O'Connor Simon: National War Memorial Park (Pukeahu) Empowering Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
O'Connor Simon: National War Memorial Park (Pukeahu) Empowering Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 28 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4822. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tamaki) 
: 
 “At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.” I think that is the context in which we debate this National War Memorial Park (Pukeahu) Empowering Bill. Although I will turn some attention to the comments from the Opposition I think it is important to remind a previous speaker Mr Chauvel that—not that I am a military man myself—a frontal attack on to an entrenched position using words like “spiteful” and “hate” is actually fraught with danger and you will get shot to pieces if not by me necessarily. 
This is an incredibly important bill. Every bill that comes before this House is important and every bill by its nature is democratic as it is debated and discussed. As I begin I do want to take umbrage with the previous speaker Holly Walker and others from the Green Party in particular who have talked about this bill as being anti-democratic and not following process and so forth. I sort of think ipso facto the fact that we are standing here in this House progressing a piece of legislation through its stages debating and discussing is by its nature democratic. 
But you see the Greens betrayed themselves when they made an earlier comment that “We are willing to work with anyone.” Yes they are—so long as everyone agrees with them. I might need to remind the Greens that that is not democracy. Democracy is about difference and debate and coming to a consensus. It is if I may use the words of Phil Twyford sanctimonious to stand and lecture people that consensus means accepting only a particular viewpoint. I think it is also most unfortunate that people like me and others have had to react tonight to this debate in what has been a really important discussion on a war memorial to honour our war dead. 
I think it is important too to acknowledge what generally has been a very positive debate. I do want to acknowledge previous speakers including from the Greens who have uttered some very positive words but particularly speakers from Labour from New Zealand First—even if they might get their colleague’s name wrong occasionally and I myself will probably fall into that trap now. There were some really positive statements here. 
 It is important that we remember. Remembrance is an important element of our human nature an important part because to remember is an attempt to not repeat the mistakes. We stand in a House of memory here. Different speakers have talked about the plaques that are on the wall and have acknowledged too the tragedies of the five deaths in recent weeks. Memory of these events is important. So as we turn now to the National War Memorial the Carillon and the development of the park it is important that we can create a space that enables us as Kiwis as we approach 100 years since 1915 to remember. But remembering is not just an action of the past but an action now of the current. We have men and women serving overseas—fine men and women with families—who are there serving us and continuing to serve. So it is really important as we debate this bill and as we remember in 2015 when this national park is opened that we acknowledge not only those who have served us in the past but those who continue to serve us now. 
There has been some discussion that there is not enough due process. I think it is important quickly to turn to the first words of the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage about the array of discussions that have been had— 
Hon Christopher Finlayson 
: Over 4 years. 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: Over 4 years the Minister reminds me; over 4 years of discussions with parties across the country here in Wellington. It is vitally important to put that in context because this bill is not an affront to the Resource Management Act. This is not an affront to previous legislation. This is an opportunity to take those discussions to move the bill speedily through so that we can rightly—rightly—celebrate in 2015. 
I think it is important too to note that the role of the Governor-General—and I say this as someone who is quite interested in things constitutional—is actually incredibly important and an essential part of New Zealand’s constitutional and democratic structure. Orders in Council are not unusual and I think it is difficult to start scaremongering around that point. I just want to highlight that. 
But I want to return to the importance of the national memorial. In 2015 we will remember that 100 years ago Kiwis and Australians landed on the shores of Gallipoli and that they gave their lives. The very least we can do here tonight is to move this bill through simply gently and kindly— 
Scott Simpson 
: With dignity. 
SIMON O’CONNOR 
: —with dignity and in a way that was not accorded—[ 
Interruption 
]; as we are now hearing from the Opposition—to our men who landed on those shores. In 2015 we will remember them and tonight we begin that process. Again it is lamentable that in doing so we have I think brought some dishonour amongst them. But I hope that on finishing this speech tonight we return some honour to those men to those fallen and that all of us here in this House will unite to celebrate in 2015 the building of this national park.