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And we call now on private and local order of the day. Number two Sullivan Birth certificate Bill. Second reading. Mr. Speaker, I move that the Sullivan Birth certificate bill be now. Read a second time, Mr Speaker. This private bill allows the birth details of Rowan Sullivan to record the reality of her family. As the Select committee states in its report. [00:00:30] The bill with the amendments recommended will make what is a matter of fact that Diane Sullivan and Dorian Shields are Rowan Sullivan's parents. A Matter of law For those who are not familiar with the background, this bill arose out of the fact that Rowan Sullivan cannot by law have the names of both her parents on her birth certificate after seven years together. Her parents, Diane Sullivan and Doreen Shields, had a daughter who was born [00:01:00] by an assisted human reproduction procedure to Diane on the 23rd of February 1993. At that time, only Diane's name was recorded on Rowan's birth certificate as her birth mother. In 2006, Diane was diagnosed with a terminal illness and passed away in 2010, when Rowan was 17. At that time, Rowan and Doreen decided that Doreen would apply for an adoption order as that was the [00:01:30] only legal option available to them to record their parent child relationship. But in doing that, Doreen received a new birth certificate with just Doreen's name on it and her mother. Diane's name was removed. That was the law. But it means the reality of Rowan's upbringing and family was not recorded, and there was no ability for her or Doreen to take advantage of changes made by the Status of Children Act [00:02:00] and last year's Marriage Amendment Act. Rowan's age in the passing of Diane meant that was not possible. A private bill is the only way Roan's parents can both be recorded on her birth registration details from which a new birth certificate can be issued. I particularly want to acknowledge the members of the Government Administration Select Committee so aptly chaired by the honourable Ruth Dyson for their work and the amendments to the bill that they have [00:02:30] recommended. The amendments reflect the commitment of the Select committee to understand what this bill is seeking. The amendments recommended by the Select committee clarify what what this bill is about. It's about Rowan Sullivan having the names of both her parents on her birth certificate. The select committee has rightly renamed this private bill the Sullivan birth registration bill because it's the details held of Rowan's birth registration, which currently [00:03:00] record the adoption order in the name of Doreen Shields that are the basis for the issuing of Rowan's birth certificate. Should this bill pass, Rowan's parents will legally be the two women who were her parents in true life, Diane Sullivan and Doreen Shields. On a personal note, I would also like to thank the members of the Select Committee for the Manner in which they heard and reported on a matter that is extremely sensitive for the promoter, Rowan Sullivan, [00:03:30] and her living parent, Doreen Shields, who I acknowledge in the House. Tonight. Doreen and Rowan have asked that I pass on their thanks to the select committee and Doreen's words. She told me, and I quote, Rowan and I had no idea what to expect from the select committee. We thought it might be quite intimidating, and we wondered if maybe they wouldn't really be very interested in the bill. As it turned out, we didn't need to worry about either of those things. We're really impressed with the [00:04:00] care the committee took to understand what Rowan wanted to achieve with the bill and with the changes they made to it. I am honoured to be the sponsor of this bill that I recommend to the House with the amendments proposed by the Select Committee. Appropriately, I will leave the last word to the promoter of the Bill Rowan Sullivan, and I quote, It's hard to believe that I'm about to turn 21 and and hopefully very close to finally having official recognition of both my parents. [00:04:30] I feel very lucky to live in a country where it's possible for that to happen. The question is that the motion be agreed to Oh, Chris Hocken. Thank you, Mr Speaker, In the, uh, very brief amount of time available just before dinner, I'd like to begin my speech in support of the Sullivan birth certificate bill, [00:05:00] uh, which is set down for its second reading and sponsored very ably, may I say, by labour MP Louisa Wall, with whom it was a pleasure to work with Mr Speaker, The purpose of the bill the bill will require the registrar general of birth deaths and marriages to record the details of Rowan Sullivan's deceased mother on her post adoptive birth registry entry. It may well be, Mr Speaker that people [00:05:30] consider that something of a a technical detail. And indeed, when we saw the bill before us, we thought that it did have a very technical aspect to it. Um, the reality was, though, that it also had a very, very personal aspect. This is one of those occasions, Mr Speaker, when the only solution available to the applicant was available through Parliament. [00:06:00] It has no effect on any other person. And it can be done for that person. I think time has come to suspend the house for dinner. I shall resume the chair at 7. 30. I agree. The house is resumed. [00:06:30] Honourable members. I can do it. Honourable members, uh, when we were last here, I understand that the Honourable member Chris Oval, uh, was speaking. He has eight minutes and 30 seconds remaining if he so wishes to seek the court. Mr. Speaker, I call the Honourable Member Chris [00:07:00] Oval. Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker. And it is a pleasure to, uh, resume speaking. about the Sullivan birth certificate bill as we had spoken, uh, earlier. This is one of those occasions in Parliament where the legislation can do something for someone that nothing else can do, that it only [00:07:30] applies to that individual person and, in fact, that there are no negative elements at all associated with the passage of this bill. It requires the registered general of births, deaths and marriages to record the details of Rowan Sullivan's deceased mother on her post adoptive birth registration entry. Mr. Speaker, we heard from Louisa Walls, who introduced the bill, And I don't doubt we'll hear an echo [00:08:00] from Ruth Dyson, the chair of the Government Admin Select Committee. Uh, that there was apprehension on the part of the, uh, the applicants for the bill that they would be perceived as wasting our time or not having a a significant thing for us to do, requiring a a bill of their own. But this is a member's bill. This is what these times are set aside for, and [00:08:30] anyone, of course, who knows. The honourable Ruth Dyson, uh, would would realise that they would be guaranteed a good reception, I'm sure, but for those members who would like to know Mr Speaker, the minutia of how this came about we can through the good services of, uh, the sponsor of the bill, Louisa Wall. We can provide a summary of the events, and [00:09:00] I would like to read that to the House now for members opposite, I should be conducting a small written test afterwards to see how much of what you remembered and understood. But this is the complexities of the situation. Rowan Sullivan's parents from birth were Diane Sullivan, her birth mother, and Diane Sullivan's female partner. Dorian Shields got that bit. Diane Sullivan died in 2010, when Rowan was 17 years old. [00:09:30] Doreen Shields chose not to adopt Rowan while Diane Sullivan was still alive. As this would have required the removal of Diane Sullivan, the birth mother's name, from Rowan Sullivan's birth certificate, Dorian Shields instead applied to be an additional guardian. This expired on Rowan Sullivan's 18th birthday. Dorian Shields then applied for an adoption order following the death of Diane Sullivan. [00:10:00] The order was made on the 15th of January 2013. However, that order required that Diane Sullivan's name be removed from Rowan Sullivan's birth certificate and for those who are still travelling the journey with us all. And let's remember, this was a journey that someone actually travelled. Doreen, uh, had Diane Sullivan and Dorian Shield been able to legally marry, they would have been jointly able to apply [00:10:30] to adopt Rowan. If this had occurred, they would both have been named as her parents on her birth record following the Marriage Definition Definition of Marriage Amendment Act 2013, which, coincidentally went through the same select committee. Same sex couples are able to marry and are therefore able to apply jointly to adopt Children. So I think anyone would be forgiven for not completely following the intricacies of those [00:11:00] events, Mr Speaker. But the, uh And it was a credit to the members of the committee. Everyone paid avid interest. Uh, the recipients or the applicants for the bill, um, gave a really useful, uh, submission to the select committee, which really made things