Valedictory StatementsText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeValedictory Statements[Sitting date: 21 May 2014. Volume:699;Page:18206. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Valedictory StatementsMr SPEAKER: Honourable members in accordance with a determination of the Business Committee I call on the Hon Shane Jones to make his valedictory speech. Could I start by pointing out to the member that I arrived at 5 o’clock to make sure that I got a seat for this important event.Hon SHANE JONES (Labour): He Reo Māorii tetuatahi.Hūtia terito o te harakeke keihea tekōmako ekō?Māhau eui mai ki a au he ahakē temea nui o te aomāku ekī atu he tangata he tangata he tangata.Kātitātou e Te Whare e huinei a koutoukuawhakamine mainei ki tewhakahōnoreiahauitēneirangiwhakamutungaōkutēnā koutou eōkupiritēnā koutou eōkutūāhinetēnā koutou eōkutūākana.Tēneiahau tetūi tearoaro ōtātoungākaitōrangapū me tearoaro o te iti me terahikuatatū iho kikonei.Kotahianake te tangatamō teāhuatanga ki tehungakuawhetūrangitia heimihingamāku ko tetoa oHikurangi Maunga a Parekura Horomia. Kia mihi atuahau ki a Parekurai matei rotoi tetau kotahi kapahemotataakenei mengāraumahara eirineii tewāpātū otēnei Whare.Rātou ki arātoutātou ki atātoutēnā koutoutēnā koutoutēnātātou katoa.[I will speak in Māori first. Pull out the centre shoot of the flax where will the bellbird sing lass? You can ask me what is the most important thing in the world and I will respond it is people it is people and it is people.Well to us assembled here in the House you who have gathered here to honour me on this final day for me my close ones thank you my respected sister colleagues and elder statesmen. I stand before us all fellow politicians and before the meek and the mighty that have arrived here.In respect of those who have passed away there one in particular whom I single out and pay a tribute to. It is the champion of the mountainHikurangi Parekura Horomia. I salute Parekura who died recently a year ago and the many memorial tributes adoring the walls of this House. Allow them to rest there among their own while we the living remain here among our own so greetings acknowledgements and salutations to us all.]It is an emotional day. I have been on a media blackout. It has been akin to someone suffering a bad experience after the recently outlawed synthetic drug episode. I have lived breathed and I have put every bit of my being whilst I was a politician—putting myself either willingly or unwillingly—in front of our people. Thewhakataukī the Māori proverb I start this speech with is “He tangata he tangata he tangata.”—people. It is with humility and honour that I stand in the midst of my peers under the gaze of the public people from business people from the community people from the north—the last frontier of rugged individualism—and friend and foe. I mention that particular expression because I see that Roger Douglas and Richard Prebble are in the House.The notion that the people who should come to see me at my valedictory are Willie Jackson John Tamihere Mr Prebble Mr Douglas and Ron Mark is a comment perhaps on the nature of my politics as a member of this side of the House. There is Willie Jackson the Māori equivalent of Pam Corkery; John Tamihere Labour’s No. 1 exile; and the two gentlemen who belong to that generation of Labour politicians back in the day. They are part of the legacy of the party that I belong to that group of reformers including Sir Geoffrey Palmer and including Mike Moore and including David Lange who in my time as a young man was a hero in the political world.After those reformists came Dr Michael Cullen the godfather of the Labour Party and Helen Clark the woman who after a meeting in CharlesWaldegrave’s house with Mike Williams enticed me into politics. They honoured me with the opportunity to enjoy the privilege of 9 years in this the highest marae the highest court of the land. And for that I owe those two individuals an inordinate debt of gratitude.I thought that before I share some observations about some of my colleagues and the ebb and flow of politics I would talk a little as to where I came from. I was born in a little area nearKaitāia Awanui. My dad was one of 17. My dad’s mother was born in 1893. She visited upon me along with my mother and father an enormous amount of love and affection for the Māori language and respect for the Anglican Church—sorry Mum I did not always hold up that part of the bargain. I say that because they sent me to St Stephen’s School where I was for 5 years. I often think of the small group of ladies fromMahurangi and Warkworth who saved their pennies to send a lad from the gumfields of the north to St Stephen’s School.I want to acknowledge the other boys from St Stephen’s School who are in this House today. Te Ururoa Flavell was my head prefect. Hone Harawira and I come from the same tribe. Our padre was Harry Taylor. I was the altar boy and Hone nicked thecross. The boys from St Stephen’s will be glad that one of their own has enjoyed 9 years here and to the end was himself—was his own man.Beyond that I went to university and I want to acknowledge five people Margaret Clark Rod AlleyRajVasil and Dame JoanMetge as well as Stephen Levine. They were at Victoria University and took a great deal of interest in my time at university.Then I went into activism. It may come as a surprise to members on the other side of the House that at one time I too along with Hone Harawira was a proud activist. But it is a rite of passage to be a Māori politician in the north and to have a burst of