Cosgrove Clayton:  
Cosgrove Clayton:  
[Volume:654;Page:69] 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour—Waimakariri) 
: 
 It is a tenet of this place that being in Parliament is a privilege. We hold power in our electorates or as a Government or as an Opposition at the whim of the people. I do recall that before the election Mr Hide was fond of saying that people know best how to spend their own money. Do members remember that? I remember him standing outside Mt Eden Prison I think it was and railing against the previous Government. He was saying that we did not listen to people that he would bring in a new era of politics to Parliament and that he was a man who would represent the people and listen to the people of Epsom. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Perk-buster! 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: The perk-buster. Last night I read out a very interesting comment he made at the local government conference in February. I think that Mr Hide was in another part of the Chamber; maybe he could not hear me. I am sure that with his awesome intellect he will remember it. He said: “It’s always a good idea before a spend-up to get the agreement of the people who are going to pay for it.” It is really interesting that Mr Hide has been in power for not 5 minutes—well a few months—and that ideology is all gone. This was the man who was going to be the great bastion representing the people. Do the members remember the controversy over the Electoral Finance Act? It was Mr Hide and Mr Boscawen who said that we must have freedom of speech and that we must allow the people to have their say. Oh well! Here we are— 
David Garrett 
: Now you’ve admitted it was a bad idea! 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
:—as the old walrus down here has a go—not 6 months into the parliamentary term and we are seeing Rodney Hide’s big head because this bill is about his ego. I say to Mr Hide in all sincerity that it would be very interesting for the people of Epsom and for members of Parliament if he rose to his full height and he told the people why they have been double-crossed. It would be interesting if he told them why he went out on the campaign trail and said that he would be the politician to unshackle them from the regime of the previous Government which he did not like and that he was going to listen to people because they know best how to spend their own money. 
I say to Mr Hide as he cowers down there looks at his paper and laughs away like Kermit the Frog with a big grin that the problem with the big grin is that it does not cover up what he said before the election. It does not cover up his lack of justification for what he is saying now which is that he does not trust the people. He does not trust even the people in his electorate of Epsom. I wonder whether they are listening tonight. I wonder whether they remember that he went around in his little boogie car or whatever it was with his little jacket looking like the chief entertainment officer from  
Hi-de-Hi!. 
 He paraded like a little cock sparrow up and down the streets of Epsom and Newmarket and said he would give the people of Epsom a voice. 
Well I ask Mr Hide where the voice of Epsom is tonight. It does not exist. There is a word for that Minister. In fact there are many words for that Minister none of which the Chairperson Mr Barker would allow me to use—and given that my mother would disown me if I used them I will not. But as Mr Hide sits in the Minister’s chair and fails to look people in the eye he knows what he said before the election. He knows and I challenge him to actually do his job as an electorate member—instead of grinning—and stand up to tell the people of Epsom why he sold them out. I ask him to tell those people why according to him they are not intelligent enough and do not have the intellect to have their say on this bill. 
I ask Mr Hide what he is afraid of. I suspect that what he is afraid of as he scuttles around like a little possum in the night is that the people of Epsom might say that they have been betrayed. I think he is scared of that. Do members remember that Mr Hide used to have referendums? He would go out and ask the people all sorts of questions. Well I wonder whether he has run one of his little polls and asked the people of Epsom whether they agree with his decision on the royal commission report. 
The royal commission rendered a verdict and Mr Hide led the charge to change it. The royal commission thought that the people of Epsom were good enough to consult and that they were intelligent enough to make a contribution. But once he got the report of course he decided dictatorially that he would change it. Then he said that because the royal commission had its go the people have been consulted and he will not refer the bill to a select committee. So I invite him to get up and tell the people why he betrayed them.