Gallagher Martin: General Debate 
Gallagher Martin: General Debate 
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MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 As the member for Hamilton West I want to place on record the great sense of privilege I have to work with someone of the calibre of “JT”—John Tamihere. He is in my view a great example of a decent bloke who has cared for this country and I believe he has much to contribute to our nation in the future. Unlike the people in the Opposition he is not a hater and he is not a wrecker. 
I listened very closely to the previous speaker Dail Jones who as we all know had a previous incarnation in this Parliament in a different era in our country’s history. I looked at his body language during the contribution made earlier this afternoon by Dr Brash. I also looked at Winston Peter’s body language and that of other New Zealand First MPs. I know that Dail and I obviously do not agree on a heck of a lot but Dail could not have enjoyed the experience of seeing the leader of a once broad-based and proud party—a party he was once a member of—go through the motions that we witnessed this afternoon. Dail Jones’s body language was not the only body language that spoke volumes. He is a member of a different party from National obviously but one could sense that sense of pity and concern. 
Stephen Franks 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is hard for me to take exception on my own behalf so I take exception on behalf of Mr Dail Jones to the greasy familiarity that the member on his feet is using in relation to Mr Jones. The member keeps talking about looking across the Chamber and observing Mr Jones’s demeanour. Well I can see Mr Jones looking absolutely mortified at being brought into the member’s speech. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: That matter should not have been raised. 
Stephen Franks 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I understand that it is a convention in this House that the Speaker intervenes when other members are referred to by their first names or in a familiar fashion that is not invited. I believe that Mr Jones did not invite that reference. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: I agree that the full name should have been used. There was at least one instance when Mr Gallagher used Mr Jones’s Christian name only and he should not have done so. Please continue. 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: As I said obviously I do not agree with a number of Mr Jones’s views— 
Simon Power 
: What is the point of all this? 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: The point is that he was once a member of a great proud party formerly led by Keith Holyoake Jack Marshall and Sid Holland and we can see what it has become now. That is the point. In terms of democracy in this country it is sad to see one of our broad-based former mainstream parties go down the tubes because of incompetent diffident leadership. I was an admirer of Keith Holyoake as a young chap growing up in Hamilton and to see that gives even me grief. 
The Opposition should make Winston Peters an offer he cannot refuse and put him out of his misery. But more important the Opposition should put Dr Brash out of his misery. If ever there was an embarrassment and if ever we were cringing then today was that day. I was looking at the body language of the Opposition members and I just knew that they were cringing. Even Ron Mark who is no friend of the National Party at the best of times wanted to get out the smelling salts. Even he wanted to offer humanitarian assistance because even he had a sense of embarrassment. Why have I been accused of being familiar as far as Dail Jones is concerned? Because I respect history. I actually respect someone who has significant parliamentary experience and who actually sat in this House during a different era and I know what Dail Jones must be thinking in his heart of hearts. Actually it confirms to me why he moved on to New Zealand First and in that sense I respect him. 
I will quote from my own local newspaper the  
Waikato Times 
 which is a middle-of-the-road paper. It is certainly no friend of the Government but it is no friend of the Opposition either—it plays it very much down the middle. It had a very interesting editorial on 28 September about Don Brash’s decision to shelve a planned series of king hit speeches. The editor of the  
Waikato Times 
 one of our major daily papers in New Zealand with a major circulation stated: “Is it clever politicking or simply a lack of guts? Whatever way Don Brash’s decision to shelve a planned series of ‘king-hit’ speeches this year is viewed it is clear he has taken a huge gamble. By canning the speeches—that were to focus on major policies such as welfare the foreshore and seabed and employment relations—the National Party leader now risks having his abilities judged solely on his performance in the House—the very area in which he is weakest.”