Borrows Chester: Appropriation (Parliamentary Expenditure Validation) Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee Third Reading 
Borrows Chester: Appropriation (Parliamentary Expenditure Validation) Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:634;Page:5879] 
CHESTER BORROWS (National—Whanganui) 
: 
 It is a tremendous privilege to be able to stand in this Chamber. It is a tremendous honour to be able to be here to represent constituents. But I find that there is an amazing sense of history here as we sit and watch events unfold today. The Government took nearly $800000 from its leader’s budget and applied it to electioneering purposes and that money is now being laundered through the parliamentary process. 
The only problem with sitting here and watching these events unfold today is that faeces splatter. Every one of us in time will recount the process that we have been going through over these days and hours as we sit in this Chamber now. Some of us may recount this process over a glass of whisky and some of the really honourable members may recount it in black and white print as they write and publish memoirs. But every one of us will have to recall this process because what is happening here today is a salient point in the history of this country. 
It will be interesting too to note members’ various responses to this process. I will be able to stand sit or whatever and say: “Yep I was there. I remember the day.” I will be able to say I voted against this legislation. Other people sitting around the Chamber today will have various explanations as to their part in this seedy business as well. Dr Cullen will be able to say: “Yep I was there and it was my idea. I moved the bill.” I wonder how that will be received by those who are listening to him. Maybe his grandchildren when they are talking to him in years to come will ask him why he moved the bill. He will have to fess up and say: “Because we were in the poo.” 
The people who are new to this House consider it a privilege to be here. The people who want to push through this sort of legislation are arrogant and believe that it is their right to do so as they money-launder their way through this legislation. I cannot understand why this legislation is not an amendment to the Crimes Act. That is exactly what it should be. 
It will also be interesting to note the explanations of other members who are sitting in the Chamber today including those of Mr Brown and other members of New Zealand First and members of United Future. They will be able to look their grandchildren in the eye or whoever is asking if they are interested and say: “Yeah I was there and I witnessed this seedy legislation go through. I voted for it because my leader said I should and I was happy to do it at the time.” If we cannot justify supporting this legislation now will we be proud to have done so in 20 years’ time? There are other people sitting in this Chamber now who in years to come will have to say: “Well I sat there on my hands and did nothing.” Those people are the Green Party members who have decided to abstain from voting in respect of this legislation. But they will be tainted as well. As I said earlier this stuff splatters. 
It is interesting to watch the body language and the jumping up and down of members on the other side of the Chamber. I have interviewed a lot of guilty people in my time—people whom one is suspicious of. It is interesting to look at the body language of those people. They cover themselves they keep pulling their clothes together and they stand with their hands on their heart. The ones who are really guilty deny and deny—“It wasn’t me; it didn’t happen.” They protest and carry on and they say it never happened. Then they move to the next stage which is: “Oh yeah well it happened but it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know.” They are the guilty ones. What about the innocent ones? What do they do? The innocent ones turn round and say: “Oh gee I made a stuff-up and here’s the money. I will pay it back.” 
Those are the two different responses in respect of overspending that we are hearing in this Chamber today. I find it hugely ironic to see the former member for Otago jumping up and down and waving his fingers at this side of the Chamber.