Peters Winston: General Debates 
Peters Winston: General Debates 
[Volume:613;Page:9719] 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I begin by expressing my deep sympathy for the National Party. All those people down the years since 1936 who once worked with that great party will be in tears today. I predict that within 6 months there will be signs around all the rugby paddocks saying “Bring Back Bill”. This debate is about humbug hypocrisy and cant. Labour is attacking National and National is attacking Labour but they are both the same—Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber. The member was reading out the list of achievements of the 1987 Labour Government. It sounded so familiar. They are both arrogant born-to-rule we-know-best parties and they are trying to take New Zealand back to the two-party system. 
National we know remains a deep and divided mess. However the Prime Minister is becoming known for her callous attitude towards ordinary New Zealanders. She has no heart. The poor people of Afghanistan have had Russians the Taliban and now the Americans. What have they done to deserve the terror of Helen Clark paying a visit all dressed up like a desert-based bee-keeper? There she was on a secret mission—so secret that no one in to her office knew about it. What did the Afghans do to deserve her making that visit? On her first day back in the House yesterday she was asked about a condition that besets elderly people—and sad are the families and caregivers who have to look after those people. That condition is called Alzheimer’s. A former Minister of Health knew nothing about it. Whilst all First World countries are financing drugs to ease the lifestyle of those people and improve their period of life and their quality of life for years and sometimes for decades she claims that they do not work. She knows more than the Federal Drug Agency of the United States and all the equivalent agencies in Europe. The Prime Minister is more interested in financing weirdo loony-tune policies of her minority groups. However she cares not a whit for ordinary New Zealanders who are suffering and who should get hospital treatment in this country but have to go to Australia. 
 On her first day back in the House she demonstrated that she has but one objective; it is just power. She has no principles. There would not be a former Labour leader who would recognise this present Labour Party. There is after all no longer a democracy in New Zealand. Thanks to the Greens and United Future Labour is now running the country like a dictatorship. 
Let me ask members a question. What did ordinary New Zealanders have to say about prostitution? When were they ever asked? What do ordinary New Zealanders think about prostitution? Were they ever asked? No. [ 
Interruption 
] The United Future members voted for it. They thought it was a good idea. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will address the Chair not his own back bench. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It is coming off the member’s time. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Are you telling me I cannot turn round in this Chamber? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: You can every now and then but not continuously. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: This is called a debating chamber and I want to finish my point of order and not have you chipping in halfway through. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I am making a point of order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will now be seated. I make the point that I allowed the member—and I have stopped his time now—to turn round for a continued length of time but according to our Speakers’ rulings turning round for a lengthy period of time is not in order. The member must address the Chair. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I will. What did ordinary New Zealand people have to say about same-sex marriages? What did they have to say about the foreshore and seabed debacle? What did they have to say about the treaty industry? What did they have to say and when did they get a say on the Privy Council? What did they have to say about genetic engineering? They were never asked. This is an arrogant Government—a totally arrogant Government. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: They got an inquiry. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Oh yes they got an inquiry OK. The Government has set up a group to do an economic analysis excepting the report is a year after the Government abolished the moratorium. This is an arrogant “we know best” Government. In 1999 the people of this country in a huge referendum voted to have 99 MPs. They voted for stiffer penalties. Were they listened to? No. What does Helen Clark think of that? She thinks they are not worth the time of day. But I say to the Labour Party that I know and my party knows how flaky its vote is. We know that New Zealanders get no salvation from that side of the House and from over here but we do know—and mark my words—that by Christmas we will have shown them what New Zealanders really think.