Mark RonHon RON MARK (NZ First): Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. Well I'm going to start by thanking the Speaker himself for his ruling earlier on in this debate because having listened to some of the debate one can only say How rich! How bizarre!" To launch a debate from that side the Hon Amy Adams criticising the Prime Minister judging and condemning this Government using words such as "deceive" "deception" "diving" "ducking" "obfuscating" "dodging" to preach to start this debate off from that side of the House leading that party on a question of values—I just want to thank the Speaker for saying that those questions need and deserve to be addressed by this side of the House. How bizarre! You know it is one thing to preach leadership skills. It's one thing to criticise someone else for not displaying the character the traits of leadership that oneself aspires to achieve but it's totally ridiculous when one has demonstrated in the short term that one has been the leader of a party that one actually can't live up to those very things themselves. What do I point to to justify that comment? Mr Bridges is famous now for saying in this House when he was challenging the Prime Minister about her leadership skills that he would simply look people in the eye and ask them the question. Well it begs the obvious question: Mr Bridges have you demonstrated that—given the criticisms here today in this debate—by fronting every one of your 50-plus MPs looking them in the eye and asking them the question "Did you leak that information on me?" The clear answer is no he hasn't and he won't because he doesn't want to know the answer. In fact we could save everybody a whole lot of time if we just gave him the answer that we know already as to who actually leaked that information on him.If it's about leadership if it's about challenging the Prime Minister I have a couple of things to say. The Prime Minister has disproven already the criticisms that were levelled at her when she took this office and took this post of leading the coalition Government. She has proven herself to be considered she has proven herself to be fair and she has proven that at the end of the day she will be decisive. Having got to know her I would say that she is also human and she understands the price that people pay when a final decision has to be made. I take my hat off to the Prime Minister and I would say the Prime Minister has done precisely what is expected of her. She's had a complaint levelled; true. She's had an investigation done. She's received a report noted clearly that facts presented are disputed. She understands the concept of natural justice. She's made a decision and Meka Whaitiri has accepted it.I guess one of the things that we will take heart from is that the door is still open. Now I've already heard some criticism from the Opposition side as to why the door should still be open. Well I'm waiting to hear from the Hon Dr Nick Smith: why was the door open for him when he was accused and sacked for abusing his office to help a close friend? Why was the door left open for people like Maurice Williamson? And if John Key in those days found it necessary to sack Mr Smith why did he consider it appropriate to bring Mr Smith back? I guess some people some leaders have some skills that some people have yet to aspire to achieve and that's quite demonstrable in the House right now given the behaviour of the Leader of the Opposition and his erstwhile colleague the Hon Amy Adams.From the New Zealand First side this is a sad time. We have come to know Meka Whaitiri—and I know Meka Whaitiri—as a very honourable person. I have to make a declaration of a conflict of extended interest in that I am extended whanaunga by virtue of the fact that I am Ngati Porou by virtue of the fact that I am Whakatōhea and by virtue of the fact that I am Ngāti Kahungunu. But let me tell the members of this House: I heard nothing but high praise for Meka Whaitiri in all the years that I was involved with Treaty settlements because she was also a lead negotiator in a Treaty settlement just like I was. I have heard nothing but positivity and praise for her as a leader when she was a CEO.There are many of us in the Wairarapa in the Tararua—Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Rangitāne Ngati Porou Whakatōhea—who have nothing but high praise for Meka Whaitiri. We are thinking right now of her family. We think right now of her children. We think right now of the difficult time that she's gone through and what she will go through but we look forward to that day when some consideration is given to potentially reinstating her because she has far too much to offer to let that slide. Things happen. Incidents happen. They're challenged. That side of the House knows more than any other political party in the Chamber right now how frequently that can happen. In fact there's one two three four five six seven eight nine 10 names—Hon Judith Collins: Helps to be innocent—it helps to be innocent.Hon RON MARK: —that can be dragged out and sometimes that's the way things go here. And I acknowledge the Hon Judith Collins right now who knows. There are some members on that side of the Chamber who know well and they probably won't say a great deal over time. There are other members who will seek to make political gain. Good—that's the way this House rolls that's the way politics rolls but I would just like people to ponder and consider for a while two simple things: the facts around the assertions are disputed. There are families on both sides of this issue. Meka Whaitiri is probably paying the heaviest price one could pay particularly when you consider how we all aspire from the Opposition benches to finally get to this side of the House and have a ministerial warrant to be able to do the things we truly believe need to be done. Well Meka has paid a price. Our sympathies go out to her.Our respect to the Prime Minister is 100 percent behind her. Those of us who have on occasion been subject to some pretty vicious attacks and I can put my hand up as being one of those people—not from the Government benches actually in those days. It was actually from officials behind the scenes who played dirty pool dirty politics and I landed up in hospital with a heart attack. That's something I'm terribly embarrassed about because I considered my body was tougher than that but sometimes these things get to you in ways that one does not imagine. I know right now how Meka Whaitiri is feeling I know how her family is feeling I know how her caucus is feeling and I know how the Government and my side are feeling. Our sympathies go to her. Our support is unreserved.Hon Gerry Brownlee: What about a word for the victim?Hon RON MARK: We look forward to going—the victim? Like we say the alleged victim as far as we know—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Alleged?Hon RON MARK: —and I have not seen—well Mr Brownlee lots of allegations have been thrown at many of us in this House over the years and until they are proven as Mr Brownlee knows himself from charges that have been levelled against him then they are simply allegations. If they are then disputed in the court there are two sides of the story.So the Prime Minister has seen a situation that had to be dealt with. She has done so. She has the unreserved support of New Zealand First and we will move forward. Meka Whaitiri has paid a price. She has our undying love and support and we will move forward. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker."