Dunne Peter: New Zealand Day Bill — First Reading 
Dunne Peter: New Zealand Day Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:624;Page:19668] 
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 Can I firstly thank members and parties that have indicated support for this bill and can I at the outset indicate that I entirely agree with Mr Power’s comments about “Where to from here?”. I am reminded of a speech made in this House recently by the Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt when he told the saga of the Adult Adoption Bill and the many years it took before that was passed. 
This is the second time I have tried to bring in this bill. It is interesting to note how positions on various sides of the House have moved in the 4 years that have intervened. I give notice that if I do not quite succeed this time then I will come back again and again and one day we will succeed. 
I want to pick up a couple of the comments that members have made during the course of the debate because they have been essentially constructive even from those who are opposed to the bill. I readily acknowledge that changing the name of Waitangi Day to New Zealand Day does not resolve all the problems we have confronted over the years with regard to Waitangi and how it should be commemorated. But I make the point that it is a symbolic start. It is a fresh start and it provides a new way of approaching the issue. It is not sweeping it under the carpet and it is not simply saying that a name change resolves all the problems. This bill gives us the opportunity to move forward and debate what it is we really want from our national day. 
I am equally open-minded in response particularly to Mr Brown’s comments about what day we have it. I have actually looked at all the alternative days on offer and I have come to the following conclusions. Anzac Day has been raised. I do not think that is appropriate; I think that is a sacrosanct day in many respects. Others have raised Queen’s Birthday. As a republican I might say it is highly desirable to replace Queen’s Birthday with the day we celebrate the establishment of the republic of New Zealand. But that is some way off yet. Others have said: “Well what about the old Dominion Day?”. I think the difficulty with that is that if we are talking about a national day that sets aside a new framework for the country then to celebrate the day we became a British Dominion is not really the appropriate occasion. So when one looks around at all the dates— 
Peter Brown 
: What about a new day? 
Hon PETER DUNNE 
: Well I am coming to that point. When we looks around at all the dates it seems to me we are faced with either of two alternatives. One is to revert to New Zealand Day as it had been for that brief period in the 1970s when we elevated Waitangi Day from being essentially the Northland Anniversary date to being a national day called New Zealand Day. The other is to try to pick a new day and it could be any of the other 360-something days in the calendar. That may well be an option. But I think it is important that we start the debate and that is why I have promoted this bill. 
I want to see it go to a select committee so that New Zealanders can have the opportunity to discuss this and I agree with Mr Power that the time is probably right. People for a variety of reasons—as even this debate has indicated—have had their own thinking shift forward and are looking for a way forward and they ought to have the chance to express that. If the select committee comes to the conclusion that amending 6th February is not the way to go but would like to propose another day I am certainly happy to engage in discussion about that. 
The bottom line is that I think New Zealand is at a point in its development and history where it is mature enough to take on the notion of a national day that embraces all of the cultures and all of the backgrounds that make up this country. We have a unique opportunity here to forge the modern New Zealander as a very special and unique being where we have terrific pride in our country recognition of the various strands of our heritage that make up this country and the confidence to go forward. It seems to me that a small part of that is what this bill is trying to achieve. 
I welcome the support that I have from other parties. I do hope that the select committee—and I indicate that I will move shortly that it be the Justice and Electoral Committee—does give this matter careful consideration and that we can start to see some considered progress made over the years ahead because it would be one further step in the maturing of this nation. 
Bill read a first time. 
Bill referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee.referred to Justice and Electoral Committee