Mark Ron: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMark Ron: General Debate[Sitting date: 18 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2365. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]RON MARK (NZ First): Well the one thing I can say for that young man Todd Barclay is that he has got plenty of time on his side. He is a young man in the House he has got a lot to learn along the way and there will be a day when he will realise that he has not exactly been told everything by his associates that is actually truthful—is it?There have been some speeches here this afternoon and I want to refer to a couple of them. “The country gave this Government a mandate to carry on with its reforms.” Really? Really—seriously? Well I think the country gave New Zealand First a mandate by almost doubling the number of MPs that it has in this House to curb this Government’s excesses to keep a choker collar around its neck and to keep it honest. That is the fact of the matter. There is almost double the number of New Zealand First MPs in the House to keep this Government honest.On 28 March rural provincial Northland is going to send a message on behalf of rural provincial New Zealand telling this Government that it is out of line that it is out of order. That message is coming and we are looking forward to the delivery of that message.One of the messages that Northland wants to pass back to this Government is that the people there reject this Government’s amalgamation agendas. Oh listen up—so too does the Hawke’s Bay and so too does the Wairarapa. If people are not listening now they damned well will be after 28 March let us be sure about that. Let us have a look at what the people are saying out there in rural provincial New Zealand. On the proposal to amalgamate Northland right there were 1800 submissions of which over two-thirds were opposed. In Hawke’s Bay 732 submissions—heartland rural provincial New Zealand; listen up listen up team—said that 80 percent of them were opposed. Coming to the greater Wairarapa or the greater Wellington region—a Freudian slip; it should be the Wairarapa region should it not—there were 9400 submissions. Those 9400 submissions were overwhelmingly opposed to your Local Government Commission lackeys’ proposal.And what are they all so angry about? Listen up National—what are they all so angry about? They are angry with you the National Government. Do you know why? They are angry because you changed the Local Government Act and you removed the automatic right to a referendum. The National Government that is pushing these reforms—Tim Macindoe: They re-elected the Government twice after that.RON MARK: It has got a mandate for these reforms but card-carrying members of the National Party are overwhelmingly angry with you because you have taken away the automatic right to a referendum. Do not talk to me about fighting for democracy. This Government is anti-democracy. What else are those people angry about? They are angry that when the Government forces a referendum by petition—Hon Maggie Barry: They’re happy you’re gone.RON MARK: —listen up Maggie listen up—when you force a—Mr SPEAKER: Order!RON MARK: —they force a referendum by petition the referendum is right across the whole Wellington region—Hon Anne Tolley: Point of order.RON MARK: Maggie Barry. I am sorry about that—Maggie Barry.Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order!Hon Anne Tolley: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. He did correct it but the member well knows as it is pointed out in the House you must address a member by their full name.Mr SPEAKER: I agree. It is a robust debate and I would be grateful while the member also gathers his breath if he would stop drawing me into this particular debate.RON MARK: Thank you Mr Speaker. It is the Hon Maggie Barry and I want her to listen up because those people are overwhelmingly angry that when the referendum is conducted it will be 400000 people telling 40000 in the Wairarapa what is best for them. Talk to me now about sending troops to fight for democracy. That is anti-democracy and that is a hallmark of one of this Government’s reforms.And who is out there right now doing submissions submitting towards the Local Government Commission? Well the Local Government Commission is hearing submissions in the Wairarapa and guess what sort of behaviour we are witnessing? We are witnessing staff members from the Local Government Commission going over and chatting colluding and giving advice to proponents of the super-city and dismissing and being arrogant towards card-carrying members of the National Party who oppose it.Bring it on we say in New Zealand First. Bring on 28 March because there is a shock coming. There is a shock coming and the result will be a very very emphatic message to National from rural provincial New Zealand. It is tired of being taken for granted. You have had 70 years to build 10 bridges—70 years—and you are promising you are going to do them all next year. Well hallelujah! Nobody is listening. Nobody believes you. Power to the force for the north. Roll on 28 March. Thank you very much.