Dunne Peter: Motions — New Zealand Cricket—Tour of Zimbabwe 
Dunne Peter: Motions — New Zealand Cricket—Tour of Zimbabwe 
[Volume:627;Page:21951] 
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 The ultimate right of any New Zealander as a free citizen is the right to be able to travel abroad without molestation or restraint by the New Zealand Government. It is a different matter as far as New Zealand’s protection of its international borders from people it might regard as undesirable for whatever reason is concerned. Therefore we in United Future say that the New Zealand Government should not be party to legislative action to prevent the tour to Zimbabwe from occurring. 
Zimbabwe under Mugabe is a country in a parlous state of affairs. Democracy has been stifled. Human dignity is being trampled on daily. A man who was regarded briefly in the early 1980s as the saviour of his nation now stands as its ultimate destroyer. We have no truck or tolerance with that type of behaviour. But it is a different matter to say that the best way of showing our abhorrence of his trampling on human rights is to trample on the rights of our citizens to exercise their freedom of association with others. As I said earlier New Zealand can and should restrict entry to its country by teams representing Zimbabwe and standing up for the Mugabe regime. 
An earlier speaker tried to draw a parallel between Norman Kirk and the frigates sent to Mururoa in 1973. I would observe that on that occasion when the frigates were sent I think the words he used at the Devonport wharf were that it was to be a silent accusing finger. The frigates were not sent to impede the carrying out of those tests—reprehensible as all New Zealanders thought they might be. So the suggestion that the passage of legislation and the banning of the New Zealand cricket team from going to Zimbabwe is somehow a parallel activity I think grossly exaggerates the case. 
In the circumstances it is entirely appropriate for this Parliament on behalf of the citizens of New Zealand to express its view on whether this tour should take place. It is clear as one moves around New Zealand that the vast majority of people in this country are not in favour of this tour occurring and do wish to see the Black Caps and New Zealand Cricket rethink the position they have taken. In those terms it is therefore entirely appropriate for this Parliament to express its view in the way it is intended in the motion that the Prime Minister has moved. United Future will support that motion but we do not favour any restrictive action that in effect says to the people of Zimbabwe: “We are right with you and we’re going to show how far we are with you by indulging in precisely the same tactics that we are protesting against occurring in your country.” That is hypocrisy. That is unacceptable. 
I earnestly hope that when the New Zealand team gets to Namibia and has the chance to reflect upon the situation it is about to embark upon cooler and wiser heads will prevail and the team does decide to come home. If the cricketers do continue with their tour then obviously it has to be the hope of all of us that they do so in peace and safety. I cannot wish them well for the tour but I hope that when they return home it is safely and without damage to their physical presence although their reputation as a team and as a sport will have suffered considerably.