Williams Andrew: Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Williams Andrew: Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 27 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:9017. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
ANDREW WILLIAMS (NZ First) 
: 
 I take a call on the Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill. I was not intending to take a call but I will having heard some of the comments of the National Party members on the other side. I take a call in response to the previous speaker Simon O’Connor as I am one of the very few members in this House who can say: “I lost my brother in the Viet Nam War.” I am absolutely appalled at the comments that were made by that member in relation to that. I have got every right to speak in this Chamber when I have lost a very loving dear one myself in terms of him falling on behalf of this country. 
What I can say further to some of the comments made in this Chamber is that there are people who travel around this country to go to Anzac Day services and to be with their families who have lost people and go and see the very memorials of their own loved ones. In my particular situation my loved one has his memorial in Waipukurau in Hawke’s Bay. I happen to live in Auckland. I would very much like perhaps on a long weekend to be able to travel down to Waipukurau in Hawke’s Bay spend the weekend there go to the Anzac Day ceremony and enjoy seeing some of his old comrades and his old friends in Waipukurau but you cannot do that if Anzac Day falls for instance on a Wednesday or a Thursday. It is a 1-day trip all the way to Hawke’s Bay for that. But I can tell you that the next time there is a long weekend I would dearly love to be able to take that time and that opportunity to go and do that. 
Likewise around New Zealand I am sure there are many elderly people—many elderly people—who would enjoy having their family visit from afar. So many people these days have moved from the regions to the likes of Auckland leaving their elderly family in provincial areas around the country. What better opportunity for them than on an Anzac weekend a long weekend to be able to say: “We will go home and visit mum and dad or go and visit grandma and grandad. We will go to the Anzac Day ceremony with them and spend a long weekend with them.” I certainly know that my sons and daughters would love to do that with their grandparents who are living in Taupo. They would love the opportunity to go down and spend an Anzac Day weekend down there and take in Anzac Day in Taupo.  
I have heard so much drivel from this National Party that it is unbelievable. A few years ago I was in Australia with my wife and we happened to be there on a weekend when Anzac Day was being celebrated. We were in Sydney and we were absolutely astounded by the turnout in Sydney. The parade went on for something like 4 hours in Sydney around the central city streets. Hundreds of thousands of people were watching the parade and it was a wonderful long weekend—and not only that; the Australians celebrated as well. It was not just a sad occasion; it was also a celebration of their nation remembering the Anzacs remembering those who had fallen but also celebrating their lives.  
Over that weekend there was a lot of celebration and also remembering what those young men and women had done in the name of their country. I think the people on the Government benches just need to absolutely wake up and think about this for a change. They should think about humanity for a change think about the people of New Zealand for a change and stop being like lemmings being led over the cliff by their leader John Key. They should stop being taken down a road because they have all been whipped into action and told what to say. Have some thought for yourselves have a mind of your own think for yourselves and think of what your constituents are saying. And your constituents Mr Bennett in Hamilton— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order! You are bringing me into the debate. 
ANDREW WILLIAMS 
: David Bennett should ask the people in Hamilton what they think. The previous speaker Mr O’Connor should ask the constituents in Tamaki what they think. I do not think the members have asked their constituents because most certainly good honest hard-working Kiwis—good honest patriotic Kiwis—who want to see a fair go for all Kiwis would say: “Stop being miserable. Stop being Grinches. Do not be the Scrooge of Christmas. Look at this sensibly and say that New Zealanders deserve this when it comes around. When Waitangi Day is on a weekend and when an Anzac Day is on a weekend let us celebrate those public holidays and make them into proper national celebrations. Don’t be miserable National Party Grinches.”