SpeechJAMIE STRANGE (Labour—Hamilton East): Thank you Mr Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to speak in this House for a final time. My journey to Parliament began in 2014 when I stood in the Taupō electorate alongside yourself Mr Speaker. And I remember phone calling the Labour Party stronghold of Cambridge! I made 30 calls—30 National Party voters on the end of the line. I soon realised I would need to develop a thick skin in order to become an MP. In 2017 I stood in the Hamilton East electorate under the leadership of Jacinda Ardern in the Let's do this" wave. I entered Parliament on the list—snuck in with a few other of my colleagues. Then in 2020 I won the Hamilton East electorate—first time a Labour candidate had won it since Dianne Yates in 2002; something I'll always treasure. Now in 2023 I move on with my family into new fields of endeavour and community service.I'd like to begin by acknowledging my family: Angela Jack Brooklyn Chloe Charlotte—also our three cats: Holly Snowy and Sparkles. I may well be the first MP to put their cats in Hansard. Thank you for your support. I couldn't have served in this way without you. Ange we've been best friends during our 27 years of marriage and I'm super proud of all the work that you are doing to serve our Waikato region. To our children for the times that we've been out and about and I've started talking with people and probably talked too long the times I've been in Wellington and missed some of your activities but mainly for putting up with an oversized photo of my face on our Toyota Estima for six years—never give up on your dreams. You can achieve anything and mum and dad are always there for you. To my wider family in Nelson Perth Hamilton and my sister Chelsea who is here today in the gallery thank you for your support.Being an MP is a community role. The more I ponder this word "community" I settle on the fact that everything we do is community whether it's education health housing sports arts politics business. It became very vivid to me when I recently heard a couple of local CEOs in Hamilton. They were talking about who would get the contract for a project. And one of them said to the other one "Well it doesn't really matter which one of us gets the project the money's all going back into the community anyway." And they were right because whether it goes back in wages whether it goes back to support for various organisations for schools everything we do everything we have here is community. It's about connection. And most of the problems in our society today can be traced back to people becoming disconnected. The more we can foster that connection the better we'll be as a society.Parliament is not about us MPs; it's about our open and liberal democracy. I remember someone say to me once that as an MP you enter Parliament; it's like diving into a swimming pool. You're in the pool for a while you hop out the water covers over and it was like you were never there. Because we have a strong democracy in New Zealand it's important that we continue to foster that democracy. It's very important that our jobs do not define us. If our jobs define us we can often have perverse outcomes.Parliament is a difficult place to get into. In fact there have been more male All Blacks than MPs. My first option was All Black but far too small for that! However it's also a difficult place to leave. How do we measure the success of an MP? Is it longevity? Is it impact? Is it favourability ratings? I'd like to suggest that we ask those closest to us—we ask our partners we ask our children we ask our key local leaders. They'll give us an honest answer of our performance.I believe we need a four-year term in Parliament to allow Governments time to fully implement the policies that they went to the electorate on. I acknowledge we don't have an Upper House and there'll be questions around not having enough checks and balances for four years but I believe that we are mature enough as a country to take on the four-year term. We have a stable democratic system that I believe could handle that.Politicians are public figures—we know that. We get into this job and we understand that. But often particularly around social media people tend to turn politicians into an object rather than a person. There have been many times particularly early on in my career when people have shared their views on social media and I've commented and I've said "Look. Book in a meeting." and I'm actually genuine but none of them book in a meeting. So I'd encourage everyone out there who's listening: please feel free to make your comments that's our free and open democracy but also meet with MPs—meet with us talk with us; we're open-minded people.We must continue to monitor the benefits of social media to our society and the purpose of this medium—we need to keep a close eye on it. I look forward to scaling back my social media presence and simply posting the odd random 1980s cricket video every couple of months. That gets a maximum of two likes: one from my father and the other from parliamentary staffer Peter Hoare whose cricket blog "My Life in Cricket Scorecards" I highly recommend.In 2019 the parliamentary cricket 11 took a trip to the UK paid for by corporate sponsors and individual MPs. And while we were there we contested the Inter-Parliamentary Cricket World Cup. We got thrashed in the world cup. But I remember attending the 2019 world cup final at Lord's that we did not lose—I just want to put that on Hansard too! Ha ha! I think that's important.In April 2021 I remember playing for the parliamentary 11 at Seddon Park in Hamilton and we played the Seddon Cricket Club. I was pretty nervous coming into bowl because this was my childhood dream—to play on Seddon Park. And I just remember thinking just pitch the ball in a good length outside off-stump. It's all you're trying to do. And I bowled it. The first batter got a single. The next batter came on strike—it was this batter's first ball—bowled it swung and I thought I heard a faint edge and I turned around and looked at the umpire and appealed and he said "That's out." I was like yes! Saw my name up on the scoreboard. However we got into the team huddle and I distinctively remember our co-captain Chris Bishop looking at me going "Jamie he was the sponsor of this event." And I got him out