Donnelly Brian: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Donnelly Brian: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:645;Page:14205] 
Hon BRIAN DONNELLY (NZ First) 
: 
 Kia oranatatou katoa. First may I thank you Madam Speaker and the Leader of the House and the whips and musterers of all parties for the effort made—in trying circumstances I might add—to accommodate my valedictory speech. My initial plans had me not returning to Parliament in 2008 but I missed you fellows so much I just had to come back for 1 more week to say farewell. 
Last year a newspaper described me as “the accidental politician”. It was a very apt description in fact. In 1993 I had never belonged to a political party nor attended a political meeting and I thought that MPs were extraordinary human beings one of which I was not. Then one Sunday morning I received a strange phone call from someone I understood to be a dyed-in-the-wool National Party member who said: “We would like you to stand for New Zealand First.” 
My first reaction was to ask for New Zealand First’s policies to which he responded: “Oh we haven’t got any policies—yet.” I thought: “Jeez that’s a great start!”. But he said the party had established itself on 15 fundamental principles and when I read these I realised they were the same principles upon which our nation had built itself from the 1930s. Roger Douglas and his acolytes in the 1980s had sought to diametrically transform the basic principles of our nation from those of collective responsibility to those of brutal individualism. The National Government of the early 1990s had advanced that agenda even more rabidly and I was not happy at the direction our nation was going particularly in the field of education. I thought: “I’m being given the opportunity for 6 weeks of my life to stand up and possibly be listened to and if I don’t take this opportunity I should forever hold my peace.” So I agreed to stand and the first political meeting I ever attended was the launch of my own campaign. 
The rest is history and in the first MMP election in 1996 having been defeated in the constituency vote by John Banks by 381 votes I was elected into Parliament as a list MP for New Zealand First. Members of that caucus were immediately thrown in the deep end having to confront the critical challenge of deciding the composition of the next Government. Here I would like to set the historical record straight as a primary historical source on a serious error created by the speculations of the chattering classes and by media commentators interviewing their own word processors and that is the belief that Winston Peters always intended to go with National. On the first day that our caucus met after the election Winston outlined seven possible courses of action. However he stressed at the time that he would not be making the decision; it would be made by caucus and the council. 
After a protracted period of negotiations the first 3 weeks or so of which were taken up by just working out how the process was to move forward extensive agreements had been drawn up with both Labour and National. When caucus and council met on 10 December 1996 we knew that an ultimate decision had to be made on that day. We therefore worked through the two complete packages portfolio by portfolio. There was an enormous amount of information to digest and at the end of this procedure one of the council members said to Winston: “This is just too hard. Will you please tell us which way you think we should go?”. Winston replied: “No I will not. I have always said that this decision will be made by the caucus and the council and if I was to give my preference I believe I would unduly influence that decision.” To this very day I have no idea at all as to which way Winston Peters preferred New Zealand First to go on that momentous occasion in 1996. 
History of course will also record that as a peculiarity of that first MMP Government a number of us newcomers to Parliament received ministerial warrants long before we made our maiden speeches. To illustrate my greenness I tell members that in the days following the establishment of the executive we were all in the Cabinet room and Don McKinnon was going on about oral questions. In my naivety I asked “What are oral questions?” and wondered why there were so many quizzical expressions on the faces of the National Ministers. 
The fact that I did not make a complete hash of the job can be attributed to three factors. First there was Wyatt Creech with whom I was able to quickly build a constructive relationship based on trust and as a result significant progress was able to be made in education during the period of the National – New Zealand First coalition. The second was a wonderful senior private secretary by the name of David Tunnicliffe whose vast experience was the natural antidote to my inexperience. Thirdly I operated under what I called the World War One principle: “When there are lots of bloody snipers out there keep your head down real low!”. 
Unfortunately some of my colleagues on both sides of the coalition did not operate under such a principle and the coalition fell apart leaving me with yet another challenging decision. I happened to be on Tarawa in Kiribati with Don McKinnon when the news came through and over the next few days as we made our way back to New Zealand I mulled over my options including seeking the National nomination for the vacated seat of Whangarei. 
