Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I regret to inform the House of the death on 5 April 2012 of the Hon Sir Peter Wilfred Tapsell KNZM, MBE, who represented the electorate of Eastern Maori from 1981 to 1996. From 1984 to 1987 he was Minister of Internal Affairs, of Civil Defence, and for the Arts, and Associate Minister of Local Government and of Tourism. From 1987 to 1989 Sir Peter served as Minister of Police, of Forestry, of Lands, of Recreation and Sport, and of Survey and Land Information, and was the Minister in charge of the Valuation Department. He was Minister of Defence in 1990. Sir Peter was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996. I desire, on behalf of this House, to express our sense of the loss we have sustained and our sympathy with the relatives of the late former member. I now ask members to stand with me and observe a period of silence as a mark of our respect for his memory.

• Honourable members stood as a mark of respect.