Jones Shane: Address in Reply 
Jones Shane: Address in Reply 
[Volume:628;Page:100] 
SHANE JONES (Labour) 
: 
 I move  
That a respectful Address be presented to Her Excellency the Governor-General in reply to Her Excellency’s speech 
. Kua hakamarangaranga he kotahi te manu ka tau ki te tahuna ka tau ka tau e tau katoa nei tatou. Mai i te tahuhu o to tatou Whare ki nga rakau korero mai i nga hau e wha tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa. Tena tatou i te aroaro o nga mokopuna me nga uri hakatipu kaore ano kia puta. Tena tatou i te atarangi o te hunga na ratou tenei Whare i hakakorero i to ratou wa. Na reira tenei te mihi whanui ki a koutou tena koutou kia ora koutou katoa. 
[ 
And so the flock soars upwards to eventually alight as one on the beach and settle; and here we are landed as one. From the ridgepole of our House to the representatives of the four winds greetings to you collectively and indeed to all of us. Greetings to us in the presence of grandchildren and the generations yet to come. Greetings indeed to us in the shadow of those who in their time made this House talk. And so I extend this huge mihi to you collectively: greetings and good health to you all 
.] 
Madam Speaker I begin my maiden speech by offering congratulations on your re-election to the Chair. I also acknowledge the late Green Party co-leader Rod Donald. As we say in te reo Maori: kua hinga te totara o te wao nui a Tane. 
[ 
the totara of the great forest of Tane has fallen 
.] 
In preparing this maiden speech I sought counsel from members of this House both former and current. I pestered others—observers who have endured the speeches of their representatives. The clearest advice was to strive for authenticity. This of course suggests a time for reflection—a time when a new parliamentarian lays down a touchstone that one returns to from time to time or is dragged back to by disappointed supporters cackling Opposition members or foraging journalists! 
Authenticity begins with an account of who you are what you believe and whether any of it has relevance to our future an indivisible nationality a legitimate State and a plurality of cultures. I am a product of our history: a proud descendant of the Dalmatian gumdigger the Pakeha pioneer and Te Aupouri Ngati Kahu Ngai Takoto imposing tangata whenua women. Northland or Tai Tokerau is where I call home. It is a place where the currents of ancestry have co-mingled and I am proud to claim all three streams as my heritage—downstream upstream full-on mainstream! 
To this end I acknowledge with affection the presence of my parents this afternoon Peter and Ruth Jones: one a farmer still milking cows and going on 73; the other a schoolteacher who at the age of 66 is still at the chalkface. My wife Ngareta from the Hokianga Harbour who after the ebb and flow of many a tide remains staunch and straightforward. Such simplicity is needed in the Jones whanau given our seven children: Keryn and Taimania on the proverbial OE; Tohe in the army getting the discipline papa never fully delivered on; and Penetaui Hoera and my two sweet peas Haukura and Te Aumihi. 
I enjoyed the experience of standing for Labour in the seat of Northland and I acknowledge the successful candidate the sitting member Mr John Carter. I wish him a speedy recovery. 
Millie Srhoj is the grand old man of the Labour Party in the far north and I was privileged to be nominated by him. Our shared Dalmatian ancestry reminded me of our gumdigging forebears who fled the hardship of the Austrian empire for freedom and opportunity in a new land. Mi treba da se udrojimo—look forward together we will succeed. And I look forward to working constructively with other Northland-based MPs to improve the region’s roads essential services schools and other infrastructure. 
Northland enjoys iconic status in our historical sweep. Te Rerenga Wairua Cape Reinga is the meeting place of the Tasman Sea and the eastern Pacific currents and the mythical point where the spirits of our ancestors journeyed back to Hawaiki. Waipoua Forest is where the lonely sentinel Tane Mahuta the 2000-year-old kauri tree has kept watch over the landscape for longer than people have walked these islands. There is Pewhairangi the Bay of Islands—the site where our nation’s founding document the Treaty of Waitangi was originally signed. This document some would say has grown legs in the last 20 years. Where is it taking us or where are we taking it? Is it to a destination we do not want to move to or to a place it was never designed to be? 
The place and role of the treaty are among our most searching issues. The debate however is not about the literal words of this document; rather it is about relationships. How do we honour the sentiments underlying this founding document? According to the Court of Appeal it is a living document although some members of this House are prone to dismiss it as a colonial artefact. 
My own thoughts have changed over the years. The emphatic treaty activist of the 1980s became a Maori economic advocate in the 1990s. This decade however we must move on beyond historical angst. The future summons us to a relationship that transcends both Crown and tribe. To this end it is pleasing to see that all parliamentarians are committed to the resolution of historical grievances. I favour expeditiousness to clear the path so that our aspirations are not twisted by protracted disputes over acre rood and perch. 
Pakeha and Maori do have a shared heritage. A sense of belonging is both affirmed and expressed through embracing Maori symbol and dance. When the haka rings out at Twickenham we all swell with pride. This is the enduring image we should accentuate. The focus must be on confidence pride ingenuity and independence. If we take this route now future generations our mokopuna will reflect it in deed hue and spirit. 
