SpeechSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): Thank you Madam Speaker. As other speakers have noted we bring to mind as we begin this parliamentary year all those New Zealanders who are struggling suffering as a consequence of these very serious weather events that have hit over a number of weeks. And while I like any member of the House could talk a lot about that I think it's appropriate as we stand on this bill to first acknowledge Minister Edmonds' words and to echo those as we remember Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens two firefighters from a volunteer crew in Muriwai who lost their lives—doing something we're told from their families and friends they loved which we know is true of pretty much all firefighters in New Zealand. They do it out of passion and out of service for their family and community. But none of them—none of them—wish of course for this ultimate sacrifice to happen.So when remembering them their family their friends their colleagues I think too their deaths are a very poignant reminder—certainly to me and I'm pretty sure to everyone—of those who continue to serve. So we mourn Dave and Craig but we are reminded of the service that all their colleagues make every day and the dangers which they face. And it behoves us not only to remember those who have died but to ensure we honour their legacy by doing all we can to support those who support us in the fire service.Now of course those are grand words from a politician and you know it's a hard thing in this House at times to try and live up to that and it's going to be an immense challenge to us. But this bill tonight is just a small—and I really want to stress that particularly to any of those in the fire service who are listening: this is just a very very small part of what we can do. I'm very aware as I'm sure the new Minister is of a lot of the challenges which are put to us of what the fire service wants—and I want to quickly signal to the Minister that I'm not here to debate that tonight. But this in a small way is that attempt: an attempt to make the system better fairer more equitable stable just whatever the right terms are. So again we honour and remember Dave and Craig and their service and of course the fire crews the first responders and everybody else who's continuing to work. Because this is the other legacy of what's happened over recent weeks: it's not over—won't be over for a very long time.Switching to something slightly more positive can I acknowledge the new Minister. She has big shoes to fill. Jan Tinetti has done I think a very good job in her role as internal affairs Minister guiding this piece of legislation to the place it is now. So to acknowledge the Hon Barbara Edmonds: I hope you're still enjoying that honorific at the start! Yeah to acknowledge her there.National of course is continuing to support this bill. As the Minister well outlined it's an attempt to make the system a little bit clearer and fairer. I think it was back in about 2017 that this bill was introduced—sorry not this bill; the law which we operate under bringing about what's now known as Fire and Emergency New Zealand. It came about and there was a provision in there that around 2023 there needed to be in effect a review and then an implementation of a new levy system. And in terms of the review it was seen there were a few elements that weren't working as well as they could. And so the initial element of the bill—and of course we're at stage two but the initial element of the bill was really looking at how we levy contracts. And really importantly—and I don't intend to go into great detail partly because I'm not 100 percent up to speed and don't want to mislead the House because as the Speaker knows that is not a good thing to do.But at the moment in many ways the levy is just charged across if you will the entirety of an insurance contract. This gets much more specific to say it's on the fire component. As I understand through the Governance and Administration Committee there's been some debate about marine-based fires: boats that are on fire on shore close to shore and so forth—I think really important to those in the maritime space. This piece of primary legislation is not going to directly address that issue. That issue of exemptions—and the Minister also talked about the likes of museums—is going to be part of ongoing regulatory discussions. So it probably gets a little I don't know academic but this primary legislation we're looking at tonight does not feel it needs to be so specific in addressing the likes of fires in the marine space.But as I say one of the first elements is the levy is on insurance policies very specific into the fire space and not in general. The calculation of the levy based on the sum insured versus the amount insured—again I will not bore the House. As someone who has been involved in the insurance industry it is well known the definitions between those terms and again that's providing some wider clarity. There's some discussion around motor vehicles—that's been part of it as well—and as we say around exemptions. Again particularly to the museum space if I was to put my arts culture and heritage hat on it's not that I think the Government's ignoring the need for an exemption there; it just does not want to and I think rightly specify this in an absolute particular piece of legislation. Exemptions can be dealt with I think rightly and appropriately through regulation.The select committee worked very hard on it. I don't think the Government and Admin—[Interruption] Sorry a compliment came from the Government and it completely threw me—completely threw me. Heckling I'm fine with; a compliment oh my God no! No the Governance and Administration Committee is possibly not seen as the most dynamic of all—Hon Member: Oh that's an insult!SIMON O'CONNOR: No no no no; you've got to allow me to finish my sentence: of all the committees people think the Finance and Expenditure Committee for example is really big or Health but actually Governance and Admin do an incredible amount of work as this bill illustrates so I think it's one of the underrated committees—and thank you to my colleagues for allowing me to finish my thought.They've done a great job with this; there were 19 submissions. Some people might feel that's not too many but actually that's some really key interested parties. Twelve people presented orally or verbally to the committee. Look it would seem reading through those that there's a general consensus that these changes are needed but importantly a much wider discussion on how we actually do the levies and I am pleased to hear the Minister talk about the possible need for this in the medium term I think she indicated. I would echo that. I've only just taken over the internal affairs role but I must say that I do have a number of questions already around using insurance policies to levy. But it's all well and good to say that without obviously having the alternatives in place but I believe New Zealand is one of the few countries that uses an insurance-based system for a service which everyone obtains. I mean that in two ways. First and foremost those who do not insure their property will still have the fire service turn up to put the fire out which is not wrong but there are still questions there. The other of course—and the Minister alluded to it right from the start—is that the fire service now does a lot more than simply putting out fires. I think of the amazing fire crew we have—or crews—in my electorate of St Heliers. A lot of their call-outs are not putting out fires; it's paramedical events it's car accidents and so forth or more recently when I was visiting they had to go and rescue one of my constituents who had locked herself in the bathroom. But out they went as you do. So there's an array of activities they undertake which if you will are detached from fire and certainly from insurance policies. So I certainly encourage the Minister to look into that much more urgently.But as I say we're happy to see this report come back. We're happy with the recommended changes; looking through them they make sense and as I commend this bill to the House it's once again to remember those two firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the service obviously of the country but I think really importantly—which I think is the most poignant for me—for their family and friends in that community in Muriwai. May they rest in peace.