Power Simon: Reinstatement of Business 
Power Simon: Reinstatement of Business 
[Volume:628;Page:38] 
SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) 
: 
 I listened with interest to Dr Cullen's explanation at the start of this debate about the point of a reinstatement motion and how it was more relevant than a carry-over motion as previously done by Parliament. He actually made the right point which was that a Parliament is to start afresh and that the whole point of having a reinstatement motion is to avoid a situation where the next Parliament is bound by the work programme of the last Parliament. So to those members including Jeanette Fitzsimons who say that no the public should be given an opportunity to make submissions on bills I say that the real point is that that would have been the case had a carry-over motion continued. We now have a reinstatement motion which enables this Parliament to start afresh. That is precisely why the Standing Orders Committee unanimously amended the process. 
I do not think that I was alone when I sat on this side of the House and heard Mr Brown admit that he disagreed with his leader. It was an extraordinary admission done under a neat and tight cross-examination by Mr Hide in an environment that I am sad to tell Mr Brown will come back to haunt him. The Clark-Peters Government—or the “Peters party”—has an opportunity now to do away with that Government programme excepting for a few decent members’ bills. New Zealand First is now supporting a work programme it spent a large part of the last Parliament opposing. It stood on this Opposition side of the House and debated against bills that its members are now about to vote to have included and continuing in the Government’s work programme. 
For 3 years I sat and listened to New Zealand First members calling United Future members “lapdogs” and “doormats”. Well I tell New Zealand First members that I have only two words for them—that is “Woof woof!” Now is their chance to show United Future the very thing they accused its members of for 3 years. New Zealand First should stand up and vote against the Government's work programme when the motion is put. I tell Mr Brown that this is the opportunity to show that his party belongs over here and not with the Government because already New Zealand First members are being tarred as being part of that Government. Mr Dunne also has the opportunity now to show he has what it takes to vote against the Government work programme. 
Now there is a complete charade where Mr Peters is a Minister outside Cabinet bound by collective ministerial responsibility—apparently—on his portfolios but on nothing else which is an extraordinary departure from the doctrine and convention of collective ministerial responsibility. But the Prime Minister just waves that away by saying: “We will just adjust those conventions. We will just amend the  
Cabinet Manual 
.” Actually it is not as straightforward as that and members opposite should reflect on the Westminster model and on the fact that the doctrine of collective responsibility means that their leader and their party will be bound by all ministerial portfolio decisions. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: Go and get a life. 
SIMON POWER 
: Doug Woolerton tells me to get a life! I hope that Mr Woolerton’s 12-year friendship was worth it when he just threw away the presidency of New Zealand First. Actually I admire him for it. At least he stood up for what he believed in unlike poor old Peter Brown who said: “I don’t believe the speech in Rotorua. I want to sit on the other side of the House. It’s got nothing to do with me I got nothing.” What a sad indictment! 
But it is not true that those New Zealand First members got nothing. I am told that Ron Mark will be the deputy chair of the Law and Order Committee and will work under Martin Gallagher keeping Martin Gallagher honest as the chair of the Law and Order Committee. What a disgrace! Mr Donnelly will at least retain some semblance of respect by continuing to chair the Education and Science Committee which is a job he did extremely well. I can tell by the look on his face that he is disgusted with the deal that has been done. He is appalled with the outcome of negotiations he had nothing to do with. 
But of course those New Zealand First MPs are not alone in missing out. Poor old Steve Chadwick—it looks like the smoking got her in the end. Jill Pettis who stands today as a list MP in this Parliament is destined for a job offshore. There is also Dianne Yates and Georgina Beyer. The debate on Georgina Beyer’s bill will be very interesting. Russell Fairbrother should have paid a ransom for his own career. And then there is poor old Jim Sutton. 
We should give the Greens some credit. During the election campaign at least the Greens were honest enough to say to the public: “We are the only party that will tell you now that we will go into coalition with Labour.” But they are not. They have been left on the shelf again for the third time. I encourage the Greens to contain that vengeance for every vote in this Parliament to make sure that they exact the revenge that they deserve for being duped for the third time in a row. 
It is worth finishing with a quote from the speech in Rotorua. In a speech made in Rotorua on 7 September Mr Peters said: “We are not prepared to compromise our principles simply to pursue the perks of office. We are not the desperate lonely hearts of New Zealand politics looking hopefully and forlornly for a suitor.” It appears that he was wrong again.