Dunne Peter: Adjournment Sittings of the House 
Dunne Peter: Adjournment Sittings of the House 
[Volume:622;Page:18140] 
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 I want to begin by placing on record what I consider to be a very severe constitutional outrage perpetrated by our new Supreme Court. It is appropriate that I do so now because this is the first occasion to raise this outrageous matter. The court by ruling in the way that it did in restoring the ACT party to its full membership at the general election has changed the speaking order in this House which means that United Future and other parties now have to follow the Greens. The outrage of that is that because of the grimness of that message from a party better known as the “Groans” most New Zealanders will have switched off the debate by now. That is an extraordinary assault on democracy perpetrated by our Supreme Court. This is supposed to be the time of happiness and goodwill. I think that by and large this debate has shown some of those traits in some degree of moderation. The last speech was the exception in that regard. 
This is Mr Speaker—and I do not like the phraseology that some have sombrely referred to—your last Christmas in this place. I think that has a degree of horrible permanence about it. I prefer to see it in the light that the Deputy Prime Minister did. This is the last Christmas you will have here before your translation to another place. In the context of where you are going that translation may mean elevation to a Chamber not dissimilar to this where the carpet is red rather than green. We on this side of the House applaud your contribution over 38 years. We applaud the way in which you have guided the affairs of this House as its Speaker since 1999 your friendship and your counsel to so many members at so many different times and your astute taste when it comes to the finer things in life. We look forward not only to your very successful execution of your new duties in London when they are eventually announced but also to having the opportunity to call upon you and share with you in the facilities that will make it possible for you to carry out those duties to your usual and accustomed standard. New Zealand will be seen in a truly new light as a result of your translation to London and maybe even the cricket team will improve accordingly and perform better next time it is at Lords. 
This has been as many have observed an extraordinary year and this has already been an extraordinary debate. The Government is criticised by the Opposition for changing policies. On the other hand the Opposition says that its policy changes are all part of a refinement and a careful appreciation of what New Zealanders actually want and are part of an ongoing policy development. New Zealanders are trying to find out where the balance lies between the two. The reality is that we are now in our most stable period of Government ever under MMP because we have a Government with a reliable support partner. When I hear Mr Brown say that we should wait for next year because New Zealand First is on the way I think that those few New Zealanders who are listening to the debate will recoil in horror. What they are reminded of is Brava cafe a 9-week coalition circus a whole lot of irresponsible incompetent and idiotic members and Ministers some of whom are foolish enough to show their presence in the House this afternoon and then— 
Ron Mark 
: I wasn’t a Minister. 
Hon PETER DUNNE 
: No the member was not a Minister. He was not even good enough to aspire to that low level and he will not be again. A member whose best achievement in life is to parade his kneecaps and his parliamentary rugby blazer emblem has little to be proud of. 
Ron Mark 
: The poodle of New Zealand politics. 
Hon PETER DUNNE 
: Then he resorts to animal insults. Better a quip. The next time Mr Mark goes around the racetrack he should just remember that. 
Rodney Hide 
: And merry Christmas! 
Hon PETER DUNNE 
: It is a very merry Christmas. I want to pay a tribute to Mr Mark. We are grateful at the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee for having the wisest military analyst and strategist since Montgomery serving amongst us. 
What I was saying was that the warning from Mr Brown that New Zealand First is on the way back scares most New Zealanders. What they do not want to repeat is the worst period of Government under MMP the shortest period of any administration under MMP to date when New Zealand First was in the loop. That is the last thing New Zealanders want to go back to. It is no coincidence that the economic performance of the last couple of years the growth that has occurred and the fact that New Zealanders are feeling more positive about their future than ever before occurs because they have a Government that is stable and reliable. There is no debate as there was when Mr Mark and his cronies were in the loop about when the plug would be pulled. That was a daily occurrence and eventually the prophecy came to be true. 
I want to say on this occasion that we often forget many of the people who contribute to making this Parliament work effectively and we should take time to acknowledge them and give them our thanks for the work they do: the messengers the security staff the catering staff the library staff our own research and political staff all the people who do the routine things the maintenance staff the people who make this place run well. They are the people we ought to think of right now. 
I pay a tribute to my own colleagues. Judy Turner is my new deputy leader and I congratulate her on that move. I thank our whip Gordon Copeland for the work he has done and all of my team for what has been an extraordinary year of effort. The select committees have worked well because of our intervention. Our presence in the House on many many matters has been the difference and we have ensured that this place operates smoothly and in the interests of good government. 
I say to Dr Brash that I listened to his speech with some interest. I am sure he will acknowledge that if he is to become Prime Minister of New Zealand at some point in the future he will need a stable and reliable partner. He needs to think about what his options are. Dr Brash will know what I mean. He is sensible enough to know as are his colleagues who support him—Mr Brownlee I see smirks eerily—that in fact under this system of Government we have developed good partnership arrangements. The important thing—[ 
Interruption 
] The member talks about his own potential excitements. The ACT party’s obsession with political and other prostitution demonstrates why it has never been near a Government and never will be. That is because what a proportional system of Government requires—and this was the point that I was making to Dr Brash—is a centre party that can work reliably and constructively and can provide good Government to whichever of the major parties it is working for. 
Rodney Hide 
: Reliable doormat! 
Hon PETER DUNNE 
: The member says “reliable doormat” and others laugh at that. The reality is that if we listen to what New Zealanders say at election time—and they have said it ever since New Zealand First came on the scene—we hear that the last thing they like— 
Ron Mark 
: You’re hurting me. 
Hon PETER DUNNE 
: I am not talking to that gentleman. He does not matter. [ 
Interruption 
] I am happy to wish the member opposite a very happy Christmas. I am sure she will enjoy it. 
The point I am making is that in this environment a stable moderate reliable centre party is what the country requires. New Zealanders do not like the notion of small parties holding Governments to ransom; they want to see them work constructively to achieve positive outcomes. The boorish heckling to my right demonstrates why those parties will not get the chance. 
As Christmas approaches this year I also express my best wishes to all those who will be suffering this Christmas—families who are divided people with family members who are overseas serving in our armed forces or in other working environments widows the lonely and people who have sad memories at this time. One group of people in particular who have sad memories— 
Hon Member 
: The National Party. 
Hon PETER DUNNE 
: —apart from the National Party—are those who have lost loved ones in accidents at Christmas times past. I think it is important for us to think about those people as we go about having what I am sure will be a good celebration with family and friends. 
This place can be rigorous. I want to end by wishing all members from all sides whatever divisions we have had during the year a very happy Christmas a peaceful New Year and the best of luck in 2005.