O'Connor GregGREG O'CONNOR (Labour—Ōhāriu): During recent debates in this House I've heard members opposite with some fear and trepidation in their faces and voices saying We should be slow followers. We shouldn't be fast movers." On this side of the House a progressive Government we are fast movers. We are making sure that this Government that this country is where it needs to be. And one needs no more evidence of the fear of how slow movers they are—every speaker over there has mentioned 1853 as being the pivot point we should be looking at when we look at this bill. In 1853 just a reminder the New Zealand Constitution Act—it was actually 1852—passed. To vote you had to be male. You had to be a British citizen. You had to be 21 years old. You had to own a certain value of land and not be serving a criminal sentence. While by my reckoning there were about 150 Māori in New Zealand at the time they didn't get to vote. There were at least half the people of New Zealand who were women. They didn't get to vote. So "Let's go back to a law. Let's go back to a point in time in 1853 or 1852 when the bill was passed and let's lock ourselves into that."One has only to hear the debate to see how polarised this referendum this next election is going to be because the speakers who have spoken today particularly on the other side of the House have shown their colours and their disappointment at the way in which this Referendums Framework Bill is being introduced and is going to be passed. It is because they are afraid of the result. Mr Macindoe made it quite clear where he stands on both of the referenda issues that are going to be addressed in the next election. So therefore if you have a polarised position if you know exactly what the answer you want is you will be fearful of any process which may deliver an answer that you don't want.I and those on this side of the House have faith in our democratic system. We on this side of the House are very happy that a well-informed New Zealand public—well-informed and more importantly those who are prepared to look at the arguments for and against—will actually make the right decision. And this Referendums Framework Bill simply ensures that the framework under which these two referenda are going to be voted on how they're going to be introduced and how they're going to be referred to is a fair one. You only have to look at the way in which it's going to be advertised. It's important we think. There are a lot of placards a lot of billboards around elections now. Just wait till next year because there are going to be any number of organisations who perhaps normally don't partake in the electoral process who will be partaking. So it is very important that there be a framework around which the two referenda are going to be conducted. For example promoter statements must include all names and addresses on all referendum advertisements. Well that's pretty fair because surely anyone who is seeking to ensure that they are getting the right message should know the bona fides they should know the background of those who are going to be putting up the billboards those who are giving the messaging those who are going to be putting material through their social media and it is very important. So for those listening at home wondering what this debate is about it's about ensuring that these referenda are as fair as they possibly can be. Promoters are to register if they intend to spend over a certain threshold on advertising. So essentially you'll be seeing that the rules are going to be aligned to be the same as those for the election. I won't go through the whole lot but importantly this last one is that where expenditure on dual advertisements where the advertisement is going to be for a position on the referenda and perhaps for a party—and we've already seen from the speakers on the other side and we know where a majority of that party is going to be standing on many of these things—it is quite clear that the funding and the promoters count towards both the election and the referenda. So no one should fear. This is about providing a very fair workable framework on which the referenda and the election will be conducted. I commend this bill."