GEORGINA BEYER (Labour): I do not support the National Party's amendment to this motion. The co-leader of the Green Party is correct; there is a member’s bill here. It is my bill—the Human Rights (Gender Identity) Amendment Bill.

Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson): The Prime Minister says it’s gone.

GEORGINA BEYER: It has not been voted on by this Parliament yet. It was put forward for first reading in the last Parliament. At the end of the day it will be my decision what happens to the bill. Whether it stays in or out is my decision. I do not believe that the process that Gerry Brownlee and the National Party are trying to institute is right. It is undemocratic, and I would expect that it betrays their real ideals.

Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I seek the leave of the House to table the Sunday Star-Times article in which the Prime Minister stated that the very bill that the member has spoken about was dead.

Georgina responded to the article with the following letter:

Dear Editor

Contrary to Helen Bain's report (30 October 2005) I was not instructed by Helen Clark or Michael Cullen to drop my gender identity private members bill which would outlaw discrimination of transgendered New Zealanders from Parliament's order paper.

My motivations were two-fold. Firstly, there is no majority for this bill in the new Parliament. Secondly, the Human Rights Commission has clarified its approach to this issue and will now handle such complaints. This will achieve the purposes behind the bill and unless complainants have difficulty using the process, additional legislation is unnecessary.

Georgina Beyer
Labour List MP

The Bill is currently on the Order Paper No.2 under Members' Order of the Day and is likely to be delayed.