Gosche Mark: Valedictory Statements 
Gosche Mark: Valedictory Statements 
[Volume:650;Page:19187] 
Hon VUI MARK GOSCHE (Labour—Maungakiekie) 
: 
 I acknowledge the passing of my good rugby league mate the Hon Brian Donnelly; may he go in peace. 
Madam Speaker I acknowledge you and the other presiding officers. The Hon Margaret Wilson has made history as our first woman Speaker and I thank her for her friendship over many years. The Hon Clem Simich showed me the value of being fair to Opposition MPs as a select committee chair. I have tried to follow his example in that role. I thank the people who work to make this Parliament the place it is: the Office of the Clerk select committee and parliamentary staff the library the messengers security staff drivers and of course those who feed us and keep this place clean and well maintained. 
There are a number of us departing today and I acknowledge all of them and the Labour family who have gathered to support us. Kia ora talofa lava and greetings. There are 117 years of collective experience amongst us—something most workplaces would recognise as being a significant loss of knowledge yet the public commentary will probably be minimal. I am going to miss this place the many friends who will be returning later this year and those like me who are leaving. They are special people who have given their best to this place and our country. 
Nineteen ninety-six was our first MMP Parliament and I was a list MP encouraged here particularly by my good friend David Lange and many others. We waited a long time for a Government to be formed and even longer to make maiden speeches. I look back on that speech and feel enormous satisfaction at what has been achieved in the past 12 years and in the role I have played in delivering on the expectations of the people who put us here. 
The people of Maungakiekie elected me from 1999 onwards as their electorate MP and I thank them for their loyalty and support. I achieved that with the help of a loyal and hard-working group of Labour Party members and supporters. There are many of them but I would like to especially acknowledge Robert Gallagher Murray Cotter Christine O’Brien Adrian Martin-Devitt Leila Boyle Richard Northey Andrew Beyer and Jo Fitzpatrick and of course Carol Beaumont who will fill my seat later this year. The union affiliates and the energetic Pacific sector have always been there for me—fa’afetai tele lava; thank you very much. Helping me have been two extraordinary friends. My electorate agents John Fenton and Lydia Sosene epitomise what true public service really means and they do their work with love in their hearts. I thank them both. 
In Wellington there are many people whom I would like to mention but they are too numerous to name: those who worked in my office when I was a Minister to make the work we produced so much better with their efforts and who stood by me through very trying times. I thank them. I worked with intelligent committed and talented people in the ministries and departments I was responsible for. I praise them for their efforts. We are lucky in this country that good people are prepared to sacrifice personal wealth and opportunity to work in our public services for the good of our communities. There are a couple of people I do want to thank personally. For 10 years Jen Toogood worked with me here in Parliament. She kept me sane and organised. She taught me how this place worked and offered enormous friendship to me and my family. Thank you Jen. Since she escaped Janet Emmerson has filled that role and I thank her too. 
For 9 of my 12 years I have been part of a very good Government led by two exceptional people. Helen Clark and Michael Cullen are great Labour leaders who ensured we delivered what we promised and more. They will continue to deliver. It was an honour for a South Auckland working-class boy like me to serve in their Cabinet for almost 4 years. I wish it could have been longer but that was not to be. I look back now with great pride at the things we achieved together: income-related rents for State house tenants the scrapping of the Employment Contracts Act the reorganisation of primary health care so people could go to the doctor again the minimum wage increases and 4 weeks’ annual leave KiwiSaver Kiwibank KiwiRail and so on. I believe strongly in those things and that is why I came to Parliament—to change our laws and spending priorities. 
I never thought I would be a “roads and bridges” sort of politician. When I became Minister of Transport I was in severe danger of not being one. I sat down with transport officials early on and I was told we would not even start on a new piece of motorway in Auckland in our first term let alone finish one. Such was the shambles we inherited. Well there are many roads bridges and motorways now built and a busway I feel particularly proud of. I never got my name on the opening plaque of many of them but I can now drive on them with a sense of pride I thought I would never feel. To my Green comrades I say we dramatically boosted public transport spending too—something enormously important to the community I represent and to the environment. 
