Fitzsimons Jeanette: Adjournment Sittings of the House 
Fitzsimons Jeanette: Adjournment Sittings of the House 
[Volume:622;Page:18139] 
JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Co-Leader—Green) 
: 
 The House has sent a very mixed message to New Zealanders this year. We have passed a number of measures that have shown New Zealand to be a tolerant and fair society—a number of measures of which I am proud: the Civil Union Bill the Care of Children Bill the employment relations legislation and legislation relating to the decriminalisation of prostitution. Those pieces of legislation which protect people who are not in the mainstream and are not in the majority went through only because of the Green Party’s support and we are proud to have supported them. We are proud that New Zealand is a better place because of those pieces of legislation. 
At the same time we have damaged our reputation of being a fair and tolerant society in a number of ways. We have driven a wedge between Maori and Pakeha because of the processes that were used to pass the Foreshore and Seabed Bill. We have kept an overseas-elected member of Parliament and scholar in prison for 2 years with no charges despite his having refugee status. The Greens welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court—created last year with the help of our vote—to treat Mr Zaoui in a more decent and civilised manner. Parliament has introduced the Charities Bill an attack on the voluntary sector which threatens to shut down most of the voluntary sector by setting completely unreasonable expectations and by threats of complete impoverishment if that sector involves itself in advocacy. 
I think the Government should take note of today’s judgment of the British law lords who wrote: “The real threat to the life of the nation in the sense of people living with its tradition and laws and political values comes not from terrorism but from laws such as these.” With that in mind we appeal to the Government not to proceed with bills and projected bills to toughen up the onerous security risk certificate procedure and the Terrorism Suppression Act and proposals to give a Cabinet Minister rather than a judge the right to take away a New Zealander’s passport on national security grounds. 
The Greens have had some highlights this year. Nandor Tanczos’ Clean Slate Bill introduced some 5 years ago and renamed and put in the name of the Minister has now passed into law thereby giving many people who committed some indiscretions years ago a new start in life with a clean slate. We are proud to have initiated that change and we are proud that it has passed through Parliament even though in a somewhat different form. We now have the ability to go into pubs and cafes without coming out smelling dreadful. The smoke-free legislation was not a Green bill but it passed only because of our vote. I particularly acknowledge Sue Kedgley’s hard work on the select committee and on the bill and of course I also acknowledge Steve Chadwick who introduced the bill. That is progress in terms of having a healthy atmosphere for people to breathe. 
The year began for us with a big campaign to protect New Zealand’s largest braided river from proposals to take away 73 percent of its water for 60 kilometres. Project Aqua was in full cry a year ago threatening the Waitaki River and on 30 March after more than 6000 submissions from ordinary people on the resource consent said “Leave our river alone” finally Project Aqua was withdrawn. I think that marks the end of the major “think big” projects that destroy rivers that are essential to the well-being of New Zealanders and of our wildlife. 
We have watched the gradual implementation of the new transport strategy and Act. The Government took our advice after 2½ years to get back the rail track and it has put $200 million into repairing it and building it up. We welcome that decision. It is already starting to bear fruit. New lines are opening and Fonterra is making a commitment to use it. Some logs are moving from road on to rail because of assistance from the new Transfund rules. We have seen a big increase in public transport use over the last few years as well. 
I want to end by extending my thanks and Christmas greetings to you Mr Speaker for your work through the years you have been in the Chair. I recognise that this will be your last Christmas in this particular job and I wish you well for the holidays and for your new position. I also thank the Deputy Speaker and the Assistant Speakers. To all my parliamentary colleagues I wish you a good Christmas and a good holiday. To the Green Party staff and volunteers who are totally dedicated and have kept us going this year to the select committee staff the people from the library the people from the Clerk’s Office to all of those who feed us clean our offices deliver our mail and look after our security I wish all of you happy times with family and friends rest and recreation and time outdoors away from air conditioning and computers. 
Finally I want to remember those for whom Christmas is the most desperate and miserable time of the year—all of those for whom other people’s joyful families and high living make their own lack of family and their own poverty seem even more extreme. I recognise those women and children for whom Christmas means more violence and abuse because of the stress of the Christmas season and the abuse of alcohol. For them I wish that Christmas may treat them less harshly than usual and that we may all watch out for them.