Henare Tau: Appropriation (Parliamentary Expenditure Validation) Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee Third Reading 
Henare Tau: Appropriation (Parliamentary Expenditure Validation) Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:634;Page:5876] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 I see the goons on the other side are laughing. Let me say something about the goons on the other side and also about the goon who is presently sitting in the Minister’s seat. The member from Gisborne said: “Why don’t you go and live in Zimbabwe?” Well I tell members that I have stayed a little time in Zimbabwe and there are similarities between the two countries in terms of the leaders. It is scary to think that in Zimbabwe where they live a funny little life and make rules and break them the President—the little fellow with a moustache—validates everything that he has done wrong. This piece of paper in my hand shows what it looks like when one compares Clark and Mugabe as the caption “Mutual Validation Society” shows. 
When Helen Clark does things wrong she does two things: she blames other people and says a law will be made that says that we did not do anything wrong. I know that because clause 5 states: “To the extent that any expenditure under Vote Parliamentary Service was outside the scope of an appropriation or was not made in relation to an appropriation—(a) the expenditure is validated;”. What does “validated” mean? It means that before being validated it was illegal and unlawful. Those members stole; they are corrupt. This is all about making right what they did wrong. But in whose eyes? It is in the eyes of the members of the Labour Party caucus because people out on the streets when they have been reading about this in the newspapers and watching television are saying around the fire: “Mum I think they’re a pack of crooks.” or “Dad I think those guys have taken us for a ride.” That is what this bill is all about. 
Then Darren Hughes stood up and prattled on about Labour wanting to pay it back and so on. Well this amendment in the name of Chris Finlayson is the mechanism to pay it back. It will make sure that everybody in the House pays it back—even the people to my left from New Zealand First who have said they will pay “whatever” back. They have not even figured out that they owe $160000-odd. That is what they owe and that is what they should pay. They should not make a point of standing in this Chamber and saying they will pay when they know full well that the passing of this legislation means they will not pay. 
None of the people who have said they will pay are going to pay. Helen Clark says she has picked out a target. Well where is the target? Where is the bull’s-eye? Members opposite are all quiet now because the truth hurts. It hurts that this is a rort on New Zealand’s political system like never before. This is a corrupt Government which needs a spanking and it will get that spanking at the next election. 
I say that come the next election this item will be the major item. It will be about honesty it will be about credibility and it will be about reliability. The fact of the matter is that if Labour members took the time to read my colleague’s amendment and I hope they have they would see that if we had something like this in law we would make real and significant progress. It would make people think before they go and spend what is not theirs and then try to get away with it by bringing in legislation— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: What’s it called? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I do not know what it is called. In my language I call it theft. 
I seek leave to table a report with the headline: “Goff out of line on election spending”. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being taken? There is. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I seek leave to table a report headed: “Clark’s pledge card argument falls apart”. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being taken? There is. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: There was comment from both sides. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Ah different rules eh? I seek leave to table a document headed: “Herald has own ‘spin’ says Cullen”. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being taken? There is. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I seek leave to table a Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa report headed: “National Party to oppose spending validation bill”. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being taken? There is. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I seek leave to table a Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa report headed: “Parliament goes into urgency to consider validation bill”. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being taken? There is. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I seek leave to table a Radio New Zealand report headed: “Auditor-General’s report on parliamentary election expenditure”. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being taken? There is. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I seek leave to table a report headed: “New Zealand First will pay when convinced” that they have something to pay. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being taken? There is. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I seek leave to table a document headed: “Why Labour must repay taxpayers”. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being taken? There is. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I seek leave to table a  
New Zealand Herald 
 report headed “The election spending row” in question and answer form beginning with “What do Parliament’s rules say?”. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being taken? There is.