Hide Rodney: General Debates 
Hide Rodney: General Debates 
[Volume:611;Page:8357] 
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
: 
 I well remember the Minister of Defence running away from the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee; he would not front. He turned up to the Finance and Expenditure Committee then ran away. He ran down to the Chinese Embassy to celebrate 50 years of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army rather than front up to Parliament. I have come to expect from that Minister that he will never front and will always run away. 
I have to say that although I disagree with Helen Clark on many many things I always thought she would front. I always thought the Prime Minister of New Zealand would front up to the 4 million people of New Zealand and give an account because that is what New Zealanders expect. They know that the Mark Burtons of this world cannot hack it but Helen Clark prides herself on being a plain-speaking blunt Prime Minister. What are we finding? She will not front up to Parliament at question time. Oh she is busy; she is a world leader; she is up there hobnobbing with the Europeans and too busy for the day-to-day cares of Parliament. 
We have discovered that this Prime Minister will not front up to a select committee. Why? This great Prime Minister who is a victim of her telling success who knows everything says: “Actually I know nothing about the one issue that drove the 2002 election campaign so I don’t have to turn up to the select committee because that is beneath me.” In fact she calls the select committee which is chaired by the Greens who support this Government a circus. She calls the fact that Opposition MPs are working together to try to get to the truth a conspiracy—compared with this conspiracy to lie and cover up. 
I can understand the Prime Minister not wanting to go along there because as she says she is the Prime Minister but what about this issue ladies and gentlemen? For the farmers of New Zealand coming to protest the fart tax— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member cannot use that term; I have ruled it out. He will use another term. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: The flatulence levy. Mr Speaker you have sensitive ears. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No I have a regard for the Standing Orders and the dignity of the English language. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: Will the Prime Minister front up to the farmers of New Zealand on the steps of Parliament? The answer is no. Will she front up to the Maori people of New Zealand whom this Government campaigned for? It said it represented the Maori people of New Zealand. The Maori people go to court they go through the court process in good faith to hear their claims and Helen Clark says: “We’re going to legislate over the Maori people’s rights. They cannot have the rights that every other citizen of New Zealand enjoys.” Does the Prime Minister front up to the Maori people? Is she turning up to the Gisborne hui to explain her policy? Is this issue beneath this great Prime Minister who is blunt and plain speaking and goes on the front foot? Is talking to Maori people beneath her? Who made that decision? It was the Prime Minister Helen Clark and the Attorney-General. Who is sent? The poor sick tired Minister of Maori Affairs—that is who. I say to this Prime Minister “Front up!”. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.