Patterson MarkMARK PATTERSON (NZ First): It is a pleasure to rise on behalf of New Zealand First a party that I might say is in its 27th year of existence. I'm proud to be associated with its fine contribution to New Zealand politics. From time to time during that period we have had to weather the odd political hit job and now is just a time. In all cases I might say we have always been exonerated. Of course there's the media frenzy that surrounds this sort of thing and the stone throwing from the National Party as they mount their moral high horse. But what they forget is their moral high horse is tethered firmly in the middle of a glass house. There is only one party in this Parliament that is being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office for political donations and those allegations concerningly include that some of this money may have come from foreign origins something that has no place in New Zealand politics.But New Zealand First of course has not been distracted. This has actually been a great week for us. Two longstanding pieces of legislation coming before the House: the Farm Debt Mediation Bill (No 2) which of course had its origins with New Zealand First back as long ago as 1999. Tonight that will go into legislation and we are very proud of that. Of course Minister Parker yesterday announced another delivery of a coalition promise which is to add a national interest test to the Overseas Investment Office—long overdue. Now the Government will have some levers. When these key strategic assets come up for sale sometimes under duress we will now have the ability to have a helicopter-level view as to whether this will be in the national interest. I commend Minister Parker and I commend—in terms of our party this has been longstanding New Zealand First policy.I was going to go into those things more but I had to pick up on the contribution from Maureen Pugh because I too was at that Naturally Together rally in Greymouth on Sunday. I would say that New Zealand First and I in particular spend quite a lot of time over there and have some sympathy for the issues that they were bringing forward. They do live in unique circumstances. Eighty-five percent of the coast is under Department of Conservation (DOC) control and there is pressure on their legacy industries. They do not have a thousand years to transition. But if I would critique that rally there was no balance to it. When we talk about a just transition as Maureen Pugh did there was no effort on that day to balance the ledger. What does a just transition look like? I can tell you that a just transition looks like this Government and the Provincial Growth Fund investing $90 million—so far—on the West Coast into things like port infrastructure rail infrastructure tourism infrastructure—Maureen Pugh: What about jobs?MARK PATTERSON: —and Maureen Pugh even a mine a garnet mine just south of Hokitika and you should know really well. And we did try to throw a financial lifeline to the Westland dairy co-op so it wouldn't have to go into foreign control. But what else have we done over there? We've spent $35 million bailing out the local polytech. We're building two new hospitals over there. We have gone into the Pike River mine. We have not walked away as the previous Government did. We have honoured the families of the Pike River 29 which could be the biggest crime scene in New Zealand history.This Government is actually pretty proud of what we're doing over there. There is more to do and we will look at things like the whitebait legislation that is coming forward. I know my colleague Jenny Marcroft is working very carefully with Minister Sage to make sure we do balance out recreational interests in terms of that iconic West Coast pastime. I myself am spending a lot of time over there on the water debates because they do have some unique attributes over there in terms of their water issues that may not fit the one-size-fits-all model that is being mooted at this stage. But that is a discussion document that we are fully engaged in.So all these things mount up to New Zealand First and this coalition Government actually being very very active on the Coast looking to transition it into a 21st century future not a 19th century future as Maureen Pugh seems to expect. I stand completely by our record on the West Coast.The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.