McNair Craig: Commission for the Family Bill — First Reading 
McNair Craig: Commission for the Family Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:617;Page:13116] 
CRAIG McNAIR (NZ First) 
: 
 In reply to the speeches I have heard tonight I will start with what Katherine Rich said. She raised the issue of me wasting Parliament’s time in bringing this bill to the House. I will always feel that people should stand up for what they believe in which is similar to what Dail Jones has just been saying. I believe that people should stand up for what they believe in and not be ashamed for it. I want to acknowledge Deborah Coddington for believing that one should stand up for what one believes. She admitted that her party would not be supporting this bill and that is fine. That is her right. But I want to thank her for believing in the right to be able to stand up and be counted. 
I want to say how disappointed I am in the Minister Steve Maharey Judy Turner from United Future Steve Chadwick and others who questioned my intentions for this bill. They said that I did not have very good intentions. But I ask if one disagrees with somebody does that mean that one has bad intentions? I disagree with Tim Barnett on most issues. Does that mean I think he has bad intentions? No. He may have very genuine intentions—and he does. I am sure he does. But we approach a lot of issues from different angles and different viewpoints and I respect him for that. I have heard the most disgusting outrageous speeches from United Future and from Labour but especially from United Future. Judy Turner comes from a church community which says one should stand up for issues like this. I have been put down for standing up for what I believe in and I say that is quite frankly disgraceful. It is a real shame. I also take issue with what Clayton Cosgrove said. He said that I was set up. No—I was not. I went to Dail Jones and asked him if I could take on this bill. I am very passionate about it. I tell Mr Cosgrove that quite frankly I do not want his sympathy. I do not need his sympathy. I am absolutely 100 percent proud of this bill and of what New Zealand First is standing for. 
I am very much looking forward to taking this issue back to the community I live in at Rodney and sharing with them the information as to who voted against who voted for and who said what. I will definitely even be telling them that at least the ACT party and Deborah Coddington respect somebody for standing up for what they believe in. I think that that has incredible virtue compared with how members on the Government side of the House want to talk about giving me sympathy or whatever as Mr Cosgrove did and use the excuse that I was hospital-passed this bill. That is ridiculous. I underline again and reiterate exactly what the general functions and powers of the commission in my bill are. Actually I will read them from United Future’s manifesto just to highlight again what I was saying because they are exactly the same as those in my bill. 
Peter Brown 
: It can’t be. 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: I know. It is just unbelievable. The manifesto of United Future states that that its aims are to promote the status of families and the role of parents; to ensure all policy development reflects the fundamental needs of families and their children; to provide a family mediation service to support promote and develop the provision of marriage and relationship counselling—[ 
Interruption 
] Shall I read from this or shall I read from my bill? I want to know whether United Future members are voting against this. They are and they seem proud of it. That United Future member was one who joined in the song with Steve Maharey saying that I should not stand up for what I believe in. She even put out a press release quite a few months ago when the bill came out to say that we were venal. Yes she remembers that and I will bring out the press release for her if she wants. She remembers. She knows what I am talking about. I am not just throwing something around and saying a load of rubbish like some of the speeches I have heard today. It is a sad sad thing to see United Future sticking up for legislation like the commission they have set up with Labour. 
I want to continue with the general functions and powers of the commission in my bill because I want to say how important these are compared to the PC drivel in the Labour - United Future Act. I seek leave of the House to table United Future’s 2002 manifesto. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.