Genter Julie AnneHon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Minister for Women): Tēnā koe Madam Assistant Speaker. E rere kau mai Te Awa nui nei mai i Te Kāhui Maunga ki Tangaroa. Ko au Te Awa ko Te Awa ko au."[Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. "This majestic river flows directly from the cluster of mountains to Tangaroa deity of the sea and fish. I am the river and the river is me."]The river flows from the mountains to the sea. I am the river and the river is me. Toitū Te Marae ā Tāne Mahuta; toitū Te Marae ā Tangaroa; toitū te tangata. [The marae of Tāne Mahuta deity of the forests and birds stands undisturbed; the marae of Tangaroa deity of the sea and fish stands untouched; man is sustainable.]If the land is well and the sea is well the people will thrive. This wisdom was known to many previous generations of tangata whenua. The health of the land and the sea is critical to our own well-being and furthermore the health and well-being of our communities of our neighbours and of all of the people—our fellow citizens in this country—affects our own well-being. We are all connected.The reason I stood for Parliament in particular for the Green Party of Aotearoa / New Zealand is because I have hope. I have hope that love will triumph over fear. I have hope that we as fellow humans as part of this richly diverse ecosystem that is currently under a considerable threat can overcome our differences and our most selfish tendencies and impulses and be our best selves and work together to stabilise the climate; that we can work together to restore our rivers and our native species; that we can work together to achieve peace that we can work together to achieve justice; and that we can all live our lives respectfully—respectfully—of our fellow humans and of the planet that gives us life.Although it's common in this Parliament for us to focus on the short term and the drama of the daily game which is evidenced perfectly by the National Party—newly in Opposition caught up in trivial questions and trying to hamper the progress of the new Government with spurious allegations—I want to talk about the bigger picture. The work that we as policy makers as legislators and as politicians do here will determine the course of our history. Democracy here in Aotearoa but also globally is our best chance at solving the climate crisis and reducing inequality. Inequality in and of itself is anathema to democracy.This new Government and the Prime Minister's Speech from the Throne could not have come soon enough because for the first time in nine years we have a Government that believes it has a real responsibility to protect the environment and to protect and empower all of our people. And for the first time in the history of Aotearoa we have Green Party Ministers of which I am hugely privileged to be one. I stand on the shoulders of all those who came before me. I will not waste one moment. I will do everything I can to bring the Green kaupapa into the policy and processes of this Government which represents more than just one party. This Government represents a wider variety of views of New Zealand citizens and I think that is a fantastic thing for democracy.The National Party Opposition are giving their passionate empty speeches parroting talking points—anything to criticise the Government or to claim that it is not possible to do better than they did in the past nine years. I don't believe this is because they are bad; I just think they don't see that we're all connected and they don't acknowledge that the playing field so to speak of our society is not level. There is a history of colonisation and subjugation that leaves a legacy of conscious and unconscious bias and will prevent justice unless we all work together to overcome it. When they speak of freedom for individuals it is the freedom of a few privileged people—mostly white; mostly male—to continue to profit excessively at the expense of the many people who do the real work of our society.The National Opposition do not see that the economy isn't money; it isn't just about business. A stronger economy is not achieved by a few hundred millionaires making tens of millions tax-free in capital gains while homelessness increases in Aotearoa. The economy is not a thing that is separate to us; it is entirely made up of us. It is entirely made up of people and our natural resources and if we want to thrive for the long term and leave a better future for our children and grandchildren we have to look after both and that is the path the Green Party as part of this new Government is committed to: one of love for all people and our planet. Aroha mai aroha atu.[Empathy is incoming and outgoing.]"