Mallard Trevor: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Mallard Trevor: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:645;Page:14199] 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 I want to place on the record for the people who are listening to the radio rather than watching this on television especially the people of Nelson that that was Dr Nick Smith the MP for Nelson. I think it is really important that people are aware of who made that speech. I know that when Parliament is on television the names appear at the bottom of the screen and people in Nelson will be aware if they are watching TV that that was Nick Smith. But for people listening to the radio I want to reiterate that that was the case. 
I think that that sort of speech is one of the reasons that Maryan Street at the end of this year will be the MP for Nelson. I think if one had listened to the final part of the Nick Smith’s speech one would have heard an appeal to John Key to give him a higher place on the list. I think that is what he was on about. I cannot use the expression I am thinking of in relation to the sort of approach he was taking to John Key but it was getting very very close and personal. I think we could see that member greasing up to his leader in an attempt to get a higher place on the list because Maryan Street is going to be the MP for Nelson. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would be happy to take a bet with the member on my success in Nelson—for the best bottle of wine. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order. The member should sit down. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The next point I would like to make though is a positive comment about a National Party member and that is Katherine Rich. In fact I have a positive comment about a couple of National Party members. I want to congratulate Mr Tremain on his promotion to the position of junior whip. It is an honourable position one that I have held myself and one learns quite a lot and that is good. But Katherine Rich I think is someone who is not just a softer face for the National Party though she is certainly that but is as far as many on this side of the House are concerned a person who has an intellect and a person who has integrity. She showed that on a number of occasions especially in the way she stood up to Don Brash during the period when she was the Opposition spokesperson on welfare. She is someone who will be sorely missed on that side of the House and I think Parliament will be poorer as a result of her not being a National Party list MP because of the influence she has. I think it is important to put that on the record. 
I now turn to the question of Mr Key and his speech and ask him why he did not at any stage tell this House what his conversations were with Tame Iti. What deals did they do when he was so up close and personal with Tame Iti? He was face to face with Tame Iti. They had a close embrace. I just want to ask him how that fits with his views on law and order. How can he when he knows someone is facing very very serious charges under the Arms Act—and that is a matter of public record—put himself in a position where he is seen to endorse the mana of that individual by greeting him in the way he did? I cannot believe that any responsible politician in New Zealand would endorse Tame Iti in the way that John Key did at Waitangi. It was absolutely wrong and I think it shows—and I have to be very careful with my words here—that he lacks what is necessary to be a strong leader who is prepared to stand up for his principles and stand up for what is right for New Zealand. That is what he showed us when he put himself in the position where he endorsed Tame Iti in that way. Should we have been surprised? Probably not because earlier that day he was seen hand in hand— 
Hon Member 
: How do you greet him? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: If I saw Tame Iti in that situation I would walk the other way. There is no obligation to cuddle up to Tame Iti in the way that John Key did. There is no obligation under any sort of culture to endorse Tame Iti in the way John Key did and any decent leader would have had the backbone to turn round go the other way and not greet Tame Iti in those circumstances. Anyone who has even the most basic knowledge of marae protocol knows that in the end the greeting does not have to be given. People do not have to be welcomed and they do not have to be endorsed. It is a matter of integrity and John Key should have shown more of it in that particular circumstance. 
Chris Tremain 
: Whatever. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Does the member want more? 
Chris Tremain 
: I said “Whatever.” 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Well I will go back to the point that I was going to make which is that I was not very surprised because earlier in the day he had been seen hand in hand not with someone who was on bail but with someone with very very serious convictions in the child abuse area—something that he knew. He was hand in hand with that woman again endorsing her in a way that I think is very very inappropriate. 
So he was hand in hand with one and face to face with another and we ask what sort of leadership that shows for New Zealand. A leader is someone who is meant to stand up for New Zealand internationally and stand up for what is right and proper for New Zealand. How can he aspire to be in Government? How can he aspire to be the Prime Minister? How can someone who falls at the first hurdle be expected for example not to send troops to Iraq? If someone cannot show strength when there is a very easy decision to make how could that person show strength under international pressure in the way that New Zealand Prime Ministers have been required to do? 
Many of our Prime Ministers have shown that strength over the years and I now give credit to Jim Bolger. Jim Bolger came under tremendous pressure on the nuclear question and he stood up. There was a bit of a waver every now and again—and there was a big waver from Don McKinnon during the time of the previous National administration—but he showed that he had the backbone to stand up for what was right. Jim Bolger had that backbone. Sometimes it is the little tests. Tame Iti was a little test that shows what sort of person some people are. John Key is someone who should be able to stand up for what is right. 
There have been in the Prime Minister’s speech some major announcements around the funding boost for community-based organisations. I think that the media in New Zealand have missed the importance of that and it will be something that creeps out over a period of time. The quality of social services that come from community-based organisations will be substantially enhanced as a result of their being able to focus on the work they are contracted for rather than having to fundraise for the balance. 
The Schools Plus idea is something that is absolutely brilliant. We all know that training is an issue and that people need to develop skills. The question of affordable housing is on the mind of every MP who works for his or her constituents and looks at the gap to get that deposit and have an affordable mortgage. It is something that is very very hard. The reason for this is that starter houses are more extensive and more expensive than they were when many of us were first involved in buying houses. Increasing the supply at that moderate end of the market for first-home buyers getting that step up and getting them into a house is something that I am sure all of us think is very very important. 
We had a contrast in the debate yesterday. We had a stateswoman someone who was a national and international giant and on the other side we had the pigmy who could not stand up to Tame Iti.