Last year I went to Samoa with my family to receive the matai title of Vui from my grandmother’s village of Lano on Savaii. I treasure that trip and the title I was given. It sits alongside the honour I have of being the first person of Pasifika descent to be the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs. Samoan culture requires a title to be earned but I still felt enormous trepidation about accepting these roles because I am New Zealand-born and without the language of my father. But the Pacific community is generous and has given me great love and support. This empowered me to confidently work on policies I believe have made a difference. Pacific people are now able to send their children to early childhood centres that teach in their first languages more of them are achieving educationally we have built capacity in health delivery education and social services and Pacific people are taking the world by storm—not just in sport but in music art film television and writing. I know that because I hear it on our very own radio stations and occasionally see it on our very monocultural TV screens. 
I thought of one thing that best illustrated the satisfaction an MP can get from doing this job. There are many things I have been involved in but this stood out. On the wall behind my desk I have had a photo for several years. It is a picture of the Prime Minister and me with a Tongan family in Te Papapa Auckland. It was at the opening of the first Healthy Housing project that Housing New Zealand Corporation undertook which happened because we had a terrible problem with illnesses like meningococcal disease caused in part by overcrowding in houses due to the market rents regime of the 1990s. Together the university district health boards and Housing New Zealand mapped the worst outbreaks located at-risk families and built them larger more appropriate homes to live in on existing State-owned land. The market had delivered disease and poverty; good joined-up Government delivered people from that. I feel proud of that; it is a type of work that defines us as a true Labour Government. 
I have had some fun and learned many lessons along the way. In an early unguarded moment as Minister of Housing I sat for over an hour with a reporter discussing my aspirations and plans for the portfolio. I thought it went well. The next day I picked up the newspaper to read the headline “Minister to give BBQs to State tenants”—or something ridiculous like that. I took flak for at least a week. It was not my suggestion or plan but that did not matter to the journalist; he had scored a good hit on the new Minister. I will not reveal where the suggestion came from but I am glad I did not mention the other one from the same person who had suggested turning State houses around to face the sun—not a bad idea I think. 
During my term as Minister of Transport I faced some tough times. From memory Ansett in Australia collapsed Air New Zealand and Qantas were in severe trouble here and our railways were broke and broken. In the House in the midst of all this chaos I was asked the inevitable question by a member from over there: “Can the Minister list his achievements since taking over the portfolio?” Ah the joys of question time! We did of course rescue Air New Zealand and rail. I pay tribute to Michael Cullen. It was inspiring to work beside him on those significant issues. 
My scariest moment was not here but in a school gymnasium in Auckland. It was the year the APRA Silver Scroll Awards picked the best 30 New Zealand songs of all time. I was asked to play drums by an old mate Al Hunter with a band of very very good professional musicians. The song was Dave Dobbyn’s “Loyal” 
 
 and I drove my family absolutely mad learning it properly. They hate the song now. I was nervous as! A huge audience with the cream of New Zealand musical talent including Dobbyn Herbs Bic Runga etc. were all sitting there. Finally we were on the stage and all was going well until Al forgot the words and stopped singing. The drum part starts and stops and I had learnt when to come back in from the lyrics. Ah! Just in time Al remembered the words and I came back in on cue. What a relief! We got through. Of course some kind journalist bagged me for even being there but I give big thanks to Al for asking me—I loved it. 
We speak a lot in this job and I enjoy it except when I have to read speeches. I have never had any serious slips of the tongue—not like John Carter anyway. It was very cunning. But I recently avoided the debate on the Employment Relations (Breaks and Infant Feeding) Amendment Bill in the House. I kept getting the title wrong and did so in front of an audience of more than 300 when boasting of the imminent passing of the “Rest Breaks and Infant Breeding Bill”. It might be a good idea Paul. 
As I prepared this my last speech in the House I thought back to my first. That day I spoke of my hopes and ideals and my family were sitting in the gallery. Many of them are here again today. I greet my daughter Jessica son Jacob and grandson Izaiah and I acknowledge Liz who is away shopping—overseas. My children have known a father involved only in unions and politics but they love me anyway as I do them. I greet my mothers brothers and sisters and others who have travelled to offer support—loving support that only families can give. 
