Carter John: Tariff (New Zealand - Thailand Closer Economic Partnership) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
Carter John: Tariff (New Zealand - Thailand Closer Economic Partnership) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:626;Page:21404] 
JOHN CARTER (National—Northland) 
: 
 I want to pick up— 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: A bad hair day! 
JOHN CARTER 
: Well at least I have not had to have a transplant as that member has—and neither am I likely to have one. The only transplant will be when that member and his colleagues are shifted out of here. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Yes to this side of the Chamber. 
JOHN CARTER 
: It will not be just to this side of the Chamber it will be right out of the House. [ 
Interruption 
] That fellow from Otaki “Deacon Humes” or something is gone. When he has been around for as long as I have he will not have red hair at all. 
However I will get back to the bill. I was interested in the Minister’s reply when he read out the part about our obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi. I listened to his response with interest. He gave the impression from the bits he read out that the wording we had used was not accurate. However I have checked and it was absolutely accurate. It was as it was read out. The Minister said that we had to include that provision because we have a responsibility to fulfil our obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi. The first question I want the Minister in the chair the Hon Jim Sutton to answer is: what does that mean? What are our obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi? 
What worries me is that by putting in the supposed preferential treatment for Maori it is saying that Maori are not as good as the rest of New Zealanders. I absolutely reject that. What the Minister is saying to me is that my oldest granddaughter who has Maori blood in her is not as good as my second grandchild who has no Maori blood in her. I reject that absolutely. They are both equal New Zealanders. They are both fine New Zealanders. When they grow up they will make a contribution to this country not because one is Maori and one is not but because they are New Zealanders who have the opportunity to be New Zealanders and make a contribution regardless of their race. That is how it should be. They absolutely will get out there and both will be proud of each other. They love each other and enjoy each other’s company. They do not care what their bloodlines are other than that they are Carters and proud of it. They are proud New Zealanders but this Minister is saying to one of them that she is not as good as the other. I reject that. 
I reject that on behalf of all the Maori people in Northland whom I represent. They are just as good as the rest of the people I represent in Northland. They do not want a handout from the likes of Helen Clark and Jim Sutton. They are not interested actually. Certainly some of them want some assistance from time to time but they do not want someone who is condescending and who says to them: “Well you poor person because of your race we have to come along and give you a hand because we are whiteys and are superior.” We do not need that sort of attitude in this country thank you very much. The people of Northland stand shoulder to shoulder regardless of their race and get on with their lives. All they want is a fair break. They do not want some Government telling them that part of them is lesser than the other because it is not. I say to the Minister: take this clause out of the agreement; it is an insult. It is an insult to the Maori and non-Maori people of this country and it is an insult to the people of Thailand who do not even understand it. 
Darren Hughes 
: Hone knows all about insults! 
JOHN CARTER 
: Members opposite can chuck brickbats I do not care because I know I am right. I remember when last debating this issue that that fellow over there with the red hair whose name I cannot remember said to me: “Say that up in Northland.” I challenged him to come up and have a debate. Has he been up? Not on your nelly! He knows that he would get run out. He does not even know where Northland is but he knows he would get run out. I would take on him or anybody on a stage anywhere on this issue in Northland or anywhere in New Zealand and clean him out. Everybody in New Zealand is equal and everybody can make a contribution and that is how it should be.