Brown Peter: New Zealand Day Bill — First Reading 
Brown Peter: New Zealand Day Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:624;Page:19664] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First shares the view of the previous speaker to a very large extent. We will support this New Zealand Day Bill going to the select committee but—and it is a significant but—we hope that the bill has not been proposed because of prior protests on Waitangi Day. I suspect that may well be the reason underlying the proposed change of name from Waitangi Day to New Zealand Day. I hope the Hon Peter Dunne in taking up his right of reply will clarify that and will tell this House whether he would be proposing this bill if there had not been so many protests on Waitangi Day in the past. 
I say also that the name “Waitangi” probably means a good deal more to the average Maori person than to a non-Maori person. I can understand that some Maori will feel somewhat slighted to lose the name of their day—the day that they regard as their own. I hope that is not the case. I am a little bit worried when I read the explanatory note. It states: “It is vital that as a modern multicultural nation New Zealand recognise its diversity through a designated national day to which all sectors of our society feel able to contribute.” That seems to me to say that we are now multicultural that we do not want to designate an extra holiday that will be a real New Zealand Day that everybody can embrace so we will take a day—namely Waitangi Day—and call it New Zealand Day. I can understand some people feeling slighted at that. 
The explanatory note also seems to say to me that this country is changing somewhat out of control. I think of the country I came from where now in many parts of it—I am talking about Britain or England in particular—it is illegal to show the Christmas scene at Christmas time. The multiculturalists have overtaken the country and they have said that the Christmas scene cannot be on display. The member over there is frowning but I tell her that it is true. 
Jill Pettis 
: Where? 
PETER BROWN 
: In the UK. Also in the UK not so long ago there was a demand from the multicultural segment of society to change the cap badge of the Metropolitan Police. It very nearly achieved that. The reason for the demand was that Britain is a multicultural society and the badge should reflect that. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: Go back and sort them out! 
PETER BROWN 
: I was almost tempted to do that but the Commissioner of Police a chap called Stevens— 
Darren Hughes 
: We’ll pay half the fare. 
PETER BROWN 
: You will pay to get me back I know. If I pay to go there you will pay to get me back. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I will not do anything. 
PETER BROWN 
: Mr Assistant Speaker will not? I apologise to you. I am just saying to members that that is the way multiculturalism is going in the UK. I hope this bill is not the start of that trend here. Indeed only a few weeks ago I heard that people wanted to change the name of a pub in the UK because it offended people who believe in multiculturalism. That pub had had that name for 300 years. 
Frankly to my mind—and I know that this view is shared by some of my colleagues—a better day to have as New Zealand Day is the day before or after or a day very close to Anzac Day. That day is recognised by young old Maori and non-Maori as really a part of this country’s history; a day when everybody united together to fight for this country. If we are going to have a New Zealand Day it would not be a bad idea—and this is the view of some of my colleagues—to have a separate day closely associated with Anzac Day. 
Hon Mita Ririnui 
: Another holiday? 
PETER BROWN 
: If this bill states that we should have a holiday to celebrate New Zealand let us have one not take another holiday and rename it. If we want a holiday because we are multicultural and because we have all sorts of people here let us be brave enough to say that we should have a holiday. This bill targets one day and changes the name of it to New Zealand Day and it just smacks a little bit of political opportunism. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: It’s mean. 
PETER BROWN 
: My colleague says it is meanness. I suggest that this bill would not have been brought by the member had Waitangi Day been peaceful in the past. I hope the honourable member will clarify that.