Smith NickNew clause 3A (Definition of integrity)Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson): I've made the point that I've never seen a bill that is so much the opposite of what it purports to be. It's titled the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill and what I'm proposing to do with this amendment—and never in the history of Parliament has it been so important—is for us to actually define for members of Parliament what integrity means. My amendment says that integrity should mean working in such a way that reflects the democratic will of the people and it also says that integrity means that members of Parliament act consistent with the principles on which they are elected. I particularly want to challenge the Green Party on this definition of integrity and invite them to support it because I have never witnessed in this Parliament the situation where a member says a bill is anti-democratic a bill is awful a bill is a threat to democracy a bill is against their party principles that their party is against the policies but that they will vote for it.Does any member of this committee believe that that's acting with integrity? Do the members of the Labour Party and the New Zealand First Party believe that that is acting with integrity? I cannot get a whimper out of any member in the Chamber. Can any member on the Government benches tell me that what the Green Party is doing on this bill is acting with integrity? The silence is deafening—absolutely deafening—because it is not acting with integrity. I will tell you what acting with integrity is. When Michael Cullen in 1998 introduced a bill to this House to do the same thing National opposed it and outlined our principles. When the same bill was introduced in 2002 we voted against it at the first reading the second reading and the third reading. And when a bill very similar to this was introduced a third time in 2005—guess what? National argued for the values of a liberal democracy and opposed it and equally so today. We stand in this Chamber again opposing this bill and here's the part that I'm ashamed of: the only political party in the Chamber today defending the fundamentals of our liberal democracy is the New Zealand National Party.I have differences with members opposite but never in my parliamentary career have I thought that I would have a difference with them on the fundamental tenet of a parliamentary democracy—that members of Parliament be able to speak freely in this House without a guillotine hanging over them. I say that this bill is completely lacking in integrity and the very least that we can do is to provide a definition of what integrity means.I see the member for New Zealand First in the Chamber—can I give them an example of what integrity is not? I stood on a platform with candidates at multiple meetings and the New Zealand First candidate said that they were completely opposed to 1080. They were going to ban it. And then they joined the Government and they doubled the use of it. Now does that appear to members on my side of the Chamber as acting with integrity? Let me see what my definition says: that members of Parliament act consistently with the principles on which they were elected". So I say to the member from New Zealand First: why did you tell the voters that you are opposed to 1080 and then join a Government that doubled its use? Chris Penk: To kill a dead rat.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Well the member raises the question of dead rats and that is entirely appropriate for this bill given that here's the extraordinary part: a Minister in the Government has described this bill as a dead rat—a dead rat. So I put it to this committee: is voting for a bill that you think has the characteristics of a dead rat—is that acting with integrity? Well come on I'd love to hear a contribution. I've never seen members of the Opposition hang their heads so low and so they should. Equally I have to say to members opposite that integrity actually is at the core of what we stand for in this Parliament. It's under attack with this bill and that is why we should support this amendment."