Mallard Trevor: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
Mallard Trevor: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6480] 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 I want to ask National when Tau Henare will take the call. When will Tau Henare take the call on this particular issue? Tau Henare has had a lot to say publicly on this issue and about the Minister in the chair Rodney Hide. Tau Henare’s colleague and the spokesperson for Ngati Whatua Ngarimu Blair was reported today as saying that he supports the one person one vote principle. He supports one person one vote in here too. He wants to know why Tau Henare is being muzzled. Why can Tau Henare not vote according to his conscience and what he has said publicly in this Chamber? I think it is fair to say that Ngarimu Blair has a very appropriate name. He was named after Ngarimu VC who has had the highest honour for bravery that a New Zealander can get. We are not asking Tau Henare to be nearly as brave as his relatives; we are asking him to do what he is asking other people to do and work on the basis as the Minister has said of one person one vote. Why will National not let Tau Henare vote according to his conscience? Why can he not do what Mike Minogue used to do on a regular basis? Georgina te Heuheu has done it as have a number of other National members. It used to be their kaupapa. It used to be the way that the National members did it and they were proud. They would say something outside and they would follow it up inside. 
I ask two questions really. Why does National not have the courage of its convictions to take the whip off Tau Henare? There is not a word not a whisper and not a murmur from National about that. Even given that why does Tau Henare—who has so much to say outside including some pretty direct descriptions of the Minister in charge of the bill Rodney Hide—not follow up in this Chamber what he has said outside? It is all very well being a lion in front of the TV cameras but if he is a mouse in here there is not much point. What is he doing? Apparently he is in a competition with Nikki Kaye for a list spot in Auckland. They know that they will have some problems there. Jackie Blue has gone already; she is not even part of that competition. But a fight is going on for the last list— 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: Allan Peachey! 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No I think Allan Peachey will be all right. He will win a seat. But a fight is going on for that last spot on the Auckland list. When John Key tells Tau Henare to jump he is now asking how high he should jump. 
I just got slightly confused because George Hawkins is over the other side of the Chamber. Every now and again I think he should be over the other side but on this occasion he is physically on the other side of the Chamber causing a little bit of confusion. 
When Rodney Hide is telling Tau Henare how to vote it gets to the point of being ridiculous. What sort of member of Parliament do we have? People know I have had a disagreement or two with Mr Henare but the thing about him is one knows where he stands. He tells us he is direct and he is very clear. He has told people all over Auckland that there would be Maori seats and a mana whenua seat or two as well. I want to know when Tau Henare will get alongside Hone Harawira and do what is right.