Beyer Georgina: Address in Reply 
Beyer Georgina: Address in Reply 
[Volume:628;Page:379] 
GEORGINA BEYER (Labour) 
: 
 What a pleasure and privilege it is to contribute to this Address in Reply debate in response to the Speech from the Throne. I will begin as most colleagues have by congratulating you Mr Deputy Speaker on your appointment; the Hon Margaret Wilson of course on her appointment as Madam Speaker and also Ross Robertson and Ann Hartley too on their elected positions of presiding officers of this House. It is never an easy task but all execute it extremely well and we should all be grateful for that. I would like to pay my respects to the Governor-General. Her delivery of the Speech from the Throne was appropriate and maintained the integrity and dignity of the position that she holds which is that of our head of State in the absence of Her Majesty the Queen. 
I would like also to thank those people who assisted me during the election in my efforts on behalf of the Labour Party. I particularly pay my respects to the rainbow Labour sector of the New Zealand Labour Party. I would also like to acknowledge the Wairarapa Labour electorate committee. And while on the matter of the Wairarapa electorate may I also express my sincere gratitude and thanks to the constituents of my former electorate which I vacated at this last election and which has now been occupied with the election of John Hayes. I congratulate him upon that effort and achievement of arriving in Parliament. Notwithstanding matters that may cloud the beginning of his tenure as the member for Wairarapa I am encouraged to concede that we will work together on matters that are of general and major interest to the Wairarapa. That was the practice under my time as the local member when Mr Edwin Perry of New Zealand First was formerly a member of this House in the last term of Parliament. There are matters that transcend politics between parties sometimes when the good of the electorate that both members share an interest is to the fore. 
I have noted with some interest some of the aspirations that Mr Hayes has for the future of the Wairarapa. They are long-held aspirations and I dare say he will have become very knowledgable of the history over the last decade or so not only under my time as the local member in Wairarapa but also under that of Wyatt Creech. I did note also that in his maiden speech—which was a very good maiden speech in many respects although I did not agree with everything he had to say—he raised one issue about roading and putting a tunnel through the Rimutakas. I noted this morning on  
Morning Report  
that there was reference and the obvious potential danger should there be an earthquake in the Wellington area of Wellington being absolutely cut off should State Highway 1 not be sorted out via either Transmission Gully or the proposed coastal route. 
 That is interesting because of course one of the dynamics that has to be balanced when one is part of a region is the varying and diverse interests in this particular instance around transport funding. I believe that under my time as the local member for Wairarapa and under my predecessor the Hon Wyatt Creech we maintained the common vision of what we wanted to achieve as far as State Highway 2 connecting the Wellington region and the Wairarapa being improved over time. That has come to pass but there is more to be done. I look forward to the debate with our fellow colleagues in the region over how much of the funding we will be able to achieve in order that Mr Hayes’ aspirations for example might see the light of day. I remind him that these matters were traversed some time ago. No doubt Mr Creech will be able to inform him of that time as I also will be able to do. 
Of course the maiden speeches from new members are very interesting to listen to. They are enlightening they are informative and they give us a taste of the character of the person who has come in to the House. One speech I heard in the past days of maiden speeches tickled my fancy. I liked the cut of the speaker’s jib and the straight-up nature of his approach. That speaker would have to be Mr Clarkson. One little pearl one little gem I heard in that speech—which has been overlooked largely by the media compared with some of his other comments in his maiden speech—made reference to the affirmation of his masculinity: that he was all male. I am so pleased for Mr Clarkson that he is able to assert that. I was concerned only when it came to the point of thinking to myself: was there ever reason to question it in the first place? If there was may I offer my help—as we are all here to help—to that member any time he may have confusion over such matters. I am very pleased that he felt courageous enough to affirm his masculinity. 
It is something that should be done in this House. It has been tried by members previously in this Parliament and as I have said to them before I am here to help. I am most knowledgable about those things. I have to say of course that I got rid of both of them and that might have taken a bit more courage than Mr Clarkson just offering one—in a sort of lottery sense if you like. But no I appreciate that man’s sense of humour. It is a great sense of humour. I can see that he is laughing. He is trying to hold it back I know but we are allowed to laugh in this House when remarks of good humour are made. He can take a joke; I know that much—just as I can and as most of us can we hope from time to time. 