In the grand narrative of our nation’s story addressing historical grievances is but one chapter. Other chapters are materialising around us. Our communities are becoming more diverse. As the pace gathers by dint of birth rate immigration and international influences the ethic of inclusiveness must be tended. Tangata Pacifica and Asian arrivals remind us that our islands are a part of the Pacific and nearer to Asia than Europe or the United States of America. Although the variety of faces and the babble of languages may confound us all immigrants come looking for opportunity. Material comfort and security drive their numbers. 
The right to our citizenship however carries the duty to uphold our traditions. Our democratic traditions rest on deep abiding qualities that are the inheritance of all of us. We rise to the challenge perhaps because of our historical isolation. We are adventurous inventive and adaptable. We pride ourselves on self-reliance whilst at the same time being fair-minded. A love of the whenua the land the mountains the pohutukawa and the surrounding seas is nationally enjoyed. The outstretched hand offers assistance at the end of the day but we do expect the recipient to have made every possible endeavour to stand on his or her own two feet first. That is the Kiwi spirit I hope to strengthen and see continue. 
I come to this House with respect for pragmatism. I have had the privilege of chairing the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission—an 11-member board debating how to split up $1 billion worth of assets amongst 50-plus tribes. Furthermore I had the role of chairing Sealord’s a fishing company and multimillion-dollar enterprise owned by the Maori tribes and a Japanese multinational company Nippon Suisan. This enterprise is a testament to our adaptability. Maori were able to safeguard their assets and attract foreign capital to expand a New Zealand resource base. 
The importance of economic growth is a given for me. When we talk of productivity we must go beyond mere tax calculations. We know the range of international views on economic growth. But as an isolated trading nation with a modest domestic base we need to derive our own solutions. We cannot in some cavalier fashion adopt and transplant holus-bolus from either Europe Asia or the Chicago School of Economics. However borrowing those components that are relevant to the Kiwi way and adapting them with our ingenuity will accelerate growth and build exports. 
We should encourage enterprises that invest in value-added propositions. We should celebrate the attitude of those who venture into investments that lie beyond the horizon of the rank and file. After all nothing has more lasting value than human capital. As the famous Maori proverb says: “He tangata he tangata.” The uniqueness of the product and the competitiveness of the service all come back to the quality of the hands and minds that deliver the goods. 
This quality has seen our primary industries grow but more needs to be done. As more of our families are reared in metropolitan locations we must remain vigilant and not overlook the interests of the regions. Milking the cows setting the net and milling the timber are a long way from this Chamber. Before we quaff at the Green Parrot or sip nectar at the Humming Bird spare a thought for those who toil at sea and on the land. 
The key point for me as a new parliamentarian is that we have a system worth celebrating. It prizes openness it relentlessly tests the legitimacy of authority and it is a bulwark against corruption. I come to this role along with every other member anxious to make a mark and contribute to the wealth and health of our society. Members will invariably not agree but as my mentor the Rev. Maori Marsden told me and the new member for Te Tai Tokerau in our youth ta te rangatira kai he korero; speechmaking and debate are chiefly pursuits indeed. Once debated settle the dispute and move on. 
In coming to this parliamentary role I arrived as the beneficiary of a fine education. It was gifted to me by the generosity of others including a group of elderly Anglican parishioners from the Warkworth pastorate who saved their pennies to send a small boy from Awanui the backblocks of the far north to St Stephen’s School. There was also the Maori and Polynesian Scholarship that assisted me through Auckland University and Victoria University and the Harkness Fellowship that took me to Harvard University. Without this educational background I would never have had the opportunity to achieve in private enterprise as well as serve in the Ministry for the Environment the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Te Ohu Kai Moana. Such an experience has been a precursor to my embarking on this career. 
Not surprisingly it is my fervent desire that all children in the nation no matter how humble or disadvantaged their individual status should have the opportunity to find their way to the forefront of society in their chosen field through access to quality education. To know the value of learning is a lifelong mission and I look forward to promoting the importance of encouraging parents to elevate the ambitions of their children. 
Ignorance imperils our values. Learning is not simply an institutional matter to be left to others during the working day. Education knows no generational barrier. It also respects no ethnic or cultural boundary. To become an educated people we must learn about each other and we must ensure that our children have broad minds capable of opening the doors to the rest of the world. Given that we have to earn our keep amidst a diverse and crowded world market learning will be a cradle-to-grave duty. This will reduce insecurity and tensions between sectors of our communities and draw us together as one people but many faces.  
 In conclusion it is with great enthusiasm that I have moved the motion for the Address in Reply debate. The programme outlined in the Speech from the Throne focuses heavily on the values and aspirations that have drawn me to this vocation. Reverence for the natural environment a zeal for economic growth and trade and an awareness and acceptance through knowledge of our shared heritage are the values that will lead to a safe community a diverse society and a united and proud Aotearoa. Tena koutou katoa. 
Waiata