Politicians before me have not accepted that simply because we are a small country, we should have small ambitions—quite the opposite. From the work of the suffragettes to convince "King Dick" that women should have the vote, the creation of the welfare system and universal healthcare that recently saved the life of my father, and the stand to be nuclear free and not accept foreign interference when the Rainbow Warrior was bombed, New Zealand leads the way in being an open democracy with minuscule corruption levels. Government is accountable through the independent media, institutions such as the Ombudsman and Auditor-General, the independent judiciary—some of whom are here—a public select committee process to scrutinise legislation and offer ideas through submissions, and an Opposition that can choose to agree or disagree. All of this means that Governments are encouraged to serve the interests of citizens and not the elite, and to respond to facts and not fake news—thank goodness.