But the biggest joke would have to be that that party is sitting over there on the Opposition benches and that is not because of what Dr Lockwood Smith may have been purporting before but because New Zealanders understood that we did not want to go back to the tired old regime of a National-led Government. It was disastrous in the 1990s and the proposal for this particular term would have been equally disastrous because National was trying to buy the affection of the country with its tax cuts. Well the country thought about that a great deal I think when it came to this particular election and it thought that no it did not want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Under a Labour-led Government over the last 6 years we have been able to achieve a great deal of repair to the damage that was wrought through the 1990s by the policies of that very party that now occupies a greater number of seats most certainly but not enough I tell Dr Smith to be able to make it over to this side of the House. 
Although that member may have stood in this House and regaled us with his grizzling and griping about why he purports that Mr Peters has been the kingmaker—or queenmaker in this particular instance on this side of the House—I say no. That particular gentleman the Rt Hon Winston Peters also gave great consideration to what was best for this country and for stable Government which as was mentioned in the Speech from the Throne has to be a foundation stone of what will make this Parliament successful in the business it conducts over the next 3 years under a Labour-led Government. 
Also in the Speech from the Throne were words of inclusion of tolerance of bringing all New Zealanders together and of moving forward together as one—not words of the divisive nature of some of the rhetoric we heard from opposition members during the course of the election because they would pit Maori against Maori and Maori against non-Maori in this country. 
 What on earth was in the mind of the Leader of the Opposition Don Brash when he handed what is now known as the role of the PC eradicator of the National Party to Dr Wayne Mapp? Dr Mapp has already said in his new position as spokesperson that he wishes to dismantle review or look at tearing apart the institutional instrument that is there for the protection of human rights in this country: the Human Rights Commission. Well I know that on the Government benches there is one person—me—who will be looking at particular aspects of human rights in this country that I believe are still not completely sufficiently—might I say—adequate and clearly set out in the law. I refer of course to my own bill—the Human Rights (Gender Identity) Amendment Bill. It is still alive; it still lies on the Order Paper. 
If there is one thing that this election brought up and it certainly curried favour there for the National Party it would have to be that mean-spirited nature. It was also evidenced by the conservative nature of some religious elements in this country. There were the Exclusive Brethren who do not vote and do not participate in politics apparently unless it is to help out—although it stands back from it—the National Party in this particular case. If there is one thing I can say about Brian Tamaki the Destiny Church and the Destiny New Zealand party it is that they are absolutely transparent in what they want and in what they see as their vision for this country. I do not entirely agree with it but I will give those people credit for being transparent—unlike the sinister and deceitful nature of the Exclusive Brethren and their actions in the last election. 
PITA PARAONE (NZ First) 
:  
A tena ano koe. Engari te mea tuatahi hiahia ana au ki te mihi atu ki tera o nga tokorua o te Whare nei i pa mai te ringa kaha o aitua. Na reira e te rangatira e Tahu korua ko Rod ko tenei te mihi atu ki a koutou i takahia te ara whanui i kawe atu i a koutou ki te kainga e ki nei te kainga tuturu mo tatou mo te tangata. He mihi tenei ki nga whanau koutou i mahue mai i mua i te hinga atu a era o nga tokorua nei. A i tenei wa i tukuna atu nga whakaaro aroha ki nga whanau ratou e noho ana i raro o te kakahu taratara. 
Na reira kua ea te wahi ma ratau ka hoki ki a tatau te hunga ora. Na reira te mea tuatahi e mihi kau ana ki nga mema i hoki mai i roto i te Whare nei tu atu i tena e mihi hoki ki nga mema hou kua tae mai nei i tenei ra. 
Engari e hiahia ana au ki te mihi atu ki tera o aku whanaunga karanga maha. E te tuahine mai i Tainui i roto i a Nahinara ko te tuakana mai i Ngai Takoto i roto i te Ropu Reipa a me era atu o nga whanaunga karanga maha i roto o te Ropu Maori ara mai i Te Aupouri mai i Rangiwewehi Ngati Kahu a me Kahungunu. 
