Henare Tau: Trade (Safeguard Measures) Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Henare Tau: Trade (Safeguard Measures) Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 02 May 2012. Volume:679;Page:1919. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 I do know the difference between a “Hobbs” and a “Street” and I do have to say that after listening to the Hon Maryan Street’s speech— 
Le’aufa’amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor 
: Ah! You’ve been listening.  
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Oh absolutely and intently because I am new to the game of trade and new to the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee. So I suppose I am doing my— 
Chris Hipkins 
: You traded parties. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Sorry? 
Hon Members 
: You traded parties.  
Hon TAU HENARE 
: That was funny! You know we are here discussing a pretty important piece of legislation which is something that goes to the heart of any nation when it is faced with an economy that is— 
Hon Phil Goff 
: What’s the bill called? 
Hon John Banks 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. Objections and interruptions should be rare and reasonable. Barking and howling from the Opposition side of the Parliament is not helping the debate. I cannot hear the learned member and his questions. I will not be able to answer them if we have this barking from the Labour Party on that side of the Chamber.  
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Mr Chairman— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: I do not need any assistance. I have cautioned the Committee a number of times. We do want to hear the debate. I know that there is a degree of interest and passion at the moment but that does not mean that we should not be able to hear members speaking.  
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Thank you Mr Chair. When the nation is faced with a crisis around the world in terms of economics— 
Chris Hipkins 
: I can hear him but I’ll swap with someone who can’t! 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Order! 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: You see that is the sort of importance that the Labour Party puts on an international piece of legislation. They moan. They get up on their high heels—hind legs even—and moan “Oh we sat on this bill for ages and ages.”  
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Who introduced it? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: And the shrill from over that corner— 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Who introduced it? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: The shrill from that corner is all about obfuscation is all about a sort of pantomime and is all about theatre. It is not about the real issue. The real issue is making sure that we safeguard our businesses in the world of trade. What it is about is actually falling into line with the World Trade Organization’s regime so we protect and we safeguard— 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Who introduced the bill? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Sorry? 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Who introduced the bill? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Oh it was the liar who got sacked from Cabinet. [ 
Interruption 
]  
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I think I heard the member use a four-letter word that is totally unacceptable in the Chamber. The member knows that because it is a reflection on all of the Committee. I ask the member to withdraw and apologise. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I withdraw and apologise.  
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Thank you.  
Hon TAU HENARE 
: It was from the member who got sacked for not telling the truth. That is what it was. That was from the member. They do not want to know.  
Hon Members 
: That’s what’s going to happen to Banks.  
Hon TAU HENARE 
: No no no. 
Hon John Banks 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. The carping and howling from the Labour Party must cease Mr Chairperson under the Standing Orders. I need to hear the parliamentary Government member’s sound and sensible questions on this important piece of legislation which I need to answer. Barking and howling yelling and shouting do not do this Parliament any good and it disgraces the parliamentary Opposition. I ask you to call them to order. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I think it is fair to say that there was a reasonable amount of noise then and the noise was because the member on his feet a former Minister suggested that Ministers who mislead the public should get the sack. We were agreeing with him. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Can I just remind members that this is not a public house. The practice of members engaging in a constant barrage of interjections actually amounts to heckling and is entirely intolerable in a debating chamber. I ask the member to continue. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: What this is about is enhancing and growing New Zealand’s international trade links. As I said before if a bill like this was so important we would not have the sort of pantomime the theatre going on from the Opposition members. They are fixated about something else. Well at least our side is fixated on one thing and that is making sure that our economy does not tank because— 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: You don’t know what it does. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Oh I do not know anything. I know I do not. I do not know as much as the person over there who got into trouble and had to leave Cabinet. That is OK. 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: What did she do? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Oh I do not know. She told one story and then there was another story. She told one story and then the story came out that it was not really the story that she really did tell. But that is all right. That was years ago and we should not go down that track into the past. 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: But they would. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Well that is right. That is right. But we are trying to concentrate on getting a bill through—a bill that safeguards our reputation around the world not only with other people in the world but also with the traders and the businesses here in New Zealand. So what is wrong with that? Well apparently according to them we have sat on the bill we have done this we have done that but at the end of the day have they helped today? Have they helped the process move along? No they have not. No they have not. I would like to hear the Associate Minister of Commerce but he can get up only when and if the Opposition has got something clear to say and asks some questions about the bill—asks some questions about the bill—and there has not been one question on Part 1 not one. As Winston Peters is wont to say “not a whisper not a murmur” about Part 1 of the Trade (Safeguard Measures) Bill. 
Hon John Banks 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I want to hear the Hon Tau Henare. I want to hear questions asked about the bill. I cannot hear when there is barracking barking and howling from the Opposition. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Thank you. Can I just ask members to try to restrain themselves. I would urge all honourable members to play the ball not the member. Remember that and we will preserve an excellent field for the full play of ideas. 
Grant Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. In order to keep the order of the Committee one of the issues that the Minister in the chair has been raising is the importance of being able to hear questions and I just would wonder whether we could get an indication. I counted 16 questions that were asked of the Minister by the Hon Maryan Street and I am just wondering whether we could get an indication of whether the Minister intends to answer those questions. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: That is for the Minister to decide himself. Where were we? I call the Hon Tau Henare. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Not a whisper not a murmur— 
Brendan Horan 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. These cowardly attacks on the leader of New Zealand First should stop. The honourable member knows that it is— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! 
Brendan Horan 
: —“not a syllable not a sound”— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! I am on my feet. Can I just remind members to have a look at Standing Order 117 which is to do with personal reflections. It is totally out of order and is unnecessary. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I think I am big enough and ugly enough to handle being called names but I do not like to be called a coward. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Well I do not believe the member was calling the member— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I think he was. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: He was? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Yeah I think he was. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Oh well in that case then the— 
Brendan Horan 
: Point of order Mr— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No no. The member called the other member a coward. That is a personal reflection against the member. It is totally out of order. The member will stand withdraw and apologise. 
Brendan Horan 
: I apologise. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: And withdraw. 
Brendan Horan 
: And withdraw. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Thank you. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I think it is important for both the members to note that the quote is a Churchillian one. It was I think first used in this Parliament by Sir Robert Muldoon. I think giving it to Winston Peters is probably going a bit far. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Right thank you. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Not a word not a murmur not a whisper not a murmur—who cares what he said—