Foster-Bell Paul: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFoster-Bell Paul: General Debate[Sitting date: 01 July 2015. Volume:706;Page:5000. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]PAUL FOSTER-BELL (National): It is an absolute pleasure to follow on from the right honourable member Winston Peters—the last remaining Privy Counsellor still sitting in the New Zealand Parliament. In the last week we have seen some very grave matters unfolding in the international scene. As chairman of the New Zealand - United Kingdom Parliamentary Friendship Group and the France - New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group I want to put on the record here my personal condolences to the British people in particular and to all of the countries that lost nationals in the attacks in Tunisia. The number of British nationals—in fact 22 dead and others wounded—is the largest loss of British life since the 7 July London bombings 10 years ago. It has precipitated Scotland Yard’s SO15 counter-terrorism commands the largest operation since those bombings comprising over 600 police officers. The Home Secretary Theresa May visited the site yesterday and the House of Commons has observed a minute’s silence. I think it is very appropriate that we are mindful of our friends in democratic countries elsewhere who have been attacked hurt and killed and the families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones in those attacks.I would also like to mention the attack in France at Saint-Quentin-Fallavier in which Yassine Salhi an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist decapitated in the most barbarous way an innocent man and rammed a company van into a gasworks causing further injuries and damage. These attacks were coordinated. They were at the behest of ISIS senior leader Abu Mohammad al-Adnani and they demonstrate why we as a Western democracy proud of our tradition of peace and democratic governance need to cooperate with our friendly like-minded countries and allies and ensure that our own domestic and internal security processes are sufficient to prevent such outrages ever happening in this Realm of New Zealand.I want to talk to perhaps more mundane domestic matters now having spoken about that. We have seen unfolding in the Opposition parties a drama that is perhaps equivalent to that recently released Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary The Killing Season which depicts the internecine warfare within the Australian Labor Party between Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. There are some chilling moments in that documentary where we see what can only be described as the sociopathy of Mr Rudd but also the intense betrayal that he felt when his formerly loyal or ostensibly loyal deputy Ms Gillard put the knife in. In fact I am a firm follower of that other TV series Game of Thrones and what we are seeing playing out across this House reminds me and I do not want to put any spoilers in here for the New Zealand public but it is reminiscent perhaps of those end-of-series bloodbaths that we see in that particular show. I can only describe the Leader of the Opposition as New Zealand’s political equivalent of Stannis Baratheon that dour but treacherous member of that particular show up against the Lannisters—that is Mr Cunliffe—the well-moneyed very eloquent and smooth urban dwellers.In the New Zealand First Party there have also been ructions. I want to put on the record in this House my respect and admiration for Tracey Martin. I have always found her a very very good member to work with on the Education and Science Committee and I admire any member who brings to this House a measure like the clothing for orphans measure that she has brought in. I can only say that the attempt by Mr Mark to remove her from that position must be the equivalent of a—well let us call it the night of the short knives given Mr Mark’s stature. So I hope Ms Martin does remain in place because she has been excellent to work with.We have had on 1 July some wonderful measures introduced by this Government—free doctors visits free prescriptions free after-hours care for under-13s. In the Wellington region our children will be incredibly well catered for. There are 46000 children within the Capital and Coast District Health Board area who will benefit from this measure and I was delighted to see Dr Coleman and the Prime Minister launching it today and choosing to do so in Karori in the Wellington Central electorate.My colleague the Hon Maggie Barry also referred to the medical care that we provide at the other end of life; that is palliative care for those who are ending or approaching the end of their lives. I particularly welcome the $4.6 million worth of the investment of the over $30 million that Minister Barry referred to that is coming into the Wellington region and will benefit those who are going through that very very difficult stage of life when they are coming to the end of their life perhaps suffering from a terminal disease. I think that investment will be very welcomed not only by the people in that situation but by their families. Thank you.