Trask LauraLAURA TRASK (ACT): Kia ora koutou katoa and thank you Mr Speaker. I rise today with gratitude and humility to address this assembly for the first time. As I stand here I am mindful of the rich history and responsibility that comes with being a representative of the people. Today I would like to share not only my journey but also the principles and vision that guide my commitment to serve New Zealand.Thank you to those supporting me from the gallery and thank you to those that are watching me at home including Riki and the kids who had their very first day back. Even my own kids don't get a free pass off school today—same as Andrew Hoggard's. Looks like we're setting the example.Firstly I extend my sincere congratulations to you Mr Speaker on your well-deserved appointment. Having been a resident in your old electorate for most of my life I can attest to the respect and esteem you hold among our fellow Cantabrians.I begin with a timeless truth: All that glitters is not gold" a quote from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. While not the grandest of utterances it has lingered with me since my seventh-form English class and I hope to explain how it holds special relevance for those of us entrusted to make decisions for the country.I was born and raised in Christchurch a beautiful city with the ocean to the east and the mountains to the west. As kids we enjoyed many days exploring the Canterbury Plains swimming in the Ashley River and beach days at Spencer Park. I am proudly one-eyed when I say Christchurch is the best city in the world the home to the Crusaders—would this be a speech to Canterbury without applying to the Crusaders?—and many great sporting greats; a city that in the face of disasters has only strengthened the local spirit. It sets the benchmark for community resilience.Growing up the family dinner table was a forum for spirited discussions on policies of the day and visions for New Zealand. My parents each with distinct political values mirror the diversity of ideas in this room and throughout New Zealand. My father William—or Bill as he is known—a proud Englishman with traditional conservative views migrated to New Zealand in the early 1980s seeking the island paradise lifestyle working as a sales rep and then a general manager in the food and beverage industry. In contrast my mother Sharyn with a childhood marked by challenges became a small-business owner at 20 when she opened her own hair salon. Both my parents have the entrepreneur knack and started their own business together in the 1990s.As the eldest of three children I enjoyed a childhood filled with opportunities and support. My parents instilled in me the values of hard work personal responsibility and determination. These principles became the bedrock of my character. In fact my first job was possibly age 10 sweeping the hair off the floor at my mum's hair salon. Now before my colleagues to the politically left scream "Child labour!" don't worry I was paid really well. I got a box of Just Juice a Freddo Frog and some change to go play Pac-Man at the fish and chip shop next door.After graduating from Burnside High School—everyone from Christchurch can tune out if you're watching—I embarked on a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Canterbury. These years were a time of exploration. I guess you could say that I was actually studying a "bachelor of socialising". I had no distinct goals. During my second year a life-altering accident shattered my left wrist and my hand. The forced downtime prompted a reassessment of my goals and aspirations.Facing the challenges of recovery I pivoted towards a career in pharmacy completing my pharmacy tech qualification. Working in community pharmacy introduced me to the diverse realities faced by individuals dealing with serious health challenges fostering an empathy and strengthening my connection to local community networks.My marriage to Riki marked the beginning of a new chapter. Together we made career changes moved to Auckland joined my family business Fire Safety Net (FSN) and transformed it into a national venture providing evacuation schemes for buildings and emergency response plans to businesses. These years while challenging with enormous professional development were immensely rewarding emphasising the importance of hard work and determination.Now as a parent of two children I've learnt the delicate balance required to navigate the demands of work family and community. Mum and Dad I now understand what it's like to be the family taxi driver taking the kids to rugby cheerleading basketball hockey; the list just goes on.The invaluable experiences gained in the pharmacy coupled with my role as an evacuation consultant in the family business exposed me to the challenges faced by everyday New Zealanders striving to do the best for their families and themselves and their communities—especially us small-business owners. Working as an evacuation consultant I had the privilege of being invited into almost every worksite that you can imagine from factory floors to hotels. I've literally been paid to help businesses navigate the red tape that has emerged from this room. I accept there's an irony in that that I am now standing here representing the ACT Party. The fact is: rules and regulations are crippling innovation and growth. The trajectory of health and safety measures has shifted from a lack of accountability to an absence of common sense. The