I must thank the defence force for their support at this time. My term of engagement was almost up and I was worried that, because of my cancer, the army would not renew my contract. But three days after talking to the chaplain, an extension of service came in the mail with a remark from my career manager that went, "You have spent the last 15 years looking after us; now it's our turn to look after you." And shortly after my diagnosis, the haematologist told me that my form of leukaemia used to be a death sentence, but now there's this new immunotherapy drug that switches off the signal that causes the cells to divide and, luckily for me, it was fully funded through Pharmac. This drug is not cheap. From a financial perspective, funding this drug did not make sense. But to me and my family, it's paid huge dividends. I could work full time. I get to see my kids grow up and I get to participate in society. So this brush with cancer turned my mild interest in politics into an unrelenting pursuit. Going into hostile environments overseas to help preserve the security of people was something I always accepted—it's what I signed up for—but after my cancer diagnosis, I felt I also had a responsibility to contribute to the human security of our people here at home, to do what I could do to give people the healthcare, the housing, and the economic security that they deserve.