Henare Tau: General Debate 
Henare Tau: General Debate 
[Volume:635;Page:6723] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 I think that it is very clear that the stories Labour members have run have no substance. I predicted correctly that the election campaign would be dirty and this is dirt without precedent. These conspiracy theories—all by Helen Clark about poor old Nicky Hager—are an outrage. We have heard more in the House today from Labour member after Labour member including Clayton Cosgrove. He is the poor fellow who went to St Bede’s. The best 5 years of Clayton’s life at school were spent in the third form. And it is about time that he stopped using paraquat for hairspray. 
But let us cut to the chase—stolen property. Let us talk about—[ 
Interruption 
] Oh mine is natural. Let us talk about stolen property. Never mind the old fellow from New Zealand First never mind the former president of New Zealand First— 
Hon Member 
: Did he quit? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: He quit but that is another story. Some years ago a member of this House stole another member’s diary which is private property. As far as I am concerned that is private property. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: I remember that. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: It is good to hear Doug Woolerton saying that he remembers that. Emails sent and received are private property. I could not give a toss what is in those emails; the point of fact is that somebody stole them and somebody used that stolen material. 
As members know I was brought up in the 1960s in a nice home back in South Auckland in Otara where the welfare officer was none other than Pita Paraone. He used to say: “Do the right thing. Never steal; never use stolen equipment.” He said that. 
But I tell members that that is exactly what the Government is trying to do here. It is saying to the folks of New Zealand that if they steal from the National Party it is OK. If they use stolen goods from the National Party it is OK. The “orange roughy” that got up to speak before me was on about using stolen property just for a good laugh—not mentioning the fact that there is nothing in Nicky Hager’s book that actually could not have been published. 
Let us not forget that the injunction was about emails. It was not about Nicky Hager’s book but Nicky Hager wanted the publicity. He wanted the publicity so he pulled his book. There is no such thing as an injunction against Nicky Hager’s book. Nicky Hager pulled his book. Nicky Hager is nothing more than a media—well I cannot say the word I was going to say. 
Hon Member 
: Yes you can. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
 Well a media whore basically. After the media publicity about his book—and now Clayton Cosgrove is pointing to his head. I do not know why he is pointing to his head because there is not a hell of a lot in there. He is looking for something but it is not in there. It is supposed to be in Nicky Hager’s book. As I said pulling the book is nothing more than a big publicity stunt backed by none other than Helen Clark. 
In the time I have left let us talk about how 6 years ago Winston Peters told the nation that he had evidence of a dog meat trade in China. He was going to write to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Phil Goff. It never happened. He had all of that information. The question is whether in his capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has contacted the Chinese people about the dastardly trade in St Bernards— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: And poodles. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: —and poodles and all sorts of kuris or dogs. Where is the letter? Where is the campaign that the Rt Hon Winston Peters said 6 years ago that he was going to lead? What is he in his capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs doing about it?