But in the end I asked myself one critical question: how did I get in here? The answer was that I had been voted in by New Zealanders who believed in the principles and policies of New Zealand First. Those people had a right to expect that I maintained the vote for New Zealand First in the House. I had to either resign or stay with New Zealand First. At the time the people had confronted a whole swathe of politicians—not just under the MMP Government but in the preceding two Parliaments—who had jumped parties. I figured that if this were to continue the New Zealand people would lose confidence in their democratic processes and we well know what horrors were wrought when the German people lost faith in their democracy under the Weimar Republic. So I had no choice and if there is a decision of which I am proud it is that one. I thought I would be condemning myself to parliamentary oblivion but I have never regretted that decision for one moment. And thanks to 32 extremely astute voters in Tauranga in 1999 I managed to hang on in here. 
In 2002 I was extremely surprised and very honoured to be offered the chair of the Education and Science Committee. There was no political imperative by the Government at the time to make such an offer. However from my perspective it has been the work within the select committee that has given me my greatest satisfaction in the last two Parliaments. Our select committees are agents of Parliament not of Government and have a critical role in the scrutiny of proposed legislation and the actions of the executive and the departments that serve the Ministers. Not only do select committees play an important accountability role but it is my contention that they are the locus of participatory democracy in our system. 
I have always insisted that members of select committees have a responsibility to engage in searching and rigorous questioning of officials and Ministers. I well remember Simon Power giving a classic example of how it should be done. But equally I have also insisted that submitters should always be treated with courtesy and dignity. It does us no good as parliamentarians to engage or indulge in rude abusive and obnoxious behaviour. Indeed it does nothing more than bring Parliament into disrepute. 
To me the key to chairing a select committee is about managing the culture of the committee and it has been my good fortune to have worked over the last 5 years with an Education and Science Committee that has been extremely cooperative and constructive. I wish to take the opportunity to thank all members during that time for the manner in which they approached their roles. They have certainly made my task that much easier and that much more gratifying. I take this opportunity also to honour the memory of the late Helen Duncan who served that committee so faithfully and with so much commitment to education. 
One might ask if this place is so good why I would want to move on. I left the Cook Islands 27 years ago having taught there for 4 years having represented the Cook Islands at rugby union having assisted in developing a new college at Titikaveka having introduced rugby league to the islands and most important having added two adopted children—and their families I might add—to our own. At the time of our departure my wife Linda and my eldest daughter were distraught; they had established friendships that have endured a lifetime. My daughter cried all the way back to New Zealand. But I knew the place was too small for me to grow. However I made the pledge then and have often reaffirmed that pledge that if ever I had the opportunity I would return in the latter years of my working life back to the Cook Islands. I always thought it would be in the field of education but as a result of that fateful phone call in 1993 it was to be in a different field and it just so happened at this point in time that all the stars were in line. 
To protect my integrity I need to say that when I was ambushed by a TV3 reporter in October last year the question he asked was this: “Is there any truth to the rumour that you are the new High Commissioner to the Cook Islands?”. That reporter has never made public the question he asked. I answered him honestly. Indeed the very first time I could have answered that question in the affirmative was yesterday when the Minister of Foreign Affairs formally announced the appointment and I signed my contract with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. At that time in October I had no more than registered an interest in the position. 
I will miss this place. I will particularly miss the cross-party opportunities to represent New Zealand interests both onshore and offshore. I have been privileged to have had many memorable opportunities to represent “New Zealand Inc.” overseas. Probably the least salubrious but one of the most enjoyable offshore representations was in Abuja the capital of Nigeria. For security reasons we were under strict instructions not to leave our hotel. That was all right; our hotel had a beautiful pool. The trouble was that it did not work. We simply had to entertain ourselves. Fortunately I was accompanied by two wonderful characters Darren Hughes and Shane Ardern and two great members of the Clerk’s office who turned what could have been an incredibly boring week into a delight. 
I cannot tell the story here of when Darren Hughes and myself visited the arts and crafts store across the road but I can provide an embellished version following this speech. Suffice to say that this was truly a case of the old bull having to take the young bull into his care. 
