Harawira Hone: Privilege — Consideration of Report of Privileges Committee Hon Matt Robson—Contempt of House 
Harawira Hone: Privilege — Consideration of Report of Privileges Committee Hon Matt Robson—Contempt of House 
[Volume:637;Page:7337] 
HONE HARAWIRA (Maori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) 
: 
Tena koe Madam Speaker. Tenatatou te Whare. It seems we are here to consider a question of privilege on a matter of contempt committed by the Hon Matt Robson against the Hon Peter Dunne. He alleged that the liquor industry’s support for Peter Dunne as with that of the tobacco industry has always meant that Mr Dunne has faithfully delivered for that industry’s interests. 
Today the Privileges Committee has recommended that Matt Robson apologise to the House and to Mr Dunne for his remarks. But the real offence here is the issue of alcohol and tobacco sponsorship its impact on the health of our nation the influence it has on our politics and the question of whether we are serious about dealing with the damning and destructive effects of alcohol and tobacco abuse. If we are then we must accept that effective control will mean breaking the power of the tobacco industry going cold turkey on its filthy tax dollars and having the courage to stand up to those whose products kill by design. 
Let me take this my first opportunity to stand in the House this year to put on record my congratulations to my whanaunga Tau Henare his beautiful wife and the equally fabulous Paula Bennett on taking up the challenge to stop smoking and on successfully kicking the habit. I would hope that the rest of the smokers in the House will take up the challenge also to provide leadership in the fight against tobacco addiction because ours is not only the role of passing legislation but also the role of leadership by action. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I am sorry to interrupt the member. I rise with some hesitation to interrupt but this debate is on the Privileges Committee report; it is not a general debate on tobacco. So I ask the member to draw in his speech to the matter before the House please. 
HONE HARAWIRA 
: I am doing so in fact Madam Speaker because this is not the first issue by which this matter has been raised and Matt Robson’s was not the first comment made about this kind of activity. I understand that a comment was made earlier. I refer here to an article on the Action on Smoking and Health website that included a statement in 2001 from the Prime Minister no less that Mr Dunne had consistently picked up issues in support of the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. So I am making the point here that it is not the first time the issue has been raised and neither is it a criticism just of Mr Dunne. Last year in fact National’s associate spokesperson on health Jonathan Coleman got his nose punched for being a bit of a dick with a cigar while dancing the light fantastic with British American Tobacco at the U2 concert. 
I note also criticism of the Government itself because in December 2005 we learnt that all five Crown financial institutions in Aotearoa had invested in tobacco companies. That is kind of sad because we have a Government that is wringing its hands about tobacco illnesses insisting on signs in shops saying that smoking kills and putting horrific pictures on cigarette packets and hello it is propping up the industry that is killing us all. I say this because it is important that we realise that this is right across the House. Matt Robson’s comments have simply highlighted a problem that is affecting parties right across the House. 
A note to the Minister who is responsible for tobacco Mr Damien O’Connor—does he know that this is the only product that when used exactly according to the instructions will kill someone? A note to the Prime Minister—does she know she was investing taxpayer dollars in companies that kill nearly 5000 Kiwis every year? A note to the Minister of Maori Affairs—does he know that smoking is killing more Maori than anyone else and that his Government is paying for it? These issues are important because sooner or later everybody in this House needs to come to terms with the issue of Governments taking tax duty from tobacco. It is something that was raised by the Associate Minister of Health himself Mr Damien O’Connor. He said last year that he was aware of the contentious issue and that it was one of the dilemmas we continue to work through today. 
Today is a great day to start to resolve that dilemma. Last year the director of the Smokefree Coalition Mark Peck said: “Government must show leadership on ethical investing and refuse to profiteer from addiction disease and death.” This year Dalton Kelly of the Cancer Society was calling for tobacco to be taken off the counters—out of sight out of mind. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I am sorry to interrupt the member again but comments have to be relevant to the motion. The member is broadening into a general debate in this area. Could he please confine his comments to the Privileges Committee report. 
HONE HARAWIRA 
: The matter of the influence or otherwise of the tobacco and alcohol industries on politicians in Aotearoa is what brought this matter of contempt to the House. The Privileges Committee is determined that Matt Robson and the general public show respect for the sanctity of Parliament. I respectfully wish to add that that respect would be greatly enhanced if the matter at the very heart of this debate the influence of tobacco money on Government decision-making was dealt with once and for all. The Maori Party supports the call for respect for the institution of Parliament and the integrity of its members. But we also applaud Matt Robson for his passion in trying to highlight the undue influence of industries that have destroyed so many of our communities and killed so many of our people. As for privilege I will consider it a privilege to be able one day to stand with all others in this House when we finally ban these companies of death from the shores of Aotearoa. Kia ora.