Na reira tenei te mihi atu ki a koutou nga mema hou. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.]  
[ 
Thank you once again. But first I want to express my condolences to those two from this House who have passed away. To you Tahu the chief you and Rod my salutations to you who have trod the wide path that has conveyed you to the home that we refer to as the real home for us mortals. This is my tribute to the families those of you left behind at the falling of those two. At this point in time my sympathies go out to the families the ones at present under the thorny mantle.  
Now that we have satisfied the part to the dead I return to us the living. Therefore a special greeting to members who have been returned to this House and further to that I acknowledge those new members who have arrived here today. 
But I want to greet those others too those relatives of mine of many callings my sister colleague from Tainui that one also in National the elder cousin from Ngai Takoto in the Labour Party and those relatives of many callings in the Maori Party from Te Aupouri Rangiwewehi Ngati Kahu and Kahungunu.  
And so this greeting to you collectively the new members 
.] 
 Mr Deputy Speaker it is indeed a privilege to be able to take this call while you are presiding over the proceedings of the House. Like the previous speakers I extend my congratulations to you on your elevation to Deputy Speaker. Although I was somewhat surprised that your colleagues did not support your nomination for Speaker that does not in any way reduce my regard for you nor do I have any less regard for Madam Speaker Margaret Wilson and the Assistant Speakers Ross Robertson and Ann Hartley. On behalf of New Zealand First I extend my congratulations to them all. 
I also take this time to acknowledge and congratulate the MP for Pakuranga the Hon Maurice Williamson on once again winning the seat of Pakuranga. The final result might have been a little bit closer however. There was sufficient support from a number of voters in Pakuranga and indeed from the rest of the country to ensure that I am here today. I say to the Hon Maurice Williamson that although his majority was in excess of 15000 to 16000 I look forward to 2008 when I know that I will be able to claw that back. 
Before I continue I take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank my new New Zealand First colleagues from the forty-seventh Parliament—good men all. The remaining caucus members and I really appreciated their efforts while they were here. They were all fine members of the House who served their country well. 
As I embark on my second term as an MP I would like to reflect on the achievements of New Zealand First and on my pride of being part of something that has delivered and will continue to deliver much for ordinary New Zealanders. My vision for New Zealand continues to be one where everybody gets a fair go to achieve their aspirations. I do not think anyone in this House would take offence at that. Indeed I believe that our country was built on such ideals. Somewhere along the way ideology became more important than ideals and this has not always been helpful. Until 1996 New Zealand was bereft of real political choice. The choices were between the left and the right and ideology defined them both. But it also constrained individuals within them and it still does. One just has to ask Brian Connell. 
The advent of MMP changed all this with the consequence that our Parliament now has a number of parties that represent the total political spectrum. MMP has allowed the entry into Parliament of parties that would not have had a chance under first past the post. In my view New Zealanders are better served by the increased representation that this has allowed. Additionally under MMP those who choose to vote can be assured that their vote really counts. Despite the best efforts of the two old large parties the recent general election proved that New Zealanders will never accept single-party majority again. Under MMP that has gone and that is the reason that New Zealand First is still here—much to the chagrin of many in this House I am sure. 
New Zealand First is a party that has been in Parliament since the first MMP election in 1996. We are here because New Zealanders recognise that this country needs a party that is not hampered by any outdated political theory; secondly New Zealanders recognise that this country needs a party that will represent those who are overlooked by the two big parties; and thirdly New Zealanders recognise that New Zealand First is the party that is focused on delivering policies that will allow all New Zealanders to achieve their dreams and goals unimpeded by hostile ideologies. New Zealand First is a party whose overriding principle is in our name. Fundamental to all our policies is the simple principle of putting New Zealand and New Zealanders first. Since we have been in Parliament we have established a track record of securing as many of our policies as we can with the resources and influences we have. During this parliamentary term we will improve on our record of delivering policies that make a positive difference to the lives of ordinary New Zealanders. 
Debate interrupted.