very apparent to us. There were then the, uh aspects that had to be considered, uh, [00:11:30] that we required officials advice from and again, I really want to say to those who are watching this evening or listening on the radio that the advice one gets as a parliamentarian is first class in New Zealand first class, and I think almost every member would agree with that. Perhaps there is the odd occasion when something might not quite come up to the mark. But for the most part, I don't think MP S can really justifiably say they couldn't find [00:12:00] something out because we have a superb library, superb library and the quality of officials and the quality of official advice. Uh, I've always found to be to be excellent. I see some nods from people whose academic, academic background I have great respect for and they have been in a position of comparison. Uh, and and this was one example, I think, where the smaller details were taken into account [00:12:30] so that in setting a precedent, if it were creating a precedent, there would be no harm done as it is. Mr. Speaker, this, uh uh, bill doesn't set precedent. Uh, because the circumstances are almost unique. You can't use the phrase almost unique. I can see Mr Felson bristling at the very suggestion I'd like Mr Speaker, I'd formally like to withdraw that remark. I did not say or did not intend [00:13:00] to say, Dear dear, I did not intend to say almost unique because that's a stupid, uh, conflict of, of, of terms. But this is a relatively unusual situation. It would be most surprising if the circumstances were ever duplicated in exactly the same order. And so this will not be a repeatable situation. And the proposed clause. The addition of Clause four that the committee recommends, [00:13:30] uh, would make it clear that Diane Sullivan and Dorian Margaret Shields are, for all purposes, the parents of Rowan Sullivan, Mr Speaker, It was a really interesting bill from all points of view, not just in respect of the family concerned, but in consideration of how we are identified as individuals, I would have thought, and I know other committee members shared it with me that your birth certificate was it. [00:14:00] But in fact it's not it. It's simply a record of what is recorded within the record system. And so it was a very interesting journey through the identification of individuals and the linkage with other people through relationships. It's been a pleasure to be part of this bill. It's been educative, informative, and I understand from the comments relayed [00:14:30] from the family, it's been considered useful. I commend this bill to the house. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I call the Honourable Ruth Dyson. Um, thank you, Mr Speaker. It gives me a lot of pleasure to speak in the second reading of the, uh, Sullivan birth certificate. Bill. And I want to begin by, um, paying a tribute to the sponsor of the bill, Um, my colleague Lewis of and say that, um, yet again she has brought issues to this house that have caused a lot [00:15:00] of interest. Um, we've had a lot of consideration at the select committee, and I'm pleased that it was referred to our select committee. It was, uh, a real privilege to be part of that process. I want to pay a tribute to our committee members. Some of the issues were, um, more complex than we perhaps had originally considered. Um, and both the select committee members and the officials deserve a note of tribute for the way that they gave and received. Um, a a lot of questions and a lot of answers, and I think that really, um, paid respect [00:15:30] to the bill itself and the purpose of the bill. Um, but more than, uh, Louisa Wall and the select committee members and the officials, I want to pay tribute to the three women. Um, who this bill is about, uh, the late Diane Sullivan. Dorian Shields and their daughter, Rowan Sullivan. Uh, this bill is really a bit of a love story. It's a story about the relationship that Diane and Dorian had and the fact that they raised [00:16:00] their daughter together in times that were perhaps a little ahead of the societal recognition And what is, uh, not an unusual practise now of same sex couple couples raising Children together. So I want to pay a tribute. First of all to, um, to Doreen and her, her love and mother of her daughter, the late Diane and their daughter Rowan. Um, Doreen and Rowan appeared before the select [00:16:30] committee, and I think most of us would recognise that a bunch of MP S sitting in a room it is not a is not an easy process. We're We're a little bit intimidating. We don't try to be, but I think we are the formality of a select committee process can also be quite daunting for people to go through, and that's at a time when you're talking about something that's quite theoretical. You might be talking about a tax change where you might be talking about something that's really, uh, one step removed from your [00:17:00] life. People find that process quite a scary prospect and often get quite rattled when they come before select committee. So to have people come to a select committee talking about the very essence of the relationships and lives and why they want us to make a law change, um took a lot of courage. And I want to particularly acknowledge the courage and strength that, uh, Doreen and Rowan showed towards each other, but also, um, acknowledge that [00:17:30] this reinforced to the committee just how important this move was. Um, this story, uh, said it all for us. Actually, um, we we understood that this was not a minor technical issue, that this really talked about the recognition of society towards their relationship. And II I know that all members of the select committee, um, were very moved by their presentation by by the reality of the situation, Um, and [00:18:00] and by the fact that we had the opportunity to recognise the relationship of Diane and Dorian and the legitimate parenting of Rowan, Uh, in the law, Uh, the the the deputy chair Chris and his contribution, um, made a comment about the fact that we thought that once we had made this clear, you know, a birth certificate would suffice for all purposes. And that was one of the many challenges that the officials threw to us. [00:18:30] That, um, this this, uh, proof of parenthood might have to be done through some other method at some time in the future. So we decided that was a nonsense. Actually, we didn't decide. I'm not saying the advice was a nonsense. We thought the requirement to do that would be a nonsense. So we've made it clear that this is it. Once parliament sets the seal on this, then Diane and Dorian are Rowan's legitimate parents for all purposes, and neither they nor parliament [00:19:00] will ever have to go through this again. And I think it was it was probably important for us to have the debate. But none of us could think of one single instance in our own lives when we'd had to produce anything other than our birth certificate with our parents name in order to prove who our parents were. Um, but anyway, we we've put it beyond doubt. Um, I trust and in committee stages. Um, I'm sure that we'll we'll make sure that that is the case. Um, Mr Mr. Speaker, as I said, [00:19:30] I want to particularly recognise, um, the love that Diane and Dorian and Rowan have and had for each other and say that Parliament doesn't often get, um, that sort of involvement in our debate. And it's a responsibility that I'm sure every member of this house will take very seriously as we go through the debate and go through the voting process. I want to quote a couple of things that Dorian said in terms of, um, how she felt, [00:20:00] um, and she said it publicly. So I'm not breaching. Um, any privacy, but it had a huge impact on me, and I'm sure it will on others how she felt when following the passing of her partner, uh, and her adoption of Rowan so that Rowan wouldn't be left as a legal orphan so that she had a legal living parent. She saw her partner's name. Rowan's [00:20:30] birth mother's name taken from the birth certificate. Uh, she said it was horrible, she said, given what Diane went through and how how she'd struggled to be there. For Rowan, it was just obscene. Quite honestly, I don't think any of us can imagine how hard that would be to watch your partner's name being taken from the birth certificate of your child, their child and, uh, your child. In order for you to become the legitimate, legitimate [00:21:00] in terms of the law parent, um, that that wrench must have been huge. And it's so good to be able to put what I think is an injustice, right? Uh, through this process. Uh, Rowan, who, of course, um, is the holder of this birth certificate and as the centre of attention and far as far as the legal change, um said, actually, it wasn't about her, she said, And I'm quoting here. It's more about my parents having me in the nineties when gay people having Children [00:21:30] was very uncommon. They showed a lot of bravery and courage. They chose to have me together and made many sacrifices to give me the best life possible, and I want