Brown Peter: Standing Orders—Suspension 
Brown Peter: Standing Orders—Suspension 
[Volume:622;Page:17325] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 My contribution will not take terribly long. I will make it quite clear that when I came into Parliament I made a personal commitment to do my best for the people of this country. I know that that is a commitment my colleagues share. I know we have not always got it right but we have always tried our best. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: You’ve failed. 
PETER BROWN 
: I have to say to the honourable member who spoke before me Nick Smith that that commitment takes priority over the Standing Orders in our view. I had never heard of the Standing Orders when I came here in this context. If this bill will do something for the people of this country or for this country as a whole then I say that that is the priority. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Has the member seen the bill? 
PETER BROWN 
: No I have not seen the bill but I have seen some notes on the bill and I believe it can take a positive line. I will see the bill in due course. I gather from the Hon Nick Smith—and probably from Ken Shirley—that he has seen nothing. I have a one-page summary that gives us the impression that this legislation might be some improvement in the situation. 
The Minister has said that he wants to improve the Resource Management Act—[ 
Interruption 
] If the member wants to have a look he should come and join New Zealand First. He is on a sinking ship so he should come and join New Zealand First—actually I might be in trouble with my leader now for saying that. I hope my colleagues do not report me. 
I want to stress to this Government that the Resource Management Act needs to be looked at issues need to be addressed and the process needs to be transparent. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Of course it does. 
PETER BROWN 
: The member says “Of course it does” yet he is denying an opportunity at least to look at it in part. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I am saying: “Follow the rules!”. 
PETER BROWN 
: I say to the honourable member: do something for your country. Do something for the people out there who want something done. They do not understand with all due respect your standing here and saying that the rules of this House take priority over everything. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Do not bring the Speaker into the debate. 
PETER BROWN 
: Not you Mr Speaker. I was referring to the honourable member. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Not very honourable. 
PETER BROWN 
: I am not getting into that! I want to remind the Government that the Resource Management Act needs to be looked at objectively and transparently. 
I also say to the Government that when it comes to electricity there are three issues it has to address—and it has not thus far. The first is security of supply and the Government has gone some way to addressing that. The second—and Mr Shirley might like to take note of this because I know he is a free marketeer—is that New Zealanders on the whole want stable prices at a reasonable and fair level. That is what they want. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: That’s what they deserve. 
PETER BROWN 
: That is exactly what they deserve but I have to say to that member that the ACT philosophy will not deliver that. The third in terms of electricity is that this country needs more investment and encouragement for more investment. 
I have not seen the bill—I confess before the honourable member starts with me—but the notes that I have seen on what this bill may or may not contain lead me to believe that it is a move albeit a small move in the right direction. So New Zealand First will support this motion for the good of the country—and to hell with the Standing Order!