Sutton Jim: General Debates 
Sutton Jim: General Debates 
[Volume:607;Page:4984] 
Hon JIM SUTTON (Minister of Agriculture) 
: 
 One hundred years ago last month a 25-year-old farmer in Waitohi Richard Pearse took to the air in a flying machine built by himself in his farm shed. It had a boxer motor he had built without engineering advice and he built it at a time when there was thought to be only one motorcar in the whole of South Canterbury. It was a monoplane that had a tricycle undercarriage and a variable pitch propeller. It was not unlike a modern microlight. He was the first in the world to take to the air. 
A short time later the Wright brothers in the United States took to the air. They claimed they were the first to take to the air. They had the resources of an engineering nation behind them. They launched their machine from rails unlike Richard Pearse who took off under his own power. The Wright brothers said they were the first to fly because their flight was under control whereas Richard Pearse’s first flight ended up in a gorse hedge—truly a New Zealand icon in every respect. 
Members will be delighted to learn that a replica of Richard Pearse’s plane built by the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland has successfully taken to the air. That has attached a credibility that has been in doubt for a century. No newspaper or other reporter was present at the first flight so it was all hearsay. However I think that there will be very little doubt now. It has been thoroughly researched in recent times that Richard Pearse was the first human being to take to the air in a heavier-than-air flying machine and I think that is an absolutely wonderful thing. Perhaps one reason it was not widely recognised is that I understand the Smithsonian Institution—the repository of much technological history—has a contract with the Wright family that gives the institution the sole right to display many of the memorabilia of the Wrights but in return for that right it has agreed not to give any publicity or credence to people with claims to beating the Wrights into the air. However 100 years ago Richard Pearse gave us a demonstration of rural talent that we are still proud of in this country today and I want to put that on the record. 
Now I want to talk about the National Party. National members should learn from the example of the organic farming sector. Yesterday I raised in the House the organic industry’s 20-year strategic plan. The National Party could do with one itself. The organic sector is made up of many small groups which makes it difficult at national level to present a clear vision and strong leadership on behalf of all of its stakeholders. Does that not sound like a certain Opposition political party—no clear vision no strong leadership? The strategy of the organic sector will enable those people to pull together build their capacity and achieve their potential. The organic sector is looking at doing that by 2013. But theirs is a relatively straightforward challenge—I suggest it might take a little longer for the National Party. But even if it takes National members 20 years they are not without hope. They have a proud history. 
However I must say that I was gobsmacked to hear that the most recent coup attempt was engineered by the National Party’s agriculture spokesperson. Agricultural spokespeople are usually so loyal. It is such a plum job in the National caucus to be agriculture spokesperson that normally there is a lifetime guarantee of loyalty to the leader who appoints that person. But no it is reported in the  
Independent 
 that David Carter MP National’s spokesman on agriculture kicked off the latest coup speculation during a visit to Federated Farmers 2 weeks ago and now he is lying low. I am not surprised he is lying low. He was backed by Dr Lockwood Smith—we were talking about the Smithsonian Institution just a little while ago—who usually gets one vote in every National Party leadership ballot.