and I commend this bill to the House.
I
House. I call Dr Liz Craig It's a privilege
to speak on the
I call Dr Liz Craig It's a privilege to speak on the firsted reading of
the Births, Deaths,
to speak on the firsted reading of the Births, Deaths, Marriages,
and Relationships Registration Bill.
This
Relationships Registration Bill. This bill updatedates the 1995 act
which provides the overarching framework which governs how
information on births, deaths, marriages and civil unions
is registered
marriages and civil unions is marriages
marriages and civil unions is registered in this country. It aims
to provide more
registered in this country. It aims to provide more timely access to
birth
to provide more timely access to birth and death information. And
rapid
birth and death information. And rapid access to historical
records in the digital age.
Having
in the digital age. Having spent over a decade in child
and youth health
Having spent over a decade in child and youth health research, I was a
user
and youth health research, I was a user of births, deaths
and marriages information. One of
the biggest issues we had was
timeliness. It was often a
issues we had was timeliness. It was
someone had passed away and when we could access the death registration
data. And
could access the death registration data. And also for
birth registrations, it was often
several months, up to six months,
before we could access
could access that information. That made it really difficult
when you're trying to look for emerging
trends. For example, clusters
of suicides. Or if you've got interventions
for cot death, it was difficult to
see what information that was having
in the region. Also
just things like some of the deaths from
child abuse and with the intense interventions
we've
and with the intense interventions we've been doing within
the health sector, thinking about whether
that was having any impact
because it is the ability to tailor what you're
doing to what you see
the ability to tailor what you're doing to what you see in the
data and that's not really
possible in the current situation.
The
the current situation. The other thing we had
with the delays in the birth
registration data was we couldn't really
assess how many births were happening
each year.
how many births were happening each year. Thatwas difficult calculating
accurate infant mortality rates, key to some of our monitoring. What this
bill says
to some of our monitoring. What this bill says is that
a preliminary notice of birth has to be provided
to the
notice of birth has to be provided to the Registrar General within five
working days following
to the Registrar General within five working days following the birth
and a preliminary notice of death has to
be provided
a preliminary notice of death has to be provided by the doctor
within three working days of giving a death
certificate, thereby creating streamlining in the process. And a
lot of
streamlining in the process. And a lot of the changes in this respect
address the
lot of the changes in this respect address the recommendations of the
2015 Law Commission
address the recommendations of the 2015 Law Commission review into
deaths,
2015 Law Commission review into deaths, burial and cremation. So
it's a
deaths, burial and cremation. So
approach because it's been based on a very thorough review of the area.
Many,
a very thorough review of the area. Many, many others, like my father,
who
Many, many others, like my father, who is aly history buff, use
births, deaths and marriages data
for family history research. I remember
him having to write away each
time he wanted a copy of an historic
marriage
wanted a copy of an historic marriage or death certificate and
having
marriage or death certificate and having these big folders in
his study downstairs where he
Labouriously recorded that on
it's an absolutely time consuming process if you have to go away and
write away
process if you have to go away and
this bill aims to provide is greater electronic access
electronic access to historical information and so it allows people
to request
information and so it allows people to request electronic access
to
historical information about a named person. Still that provision
is there, that you
need to know the name of the person
you are requesting the data on, rather
than having open access in that space.
And
having open access in that space. And moving to an online
format will significantly speed up access to
that
significantly speed up access to that historical births, deaths and
marriages information for family
that
marriages information for family history research. The bill, though,
preserves the
history research. The bill, though, preserves the concept of historical
information and a liver shakes between what you can access on
relates to people that have passed away or been married a long
time ago N some cases it shortens the
time periods required. So for accessing
marriage information it shortened that to 75 years or
more since the marriage occurred rather than the
that the bill preserves is the requirement that people need to
confirm their identity to
requirement that people need to confirm their identity to be able to
access
confirm their identity to be able to access births, deaths
and marriages' information. Again, although this
can be
information. Again, although this can be done online, via a
Real Me identity, which means people can
go online, firm their identity and
have
have very real access to this information in a timely manner.
Many of these changes in terms
of improved access address
the recommendations of the Ministry of
Internal
recommendations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' 2016 review of
access provisions. So
Internal Affairs' 2016 review of access provisions. So this bill
in summary aims to improve both the
timeliness of
summary aims to improve both the timeliness of and the access
to births, deaths and marriages'
data. It's also going to tidy up the
1995 act and make it
more flexible and
I'm
I'm also reassured by the fact that this bill is based on the work of
two very
two very substantive reviews in this area, one based on the
Law Commission's review looking at the
death
Commission's review looking at the death registration information and
also when we are looking
death registration information and also when we are looking at
access in terms of that review
that recommended that we move
to online formats so that people can
get greater access to this information.
So
greater access to this information. So given the information is
incredibly useful for researchers in my
incredibly useful for researchers in incredibly
incredibly useful for researchers in my past role, because
it gives us that overall ability to assess what
is happening
that overall ability to assess what is happening in our
community, and to then make decisions in the health
sector based on an understanding of what's happening on the ground,
and also because it
is absolutely so valuable for family
history researchers, I'm very happy to
support this bill
researchers, I'm very happy to support this bill and
I commend this bill to the House. Thank you. The
question
bill to the House. Thank you. The question is that the motion be
bill to the House. Thank you. The bill
bill to the House. Thank you. The
Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration
Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships
The question is that the Births, Deaths, Marriages,
Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill be considered by
the governance and administration the governance and administration
committee. The
the governance and administration committee. The ayes have it. I call
on
committee. The ayes have it. I call on Government Order of
the Day No. 2. Customs and Excise
on Government Order of the Day No.
reading. I move that the Customs and Excise Bill be now read a
second time. The Hon Meka Whaitiri. This
bill
time. The Hon Meka Whaitiri. This bill replaces the 1996 Customs
and Excise Act that is over 20 years'
old. In
Excise Act that is over 20 years' old. In some parts,
years' old. The act is out of step with modern business practices and
has been
with modern business practices and has been amended many times to
deal with changes in trade, travel,
security and technology.