Brown Peter: New Zealand Day Bill — Second Reading 
Brown Peter: New Zealand Day Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:639;Page:9859] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I do apologise but when the House last debated this bill so many weeks ago I had just started my call. I think I had spoken for a few seconds and I have 9-plus minutes left. I seek the leave of the House to continue my contribution—if not at this particular time then at some later time. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ann Hartley) 
: Leave is sought for that. Is there any objection? There is not. 
PETER BROWN 
: Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker and I thank my colleagues. I have to say that New Zealand First will not be supporting this New Zealand Day Bill. We question the need for a New Zealand Day. We have Waitangi Day and Anzac Day and if we want a New Zealand Day then maybe we should consider a separate new statutory holiday. 
But I ask with some sincerity why would we call anything after New Zealand at all? We have had the debacle of this contractor walking into a person’s house saying: “I am just doing my job.” and switching off the power. That makes me feel ashamed of New Zealand. 
If anybody saw  
Close Up 
 tonight and thought it showed an event that New Zealanders should be proud of then I say we should hang our heads in shame. If members have not seen  
Close Up 
 I will inform the House as to what was announced today. The  
Sunday News 
 did an article. It made an agreement with a relatively young lady—young lady when she is compared to someone my age—who had an involvement with a certain Brad Shipton some years ago. She divulged this information with videotapes on a confidential basis and on the basis that she would not be named. 
But what did the  
Weekend Herald 
 and the  
Herald on Sunday 
 do? They tracked her down and sent intimidating emails to her—threatening emails in my view—that if she did not come clean and name herself they would name her and publish everything about her. They did exactly that. On  
Close Up 
 tonight it was divulged that she took her own life. 
My God! What are we doing in this country? Why would we want to name anything after New Zealand when that is the way we operate? 
What happened? Mark Sainsbury called for the editor and the reporter to front up on the programme and say why they did that and why they issued those emails. They did not come. Somebody told me that their parents were not married and I believe that. I just say to these bastards: “Front up.” 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ann Hartley) 
: The member cannot use that word. 
PETER BROWN 
: If one’s parents are not married that person is in fact a bastard. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ann Hartley) 
: No the member should withdraw that remark. It is not orderly. 
PETER BROWN 
: I withdraw that remark but I have to say I am incensed by this matter. This is not what this country is about. 
We understand there has to be a competitive environment in the media. We understand the media has to search for stories. But to send what can only be termed intimidating emails to a person saying that if he or she does not front up that person will be named and shamed or whatever regardless is an absolute disgrace. 
It sickens me that there is nothing in Parliament that I can think of that we can do about it; nothing at all. We have to tolerate it. I have heard MP after MP moan and groan about the media. It is not every MP but many MPs do that. I have had some questionable—I was going to say awful—experiences myself. But this puts everything else to shame. 
I say to the editor of the  
Weekend Herald 
 and the  
Herald on Sunday 
—whoever published these articles without the permission of Debbie Gerbich—to front up and tell us why. The media should tell this country why they are operating in that sort of vein. 
I have come to the stage right now where I would not name anything after this country. I certainly would not have a New Zealand Day. In fact it is crossing my mind whether I should approach my colleagues and ask whether we should change the name of New Zealand First. 
Russell Fairbrother 
: Waitangi First 
PETER BROWN 
: Well there we are. There is an option. What about Aotearoa First? There are other options. But that would take some effort on my part and I do not want to lighten my contribution to this debate tonight. I am simply saying to the House as sincerely as I can that this is not acceptable. 
I saw Debbie Gerbich’s partner Bill on TV—I did not catch his surname—and my heart goes out to him and to her family. This should not have occurred. This makes me ashamed of this country and I say that with a very heavy heart because I have been a proud New Zealander for as long as I have been here and even before I came here I thought it was a magnificent country. 
Tariana Turia 
: It still is. 
PETER BROWN 
: It is not everybody; I take the point the member makes. But the publicity of this sort of thing casts aspersions on the image that we are all trying to make. I know there are some very very decent New Zealanders and I do not want in any way to imply that there are not. The media in this country have a lot to answer for and this is another sad episode. 
I do not think I can say any more. I have expressed my disgust and my upset. I could not in all sincerity name a day after New Zealand with the way I feel tonight. I hope my colleagues can be acquainted with the facts of that programme shown last night. I hope they see it on video. I hope that all MPs if they have not seen that  
Close Up 
 programme do look at it. They can get it through the Parliamentary Library service. It is worth looking at. It is a darned good programme and it illustrated to me in very real terms how low the media will go in this country to get a story. 
I thank my colleagues for allowing me that contribution. I guess they did not expect me to come out with such an issue but it is an issue that I think should be aired in this place. I think it is appropriate that I say to the House that with the way I feel in particular I could not name a day after New Zealand right now. I am very happy to stick with Waitangi Day. Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker.