Henare Tau: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHenare Tau: General Debate[Sitting date: 04 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13249. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon TAU HENARE (National): TheDominion Postthe other day had the headline “Rivals’ policies out of touch out of time”—out of touch and out of time. That really does sum it up. I want to talk about Shane Jones who I actually think should be theleader of the Labour Party because at least he has got a few ideas. He has got a few ideas. You know he knows how to talk the language of the everyday New Zealander the Joe and Mary Bloggs out there. But guess what? I am appalled by what is happening in the Labour Party because we have got David Cunliffe supported by Louisa Wall and Nanaia Mahuta; we have got Grant Robertson—I will talk about Grant Robertson’s little cameo on TV the other night very shortly—supported by Moana Mackey and by Meka Whaitiri; and then we have got poor old Shane supported by only Rino.You know for the first time in the party’s history tangata whenua has put his hand up and said: “I would like to be the leader of one of New Zealand’s major parties. I would like to be the leader.” You would have thought that this was the opportunity for Labour to grab the Māori vote back from the Māori Party and grab the Māori vote back from the Mana Party in the north and say that it is speaking the language of the Māori electorate and that that is why it has a Māori leader of the Labour Party and actually one who has a few clues about where the battle will be won. As sure as hell it will not be won out on the extreme left where Mr Cunliffe and Mr Robertson are pushing themselves because they want to be with their mates over here the Green Party.I saw something the other night. I was absolutely gobsmacked. People do not want to talk about it. Here was Grant Robertson on TV being asked by the interviewer: “Where is your partner?”. Grant Robertson said as bold as Larry: “Oh he’s not here. He’s got something else to do.” But roll back the videotape and you can see that Alf was behind him wandering past over to another table. Why would you do that? Why would you lie in front of national TV? He must be embarrassed. I do not know. I do not know. The fact of the matter is that what we have seen is one of the candidates telling a bold-faced lie on national TV. He wants to represent this country. That says to this country that it is OK to lie on national TV and not even apologise for it.A day later 2 days later questions have been asked in the Twitter world about why he said that. I never thought that Grant was a liar until I saw that video clip. It sends a message. It sends a—Hon Annette King: You’re wrong.Hon TAU HENARE: Am I wrong? Oh I am wrong. Oh I am wrong. It must have been computer-generated imagery. It must have been computer-generated imagery the way they put Alf in the picture. Poor old Grant did not even know that his partner was behind him even though 5 seconds before that he was having a beer with him. And even when he was asked about it they both smiled at each other. Oh no that smile was computer-generated imagery as well.I have got news for the Labour Party and I am afraid that it is all bad. Labour members have been running around saying what a great election campaign it has been. Two hundred people turned up—200 people—to a meeting to elect the leader of the Labour Party. For goodness’ sake! And I tell you what I saw it onTeKarereand I recognised some of these people. Some of those people have been in more parties than I have and that is saying something. For goodness’ sake!It has been great but I tell you what I want to finish by saying that the last speech made by the Rt Hon Winston Peters is a sad indictment on how things have really really got out of hand for that old chap. Thinking of and believing in conspiracies is just wrong.