fundamental right of the individual to work and go to work and come home safely is indisputable. However the proliferation of pointless tick-the-box exercises not only poses a significant financial burden on businesses but regrettably fails to translate into less incidents and serious accidents resulting in death. Contrary to expectations statistics reveal a concerning uptick in serious workplace incidents and fatalities. This begs the critical question: how can this worrying trend persist despite excessive safety protocols? It is imperative that we have the settings right to tackle the workplaces with appalling health and safety and let the rest of us get on with it.All that glitters is not gold. Sparkling-sounding well-intended legislation incorporating words such as "fair clean new safe" in the title has often proved to not deliver any real meaningful change and often worse has had unintended negative outcomes. There are also unintended winners from regulation. Big business—who can easily afford to implement complex protocols—enjoy the fact that smaller would-be competitors face barriers to open and grow.Of course there's my own sector. I've watched as others in health and safety compliance lobby for more rules and more complexity with the sneaking suspicion that the increased work stream isn't an unintended cost but instead the whole point. I suspect this dynamic will be familiar to other sectors whether it be tax compliance or resource management. But I've spent too much time talking to small-business owners that are financially and psychologically battered by compliance costs while they try to deliver vital services on the thinnest of profit margins. These people are heroes. They aren't fat cats. They are you: the butcher the hairdresser the tradie the baker the beautician. They are the everyday Kiwis. It is within this context that I find my calling to public service. I am honoured to stand here today as a representative of the ACT Party—this Parliament's champion of individual freedom equal opportunity and limited Government interference.If all that glitters is not gold then what actually is gold? For starters: education. Every child deserves an education tailored to their unique talents and interests and it's time our education system reflected the needs and wants of our communities. We need to transform the landscape of learning encouraging diverse educational approaches. With initiatives like partnership schools we empower parents students edu-preneurs and iwi to forge a new educational path.Small businesses the lifeblood of our economy will excel in this House if we allow them. By unwinding stifling regulation we can foster a dynamic market that positions New Zealand globally as it's open to business.To my colleagues of the ACT caucus I want to thank you for your warm welcome and comradery. It's a privilege to work alongside individuals with such diverse skill sets and experiences united in a common mission. I have said my thanks to the ACT board for their trust in me and of course to David whose tireless commitment to freedom inspires us all.My heartfelt appreciation goes to my family: Mum Dad Riki Mahe and Emelia. Your support means the world to me. I am sorry Mahe and Emelia for making you stand on the corner near school during the campaign and wave bright pink signs. Hopefully the shame has dissipated over the holiday break and you are good to go back to school. I want to remind you however that while I'm committed to serving the people of New Zealand I am firstly committed to serving you. Mahe and Emelia I hope to make you proud.To my friends including those present today I extend my gratitude for your unwavering support countless hours of engaging conversations and boring you with political debates. Despite the divergence in our political perspectives your steadfast support for me remains unchanged. Thank you for your flexibility and the many social cancelations I made during the campaign and am now likely to make for the rest of my time here. To the ACT Party members donors volunteers and support crew your extraordinary efforts are the reason that we are here today. To the voters: I stand here today because of your trust and support. I am dedicated to representing your interests with integrity and passion. To my fellow candidates in the Banks Peninsula electorate: I commend you for the spirited debates your collegial spirit and I want to congratulate Vanessa Weenink who actually secured the seat. To my fellow ACT candidates who did not secure a seat this time particularly the Canterbury-based candidates—Matt Ankita Ben Toni and Ross—I wish you all the greatest success in your future endeavours. A special acknowledgment to Toni Severin and Ben Harvey for their guidance and influence in my journey. Toni your encouragement to become an ACT candidate has been instrumental. I thank you. And to Ben: thank you for steering me away from the socialists during our younger years. Whilst we may not have always agreed on politics back at the University of Canterbury the core libertarian ideas that we did discuss would find a place near to my heart as I travelled through life.To conclude: may our shared endeavours usher in an era in New Zealand where we don't just thrive on opportunity but we resonate with the profound wisdom shared by my 10-year-old son Mahe during his speech as his kaiārahi Māori leader at his kura: "He kaha ake tātou hei Kotahi. We are stronger as one." Thank you.[Applause]"