Davis Kelvin: Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Davis Kelvin: Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:674;Page:20085] 
KELVIN DAVIS (Labour) 
: 
 Tena koe. I have absolutely no time for the tobacco industry. I have an absolute loathing for that industry and the havoc it has caused. In my short time here in the Committee stage I want to touch on the devastation this industry has caused to us as Maori. I think of my two uncles—Hau Davis and J J Johnson—who died 10 years ago in their early 70s. They both died of lung cancer. They were both smokers probably from about the age of 7 or 8. So they had close to 60 years of smoking. Their premature deaths have robbed us and our hapu of probably 10 or 15 years of their knowledge their language and their understanding of te reo Maori and culture. I will narrow this speech down slightly soon Mr Chairperson but I think it is really important to say that this has meant that people like me have been left to cover the role that they once covered woefully inadequately prepared for that task. So it has had a devastating effect on us as Maori on our culture and our language. 
I applaud any move to remove incentives such as tobacco displays in shops and sponsorships. I do not care who dreamt up the idea 30 or 40 years ago or who carried it through. The fact is that this Parliament is making something of it now and that is what is most important. We cannot afford to carry on for another 10 15 or 20 years providing these incentives. Every time we walk into a dairy or a service station we see the power wall of tobacco products on display and it makes it so easy for children to come in and instead of looking at lollies which are bad enough in themselves all they can see is a big power wall display of tobacco products the colourful packages and the names that are meant to excite and entice them such as “Holiday” or some brand like that. It is meant to appeal to young teenage girls. “Slim” is another one. To me it is despicable that the tobacco industry has absolutely no conscience about the damage it has been doing to generations of New Zealanders—generations of Maori and of people right throughout the world. 
I want to go back to a story that was told during the tobacco inquiry. I acknowledge Hone Harawira who drove that tobacco inquiry for the work that he did. I have to add this plug: it is amazing what he can do when he works within the system—he is actually very very effective—instead of railing against it all the time. There was a story about a family who went to hospital because their mum their nana was in hospital dying of cancer as a result of smoking. This whanau because of— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: There is a debate going on between two members who do not have the floor. I have called the honourable Kelvin Davis. 
KELVIN DAVIS 
: Thank you Mr Chairperson. Because of the stress this family was under nursing their dying mother they had to go outside and have a cigarette themselves. They sat on a park bench in the smoke-free hospital grounds and had a cigarette. Right next to that park bench was the maternity ward. Pregnant mothers were coming out and sitting on that same bench having a cigarette with these people. The point of the story is what is the bet that in 20 or 30 years’ time it will be those unborn children who will be sitting on that same park bench having a cigarette while watching their mothers who were pregnant back then dying of cancer in hospital? 
It is a circle not of life but a circle of death that the tobacco companies perpetuate and they need to be held to account. The way to hold them to account is to cut their profits and the way to cut their profits is to make smoking less attractive. This is one of the steps that this Parliament is taking to remove those power displays and sponsorship so there is not the incentive for young kids when they go into dairies or service stations to see those tobacco displays. 
I acknowledge everybody who has brought this bill to the House and brought it to this stage. We are sending a message to the tobacco companies that we will not tolerate their insidious product.