Lee MelissaMELISSA LEE (National): Thank you very much Madam Speaker and I thank the speaker who just sat down Dr Liz Craig for that very short speech. I'm wondering whether I could actually take some of her time considering this is actually a split call. Having said that I shall see how I go and see how the room feels.I stand on this side of the House together with my National Party colleagues in support of this bill. First of all I'd like to acknowledge the Minister in charge of this bill the Hon Carmel Sepuloni for seeing this through and also the select committee chairs and the members who have actually actively participated in the process of this bill. I have to first of all declare that I haven't been part of the process but when I came to this Chamber and found that we were debating this I had to volunteer to speak. And I hope that the House will give me a little bit of leeway to talk about the Korean War because Korean War veterans mean a heck of a lot to me and today is the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War.Some of the elements in this bill—well it's actually a very small scope in the sense that we are wanting to make sure that our veterans pension is not disadvantaged by spousal deductions when they have partners who may be younger and who are entitled to overseas pensions and if their pension amount is higher than what the New Zealand situation is the pension of the veteran was actually deducted. That seems extremely unfair. For people who have actually sacrificed and volunteered to fight in war for the democracy of the foreign countries that this nation has deemed our soldiers and sailors had to attempt to fight for I believe we have to do everything we can to make sure that we respect them we honour them and make sure that we provide for them and protect their pension and hopefully pay them actually more than what we are doing. And I think this bill does that. So I'd like to thank all of the members who have actually supported it.On 25 June 1950 just before dawn war broke out in Korea. North Korea invaded South Korea. During that time the UN put out a call to the world for people to volunteer to fight to come to the aid of Korea. New Zealand was one of the first countries to respond to the call of the UN and within days two frigates were sent on their way to fight the war in Korea—it only took days. Actually war broke out on 25 June and when New Zealand frigates actually arrived in Pusan it was 30 July. So it wasn't many days actually after the war broke out.After that first arrival of the frigates in December 10 1950 thousands of New Zealand men sailed to fight for a distant country for democracy. The Prime Minister of the day Sidney Holland farewelled soldiers who were known as the K-force. And some of the battles that they fought were really really bloody and many New Zealand K-force veterans remember how difficult it was during the winter months where their boots split open because they weren't prepared as to how cold it was and how bloody it was. In one hour during the Kapyong battle in Korea when they were fighting the North Koreans and the Chinese they shot off 2300 shells. New Zealand forces did that in an hour. That's an amazing number of shots.Not only did the New Zealand veterans who fought in the war battle the war but they were also cultural ambassadors for New Zealand. I as a Korean child born in Korea was raised to believe that the song we now know—well I now know—as Pokare Kare Ana was in fact a Korean song. I thought it was a Korean song. It is called Yeon-Ga which means love song. It is the same tune and the lyrics have the same meaning as Pokare Kare Ana. It was learnt by Korean children because the Korean veterans sang it to them and taught it to them. They were in fact the cultural ambassadors in Korea for New Zealand. It is the veterans who have fostered closer relationship with Korea. And I honour them. And for those 47 who never returned to this country after the war lest we forget.Madam Speaker could I use some of that time that Liz Craig—no?DEPUTY SPEAKER: Unfortunately not.MELISSA LEE: Oh what a shame. Can I seek leave Madam Speaker?DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well you can seek leave yes.MELISSA LEE: I seek leave to extend a little bit of time to talk about part of the bill if I may to use up Liz Craig's—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is objection. I did give the member some licence to honour the Korean War veterans. Well other people had talking about their mothers and you know so.