GEORGINA BEYER (NZ Labour--Wairarapa): I am very pleased to take the opportunity to speak in today's general debate, mainly due to the charity of my colleague Judy Keall who forfeited this slot so that I may rise and speak to members today. It is wonderful to be able to report back to this House on the matters I raised last December, prior to our Christmas break, when the Wairarapa had experienced some rather unfortunate tragic events, namely the murder of the Aplin sisters.

The reason that I have a white ribbon on my microphone today---and I hope that I might be indulged, so I can have it there quite often---is that it is a symbol of the anti-violence campaign, the non-violent initiative, that the Wairarapa community has taken on board. Today we were fortunate to launch our anti-violence strategy and campaign at the Masterton Town Hall, with most of the community's stakeholders present. This is the first step towards a community taking responsibility for some of the tragic events that have occurred. We have a collective responsibility, and we have reaffirmed that today.

The campaign, which has been assisted by Saatchi and Saatchi to some degree, has come out with a slogan that will be used continuously. I will table a document on it later, for the interest of other members who may find it useful in their own areas. "Rise Above It---We Can Beat the Violence in Our Area" is the theme we are to embark upon. It has been quite remarkable that in a relatively short space of time huge numbers of representatives of community organisations, Government agencies, local government, the Women's Refuge, and Te Puni Kōkiri have made all sorts of input. Iwi have been particularly important in the way that they have made their contribution to this "violence-free Wairarapa" campaign.

We have had some very healthy interest from other members from around New Zealand, and also from the media, I might say. We do need the media to assist us to put forward some of the issues out there in the community. We need their support in helping to get the message out there.

I am pleased to say that the civic leadership that was shown by the Mayor of Masterton District, and the mayors of Carterton and South Wairarapa districts, has been most helpful. It has helped to reinforce the strong links between central and local government, and subsequently down to the community, to enable these kinds of very difficult issues to be addressed and communicated to our community. What is remarkable is the community buy-in, and that has to be the key to any campaign in any area in our country.

There are no particular politics in this campaign. It is about the very real cause of preventing death and preventing violence to our young children and to our families. What I offer the House today, and what our community offers the House, is the beginning of our journey through that. It will be a long journey, perhaps a generational one, but the intention is there, and it is good and healthy. I hope members will look through the document I intend to table and will offer us their constructive criticism and help in what we are doing. We want to reciprocate, too. If we have some good ideas that might be worth working on in other communities, by all means let us chat about them.

That is all that I have to say. I am pleased to report back to the House that those were not just cheap words that I said before Christmas. They have actually come through to become a reality now. I seek leave of the House to table a strategy document on non-violence produced by the Wairarapa community, for the information of the House.