There are two family members missing though: my wife Carol and our son Kristian. It is Carol’s birthday today. I say “Happy birthday honey.” She is sitting at home watching this with my beautiful sister Sala who is our rock. I hope they have figured how to watch it on the television. Carol and I have been together since September 1974. We met as teenagers. I am here in this place because of her loving support. When she was struck down with a severe brain haemorrhage in 2002 our lives changed forever. Carol requires 24/7 total care and always will. She survived the normally fatal bleed through a combination of will power and prayer coupled with the marvellous skills of the people who work in Wellington public hospital. She has been at home for 3½ years cared for by devoted and loving caregivers and our family. I pay tribute to Loto Sabrina Milika Losa Fotui Ketuli and others who have worked in our home. They are all patient and wonderfully caring women. I also acknowledge the dedicated people who have worked with Carol these past years to help her survive and make some improvement. Carol has continued to encourage me in this job. Even now she would be prepared to see me carry on but it is time to move on. 
Without Carol’s mother Shirley Gladding I could not have contemplated continuing in Parliament as long as this. Shirley has enabled me to be here. She has given me and Carol so much and we love her dearly. 
People react to disability in different ways. We have seen some friends and even family members drift away from us. That is not a criticism of anyone; it is just a reality for many disabled people and their families. I was told this would occur. We have been blessed though with truly good friends. I have already mentioned our Labour family but I also acknowledge very special people like Cathie Sharpe Paul Chalmers Fiona Johnston and Beverley Roser who give us so much support. Of course I thank again all my caucus colleagues who carried extra burdens so I could care for Carol especially Ruth Dyson and Steve Maharey who guided me through the best and worst of times. 
I leave this place with some parting requests. My family has experienced many challenges. We have lived with Carol’s disability for 6½ long years. Many families share this experience and more will do so in the future as medical science keeps people alive who once would have died. Twenty-two New Zealanders a day have a stroke and just over half of the survivors have ongoing problems with disability. They experience a different regime from that of those who are disabled by an accident. I would forego a thousand tax cuts if I was able to access the treatment and services that Carol needs and would receive if she were covered by accident compensation. I know there are other families who feel the same. As a nation we can afford to treat people equally and I implore members to commit to this as a Parliament in the future. 
In the last few years in my community I have worked strenuously on our youth and violence problems. We have made great progress especially in my home town of Otahuhu. I love doing this work and I want to continue it when I finish here. What is clear to me is that behind the problems in communities throughout New Zealand is the damage done by the deregulated labour market. The insane idea that we must all be available to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week has ruined family life for too many. Our communities suffer we struggle to find people to run our schools and clubs and many parents just are not there when their kids really need them. This is what lies behind the youth gang problems of the poor streets and the drug problems of the rich leafy suburbs—not the lack of longer and longer prison sentences as advocated by some. Employers must pay more than lip service to the need for proper work-life balance or our Government must legislate for it. 
As I said earlier the other person who is not in the gallery today is my beloved son Kristian. I ask on behalf of the hundreds of families each year like ours who suffer the loss of a son or brother as we did that efforts continue to reduce our suicide rate and to find answers so we can avoid the grief we still feel. 
Madam Speaker I have felt motivated for years by the idea of working to make things better for future generations. I have been privileged to have had 12 years here working on that goal. Six years ago I actually became a grandfather so the idea became more real and more pressing. Three weeks ago I missed grandparents’ day at Izaiah’s school because I was stuck here under urgency. I will not do that again nor be away on Carol’s next birthday. I look forward to carrying on my work locally being home at night supporting the Warriors more often and having a more normal family life. 
Finally some years ago I read a quote from a former politician. I am hopeless at remembering these things so please forgive me if I paraphrase. It goes something like: “There are people who go into politics to be something and there are people who go into politics to do something.” I hope that I will be remembered as one of the latter. Thank you and farewell. Ia soifua ma Ia manuia.