Garcia PauloPAULO GARCIA (National—New Lynn): I begin my contribution by commending the Hon Dr Duncan Webb for bringing the McLean Institute (Trust Variation) Bill through the process in the House and now on to its second reading. It is a timely variation bill. It is timely because the McLean Institute Act which established the McLean Institute was enacted in 1909. This was two years after Allan McLean wrote in his will that he wanted to provide care for women and their children should they come into difficult circumstances—just bearing in mind that the will was written in 1904 and then amended in 1906. That led to the establishment of the McLean Institute Act in 1909.This is timely because the fact that the McLean Institute was created in legislation required that amendments to the McLean Institute trust that was created by the will that was embedded in the Act could not be amended without resorting to the High Court and/or through legislation again. So in 1930 the Act was amended again—then in 1934. Both amendments dealt with issues that were essentially the sign of the times and the changing need for the trust to carry on with the intent of the will of Allan McLean. What happened in 1930 was that the original Act had provided that women and their children who had already been receiving a type of pension then existing could not be given assistance by the McLean Institute Act. That was amended in 1930 and then again in 1934. Another amendment through legislation again had to be made in terms of providing specific funding to specific women and their children.So one can see very clearly that to go through a process to amend the Act through legislation like we're doing entails considerable cost. I repeat what the Hon Dr Duncan Webb pointed out which was that the institute board had tried to amend the Act through the High Court which the High Court pushed back on and declined saying that they were not empowered by the then trusts Act of 1957 to deal with the amendments that the McLean Institute board were asking for—hence this legislative process. The amendment that the bill seeks to make is to take the McLean Institute out of the legislative process thereby saving on cost and allowing for the McLean Institute board to make decisions administratively with regard to the changing needs of the intended beneficiaries of the trust. Also there was need to ensure that the trust's objectives however could not be changed without the High Court going through the process and approving such changes. So those are the two changes essentially—that it's taken out of the legislative process and then administratively the board could make decisions without resorting to the process. And if there were changes that needed to be made to the trust deed the High Court would have to go through and approve those changes.At first glance the McLean Institute Act really spoke about a time that we only see in movies. I have four daughters and a wife and I must have watched Pride and Prejudice so many many many times. This is a house favourite. There are 17—there are 17—movie versions of Pride and Prejudice. I was shocked to find that out but I would have probably watched the last four versions over the last 30 years at least—Hon Dr Deborah Russell: The BBC's the best.PAULO GARCIA: —yes—hmm—well about 20 times you know. So it's always a house favourite. Thinking about that time helps us understand what Allan McLean wanted to do. He envisioned that women should not have to go through hardship and that he wanted them to be provided with accommodation and care especially for them and their children. When Allan McLean referred in his will to women—genteel women" "educated women" "women educated by their families"—it really conjures up the images of Miss Elizabeth as against Mr Darcy in those movies. I must admit I'm a fan after so many viewings!So thinking about what he intended it was actually quite admirable that he had that intention. Now that intention needs to be broadened out because the challenges to women have expanded dramatically and radically and now women have mental health issues addiction disability trauma violence homelessness poverty dislocation. It's expanded so much from the time of Miss Elizabeth and it is time to expand the ability of the trust to address these new world issues. Allan McLean should be commended. I thought that he must have loved his family so much that he wanted to extend that to others something that we would like to be able to see more of. But the McLean Institute board in recognising that the challenges to women have become so complex and so so many and so varied must be given this opportunity to make this amendment and carry on with this expanded use of the McLean Institute and the Holly Lea which was the entity that was set up to care for women and their children. The trust also expands application to children from just 10 years old up to 18 years old—so again recognising the challenges that our young people face. So I commend Allan McLean and his will and this trust variation bill to the House."