Ross Jami-Lee: Urgent Debates — Hon Maurice Williamson—Ministerial ResignationText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRoss Jami-Lee: Urgent Debates — Hon Maurice Williamson—Ministerial Resignation[Sitting date: 06 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17503. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany): I have learnt in 3 very short years here that this is an extremely rough-and-tumble place. It is actually quite a sad thing when a Minister resigns. Maurice Williamson likes the saying that in this place one day you are a rooster and the next day you are a feather duster. Sadly our friend Mr Williamson has experienced the rough and tumble of this place. I want to say some very kind things about an individual who I actually think has served this country and this Parliament very well for many many years. I grew up living in the Pakuranga electorate. The first time I joined a political party it was in Maurice Williamson’s electorate. When I went and worked for a member of Parliament it was in Maurice Williamson’s electorate office. If there is a model of someone as a local electorate MP who goes above andbeyond every single time for his constituents to battle on their behalf it is Maurice Williamson the member of Parliament for Pakuranga. Sadly Maurice’s desire to be helpful Maurice Williamson’s desire to go above and beyond for individuals has led him to go a bit too far in this case and he is paying a very high price for that mistake.I just want to reiterate to this House that Ministers and members of this Parliament serve extremely hard and serve very well on behalf of their constituents and the people they serve. We are all humans though and from time to time we make mistakes. When we make those mistakes it is important that we bear the consequences and that is exactly what has happened with Maurice. The Prime Minister has acted appropriately as a Prime Minister should do in accepting the resignation of Maurice Williamson and Maurice Williamson did the honourable thing in resigning for the mistake he made. He is an honourable member.Some of the things that we have heard today from members opposite are absolutely unbelievable. To be lectured by Winston Peters about corruption is like being lectured by a lady of the night about abstinence. It is so hard to believe. I can think of only one person who had been referred to the Serious Fraud Office for donation issues and that is Winston Peters. To have Russel Norman stand up in this House and talk about democracy being for sale knowing that he went to Kim Dotcom’s mansion and talked about intervening in the extradition process should he ever get into Government is simply unbelievable. To have him turn up here now and talk about democracy being for sale and to have David Cunliffe stand up and talk about donations and talk about rich—Richard Prosser: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I listened to the member opposite making references to Winston Peters being corrupt and I seek your guidance Mr Speaker as to whether they were appropriate in light of the statements that have been made about references to members being honourable given that certainly to my knowledge the Rt Hon Winston Peters has never faced let alone been convicted of any—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I hear the member and I think it is probably pertinent to just reflect on what has been said. I have been listening very carefully and the member who was on his feet said I think that the member whom you are referring to made some accusations of corruption. I was listening and I think that probably is correct and it was pulled up at that stage. I do not think we should go back to where a point of order has been ruled on but the member speaking did not actually accuse the member whom Richard Prosser is defending. He said that that member actually made the accusation which I believe was correct but I think we just need to be a bit cautious about accusations. I think Assistant Speaker Robertson made a good call and cited the Speaker’s ruling that was appropriate. The debate has gone pretty well; let us just keep it on that level.JAMI-LEE ROSS: Thank you. No I did not say what Mr Prosser thought I was saying. Perhaps he might like to listen a bit better next time. I was referring to the fact that members opposite like to lecture us about issues when they themselves know that they very much have some issues and skeletons in the closet that they need to answer for. To hear David Cunliffe talk to us about donations not being declared when we all know very well he knows very well and those sitting behind him know very well that he received donations during a leadership election that he subsequently was not willing to declare—it is absolutely unbelievable for him to come here and lecture us.When we think about those who have donated to political parties and when we think about those people who in the past decade or so have been highlighted as those who have received favours from political parties there are no better examples than from the time when Labour was in office. Think of names like Bill Liu. Think of names like Taito Phillip Field who actually was convicted of a crime in this country. If LabourParty members really want to get into the subject of donations then I suggest they go back and look through all of their bank accounts in the time when they were in office because there were certain Ministers in their Government who knew very well what was transacted and who knew very well about decisions that were taken. The Labour Party members should not come to this House and try to appear as holy as they wish to appear because they will come a cropper in the future I am sure.Ministerial standards in this Government are high. The Prime Minister has demonstrated that. Maurice Williamson has demonstrated that he is an honourable individual by bearing the consequences of his actions. I just want to put on record once again that he is a hard-working member of this Parliament. I have witnessed that firsthand as have the people of Pakuranga. His 27 years in this House will go down as 27 years of very hard work on behalf of New Zealanders and he should be congratulated on that.