Wilson Margaret: Valedictory Statements 
Wilson Margaret: Valedictory Statements 
[Volume:650;Page:19201] 
Hon MARGARET WILSON (Labour) 
: 
 May I first acknowledge you Mr Deputy Speaker and my other colleagues who are presiding officers Marian Hobbs and Ross Robertson. It has been truly a privilege to work with you. I think we have as a team tried to ensure that the best traditions of this House have been upheld. I am sorry to ruin everybody’s fun—I guess you thought that last speech meant it was all over. But it is in fact the nature of Speakers to do that so I would hate to disappoint you in my final address. If you will just bear with me a few more minutes then you can all go and eat. 
I thank you though for allowing me a few minutes to be able to make a few comments before I retire. The valedictory speech is one of the few opportunities a member has to speak freely in the House though I am guess I am compelled to say “always within the Standing Orders Dover.”! The final address is however an opportunity for us all to reflect on our parliamentary experience and a very important opportunity to acknowledge those who have supported us. I think we have heard many fine speeches today that relay that experience. 
If there is one lesson to be learnt in this place however it is that you are as good as your colleagues and your staff. I have been particularly fortunate to work with the Prime Minister the Rt Hon Helen Clark whose leadership skills are unparalleled as is her lifetime commitment to the service of the people of New Zealand. 
I regard myself also as fortunate to have worked with the Deputy Prime Minister the Hon Michael Cullen as a colleague in Cabinet. He was never ever able to find enough money for any of my portfolios but then I realised he treated all my colleagues in much the same way. As the economy goes through its normal or perhaps not so normal cycles of boom and bust we have come to appreciate his prudent management. It is in his role as Leader of the House however that I greatly admire his skills. Michael Cullen is truly a great New Zealand parliamentarian and perhaps one of the few we have had in recent times. The roles of Leader of the House and Opposition Leader of the House are not always understood by many people yet it is the ability of the people in those roles that determines that Parliament runs in an orderly if at times very contestable fashion so I thank both of you. 
I also acknowledge my former colleagues in Cabinet who provided tremendous support to me at all times. It is difficult for many people to understand the contestable environment that exists within Cabinet or the pressure to perform in a timely fashion. It is a strong sense of common purpose that ensures you stay together through good and not so good times. The backbone of support however comes from your caucus which is ever ready to challenge you and to keep you in touch with the reality that sometimes you can forget so I thank them in particular. 
Parliament could not function without the commitment to undertake the select committee work which is really the heart of Parliament now in many ways. That work is undertaken by members and not by Ministers except on a few occasions. In this respect I do wish to acknowledge Tim Barnett who chaired the Justice and Electoral Committee when I was Associate Minister of Justice. He always pushed the envelope beyond everyone’s comfort zone but he was always ready to work to ensure eventually an acceptable solution would be found. 
If the support of colleagues is essential so is the support from staff. I have been blessed with a group of amazing people who have worked tirelessly to ensure I could do my job. Mike Fokker and Rose Rigarlsford deserve specific mention because they made sure my diary and I were always coordinated. This is not always an easy task. My communications staff worked miracles to ensure the intent of the policies was communicated if not always well received or understood. It is not an easy job they have. Crowd control which is not normally in a communications job description has been part of the reality of the job of my current communications adviser Rose Hart and she has managed to keep the lanes reasonably clear for those of you who wished to come to the Chamber. The role of political adviser is an equally difficult one but I was fortunate to have exceptionally dedicated people who filled that role. The role is often difficult because it is political advisers who cop the criticism that others do not have the courage to say to your face. Mine however always remained focused on our goal and played a big part in whatever policy success I achieved. 
As a Minister and a Speaker you are also as good as the advice you get from public officials and I am pleased that so many colleagues today have acknowledged their contribution. I have had the privilege of working with some exceptional people whose professionalism and commitment to the Public Service is something we should all be grateful for. I also thank them for their patience. I know I was considered by some as the Minister from hell because of the pace I set and I did seem to act in an enormous number of portfolios on a temporary basis that were somehow falling behind—thank you Prime Minister! When I took up my first role as a Minister I was also given some extremely good advice by a very senior public official. That advice was simply to not waste any time as it passed all too quickly—and he had seen many Ministers pass through his capable hands. He was a very wise man to whom I shall always feel grateful. Certainly the last 9 years have gone by very quickly. I shall also acknowledge elsewhere the invaluable service of the Clerk’s Office the Parliamentary Service and those who ensure that this institution runs as well as it does. 