that activism. In 1975 Winston Peters was leader of theNgāti Wai Land Retention Committee with Dame Whina Cooper. Dover Samuels was seeking to secure the land and theCavalli Islands etc. He was a man who made a tremendous degree of progress that unfortunately was not seen by his ownhapū. And that is often the way when you pave the way. Of course there was Hone at the Waitangi Action Committee and me along with him in theKawariki group.After that I went to a meeting where Geoffrey Palmer was present to deal with the New Zealand Bill of Rights in 1985—whether the Bill of Rights should contain a provision to recognise the Treaty of Waitangi. I stood and argued against that. I said that the Bill of Rights should not subsume the Treaty of Waitangi.Geoffrey Palmer then enabled me to get a job where I followed Hekia Parata as the director of the Māori secretariat in the Ministry for the Environment. That is when I began working for Sir Geoffrey Palmer who said to me: “Jones Jones read Liddell Hart.” I went and consulted Liddell Hart. It is a book on the history of the First World War where the members of the battalion are being gassed by their own troops they are being strafed by their own planes they are being shot upon as a consequence of friendly fire—adequate preparation for Labour Party politics. His parting remark to me was: “Jones Jones write write because when you write you think. And you write so little.”I was supported by Sir Paul Reeves Dame JoanMetge and Sir Geoffrey Palmer and was chosen by Royce Elliott to be the 1990 Harkness Fellow and I went away to Harvard. It was an extraordinary experience for a young father with a young family. While I was there I sported an enormous red beard. I wandered around in a black coat etc. and I would sit with my son and we would be chatting away. And there is a great Jewish community there Mr Prime Minister—Brookline. They would look at me and they would come and speak to me in what I presumed was Yiddish; I would reply to them inNgāpuhi. And as they spoke to me in their language and as I replied further and further inNgāpuhi a myth emerged: the Lost Tribe.When I came back from Harvard University—an utter privilege for a boy from the far north to be a Harkness Fellow and to study at Harvard University—I gained the attention of Jim Bolger the then Prime Minister and worked on the settlement of the Sealord deal. Hekia Parata and I advised Mr Prebble KoroWētere Roger Douglas David Lange and Geoffrey Palmer about the settlement attempts in the late 1980s. That was when I began my journey of trying to use the currency of settlements to advance the interests of the tangata whenua.As a consequence of Mr Bolger having confidence and faith in me I became a member of the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission. I rose to the level of chairing Sealord the Māori Fisheries Commission and a host of other entities and I participated in selling Salmond Smith Biolab and delivering seafood assets back to the Chatham Islands and our Māori people. And I became a pro-industry man. I at that point said as much as possible that I would be a politician who exhausted every part of my being to generate wealth generate jobs and ensure that those prepared to take risks to actually generate an opportunity for the rest of us should not be condemned but should be supported.I just want to share very briefly the first time I came to Parliament. The first time I came to Parliament was in 1980 on the day that Matiu Rata resigned from the Labour Party. I was in his office withRāpini Abraham a leader of theRātana Church with the tohunga ofNgāpuhi Joe TokiTaupuhiEruera SelwynMuru JohnTahupārae SonnyKeepa and a host of other visitors. The second time I came to Parliament was to present a Te Reo Māori submission to Mr Austin a former South Island member from the National Party who did not turn up and it was received byWhetuTirikātene-Sullivan in 1980. Then I came back with my uncle Rev. Māori MarsdenNik Tangaroa and George Brennan and we comprised in 1980 the subcommittee of Māori policy in the Māori Affairs Committee room withWhetuTirikātene-Sullivan. So let no young pup say that Shane Jones is a stranger to the legacy of the Labour Party.Now I move on to another role but before I talk about this other role let me acknowledge some of the things that have happened to me as a politician. Helen Clark rang and asked me to support Ann Hartley one day. We went to open a playcentre a young kiddies’ centre and she said: “Shane have you been doing much doorknocking in 2005?”. I said: “Ah I’m getting used to it.” She said: “The more you do it the more you’ll grow to like it.” I have had 9 years and I like it no more today than I did then. I was a big-picture man.Helen Clark sent me to that hotbed of Labour activism Dargaville. As I dodged the brethrens I eventually made it toHaruru Falls.Haruru Falls is in the Bay of Islands. It is near Waitangi. I went to the house. I was armed with the pamphlets with Helen’s beatific face smiling off them. I approached the door—knock knock. Through the misty frosted glass I saw a figure coming to the door. The door sprang open and in front of me was a voter of my age—a woman semi-clad. The most troublesome thing was she had an imposing arrangement coming out of the top of her head in the form of a beehive. Whilst I had eagerness for the beehive—no no no. The most bizarre thing is that she went on to say: “You’re a bit late aren’t you mate?”