that to be recognised. Legally, I had two parents, and my birth certificate should show that it doesn't seem to be a very big ask. Uh, Mr Speaker, I think it's something that every member of this house, uh, should want to support. And I certainly hope as the debate progresses, that that's where we [00:22:00] get to in in terms of the, um in terms of the recognition, uh, in the law of the legitimate parents of Rohan. As I said this earlier, this only came about, um, because of the death of Diane Sullivan. Uh, when she died is Rowan's birth mother. Rowan was legally an orphan. She had no legitimate in the law living parent, and that wasn't acceptable to her [00:22:30] mother, Dorian Shields. Um, we we all know that there can be circumstances where those legitimate relationships, um, that are not upheld in the law. Um, Mr Speaker can cause problems. So it is really important in terms of your will in terms of, um, other arrangements such as, um, medical decisions. There are many circumstances in which having a legally recognised relation mother in this case is [00:23:00] very important. And it was uh, for Dorian and Rowan. But I actually think it was important because that was the nature of their relationship. And the law was behind the eight ball. So it was only because of that situation. Um, that this this, um really unfortunate circumstance arose. We heard a lot of concerns at the select committee, not raised, um, in any attempt to undermine this, but concerns about whether this would set a precedent. Um, whether [00:23:30] it would provide unfairness to other people who may be in a situation where they didn't know who the birth parent was and found out at a later stage and wanted them put in the birth certificate. We had all sorts of discussions and considerations around that. In the end, we came back to what I think was the correct advice and certainly was, um, the leadership that Louisa Wall provided, uh, when she introduced this bill. This is a standalone situation designed specifically [00:24:00] for this family. Um, it doesn't set any precedent and and actually, if it did, I'd be very happy for any family in a similar situation to have the same legal recognition. But it is a circumstance that will not arise um, in the future because of subsequent law changes. And I think that's a very good thing I enjoy enjoyed, uh, listening to the discussion around this. I enjoyed the submissions, and I am delighted, um, to be able to support this [00:24:30] bill to progress in injustice and recognise the love and the relationship of Diane and Dorian and Rowan. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I call the Honourable Member Kamui sing Bakshi Sari. Mr. Speaker, First of all, I would like to congratulate the sponsor of this bill of all for bringing up this issue to the Parliament. And above all, I think [00:25:00] the biggest acknowledgement goes to Robin Sullivan Sullivan because it shows her respect to her parents. I think this bill, when it was introduced as the chair just now mentioned Honourable Ruth Dyson that it looked like the very simple bill which will go through quickly and come back to the parliament, report it back to the Parliament. But [00:25:30] as this bill progressed, many more technical issues came up, which were dealt very quarterly with this select committee. I would like to acknowledge the advisers to this bill who helped us to make sure that this bill passes through the Parliament with all those answers available for Robin Sullivan, this bill is a reminder, [00:26:00] Mr Speaker, that quite frequently the government can and does have a significant positive effect on people's lives at a very personal level, thereby, sir, it is important that we in this house do not forget our duty to handle these cases with respect, Mr Speaker here I would like to also acknowledge the government's Admin Select Committee, who has dealt [00:26:30] with many issues in this term whether it was marriage equality bill, whether it is in process of paid parental leave. Bill. We have learned a lot in this term in this select committee, and I acknowledge the members of the Select committee from which I have learned a lot. I feel that every day when I come to the Parliament, I learn something new, which is unique, and I acknowledge [00:27:00] all the members contributing in this house. The matter arises because of the marriage definition of Marriage Bill Amendment Bill Act passed, after which the same sex couple are able to marry and therefore make application to adopt Children. Had Dian Sullivan and Doreen Shield been able to legally marry as is the as the law now is. They would have been able [00:27:30] to jointly apply to adopt Robyn if this had occurred, they would both have been named as parents on their on her birth record here. I would like to acknowledge both the parents, Mr Speaker, because it is the their growing up, what they have given to their daughter. And she has really made a point and effort to bring this issue to this parliament so that both [00:28:00] the parents are mentioned on her birth certificate. And this is a good growing up of a good culture of the family, which I think Robyn has received from both the parents. The Marriage Definition Amendment Act 2030 13 now requires that the registrar general of birth, death and marriages to record the Diane Sullivan and Doren Shield as Roman's [00:28:30] parents. Mr. Speaker, I think this is an important piece of legislation to ensure that New Zealand, its citizens, keep up with the time and reforms where there is a need to We always have been an open minded society, Mr Speaker, we have always listened to what citizens of this country want due to our nature. Mr Speaker Since 2005, New Zealand law has [00:29:00] allowed both same sex parents of New Zealand born Children conceived through assisted human reproductive technology produced to be named on the child's birth record. The change was retroactive so that pre 2005 New Zealand birth registration record can be amended on application at any time to include both same sex parents. Details. There is absolutely [00:29:30] no doubt that this law change will bring smile on the Sullivan family. Mr. Speaker, can I share that? The law already contains rule for changing a birth record in other circumstances, including, but not limited to the situation where a parent order is obtained. An individual changes his or her name. By statutory declaration, an individual undergoes [00:30:00] gender reassignment. However, Mr Speaker, may I share that the bill does not create a precedent for other individuals seeking to change their registered birth record. The bill applies only to Robin Sullivan because of her situation, which has itself arisen from a unique combination of circumstances, including her birth [00:30:30] overseas following procedure which meant her parents was not registered in New Zealand. The key consideration is that 19th August 2013, married, married same sex couples can adopt jointly. If the Marriage Amendment Act had been in place before Diane Sullivan died, the train of events given rise to the bill [00:31:00] could have been avoided. Mr. Speaker, the bill does not change the adoption order itself. Because do so. To do so could set a precedent for other situations where a deceased individual has not indicated an intention to adopt. Before I conclude, Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to congratulate Robyn Sullivan for her courage and [00:31:30] for her commitment to both the parents to get their name on her birth certificate so that she can live with the pride that she has acknowledged her parents. In due course. With these words, I commend this bill to the house. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I call the Honourable Member Kevin Hague way. Mr Hague. Uh, Mr Speaker, it's a [00:32:00] genuine pleasure to take a call in this debate. Uh, earlier this year, I had the the the great privilege of being able to participate in the Government Administration Committee's consideration of the marriage equality bill. Uh, and, uh, it was fantastic to work with a group of people who were committed to getting great outcomes. And today again, to participate in a debate. That character that is characterised [00:32:30] by warm and generous and kind speeches from members of that committee is is, uh, a great experience. Um, I want to thank the members of the committee, uh, in particular Ruth Dyson as the chair of that committee and officials who worked, uh, with the with the committee I. I hear that they did a fantastic job. I didn't get the chance to experience their work this time around, [00:33:00] and in particular to say thanks. And congratulations to my colleague and friend Louisa Wall. Um, that's twice over. Over a pretty short space of time that important human rights bills have come to this house. Uh, under Lewis's name. I'm one of several members of this house, uh, who is in a same sex relationship with Children. Uh, and I'm sure that for [00:33:30] those of us in that situation, we can all think about how it would be for us in our