first ball! It was CEO Cam Wallace MediaWorks' CEO Cam Wallace as some of you will know. He'd actually paid $5000 for that event and I suitably felt pretty bad.On the theme of sport in 2023 our parliamentary football 11—we visited Brisbane and we played Australia and I'd like to acknowledge my co-captain David Bennett here. Last time we played Australia we hadn't won so David and I were determined to win this game. We were leading one nil with five minutes to go and the Australians got a break. I could tell this guy was quick and I knew we were in trouble. However all of a sudden from nowhere David Bennett came flying in and just wiped out an Australian MP and David was standing over the top of him and the guy was sharing his views about the tackle. I came across and David looked at me and he said "I had to do it." He's right; he did. And we held on and we won the game.In fact every time I visit Australia I often ponder the thought: will we ever become one country Australia and New Zealand? My personal view and it's only a personal view is that New Zealanders shouldn't rule that out. There would certainly be economic benefits economies of scale in the private and public sector opening ALDI stores on our shores. In fact technically the option remains open for New Zealand to join Australia under their constitution. The main problem I foresee though is: how do we integrate the Australian cricket team? But we conquered Everest so you never know.I'd like to thank a few people. I'd like to thank our Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. You're a very secure leader and that's often quite rare in leadership. And I feel like I'm someone who has been a student of leadership over many years. I'd like to acknowledge that about you. You're not afraid of having hard conversations. You have tremendous respect for the institution of Parliament and upholding our democracy and you understand the everyday New Zealander.To all of the party leaders in this House those who have served during my time and the current leaders Chris Luxon and James Shaw Marama Davidson David Seymour Rawiri Waititi whom I stood in Parliament for in 2014 Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: servant leadership is a sacrifice and I acknowledge the sacrifice that you're all making.Class of 2017 members from Labour: thank you for your friendship and support over the years and also class of 2017 members from the other parties. We're forever bonded as the group that entered this House in 2017 to do our bit for our country. I'll miss you all.To my Hamilton office colleague Nanaia Mahuta: thank you for your advice over the years. You're an inspirational leader and you've served the Hauraki-Waikato region with passion and empathy. We've shared an office for six years in Hamilton but due to our busy schedules we have only spent one day in the office together and that was the opening. But she helped me share the cost which is helpful.I'd like to acknowledge a couple of other people. I'd like to knowledge my good friend Paul Eagle the champion of the Chathams. If we tallied up how much Government funding each MP has attracted for areas of their electorate per capita Paul Eagle would win hands down. And I'm convinced that council passed a bylaw to ensure that the only mugs allowed on the Chatham Islands are Paul Eagle mugs.I'd like to acknowledge the Hon David Bennett. I have huge respect for you and the work that you've done in Hamilton since 2005 as a member of Parliament. I'm confident you've knocked on more doors than any other MP in the history of this House. And I know that because when I used to knock on doors people would say "Oh yeah David was here last week. I've been waiting for you to pop by." I'd also like to acknowledge the work you did on the expressway. That I know will be one of your legacies and it's significant in terms of the Hamilton to Auckland corridor and the growth in our region.I'd like to acknowledge key Hamilton parliamentary staff: Ray Stevens Tom Rowland Dan Steer who are all in the gallery and also Melissa White. Thank you for your support your reliability hard work and for serving the people of Hamilton.I'd like to acknowledge my MP gym buddies; you know who you are—I'm looking around the room.Rawiri Waititi: I'll miss you.JAMIE STRANGE: Yeah—Rawiri. I'll miss you too Rawiri. My children whom I love particularly love the parliamentary pool but I'd like to take this moment to apologise for all the manus performed in the parliamentary pool—and also those done by my children as well!One of my main goals was to attract Government investment into the Hamilton and the Waikato region and I did have a list here but I'm running out of time. But there have been a number of significant projects that this Government has invested in and these projects are absolutely vital for the Hamilton community.I'd like to acknowledge my parliamentary colleagues who have regularly attended the parliamentary prayer meeting for the past six years. Thank you for your support love and friendship. Our prayer group is a sea of peace and tranquillity in the hustle and bustle of Parliament life. And thank you to David and Russell for your service to us.I'd like to close with a prayer:God of Nations at Thy feetIn the bonds of love we meetHear our voices we entreatGod defend our free land.Guard Pacific's triple starFrom the shafts of strife and warMake her praises heard afarGod defend New Zealand.Men of every creed and raceGather here before Thy faceAsking Thee to bless this placeGod defend our free land.From dissension envy hateAnd corruption guard our StateMake our country good and greatGod defend New Zealand.Peace not war shall be our boastBut should foes assail our coastMake us then a mighty hostGod defend our free land.Lord of battles in Thy mightPut our enemies to flightLet our cause be just and rightGod defend New Zealand.Let our love for Thee increase May Thy blessings never ceaseGive us plenty give us peaceGod defend our free land.From dishonour and from shameGuard our country's spotless nameCrown her with immortal fameGod defend New Zealand.May our mountains ever beFreedom's ramparts on the seaMake us faithful unto TheeGod defend our free land.Guide her in the nations' vanPreaching love and truth to manWorking out Thy glorious planGod defend New Zealand.[Applause hongi and harirū]"