Mallard Trevor: General Debate 
Mallard Trevor: General Debate 
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Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 I will make only two comments in relation to that speech made by Nick Smith. One is a quotation from Hekia Parata: “I don’t do runner up.” Three times out of three she has done runner-up and she needs to learn that. 
The other comment which leads into the substance of my speech is to ask what the swing will be in Botany. What will the swing be in Botany? We hear that the Botany committee of the National Party is already meeting to canvass possible candidates. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: If it’s 6.6 percent the Government will be all right. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Nick Smith says the swing in Botany at the by-election will be 6.6 percent away from National. That may be true; frankly if that was the case it would still be a very safe National seat so I will not get too anxious about that. 
I want to know from the Prime Minister why he is protecting Pansy Wong. Why is he hiding her? Has he approved as the leader of the National Party a trip out of the country for her as opposed to a ministerial trip? I want an assurance that if she is out of the country she is not out of the country on taxpayers’ funds again. Wherever she is it is time for Pansy Wong to front up. 
I was critical of the reaction of my colleague Chris Carter around this building but people could not say that he did not front up. He fronted up. He was hounded and he fronted up time and time again. All we are asking is that Pansy Wong fronts up two or three times and answers questions. 
Without wanting to reflect too heavily on the independence of the chair of the Parliamentary Service Commission I say that I do not accept that an independent inquiry has been set up. The Prime Minister undertook that there would be an independent inquiry into this matter and it is my opinion that no independent inquiry can be headed by someone who is of the same political party as the alleged offender. It is my view that it is time for a Queen’s Counsel— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I caution the member not to bring the Speaker into this debate because he risks getting his information incorrect. It is just not done to bring the Speaker into the debate. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The chair of the Parliamentary Service Commission the Speaker has not yet made public who is doing the inquiry. If an independent Queen’s Counsel or similar is looking at this matter if a proper forensic accountant independent from a major company is looking at this matter and doing a public report then I welcome that. If I have my facts wrong if I have missed the announcement that this is occurring then I apologise. But it is important that this matter is seen to be independent. The Prime Minister promised an independent inquiry. I am looking forward to seeing that inquiry and seeing the results. 
But in the interim Pansy Wong should not be protected by the Prime Minister. A true leader would make the MP front up. I well remember one occasion when I was involved in a scuffle in the lobby. I got the very clear advice from the Prime Minister to front up by lunchtime. I think it is fair to say that at lunchtime the following day a press conference was put together fairly rapidly in Taupo. I fronted up and answered the questions. It went on for about an hour outside the baths at Taupo. It gave the public of New Zealand through the media an opportunity to question an opportunity to ask and an opportunity to get the facts of the matter out. 
What is the tendency of the current Prime Minister? He says to go and hide—as he does. He tells Pansy to go and hide to not front up to not tell the truth and to not make it clear to the public of New Zealand that she has been rorting and that he knows about it.