situation. Um, if we were plunged into this nightmare scenario, uh, that Rowan Sullivan and her parents have been through. You know, Mr Speaker, human rights is an area that is frequently debated in this house, and typically when we talk about human rights, [00:34:00] we talk about the rights of collectives, of large groups of people, the denial of human rights, um, to a whole ethnicity, to a whole gender, to a whole sexual orientation. Uh, and that, I think, is probably the most frequent use of of the the the idea of human rights in this house. But really, that relates to just just one of those human rights, and that's the right to freedom from discrimination. [00:34:30] But when Eleanor Roosevelt, who was one of perhaps the motivating force behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, explained the idea of universal human rights, this is what she said, she said, where, after all, the universal human rights begin in small places, close to home in places so small and so close that they cannot be seen on any map of [00:35:00] the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person. The neighbourhood he lives in the school or college. He attends the factory, farm or office where he works. These are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal dignity and equal opportunity without discrimination, Mr speaker. This bill [00:35:30] is about human rights. It's about the human rights of one person right of that person to acknowledge their own identity, to have their parents respected by law as being their parents. I haven't dealt with very many private bills in this house, but I cannot think of another situation where a private [00:36:00] bill is more appropriate. Congratulations to Louisa Ward to the Government Administration Select Committee. Congratulations to Ryan Sullivan and to Doreen and also to Diane. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I recognise the Honourable Member Moana. Mr. Speaker, Um, thank you very much. I'm very happy to to [00:36:30] take a call on the second reading of the Sullivan birth certificate, Bill, um, to congratulate my colleague LOSA Wall and friend Louis Wall once again, uh, for being a champion for some, some very important issues in this house and around the country. And, of course, to the Sullivan. Um, for having the courage to go out there and I. I don't underestimate how difficult that much it must be to have a bill with your your family's name on it. Um, going through parliament being spoken [00:37:00] about, um, like, uh, Mr Hague, I was on the Select Committee for the Marriage Equality Process, but but not for this process. But what really struck me, uh, about the marriage equality process is, was when you sat down and looked into the faces of the people submitting. You know, you realise that that they were sitting in front of a bunch of strangers being forced to talk about the most personal aspects of their lives, Uh, in order to see progress in human rights legislation? Uh, not many of us who are just afforded these rights at birth. [00:37:30] We we don't earn them. There's nothing particularly special about us. When we heterosexual. We just kind of get all these rights handed to us by by the fact that we're born straight. Um, we've never had to do that. We don't have to sit in front of a bunch of strangers and argue why we should be treated exactly the same as everyone else. Why? Our family is just as valuable as everyone else's families. And when you go through a process of of seeing, looking into the faces of the very real people affected by this legislation, um, you really appreciate the courage, uh, and [00:38:00] and the commitment. And so I imagine to do that when it's only your family, um, must be even more difficult, but it is just as important. Um, just as important. So I really want to acknowledge the family who we are, uh, assisting tonight to address, uh, a a great injustice. Um, And when I mean, I was also on the select committee that considered civil union legislation and and the the change in [00:38:30] the tenor of the debate between civil unions and marriage equality was was huge. Uh, and in a very positive way, Uh, the civil union debate was very, very bruising. Very, very brutal. Very, very negative. Uh, marriage equality wasn't a walk in the park either, but but by comparison, um, things had changed significantly. And there was a lot more respect at the select committee in the marriage equality process than we saw in the civil union process. Um, but when we went through civil unions, you know, a lot a lot of civil unions was about [00:39:00] giving same sex couples the rights of of, uh, or same sex and de facto couples the rights of married couples without going, um, the full way to marriage But the stories that we heard were were, uh, just truly horrific. Uh, particularly in the case of the death or incapacitation of one, family member where the family member, uh, where that family member was, um uh, and And where That [00:39:30] family member then was a biological parent of the child involved and where there had been a falling out with the extended family, just the complete lack of power of of the partner in that relationship to have any rights at all. Um so we had situations where we had where we had couples who had been together for decades and decades, just loving supportive relationships. One of them ends up in hospital. The family didn't approve of the relationship. The family swoops and takes over, goes against the wishes of the couple of the individual [00:40:00] that that's in hospital, that's sick. And and the partner had no rights, absolutely no rights at all. No rights and and funeral arrangements not even able to see, uh, the person that they've been in a loving, committed relationship with for decades, purely because the state refused to even recognise, uh in the slightest way, uh, that their relationship had any kind of legal standing. Um, so a lot of that was addressed during the Civil Union debate, but the one crucial part that didn't get addressed [00:40:30] by civil unions and remains an issue today is adoption. Uh, and we acknowledge during that debate, uh, that the status of, uh, of of Children within, uh, both both heterosexual de facto, uh, sorry. Heterosexual civil union and and same sex civil union couples remains a very grey area under law and one that does need to be resolved. Uh, because at any time we can wind up with a situation like this where suddenly you realise that that where rights [00:41:00] had been expected and I expect that a lot of heterosexual civil union civilly united couples believe they have those rights. But in fact, it is an area of law that remains, um, that remains very grey. Uh, my colleague Jacinda Ardern has has a AAA. Bill to try and address that it is an area that we do need to address because when you're talking about the relationship between parents and Children, you're talking about something extremely personal. And it is something that this parliament, um should prioritise uh, one of the things [00:41:30] II. I think this this really does highlight is that your relationship with your parents doesn't end when you turn 18. So guardianship, which was offered by the care of Children Act and that guardianship is a very different thing from being a parent. You can say that someone has legal responsibility for someone until they turn 18. But if anything, I think our relationship with our parents gets better beyond the age of 18. It stops being a kind of You do this, do that. You know, Mother Child, [00:42:00] uh, kind of relationship, Father, child. And it becomes a friendship, and it becomes a very, very fulfilling relationship. And so I entirely understand why it it is incredibly important to have that relationship with your parents a relationship that only gets better. The older you get legally recognised under the law and why it's not enough to say, Well, they're all adults and and and you should just get on with it. No, this is the II. I would be just gutted if the legal relationship I had with my parents was in any way compromised. [00:42:30] Um, by an action, um, of the state and the final two points. I just want to make Mr Speaker, I think I, I would hope that this bill would have the support of everyone in the house because I think given the amount of time we spend in here, um, and how many times we spend as MP S in the community dealing with the horrific fallout from parents who don't want to be involved in their kids' lives. The amount of time we talk spend talking about parents who don't fulfil their legal responsibilities [00:43:00] who don't, um, behave in a way that's that's conducive to a healthy relationship. Uh, and a healthy child, it would seem to me to be utterly hypocritical and repugnant to not support a parent who says, I want to legally be there for my child, for this parliament to actually stand in the way and say, Well, we're not going to allow that, Um, I think where we have parents who want to be involved in their parents live and their Children's lives, who want to take that legal responsibility and who want the state to recognise [00:43:30] that we should be doing everything to get the state out of the way and say absolutely. We wish there were more of you. And we wish that every family had the strength and the love and the commitment that this family has for each other. Obviously, to go through this process, our country would be a much better place, a less violent place. Um, a much healthier place if the kind of commitment and morals and family values that we're seeing in this particular family were reflected right across our society. Finally, I just want to end on saying, [00:44:00] um to make the point that this bill does highlight a very real fact. Uh, that until we get full equality under the law for same sex couples, there will always be loopholes. There will always be families that fall through the cracks. And there will always be sad cases like this where, uh, through no intended malice, the law does something very, very cruel. And does something, uh uh, uh, very, very destructive in a family's life. And that's why full equality for same sex couples must be the goal of this parliament. [00:44:30] Uh, if we truly want to see every family supported every family recognised to support loving good families, then that will only happen when we get full equality for same sex couples. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I call the Honourable Member Doctor Paul Hutchison. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity and privilege to speak on the Sullivan birth certificate bill, which I understand [00:45:00] has been, uh, will will be amended by the select committee to the Sullivan birth registration bill. And may I, from the outset just acknowledge Rowan Sutherland and her enormous determination and commitment to, uh, ensure that this almost impossible task has actually, [00:45:30] uh, become a reality or is becoming a reality. Um, it was a great pleasure for me tonight to meet her adopted mum. Doreen Shields. Uh, I had not met her before, and it was clear. Uh, I just happened to be in the parliamentary cafeteria, and, uh, it was clear from the outset what a warm and lovely person she is and [00:46:00] how wonderful it is for Rowan to have, uh, um an adoptive mum, uh, of her, uh, lovely character. And of course, um, I want to acknowledge her biological mother and the sponsor of this bill, the S A wars. Because there is no doubt that as I think, Kevin Hague pointed out, Here's someone that has [00:46:30] brought two really important, uh, human rights issues to the Parliament in a very short space of time. And, uh, it's a great, uh, contribution. Uh, it, uh, might I acknowledge the, uh, select committee that dealt with the bill because listening to them, they all have been deeply moved by this situation. And, uh, it's been hugely, [00:47:00] uh, interesting and moving to hear their contributions. Um, I guess in many respects, the bill is driven by a young woman's desire, in fact, overwhelming desire to have her mother's biological name appear on her birth certificate, something that most of us all of us would just absolutely take for granted. [00:47:30] And, um, I guess that I think II I heard in the first reading of the bill that her own words were. I want my mom's name on my birth certificate to honour her. And indeed, that's a sentiment that any child would want for their parents. I do recall, in the first reading of this bill a remarkable coincidence [00:48:00] in, uh, hearing a, uh, documentary about a young Indian, uh, man who was about the same age about 19 or 20 he had been born in provincial India, uh, in a very poor circumstances and had gone down with his brother to the local railway station to sell beads or something similar to gather rice, uh, to to to pay for rice to feed the [00:48:30] family. And somehow he had been separated from his brother in a panic. He hopped on the train, which took him 3000 miles away, and eventually he wound up in South Australia, adopted by again some very loving people. But he had recurring recurring nightmares that he wanted to see his birth. He happened to be a very bright individual who was talented in [00:49:00] mathematics and in, uh, in in, uh, the new technologies and particularly GPS. And over three years, he used to wait, wait up till two or 3 a.m. in the morning, figuring out the possibilities of where his parents, biological parents came from in India and to cut the long story short. After three years, he reckoned he had cracked it. He went back to India [00:49:30] and methodically went to the most likely places to where he had been born. And eventually he found his parents, which brought absolutely profound joy both to himself and his family and to his adopted family. But the point of making this analogy is the drive that all individuals have [00:50:00] to know about their parents and to have that transparency and ability to find them and not put hurdles in their way. So the bill's purpose undoubtedly would require the registrar general of births, deaths and marriages to record the details of Rowan Sullivan's deceased mother, whose name is Diane Sullivan on her post adoptive birth [00:50:30] registration entry. And Mr Speaker, I, um, note that the Government administration Committee, uh, organised a variety of amendments. Uh, for this bill, which were, uh, the one I had mentioned earlier was that the title, uh, correctly, is change to the Sullivan birth registration bill because it could have been misleading, Uh, as its passage [00:51:00] would not directly affect change to Rowan Sullivan's birth certificate. There are a couple of other amendments, including The committee recommends the insertion of News Clause four, which would make it clear that Diane Sullivan and Dorian Margaret Shields are, for all purposes, the parents of Rowan Sullivan. Mr Speaker, I think it is worthwhile to just make mention of the enormous [00:51:30] transition that we have been through over the last few decades in this area of both human rights and in the area of, uh, of assisted human reproduction and the huge debates that have now led us to, uh, believe what 30 years ago was regarded [00:52:00] as impossible to now be normalised. And I was at the 50th anniversary of the National Women's Hospital Uh um, founding last Friday. And a fellow by the name of Doctor Freddie Graham, famous for introducing IVF into New Zealand, went through the changes in birth technology in New Zealand over the last 20 to 30 years. And he explained how [00:52:30] Professor Dennis Bonham used to secretly organise sperm donation in the 19 sixties. And the reason for that was the hospital board wouldn't let it happen. And he had his own private practise, and they literally used to mix up the sperm so they couldn't identify the, uh um uh, who the parents were because of the legal ramifications that might occur in terms of claiming, uh, the, [00:53:00] uh uh through through, uh, the legal process. However, a young social worker by the name of Joy Ellis persuaded the academic department that it was wrong not to be transparent and over a period of time, others joined her, including Professor uh, Ken Daniels. And today in New Zealand, we are leading the world in having one of the most transparent systems [00:53:30] in assuring that Children can identify their biological parents. So I think it's very good timing that this bill is reached the parliament in New Zealand and we are making it possible for someone such as Rome who is so clearly driven to do what is right and to have the appropriate framework [00:54:00] in New Zealand to enable her to do so. So, Mr Speaker, I acknowledge all those that have brought this about and indeed celebrate, uh, the fact that I've been able to speak in the second reading I call the Honourable Member Dennis a rock. Thank you, Mr Speaker. New Zealand first originally had reservations about this bill. We were [00:54:30] wary about a bill for the benefit of one individual rather than for the community as a whole. But since then we have looked at the bill in much more detail and I've had the benefit of discussions with Louisa Wall, who is very persuasive. But also they were very productive and worthwhile discussions, and I thank her for them. We are now satisfied that the bill is necessary, that it is indeed [00:55:00] the only solution to ensuring that the birth certificate concerned will properly and realistically show the names of Rowan Sullivan's late birth mother as well as her adoptive mother. And that, of course, is a very natural thing for anybody to want. Everybody can relate to that. Indeed, it's extraordinary that it that it would be possible not to record the birth mother [00:55:30] on a birth certificate, not much of a birth certificate when you think about it. If that was the case, um, so this is a unique solution to a unique set of circumstances, and we now in New Zealand first recognise it. As such. The desired solution would not be achievable without legislation. And I observed that if Rowan had been born today, her parents could marry and both of them would be [00:56:00] recorded on her birth certificate, which