want to say very clearly that I have always been opposed to the tobacco industry and the tobacco lobby and I will continue to speak out against them at every available opportunity. This bill has been on Parliament's Order Paper since 2013. The industry and all of those who work within the industry have had plenty of time to adapt and prepare for this law change that we will be progressing today. There is simply no justification for saying that it should be further delayed because of the cost that it will bear on business. The cost will predominantly fall on the tobacco companies whose job as I have said is to kill people. That is what they set out to do. The product that they supply—they know that it kills people and they continue to supply it they continue to promote it without any sense of remorse and I think the Parliament is doing absolutely the right thing in passing this legislation without any further delay."