Macindoe Tim: General Debate 
Macindoe Tim: General Debate 
[Volume:653;Page:2555] 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
: 
 What a shame it is to hear such barrel-scraping and desperate tactics from a Labour Opposition that is desperately searching for relevance in the current political climate. Today has been such a positive day and this week is such a historic week so I say to the Opposition: “Move on!”. They are words those members have heard many times from somebody they are going to miss—“Move on!”. I tell them to take a leaf out of this Government’s positive book. 
As I have mentioned today is a very historic day. It was an honour to be present in the House earlier this evening—in a packed and respectful House I might add—for the valedictory speech of the Rt Hon Helen Clark. The previous Prime Minister of course grew up in the Waikato town of Te Pahu just west of my electorate and we wish her well as she moves to New York to take up her role as administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. I will long remember being present today as she bade farewell and received such a warm tribute from all members regardless of their political allegiances. As a former history student of the University of Otago I am also looking forward to the valedictory address of my former lecturer the Hon Dr Michael Cullen as he takes his leave at the end of this month. And will not the Labour Party miss them both! 
Today is also historic as our senior whip noted earlier for the agreement that has been reached between the National Party and the Green Party. I have little doubt that our two parties will continue to find much to disagree about especially on social issues but—and it is a big but—I am delighted by this development as I was by the confidence and supply agreement that our party reached last year with the Maori Party as both of those parties have significant pockets of support in the wider electorate and both bring an important perspective to this House. I say “Kia kaha and thank you to both parties for your confidence and your courage in the steps you have taken.” 
As an enthusiastic member of National’s Bluegreens policy group I have long hoped to see greater consensus in our Parliament over crucial environmental concerns and with today’s memorandum of understanding I think we have taken a very significant step in that direction. 
 It is another sign of the responsiveness and wide focus of the John Key - led Government that such an arrangement is possible. I am pleased that the Greens have adopted the positive stance that we can and should work together on environmental matters where we have common goals and compatible policies. 
The immediate focus of that memorandum of understanding will be the pursuit of important measures to improve home insulation and to promote and achieve greater energy efficiency and the fair and appropriate regulation of natural health products. These are significant matters. I look forward to the constructive approach of our two parties and our support parties in Government leading to vital steps forward as we tackle some major challenges of our time. 
I acknowledge the important challenge that councils iwi farmers and other interested parties including the Government have committed to in cleaning up a taonga of my region—the Waikato River. It is vital work; it is a challenge that we must accept. I acknowledge the wonderful achievement of Hamilton Boys High School in taming a small part of that river as they stormed to victory for a third consecutive year last Saturday in the Maadi Cup—the feature race of the New Zealand Secondary School Rowing Association. It is a great pleasure to be able to put Hamilton Boys High School on the map in this House tonight. It was tremendous to be present on the bank on Saturday with thousands of others to cheer them on and I know that there were some other MPs who shared my delight that Hamilton triumphed once again. 
I point out that we are in a really positive time—it is a historic time. Let us not be sidetracked by the negativity and the barracking—although quite pleasingly the members have gone silent in the last couple of minutes on the other side. Let us look at the fact that we have a Government that is rising to the challenges and is working as constructively as we can and as widely as we can in the best interests of the country—long may that continue. I am very proud to be a part of it. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.