cannot occur, of course, because Diane died in 2010. However, that consideration alone justifies this bill. I think we in New Zealand first also approve the change of name of the bill to the Sullivan birth registration bill, because in fact, that's what this is really about. And we also approve the news Clause four, which will provide [00:56:30] that Diane Sullivan and Doreen Margaret Shields are, for all purposes, the appearance of Rowan Sullivan. And the proposed clause reinstates the legal, uh, position for all purposes, including, of course, the law of succession and parental relationship, and that that's really, uh, a very important consideration. I'm very glad to see that the government administration committee has, um, made [00:57:00] that amendment very worthwhile for all of those, uh, reasons. Uh, Mr Speaker New Zealand first will now be pleased to vote in favour of the bill. And like other speakers, I congratulate all concerned in bringing it to the House Speaker. I recognise the Honourable Member Melissa Leo. Mr. Speaker, On that note, I'd like to start [00:57:30] by wishing everyone a happy New Year, considering the Lunar New Year just actually happened. And we have all been around parts of the country, different parts of the country celebrating the Lunar New Year, the year of the horse. Let me greet you in my mother tongue. It translates to May your New Year bring you lots and lots of luck. And, uh, according to I, I just thought I'll start and actually [00:58:00] have a look at the year of the horse. The wood horse, according to the Chinese horoscope, is a time of fast victories, unexpected adventure and surprising romance. So if there are any single people in this house, I wish you good romance this year. And, uh, according to the Korean astrological chart, this is the year of the Blue Horse. [00:58:30] May it be significant in this election year. Let me, um, start by, um, acknowledging all of the speakers who has, uh, who have spoken on this bill. It is, of course, my pleasure to rise in support of the Sullivan birth certificate Bill. And, uh, I remember speaking on the first reading and actually mentioning my little cultural experience where in certain countries where people are born in a particular town or [00:59:00] at a time and because they are worried that, uh, the Children might not actually survive a certain period of time, they don't actually register the Children, and they actually register them later, and often they end up with the wrong birth date. This is quite different um, I was thinking, How do I? Actually, I haven't actually been to the select committee. I wasn't part of the select committee, but I commend the members who have actually worked on this bill and hearing them speaking so passionately about this bill. I actually commend [00:59:30] the work that you have done because I think it's incredible to hear everyone talking about and acknowledging Rowan Sullivan and her parents because they've obviously done a fantastic job in raising an amazing young woman who wants to honour her mother. And as a parent of a teenage child, I would only hope that one day when he grows up that he might want to honour me. I hope he is actually listening to the debate today. Um, I was looking at the issue of identity. [01:00:00] Um uh, how a person conceives their identity and how do they express their identity? Often, their identity comes from their parents. Uh, they are the very first people who imprint the personality on their Children. They identify with their parents, and their own identity is formed as a result of the education that they receive from the parents. [01:00:30] As the first educators and I also want to talk about things like national identity because it is where you come from. It's the cultural identity. It's like I'm a Korean last night. I mean, yesterday we had the speaker from the Korean Parliament visit New Zealand's parliament. I was so very proud to have actually met him here and actually had lunch with him as the chair of the Korea New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group. Because that is my cultural identity. That's where my first impressions of my [01:01:00] own personality and identity was formed from being born in Korea through my parents. I am who I am today because of all of the influences that I've actually had. And I think Rowan's had a fantastic um um uh, parents, uh, both Diane and Dorian Shields, Diane Sullivan and Dorian Shields. And she wants to honour her mother. And as previous speakers have actually said, um, this bill requires the registrar general [01:01:30] of births and marriages to record detail of Rowan Sullivan's deceased mother on her post adoptive birth registration entry. And I was thinking, How would it feel to not have my parents name on my own birth certificate? I mean, I wouldn't even know how to feel about that because we all take it for granted. I know Mr Hague talked about having Children in in his relationship and how in the past, you know, um um, Couples [01:02:00] who are of same sex when they adopt it was only the one person who could actually adopt rather than both parents who can actually adopt. And so when you look at it that way and translating it into my own circumstances and and my own life, you would sort of think, How would I feel if I did not have my parents, both my parents name on the birth certificate and that would really upset me very much because I am who I am as a result of both my parents, my father and my mother. [01:02:30] And for Rowan, it is both Diane and Doreen who have made her who she is. Mr. Speaker, um, Roman's parents from birth were Diane Sullivan and her, uh, her birth mother, um, and, um, Diane Sullivan's partner, Doreen Shields. And, um, Diane Sullivan's name was on her birth certificate, but Diane died in 2010, when Roan was just 17, and that's only two [01:03:00] years older than my son, who is now 15, and knowing my son and how young he is at 15. I mean, how devastating would it have been for Roan to have lost her mother? And to find out subsequently that when, um when Doreen applied for an adoption order following the death of Diane Sullivan, the order required Diane's name to be then removed from Roan's birth certificate and for them to consider that? And how would [01:03:30] they have actually felt no one in this in this house could possibly understand what that might have felt? Like only Rowan knows only her. Her mother, her, um, her adoptive mother knows what that was like. That would have been terrible. Devastating, uh, heart wrenching experience. Because you would want to remember your mother. Um, had Diane and Dorian been able to marry as previous speakers have actually said, they would, of course, have been able to jointly [01:04:00] apply for the for the, um um for their names to be appearing on the birth certificate. And for someone who have actually gone through the process with some friends who have actually had, uh, help, uh, with human reproductive assisted reproduction, where a couple who could not actually have four, have Children for more than 15 years, went and actually had some assistance in my culture, even adoption is actually, uh, frowned upon. [01:04:30] And I remember my friend going through the whole pregnancy of, um, you know, um uh, of her surrogate, This actually happened outside of New Zealand, but her surrogate, uh, the mother was going through the pregnancy, and then the adopted mother, the mother actually pretend that she was pregnant, right throughout the whole pregnancy. I remember her having to stuff her tummy with things to make her look like she was pregnant because she didn't want the stigma [01:05:00] attached to her daughter when she finally came home as her daughter. So in that culture, So So that heart wrenching experience that she went through was something that made me sort of understand the kind of agony that Roan and, um uh, Doreen would have actually gone. Gone through, sir? Um, following the, uh, Marriage amendment Act of 2013. Same sex couples are now able to marry and can apply [01:05:30] to jointly adopt Children. And so what this bill is actually doing is making a matter of fact um uh, the fact that Diane Sullivan and Doreen Shields are, in fact, both Roan's parents just a matter of law, just a record and make it permanent that from now on that when Roy applies for a future, uh, birth certificate, both her parents will be on that piece of paper. And for me, [01:06:00] that piece of paper is very significant, because that is one way Rowan identifies herself. It's a certificate basically confirming what she has known all her life. That it was. In fact, both her parents, not just one, not the other to both of them were, in fact, her parents who brought her up so well, uh, to be proud of who she is, and honouring her mother, who has very sadly [01:06:30] passed away. I wish you best of luck. And I'd like to congratulate my colleague and friend Louisa Wall for, uh, bringing this bill to the house and managing the select committee process that all your colleagues would support you, uh, in this bill, sir. It is a great bill. I commend it to the house I call the Honourable Member Poto Williams. Mr. Speaker, [01:07:00] it's a privilege to be able to speak on the second reading of this bill and I want to I want to acknowledge the courage of Doreen Shields and Rowan Sullivan and their determination to ensure that this bill becomes law. I can assure you of my total support and your achievement. To this end, This bill is essentially about love, love and commitment of two women for each other [01:07:30] love for their of of these women for their child and love of that child. For both of her parents, this bill speaks to the diverse and modern way our families are structured and the way we should be able to acknowledge those who are the most important in our lives, namely, our parents and our Children. We are a modern society that has in recent years made provision for the diversity of our relationships. [01:08:00] And here I must commend my colleague Louisa Wall on ensuring the equality of rights for all on the subject of marriage and for bringing this bill to the house. So it is a natural progression to look at the needs of families and the Children in these families in the modern New Zealand context to ensure that they are catered for and that their rights as well as their needs are met and they are permitted equality as well. [01:08:30] Mr. Speaker, I want to point out to you that I am too an adoptee. This bill resonates on so many levels for adoptees and for adoptive parents more than I think, even Rowan or and do know. And this is my own personal view of how important this bill is. When you are an adopted child, the state dictates who your parents are. When you are a prospective adoptive parent, [01:09:00] you become involved in a formal process that takes many months, often years, to determine your suitability and fitness for for becoming a parent and to ensure there are no objections, uh, from other parties for forthcoming. That is what I believe is still the process for adoption. The state then permits you to be named as parent on a birth certificate or, more specifically, the mother or father of a child. So the Registrar of births, deaths and marriages previously recorded [01:09:30] mother and father of child, not parent. This is a piece of legis legislation, the current piece of legislation of the bill before us. That does not translate well in this modern context, the requirements meet the needs of a time. But this is no longer the time. I strongly suggest it's time to put it right. We've seen this House pass legislation to afford equal rights to the state of marriage to same sex sex couples, [01:10:00] and I'm really proud that we have. Yet we deny them the dignity and responsibility of shared parentage. This is the predicament we find here when you're born into a family not adopted, born into a family in the traditional sense. You don't need the state to tell you who you are, who you are or who your parents are. You just are, and it just is. I understand the need for legal process to determine your status [01:10:30] in legal terms and your rights, for example, to property or to a state that you are a beneficiary of. But in modern New Zealand, where we have made huge strides in terms of acknowledging equality and marriage, we now need to develop equality in parenthood. I speak as an adoptee whose 90 year old birth father sat in the gallery just a few weeks ago to watch his youngest birth child deliver a maiden address to this house, and it's been [01:11:00] 52 years since my adoption. And I'm extremely grateful for the gift that was given to my adoptive parents as their love and care has made me the person I am today. And I want to just comment on my colleague Moana Mackie, making the point that as you grow older, your circumstances change and your view of life and family relationships change. How powerful it would be that I could now acknowledge my birth father or my certificate as an acknowledgement of the gift that he made to my parents. [01:11:30] It's no longer, um, a adoption. But it's not so long ago that adoption and the circumstances and reasons behind adoption were too shameful to share. And there are many adopted Children unable to trace birth families because it was not proper at the time to record those details and the process of recording and registration of adopted Children and those days removed the record of birth parents. [01:12:00] This is not the case with Rowan Sullivan. However, there is a bigger implication here. I want to point out to many that the birth of um, the birth to same sex couples and the subsequent adoptions sometimes happen with the help of sperm and egg donors surrogates. And it should be possible for those who contribute to the care and the love and the parentage and the parenting be given the privilege of appearing on the certificate [01:12:30] here, I would like to note that I support the amendment of the title of this bill to the Sullivan birth registration bill. Mr. Speaker, this bill supports a young woman whose real-life experience is of being parented by two women, two women who have loved her, cared for her and raised a wonderful young woman. I would like this house to now support the love and commitment it took by Doreen Shields and Diane Sullivan to raise this young woman [01:13:00] by providing them the opportunity to both be recognised equally as the parents of Rowan Sullivan. I commend this bill to the house. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I call the Honourable Member Jamie Lee Ross before I begin. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise you that, uh, student to standing order 1182. I'll be splitting this call with my colleague from, uh, Mandel. Uh, Simpson JP. Could I have a ballot four minutes, please. Thank you very much for that. For informing [01:13:30] the house. Thank you, colleagues. Uh, Mr Speaker, uh, as I as I was sitting here listening to, uh, the speeches from the house, I was sitting there wondering whether, uh, Doreen and Rowan would be watching this debate tonight and and I assume they probably are. Um I was also wondering to myself whether it would be a a moment that they are proud of or whether it's a moment that they'd be quite relieved by, because I don't think Mr. Speaker, we're talking tonight [01:14:00] really about guardianship status. I don't think we're talking about an adoption order either. I think what we're really talking about is a family. And I picked up on some words in the speech from Porter Williams. It's about love and care, and it's about family. And I think this is what really the the bill is all about. It's about recognising a family situation. Uh, that has existed regardless of what laws say, regardless of what pieces of paper say, um, it's about a family, [01:14:30] and it's about recognising formally the situation, uh, which exists. And I want to congratulate uh, Louisa wall for bringing this bill to the house. So it appears based on the speech from Mr O'Rourke that she's achieved, uh, unanimity, uh, in this house. Wouldn't it have been great if she could have achieved that on her other bill? That would have been a proud day for, uh, New Zealand. But but not to be, Uh, but this bill, she's, uh, equally, uh, done well on. So, Mr Speaker, Congratulations to, uh, Lassa [01:15:00] Wall. Uh, I note also that Porter Williams, if I can draw off your speech again, uh, mentioned that she, uh, was adopted. I wasn't adopted myself. But I'm also someone in this house who wasn't raised in your stock standard, uh, nuclear family of your mother. Father. Siblings, uh, was raised effectively by my grandmother, and we never went through the formal, uh, route of of recognising that, uh, in law, but certainly growing up. Um, I always knew that my grandmother played [01:15:30] the role of mother, father and and everything else. And I think if we think back to it, probably formalising that situation, uh, would have been an ideal thing to have done it surplus to requirements for us now, But I can understand completely why Rowan would want to see, uh, this situation formalised, uh, for herself. And although the the the details around the the bill have been discussed and quite a bit of detail tonight already, I don't want to go over them again. But I just want to say it's a very good thing that this house is doing [01:16:00] for that family. And it is about the family. It's not about the pieces of paper. It's about recognising the family. Mr. Speaker, I was interested a little bit about, um, the mechanisms of private bills because, uh, as someone who I've only been here three years in this house, Mr. Speaker haven't actually seen many private bills come to, uh, the debating chamber. And so I was quite interested in the history of it and whether or not this was the appropriate mechanism, uh, to be used I I found it interesting, I. I pulled out McGee [01:16:30] and had a bit of a read about private bills. Uh, and there's a bit of interesting information here. If you want to find out the the origins of private bills, it really goes back to the time when parliament really