. I retreated back not quite knowing what to say because on our side of the House you are prepared to say: “Hi we’re here to talk to you about inclusiveness equity gender equality and a bicultural Aotearoa.” All I could say was: “Ah ah Helen Clark from the Labour Party sent me here.” She said: “Oh don’t worry about it. The other MP’s already been here.” I knew then with scientific clarity that John Carter had that seat for life.Dr Cullen blessed me by enabling me to be the chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee and a number of members on that side of the House were on that committee when I was the chair as indeed was Hone Harawira. The first duty that I undertook of an international character on that committee was to lead a delegation to Rarotonga to advise them on transparency. The delegation comprised Doug Woolerton Murray McCully and Hone Harawira—a tall order. The only problem with that delegation was that while I was there unfortunately I fell off a motorbike. Despite parliamentary ambitions about transparency I did everything I could to hide that accident from Heather Simpson and Helen Clark. Hone Harawira immediately reported it toNew Zealand Herald’s Ruth Berry. By the time I got back to New Zealand there were 25 messages from Heather Simpson and Helen Clark. If you do not believe me I am willing to lift the leg of mytrou but for fear of sparking unintended consequences in my own caucus I will resist it.When I was a Minister I was a colourful but hard-working character. My colleagues will tell you that I never agreed with Helen that we should have a shower head policy. But when you are a member of the team and junior as I was you deliver the policy of the day. As you recall we were going to regulate the amount of water have a certain covering for hot-water heaters and as the water sort of dribbled into a bucket then you could work out whether it was 8 minutes 8 seconds or whatever it was. I knew I was ina dire situation when the only person who came to my rescue was Jeanette Fitzsimons. In those days the Greens were my fans.One other thing that I want to refer to was that while I was the Minister for Building and Construction I freed the building profession and I freed the community and the economy from the wretchedness of the Building Act so that you can now build a 10 - square metre shed without a building permit. I was not to know that the current Minister would regard that as the housing policy for South Auckland.You do make decisions in the broad glare of publicity and you think: “Hmm would I do it again?”. And I must not walk away from what was a visceral experience in terms of when I was the Associate Minister of Immigration. I want to ask how come a lot of the Chinese fellows who get to know politicians have got the name “Liu”? Kia ora Maurice. In my case the media spelled the name of the man as “L-i-u”. The political alphabet of the Labour Party spelled his name as “L - uh oh!” and that is where my political reputation ended up for a period of time.I do not want to dwell on too much more because time does not allow it but if I can acknowledge to the media that whenever I was in the gun I fronted up. I want to acknowledge Annette King. Phil Goff was out of the country when John Key in a fit of enthusiasm decided that all credit card receipts should be made available to the public. If there was ever a motivation to get the CIA on to the Prime Minister God knows that was it. Our deputy leader trusted me to go forward with one adviser John Harvey and front up to that issue. It did not cover me with a great deal of glory but please know this: I never ever ran and I was prepared to front up to the media whether it was good or bad. If I could say something to Kelvin Davis as he comes in because Prime Minister Parliament is now dishing out credit cards—I understand they are called purchase cards. Kelvin know this from me: cash is king brother—cash is king.I should acknowledge Phil Goff David Shearer and my mihi to David Cunliffe. We had our leadership contest which was probably the most liberating thing that I personally did as a member of the Labour Party. I had the ability to be paid and wander around for 6 weeks saying whatever I liked about whomever I liked in my own party and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But I have to accept that there are more people coming to my do at the Back Bencher from the Labour Party than bloody well voted for me during that contest.Winston Peters was a person who did stretch his hand out and assist me when the Auditor-General’s investigation took place. There has been a lot of idle jotting and scribbling about me and Winston Peters largely driven by troublemakers from the other side of the House. Winston and I are comrades in arms in terms of the Tai Tokerau and coming from the north. The notion that upon that political pew two halos could be situated would invite an unwanted comparison to a double-yolk egg. But I will tell you what though. Had that happened there would have been a great contest in terms of Shakespearean quotes but I would never have beaten Winston in that quote fromRichard III: “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”.To move away from a wee bit of levity. As my senior colleagues would know you have fantastic opportunities when you are a Minister to rub shoulders with power brokers and incredibly influential people around the world. One night Helen invited a number of us to dine with Condoleezza Rice. We were treated to an inordinately clever exposition and account of where affairs of the world in terms of the military and economy were. I went from there in my self-drive car back to Tai Tokerau and within 8 hours I picked up a hitchhiker. So here I am going from meeting with one of the most powerful women in the world I am in the car and I pick up a hitchhiker—a young Māori lad of a similar age to my boy. As he sat in that car and we went down the road I said to him in Māori “Kapia tewini hemakaririrawa.” which means “Close thewindow; it is too cold.” He said: “Oh matua I want to leave the window open.” I said: “Why is that son?”