One evening Shane and I decided to have some cow’s head stew. As I made ready to tuck in Shane said: “This is just gristle.” A quick check showed that mine was the same so we decided to survey the pot. We stirred it up only to find the cow’s teeth still floating around in the mixture. I do not think that either Shane or I had dinner that night. 
The worst time was when I broke my leg in two places playing for the parliamentary rugby team at Miramar. The Minister of Health was on the sideline but she could not get me any medical attention not even an ambulance. For a moment there I thought she was going to ask to examine my teeth. An even greater indignity was caused by my so-called colleague from the far north John Carter who when questioned by a reporter said: “He hasn’t broken his leg. He couldn’t have broken anything; he wasn’t moving fast enough.” That is the same John Carter who in this House made a spoonerism out of the expression “cunning stunt”. 
My first day in this House was according to experienced observers one of the ugliest they had ever witnessed. New Zealand First had made a decision to form a Government with National and the venom that was spat across the House by the Labour Opposition was veritably tangible. Jack Elder came to me and said: “Isn’t this wonderful? I love this.” and I had to say to him that I thought it was absolutely horrible. 
The reason I found the verbal abuse so offensive was that I had just spent 6 years as a principal trying to establish a school culture of non-violence. To achieve that we had focused as much upon achieving an environment free from verbal violence as physical violence and I asked myself at the time how schools could achieve their objectives of getting through a message of non-violence when every evening students observed their nation’s leaders indulging in some of the worst excesses of verbal violence. I understand the adversarial history of the Westminster parliamentary system but it is a whole different ball game from when speeches were heard only by those within the four walls of Parliament now that such speeches are beamed directly into the living rooms of our nation. 
I am not talking about the use of wit; I am talking about the use of mindless ad hominem attacks in the absence of any cogent argument. I am talking about the barracking and the yelling of inanities across the House the jeers and the put-downs. In my first week in Parliament I swore I would not indulge in such behaviour. With rare exceptions I have maintained that standard yet I still believe I have been able to make my mark. Only the MPs with the support of the press gallery can forge the cultural change that is needed for the good of our nation and it is my parting plea that cross-party consideration is given to how this could be achieved. 
It is customary at this point to run through a list of thanks. I will subsume all such groups and individuals by thanking everybody who has provided me with essential support during my time here. However I would be remiss not to single out my caucus colleagues particularly the real tight five from 1999 to 2002 and the magnificent seven of this last Parliament. It gives me enormous satisfaction to look back over the policy and budgetary achievements that New Zealand First has been able to achieve from the position of a minor party from the removal of the hated surtax through to the foreshore and seabed legislation—which for the first time gave statutory mechanisms for the registration of customary rights while simultaneously protecting the birthright of all New Zealanders of access to the sea—through to the additional 1000 sworn police officers in the term of this last Parliament. 
I would argue that since 1999 New Zealand First has developed the most unified and publicly cohesive team of all the caucuses in Parliament with the possible exception of the Progressive party. I will be eternally grateful to the unyielding and non-compromising stand taken alongside myself by my colleague Doug Woolerton over the section 59 legislation. However I am equally grateful to my other caucus colleagues who steadfastly defended my right—and not just on this occasion—to exercise my conscience without recrimination. 
But most of all I wish to pay tribute to all the MPs from all parties on both sides of this House because I was right all along. The MPs who serve our nation are an extraordinary lot. They are extremely dedicated unbelievably hard-working and they and their families make enormous sacrifices simply to advance policies for New Zealanders that each MP clearly believes is in the best interests of the people. By their very nature MPs are a colourful and interesting group. I will miss the vibrancy of this place enormously and it has been a privilege to serve with such a wonderful group of people. 
When I came here in 1996 I went into an office on the 13th floor of Bowen House. I then went to the Beehive then to the main Parliament building and when we returned in 1999 I went to an office on the 15th floor of Bowen House where I have been ever since. So no one can say I have not made advancement in my 11 years here—I have moved up two floors in Bowen House. 
I finish with one very serious plea to all of those who are here today and those who will have the privilege to enter this House in the future: protect nurture sustain and grow that most precious flower in this Garden of Eden that we call New Zealand. I refer to our democracy that most precious possession jointly owned by all New Zealanders. Thank you Madam Speaker for this opportunity and farewell to all.