passed legislation. Uh, nowadays, parliament passes legislation on a very frequent basis. Uh, but back in the day, when parliament very rarely passed legislation for individuals to seek relief for a particular matter, uh, they had to ask the parliament to pass a piece [01:17:00] of private legislation. Ironically, according to McGee, uh, if one wanted to seek a divorce prior to 18 67 1 had to get a private piece. A private bill passed through the parliament to get a divorce. Uh, parliament would be exceptionally busy these days if that was still the case. Uh, fortunately, it is not, but certainly reading about the history of private bills. Uh, Mr Speaker, I can see that this is very much a situation where a private bill, [01:17:30] uh, is appropriate. Uh, I just want to say, as I come to the conclusion of the few remarks that that I have to make on this bill, uh, I just want to say congratulations again to Louisa Wall to the select committee as well, because they've made some, uh, good amendments to this piece of legislation, and I just want to say again, congratulations to Rowan and Dorene, because I can't imagine that it would be easy to front up to the New Zealand House of Representatives to go through. Uh, what I imagine would have been a lengthy process, uh, to [01:18:00] become a promoter of the bill to get it all going. So congratulations to them and everyone who is voting in favour of this. Even New Zealand first. Congratulations, Mr Speaker. I call the Honourable Member Scott Simpson. Thank you, Mr Speaker. It's a pleasure indeed to stand in support of this bill, which, as my colleague Jamie Lee Ross, has, uh, just mentioned, looks like it will have unanimity across the house, and that in itself, is a rare and wonderful thing. So the, um uh, speeches tonight [01:18:30] I think have been generous, uh, meaningful. And from the heart, I've been, uh, incredibly impressed with the personal stories of individual members, but also actually impressed with this story about which this bill has been brought to the house by its sponsor, Lesa Wall, And I want to congratulate, uh, the member Lewis Wall for bringing yet another, uh, piece of, uh, legislation to the house as a as a, uh, backbench MP myself of a very [01:19:00] short duration of this house. I am in awe of her ability to bring this sort of stuff to the house in a way that is, I think, unifying and useful to us as a parliament and to us as a democracy in New Zealand. So following the Marriage Definition Amendment Act of last year, same sex couples are, of course, able to marry, and therefore they are now able to jointly apply to adopt Children. And so had that been the case for Diane [01:19:30] Sullivan and Doreen Shields, and they had been able to legally married then they were have been able to, of course, adopt Rowan. Now, um, if that had occurred, then this bill would not be required. Uh, so, in a previous life, uh, before coming to this parliament, I had the great privilege and pleasure to be CEO of a Children's charity called Make a Wish. And so I was for about three years, uh, a professional wish granter. And, uh, that, [01:20:00] let me tell you, is a, uh, terrific, uh, thing to be able to do. And in my maiden speech to this house, I, uh, uh, mentioned that one of the challenges I saw for myself in this house was to be able to in some way, uh, bring the, uh, job skills and transfer of knowledge from my role as a professional wish granter into this chamber. And so tonight, I have a small sense of having achieved a little bit of that by being a participant in this debate And indeed, having [01:20:30] been a member of this house as we passed, uh, the second reading of this bill. So I mentioned also, uh, when I was speaking in my maiden speech about being a professional wish grant for make a wish that, uh, one should never underestimate the power of some magic, Uh, the power of a wish and the power of small things, small deeds, small actions to have enormous important impact upon the lives of individuals. And so tonight, I think [01:21:00] we are, as I say, having a small sense of that. So, uh, this is a private member's bill. I'm grateful to my colleague, the member Jamie Lee Ross, for giving us a little bit of history about private members bills, because indeed, the house would be sitting under extended urgency very frequently if the old rules still applied. Um sir, I want to thank members of the Select committee who have considered the bill, uh, chaired by the honourable Ruth Dyson. [01:21:30] I, uh, of course, did not have an opportunity to sit on the bill, but I was particularly taken by speeches earlier on in the debate from members who did participate, uh, in the, uh, uh, consideration of the bill after first reading. And I note with interest that they have made a number of, uh, modest but significant and important changes. The Government administration Committee has made a number of recommendations. Uh, and one of them was [01:22:00] to change the title of the bill. Uh uh, And that seems entirely appropriate, given the circumstances and the unique features of the situation that exists relating to Rowan's situation. So the title of the bill, as introduced the Sullivan birth certificate bill, uh, was likely to be have, uh, have been interpreted as a little bit misleading. And, uh and so the, uh, suggested change is one that I support. And I think that the committee [01:22:30] has yet again, uh, shown its willingness and ability to get its head around. Um uh, difficult issues. Uh, previously, they've to consider issues of very major significance to a great number of people. On this occasion, they have been considering a difficult but problematic issue for just one family and in particular, one individual. And so, living as we do in a small, precious, intimate democracy, [01:23:00] it's a great pleasure to see Parliament working as it should to achieve this piece of legislation. And I commend it thoroughly to the house. Um, Carol Vermont Rise is the last speaker on the Sullivan birth certificate Bill. And, um, he listened very carefully, and it is a really unusual situation we are in, uh, with this private bill, which does benefit a single family. Um, and and it is an unusual situation that we have had such positive [01:23:30] contributions from everybody in the house. And it has This bill has the support of all parties. That's a very good thing. And this does feel like, uh, something where we are making a real significant difference to two people. Um, one of whom is here tonight. Um, I want to acknowledge Lewis Wall in this process. Um, you know, I think most people come to parliament because, um, and it's a rather cliched term, but because they want to make a difference. And Lassa has had the opportunity [01:24:00] and, um, the drive to do two very powerful things quite different in their scale. But two very powerful things of recent times, both with her marriage equality bill and now with the Sullivan birth certificate. Bill. And I want to acknowledge her for doing that for making a difference. Uh, and for being an active MP, um, I want to also acknowledge Rowan Sullivan and Dorian Shields for driving this really for having the heartfelt [01:24:30] desire to make this so because you've done it, you've done it. And a lot of people would not have, um, perhaps gone the distance and and felt so strongly and and decided to really make this happen. And I think that's fantastic. And as um, my colleague across the house has just said also the Select committee, I've listened closely to contributions from people on that select committee, and I got a real sense that, um, that committee worked very well on this bill trying to to work their way [01:25:00] through it. And of course, it was very well chaired by my colleague, the honourable Ruth Dyson. So others have gone through all of the detail. Really? But this bill will now allow Rowan to have both of her parents names recorded on her formal birth certificate. And I think that that is a great achievement. Um, effectively, Uh, when, uh, the guardianship that, um, was taken by, um [01:25:30] by Doreen, uh, actually expired when Rowan turned 18, and it struck me. This this issue of effectively being or feeling legally orphaned, um, must have been a deeply unsettling and upsetting situation. So this isn't just a piece of paper. This is a process to respect and honour a mother who had obviously, um, loved her daughter very much. So, uh, with those few words, [01:26:00] can I just finally again acknowledge the determination of Rowan enduring? Uh, and can I say that as a family, uh, you have achieved something really important. And, um, that is that is great to see here tonight. The question is that the motion be agreed to those of that opinion will say I contrary. No, the eyes have it. Sullivan Birth certificate bill, Second reading. [01:26:30] This bill is set down for committee stage next Sitting day. Call now on members Order of the day. Number one Electronic transactions. Contract formation amendment bill. Second reading.
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