. He said: “It makes me feel free and I have just come out of a 3½ year lag from theNgāwhā prison.” If there was ever an incident within a short period of time that made me feel humble as a Māori parliamentarian and a junior Minister that was it—to go from that level of power and influence and still to have the confidence to relate to one of my own rangatahi on the other side of the tracks so to speak.I want to acknowledge the media. I know that my colleagues have regarded me as something of a headline hussy. Well come on laugh—it is not as bad as bloody “gelding”. Give us a break! I made a decision that if I was not going to be a champion doorknocker and if I was not going to be the best pamphlet distributor then I was going to ensure that the ideas that I was paid to represent and paid to broadcast were done in such a way that we used the services of the media.It was Ruth Berry who reported my motorbike crash. It was ClaireTrevett I think who isolated that somewhat colourful remark about a de-knackerised horse thus drawing attention to the fact that I had de-knackerised a major part of my potential support in the party in the leadership race. It was Paddy Gower who showed us when he gushes enthusiastically every evening giving us the news that we heard it all in the urinal that particular week. There is also Duncan Garner. But in particular there are the senior people. I want to acknowledge Audrey Young—on age knowledge—Tracy Watkins John Armstrong and Vernon Small even if Vernon Small was the only person in Parliament who understood the Attorney-General when he was railing against the split infinitive.In the time left I will say that I sat School Certificate in 1975. I was a lad of 15 years at St Stephen’s School when my teacher was Tony Ross. He introduced us to what has stayed with me—a love of literature. He introduced us to a taonga from our side of Te Ao Māori from HoneTūwhare. The poem is:Where are the men of mettle?are there old scoresleft to settle?when will the canoes leapto the stab and kickthe sea-wet flourishof pointed paddles?will the sun play againto the skip of muscleson curved backs baredto the rain’s lashthe seas punch?to War! to War!That was the cry to come to battle. That was the cry to take up arms that motivated me and my generation to fight for our language to fight for our rights to fight to ensure thatMāori were not only an inclusive but an indelible part of Aotearoa. I am proud to have fought for the bicultural narrative that underpins our nation State. I acknowledge that there is enormous change happening to our ethnic make-up but I implore us as parliamentarians: do not untether ourwaka from that essential narrative entered into in the Treaty of Waitangi.I wanted to be a champion for industry. I have been well supported by fisheries and by forestry folk and that has enabled me to bring their ideas forward.I am a firm believer in trade. I admired as a junior Minister Phil Goff and the China free-trade deal. I will totally resist any suggestion that my country will grow richer by turning our back upon the essential importance of international trade. But industry has to lead as well. If I have been disappointed it is because I have felt that those in industry are lions in the boardroom but lambs in public. They mistakenly think that when a void emerges it will not be occupied by those with clay feet. They mistakenly think that climate change for example is the political province of lotus-eaters. They make that error and imperil their long-term profitability.So although I have sought to be an advocate for business culture I shed not one doubt about taking on Countdown because that was about respect and fairness. But that part of my career is now over. That falls now to my colleagues from both sides of the House to yes show that we can recollect and value our past but accept that the greatest duty we have is the responsibility to the future and the future belongs in a political sense to those whom I am leaving behind.To my staff Tracy Dalton in the north; Julia Buck who has been with me since 2005; young Ben Appleton who is soon to go on an army trip to Malaysia; and John and ChrissiePānapa I salute you. You have enabled me to do my mahi down here and keep the home fires burning.To my children andwhānau who are here today I hope this speech represents the end of one chapter and the opening of a new opportunity. I have with me this evening my mother. I have with me this evening also that person whom I affectionately call my beauty queen DorothyPumipī.Although there may be an element of awkwardness to name people you have to respect those who help you pick yourself up when things do not work out. So to all of those who have shown me love and to those who feel I may have dashed your aspirations by not being quite the person you wanted me to be please sing me the waiata “Please release me. Let me go.” I salute you. You have honoured me by turning out today. Please come and enjoy the oysters the clams and the fish etc. over at the Back Bencher. This is me. I am out. Kia oratātou katoa.WaiataSitting suspended from 6.05 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.