Brown Peter: Identity (Citizenship and Travel Documents) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Brown Peter: Identity (Citizenship and Travel Documents) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:625;Page:20113] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I have to put the facts right because there might still be one person listening to the radio after that member’s contribution. 
Hon Damien O'Connor 
: Not now they won’t be. 
PETER BROWN 
: I think that listeners may have done their dash but just in case they are about to switch the radio off I have to tell people that there are Maori people by the thousand in Australia and they are loving it over there. They are feeling very very welcome. I can tell people first-hand that my colleagues—particularly my Maori colleagues in New Zealand First—have a direct relationship with many of them and they tell us that they will not be coming back because they love Australia so much. So I say to Mr Robson that to give the reverse impression is to do a huge disservice both to the country he was born in which I find a bit unusual and to the Maori folk who are over there. I can say to that member quite categorically that there are a lot of Maori people living in Australia and they are loving it more every day. 
Pansy Wong said in an earlier contribution that this law will make us the toughest of five countries that she listed. 
Pansy Wong 
: I’m always right. 
PETER BROWN 
: She is always right and I acknowledge that to the member. But I want to say that she spoke as if it is something we should be ashamed of. New Zealand First is quite proud that we are tough on the people whom we let into this country. We are quite pleased that the honourable member—who will not shut up behind me—sees us as the toughest of the five countries. New Zealand First has always said that immigration should be controlled. 
I do not know the exact answer to Mr Robson’s question about how long I was here before I got citizenship but it was a darn sight longer than 5 years. It was not a pressing problem for me. I came here. I was welcomed here. I lived here. I worked here. I contributed—I hope—to society. I certainly put my back into my employment. I paid my taxes. And I made many many friends—natural-born New Zealanders and people who had come from other countries. It did not matter at all to me whether it took 5 years 10 years or whatever. I echo the sentiments I think of the ACT member—he puts his hand up when he does not even know what I am going to say—who said that it should be a privilege to come and live here on a permanent basis. This is an absolutely fantastic country and members talk as if we should open the doors for anybody to come here. New Zealand First is quite proud to say that anyone who wants to come and live here has to conform has to come up to scratch and has to assimilate into this society. We will not walk away from that. 
I also want to talk about babies being born here. My colleague said he had heard that it could be as many as 600 women who come here on an annual basis to give birth to babies so that the youngsters will be New Zealand citizens. Then they can take those babies offshore as permanent New Zealand citizens. That is absolutely daft. We are very pleased to compliment the Minister on taking up our member’s bill and embracing it in this piece of legislation. We are particularly pleased that he showed enough initiative to see that New Zealand First had a point and that its proposals should be put into a Government bill. 
I say to Matt Robson who is shaking his head over there that I do not think he has the support of his leader for his stance. I ask the member whether he has the support of his leader for what he is saying. 
Hon Matt Robson 
: There are 10 members in my caucus who would vote for me and probably 25! 
PETER BROWN 
: I think we can say that he does not have the support of his leader. He stands up there making a noise like an empty barrel and he does not even have the support of his leader. I say to that honourable member—and that is the best thing I can call him tonight—“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” He should stop moaning about people who want to tighten up the situation here. He should stop complaining. 
We in New Zealand First are proud of this country and we are going to put some rules and regulations in place to keep the standard up. We compliment the Minister on this piece of legislation. We do not think it goes far enough but it is certainly a couple of steps in the right direction. After the next election whoever we are in coalition with or whoever our junior partner is when we are leading the next Government we will probably toughen the legislation up a bit more. I can see that Matt Robson has indigestion at the very thought of that.