Brewer Cameron; Pugh MaureenCAMERON BREWER (National—Upper Harbour): I rise in support of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill. Kumbaya" had broken out until Ginny Andersen got to her feet and launched an unprovoked attack on this Government when we were just trying to be the nation's great unifiers. I stand here alongside all parties in support of this amendment bill. The bill as you know currently seeks to delay the repeal of the experience pathway for social workers' registrations. Delaying the repeal of that experience pathway will act as a short-term mechanism to help reduce the workforce pressures in the social work sector by continuing to provide an alternative means of entering that very important profession. The coalition Government as the Minister Louise Upston said to us last night recognises and values the critical role that social workers play in our communities. They provide essential front-line services to vulnerable New Zealanders. We saw the role they played during the COVID-19 pandemic during the recent weather events of a year ago Cyclone Gabrielle and the flooding around the country. So this Government is committed to supporting earlier interventions which are more effective for those most at risk.There are two pathways for registration currently. As we know it's the qualification pathway and you can do a Bachelor's degree in many universities across New Zealand. In fact you have been able to for a number of years. Despite my youthful looks my flatmate did a Bachelor of Social Work 33 years ago when I was in my first year at university at the great university of Palmerston North. To be eligible for registration as the House has well traversed applicants must have a qualification prescribed by the Social Workers Registration Board. However section 13 of the Social Workers Registration Act of 2003 provides this alternative experience pathway to registration for people who have had extensive practical experience but who do not have the prescribed qualification.It was in 2017 that Cabinet agreed to repeal the experience pathway with the delayed commencement date and we believe as a Government that more time is now needed. As the Minister has suggested perhaps it's going to be an amendment for a two-year extension to aid the sector to transition to a mandatory qualification setting due to social worker shortages that currently are faced. As the member for Northcote Dan Bidois has already said the Social Workers Registration Board estimate that there are 700 unfulfilled social worker vacancies currently. This has been also in growing recognition in recent years of the importance of diversifying the social work sector to better serve the communities more effectively. Extending for a couple more years the experience pathway is a key avenue to supporting this.I look back and this has had a long gestation at the Social Services and Community Committee report back to the House in August 2023. Submitters were almost universal in their praise for this delay. Submitters told the committee that delaying the repeal and retaining the experience pathway would among other things recognise the importance of real-world experience and having a range of pathways into the social work profession would acknowledge that qualifications are not the only way to demonstrate competence as a social worker that it would help to fulfil the current workforce demand it would allow for greater diversity in the profession and it would allow for more time to explore other options with social worker registration. There were some differing views but the National Party is satisfied that pulling in the extension from four years to two years will mean that the mandatory registration of social workers and the public safety will remain absolutely paramount.Looking through the explanatory note it's been well traversed by previous speakers exactly why we're doing this. It also gives us the opportunity to consider other entry pathways as I've said into the social work sector. Carmel Sepuloni spoke last night and she too of course has been a leader in this piece of work. Workforce pressures on social workers exacerbated by COVID-19—this extension of this repeal will certainly help. So I commend this bill to the House.Motion agreed to.Bill read a second time.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): Members we are about to again begin the first of the maiden speeches so while we transition and the gallery fills up we may just take a one-minute pause."