I thank and acknowledge the people of Tauranga who have supported me over the past 9 years. We all know that Tauranga cannot be considered to be a Labour stronghold or even a marginal seat though the electorate does tend to vote for Labour in high numbers on the list vote. It is a city I have worked hard for and I have been very lucky to be able to work with Smart Growth the mayors of Tauranga City and the Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the chair of Environment Bay of Plenty given their commitment to the region. In that respect I thank all of my Cabinet colleagues who were so forbearing when. as a Minister I ensured that the officials who came from Tauranga had a good hearing by their officers in Wellington. I greatly valued the opportunity to work with them for the good of the community as a whole. 
I sometimes hear people comment about the role of list members. It is a new role in our institution and one that is evolving and developing but it is certainly not a second-class role as some constituency members would try to have it on occasions. I think it is an issue we will have to address in future. I will continue from Tauranga to watch the progress of that city in the future with some interest. 
Finally I say a sincere heartfelt thankyou to my family. They are not here today because as so often happens in political life family and political diaries just cannot be coordinated. I know however that they will be viewing this address and judging it in the comfort of their own home. The struggle to televise Parliament almost seems worth it on occasions such as this and as they have assured me they will see the unedited version. Their unconditional love support and advice especially that from my parents have kept me sane and given me the strength to see the job through to the end. So I say a very heartfelt and sincere thankyou. 
When preparing this valedictory statement I like so many of my colleagues went back with some trepidation to look at what I had said in my maiden speech—a ridiculous name for a speech to someone like me. I wanted to see whether I had achieved the goals I had set out to achieve. I very quickly realised however that it is for others to make that assessment not for me. I am satisfied though that given the necessary democratic constraints of coalition Government little time was wasted. More important I think my colleagues and I have achieved a better policy balance that has recognised the need for a strong Public Service infrastructure. The market will always have a proper role in the economy but it must always be balanced by democratic government. The current financial crisis has demonstrated the truth of this reality. Part of the reconstruction of that Public Service infrastructure has been the strengthening of such institutions as unions non-governmental organisations and lobby groups that now demand the right to participate in decisions that affect them. How to find better ways for such participation will be a challenge for future Parliaments to address. 
I noted in my maiden speech a concern for the rights of women. The struggle for equality has been the main thread throughout my life. It cannot be denied that much progress has been made. It also cannot be denied that that progress has come with women adapting to the system. There is still no fundamental recognition that equality means equality of difference not equality for women to be like men. This will be the next major challenge. Can the experience of women be incorporated in such a way that we have real choices that extend beyond survival within a system still controlled by the male reality? A practical example of that is the way we organise the business of Parliament. We have made progress. We are trying to accommodate school holidays. We now have a room for breastfeeding and we have a really good-quality childcare centre. This is all good progress but we have not fundamentally looked at the issue of work-life balance which could benefit not only women but also men. That is one of those big scary ideas we have yet to have the courage to face. 
I must also note that Parliament has come a long way towards being more representative but it cannot be considered to be truly representative while it remains so hard for people with a disability to work here. I acknowledge the Hon Ruth Dyson for her tireless work in that respect. In this institution people are helpful and that is always appreciated but it is real change that is required. I have tried to ensure that those with a hearing impairment will get some relief with the new sound system—you do not even notice it any longer. The price for working in this wonderful old building is that those with disabilities still come in the back door or struggle with heavy doors that are likely to bite their fingers off. Again we adapt to the institution which is yet to fundamentally recognise the need for real change. 
Finally I want to make a few comments on Parliament and my role as Speaker. Over the 3 and a bit years that I have held the role I have formed not surprisingly some views. As Speaker you have little opportunity to actually speak—I had not thought about that when I took the job. Otherwise of course you are rightly accused of participating in the debate. The self-control I have exercised has been extraordinarily uncharacteristic as I have confined my comments to “Order!” and “Would the member please leave the Chamber.” I therefore cannot resist the opportunity to share just a very few reflections on the role. 
First I thank those who have supported me in it. Apart from the two wonderful Roses—Rose Rigarlsford and Rose Hart—Roland Todd always makes sure my numbers are right. Pam Reader and Nina Sudiono-Price have ensured that the business of Parliament is conducted through the Speaker’s office in a friendly and an orderly way. The Clerk and her office ensure that the business of Parliament is conducted in an impartial and efficient manner. Perhaps the highest compliment that can be paid to the office is to say its advice can be relied on. I also acknowledge the unsung heroes of the House the Sergeant-at-Arms whom I nearly had to use once—just to see what he really would do—and his army of messengers who ensure that all members are well watered and that their notes to each other are delivered with speed; I often wonder what is in them. 
The role of Speaker has given me a unique opportunity to understand better what it is that makes our democratic form of government work so I give you special thanks for giving me that privilege. I have endeavoured in the role to achieve two things: to make Parliament more accessible and to make the administration of Parliament more transparent and efficient. The televising of Parliament was an important part of this project and it still has a long way to go to reach its full potential. We are in this institution visited by thousands of people every year and all of the education tour and security staff do a wonderful job of making that a positive experience. We need to invest more however in the promotion of Parliament as an institution. There are so many creative ways we could introduce improvements into it so the people of New Zealand are able to have a greater appreciation of their Parliament. That is not a Budget bid—it is all right! But I hope that future Speakers will be hearing what I am saying. 
The task of bringing transparency and efficiency to the administration of Parliament was thrust on me soon after I took office and I confess that I had no understanding of the nature of this role when I accepted it. The task resulted from accusations made by some members in this House that I was personally corrupt. I have written fully in another place about my journey of discovery into the administration of Parliament and the role of the Speaker so I will not repeat myself here. After 3 years of work however I believe that progress has been made though much work is still to be done. I thank the members on the Parliamentary Service Commission for the extra tireless work they put into it—and I see Anne Tolley smiling and Tim Barnett nodding amongst others—because it was truly appreciated and the advisory role to the Speaker I think was fulfilled extraordinarily professionally by all members. I have confidence that in future the work of the administration will continue to improve with the support of members who recognise that we as members of Parliament must also be accountable. 
I will end on an observation about the notion of the independence of the Speaker. I am frequently asked this question: how can the Speaker be independent and a member of a party? The question is normally raised in the context of question time. I long ago realised that the Speaker is seen as fair and impartial if he or she agrees with the member who has raised the point of order—which is usually of course not a point of order. Like any referee I agree that one cannot win but must do the best one can. I must say however that most referees have a greater range of penalties than any of the Speakers in this House can exercise and the fantasy mind writs large in some question times as to what one could do to exercise some control. I thank all those members of the public who made suggestions regarding equipment that could be used to assist Speakers in their job—most of it illegal. However all Speakers face similar problems and when the Governor-General kindly had a dinner for all “surviving” Speakers—if I can put it like that—it was interesting even across the parties to find that we had all encountered the same issues. I will say though that MMP has made the task more complex. 
I intend to resist the temptation to grade rate or even comment on the behaviour of members towards each other or the Speaker. But the public do notice members’ behaviour and they let me know daily what they think about it. That is why a greater understanding of Parliament would benefit everyone. As I have said on many occasions question time is not truth seeking; that is done through written questions and official information requests. Question time is about political performance. It is the testing of political positions and the ability of individuals to stand up to the test. It is an important part of our democracy and I have no doubt of course that it could be conducted in a less abusive manner. But that is in the hands of members. If I had enforced the Standing Orders strictly as I have been exhorted to do on occasions then all I can say is that the House would have been half empty and the game would have taken three times as long. 
I should be grateful however as we all should be that we are the beneficiaries of such an accountable democratic Parliament. It is the obligation and responsibility of each of us who has the privilege of serving in this House to maintain and enhance our Parliament in whatever role we may find ourselves in because each role we hold is extremely important. I am pleased to be leaving to undertake a new challenge where I will be paid to lecture you will be pleased to know—I was told I was not paid to do that here in this House—but I must say that I do not regret a minute of the opportunity I have been given to serve. Kia ora. Thank you. 
Sitting suspended from 6.35 p.m. to 7.35 p.m.