Martin TraceyHon TRACEY MARTIN (Minister for Children): Kia ora Madam Assistant Speaker. Thank you very much. I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to support the bill to select committee. I want to acknowledge Mojo Mathers. I was here in 2012. I remember the discussion around the funding issue and how unprepared this Parliament was at that time for Ms Mathers' requirements. I remember the caucus meeting that we had because it was quite an interesting period of time. It was quite contentious. I remember the caucus meeting that we had and normally we're not allowed to breach conversations in caucus but I remember the Rt Hon Winston Peters putting forward a solution and asking caucus whether we would support that solution. Then he went public with that announcement. I quote from an article talking about—I believe it's the New Zealand Herald but it was certainly an article from 15 February 2012—the Rt Hon Winston Peters: NZ First leader Winston Peters has offered to contribute [their] staff funding towards the cost of [the] electronic note-taking. 'It is [unbelievable] that the Parliamentary Service insists on a working environment free from discrimination on the basis of disability yet a deaf MP is refused funding to enable her to do her job.' " I know that at the end of the day a satisfactory arrangement was reached with the Speaker's office and the $30000 I believe that was actually requested from Ms Mathers' budget that New Zealand First offered to help supplement was not required. So that was a good thing that that was the outcome.I do draw attention to this particular paragraph in the explanatory note which does talk to the three legs of the bill: "this bill will establish an Election Access Fund to be administered by the Electoral Commission."—so the answer is that it will be administered by the Electoral Commission—"The Fund may be used by any disabled candidate to cover disability-related costs of standing in a general election. These costs … include"—and it goes on to list a few. "The Fund may also be used by any not-for-profit body running an election education event"—we would suggest that the Electoral Commission should already be funding fully accessible information and that there should not be a requirement for a not-for-profit to have to go and do the work that the Electoral Commission is actually charged with to make sure that all New Zealanders have access to their democracy. So that is a particular point that we would like to discuss at select committee."Finally the Fund may be used by any registered political party to support the access needs of any of their members …". I draw attention to the fact that New Zealand First was one of the first political parties to select a blind candidate back in the late 1990s. We as a party wrapped our support around our candidate. We had selected that person as the best person to stand in that electorate—I believe it was Manurewa. It was our responsibility to make sure that they understood that they were supported not only figuratively by the party but physically and literally by our party. That was our job. So we have some difficulty with the fact that a political party would then go and seek some other funding when there is a responsibility for them to provide that support to their candidates—another thing we would want to talk about.So in closing because these are five-minute calls this is a House of Representatives that has already been acknowledged. Actually if you can't look down into this House and see somebody who represents your experiences your views and your values then it's not working properly. So we support—absolutely support—the intent but we'd like to have that wider conversation about a requirement perhaps a template when candidates are out there campaigning. All stages should have ramps for any candidate that is in a wheelchair. The lecterns are at a level where if you have a candidate in a wheelchair they would not be seen or they would have to go to one side. There are small little things when we just think about our fellow citizens and those with challenges or different needs than some of us. I raise these also as the Minister for Seniors. Seniors sometimes face multiple discrimination which is ageism as well as accessibility issues. I raise it as the Associate Minister of Education with responsibility for disability and learning support. This is an opportunity for this House to lead the way with a change of attitude towards those of our citizens who have some other challenges than the challenges that I have—because believe me I've got a few but they just don't happen to necessarily be physically obvious. So more power to you. We hope to have these conversations in select committee. You see we have some concerns but we don't think they're insurmountable so we look forward to the conversation going forward."