Mark Ron: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Mark Ron: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:629;Page:1108] 
RON MARK (NZ First) 
: 
 Many years ago when I was in the military I was always told that mimicry was the highest form of flattery one could expect. But I say to my colleague Doug Woolerton that it gets a little bit on the nose when time and time again one sees National getting its policy from the New Zealand First website and I am fully expecting on the back of its newly revised opinion on immigration— 
R Doug Woolerton 
: How do they read it? 
RON MARK 
: I do not know how some of those guys read it. I will tell members on the back of its new revised view of immigration I am fully expecting the National Party to come out and say that it needs an export policy. I am also fully expecting it to come out and say that it needs an export-led economy because never once in all the time that New Zealand First worked with National did that party put a focus on the real people who earn the revenue for this country: the farming community. National deserted the farming community a long time ago and put its money and hands firmly in the pockets of big business in Auckland. That is where it put its focus. We are waiting to see National plagiarise that policy. 
Over the next year we will see a lot of things happening on this side of the team. New Zealand First has a very good supply and confidence agreement with the Labour Government and we are progressing—[ 
Interruption 
] 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! 
RON MARK 
: I thank you Mr Assistant Speaker but the standards at Sandhurst have dropped considerably have they not? What I can say is that the front cover of the  
Police News 
 says it all. Already despite all the ranting and raving by the National Party about what it was going to do about law and order New Zealand First has secured 1000 uniformed police officers to be in the force on the ground over the next 3 years. But wait there is more. It is not just the 1000 uniformed staff that we are getting; we are getting extra non-sworn staff on top of that in order to meet the support needs. So we are talking about a possible extra 1200 staff. But wait there is more. Not only are we getting those extra uniformed staff and the non-sworn staff we are getting the funding and the budget to provide the vehicles—the equipment on the ground—to ensure that those frontline staff are able to do their job. That is what one achieves when one goes into negotiation firm on one’s policies. 
What would we have got had we negotiated with members on that side of the House? We would have got a bitser Government thrown together with the new-found love of Don Brash’s life the Maori Party. And here is where I would like to finish today. Out there I heard Ms Pansy Wong talking about what the people are saying they want. I will tell the House what I am hearing. The people out there are confused. They have heard more flip-flops out of National than they would hear on Bondi Beach on a Sunday afternoon. Not only has Mr Brash flip-flopped on his nuclear policy and not only has he flip-flopped on his immigration policy he has also flip-flopped on a “don’t like the Maoris and keep them out of Parliament” policy to the extent that he has signed up with the Maori Party to pretend he never ever actually said National was going to get rid of the Maori seats. Here is the irony: that was a New Zealand First policy position 3 years before National finally woke up. Once again National researched the New Zealand First website saw what got New Zealand First 13 MPs and decided to try it on. 
Well I am sorry but the cap does not fit because the Maori Party is not as stupid as Mr Brash thinks. Actually the Maori Party knows full well a couple of things. One is the intent of Don Brash and the National Party to see the Maori Party out of this House. That is the first point. 
Chris Auchinvole 
: Oh no it’s not. 
RON MARK 
: Oh yes it is—hence National’s policy to get rid of the Maori seats. The second point is that the Maori Party is waking up. The Maori Party’s reason for seeking a repeal of the Foreshore and Seabed Act is not Don Brash’s reason. Don Brash will shut down the customary rights the customary access— 
Hon Member 
: No he won’t. 
RON MARK 
: He will not? Then put it in writing that Don Brash and the National Party will cement in place the rights already given to Maori under the current Foreshore and Seabed Act. We know full well—the Maoris in the New Zealand First team know full well—the game he is playing. He has hoodwinked them in the past. Tau Henare is back there because he got hoodwinked that time and he has been hookwinked again. Don Brash is seriously hoping that he can hoodwink Maori Party members into believing that his reasons for repealing the Foreshore and Seabed Act are the same as theirs. They are not. Actually they are quite the contrary.