Gallagher Martin: Address in Reply 
Gallagher Martin: Address in Reply 
[Volume:628;Page:293] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 First of all I wish to congratulate yourself on your appointment as Assistant Speaker my good colleague Ross Robertson on filling the other Assistant Speaker role and in particular our Speaker Margaret Wilson on her reappointment and also Clem Simich on his appointment as Deputy Speaker. 
I have much pleasure in rising to speak in the Address in Reply debate this afternoon. I want to take the opportunity to thank the people of Hamilton West for re-electing me to this Chamber at a time when politically there was certainly a very hard-fought contest in the regions. It is an absolute privilege and an absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to again serve the electors of Hamilton West and of course the people of the Waikato. 
First of all I want to congratulate my Labour colleagues and in particular Sue Moroney Maryan Street Darien Fenton and Shane Jones on their maiden speeches. I know they will make a fantastic contribution to the political life of our country. In particular I want to congratulate Sue Moroney who of course comes from the Waikato. She has worked very hard on behalf of working people in my region and I am absolutely delighted that she is now serving those working people in this Parliament. I know that she will make an excellent contribution in representing our region. 
Also I want particularly to acknowledge Maryan Street who of course fought a very hard contest in the Taranaki - King Country electorate. I think it is about the safest National seat in the country. She did very well and I know she will also make a great ongoing contribution to the Greater Waikato area. It is obvious that Darien Fenton and Shane Jones are passionate for working people and they will make some wonderful contributions to this Parliament. 
I think it is appropriate that I should take this opportunity to congratulate the new member of Parliament for Hamilton East David Bennett. I did not necessarily agree with all of his speech but I want to acknowledge that he shares with the rest of the Waikato MPs an absolute passion and pride in Hamilton. Certainly I agree with him in the sense that he acknowledged the fact that Hamilton as a population centre is the fourth main centre. It is the fourth-largest centre in terms of population and certainly is taking its place as a metropolitan centre in this country. 
I want particularly to thank Dr Brash Mr Key and Mr Brownlee for being present during his speech. I know that my Waikato colleague Lindsay Tisch will probably be saying a few words to the up to 20 National MPs who were absent during some very interesting maiden speeches. I know he will be ticking off one or two National MPs at the caucus meeting next Tuesday for their absence. That in no way detracts from the very good speech of David Bennett but I will say that I do think that the turn-out of a number of National members during a number of maiden speeches could have been better. But let me praise Gerry Brownlee for being a good deputy leader in this case because at least he was present unlike some of his front-bench colleagues. 
 I also take an opportunity to congratulate the Hon Nanaia Mahuta on her elevation to Cabinet. Nanaia Mahuta has made a great contribution to the Waikato and I know that she will serve this country with distinction as a Cabinet Minister. I also acknowledge Dianne Yates who notwithstanding her losing the Hamilton East electorate will continue to make a fine contribution to this Parliament. 
I think it is opportune at this time using this Address in Reply debate to personally thank my campaign team in Hamilton West for the incredibly hard and great work they did. Irrespective of the parties we support we should in this Parliament honour those men and women who form the grassroots of political parties in this country—those who will never come to this Chamber but who believe in a cause and keep the wheels of democracy turning. I personally honour them as I know that most others members of this House do. In particular I acknowledge my electorate chairman Angus McConnell. I acknowledge my co - campaign chairs Ray Foster and Gillian Gladstone for their fantastic contribution work and effort. 
I also take the opportunity to acknowledge a group of young Australians who were active members of the Australian Labor Party. This symbolises the great trans-Tasman relationship whereby Labor and Liberal people will come and help their colleagues and counterparts across the Tasman. I pay tribute to Jamie Driscoll James Pawluk Christian Seibert Eileisha Tucker Jessica Tucker and Jarrod Panther. They are fine young people who I know will make a great contribution to Australia. I thank them so much along with the rest of my campaign team for their excellent contribution to the campaign. Certainly I think it is great that we see that level of trans-Tasman cooperation at all levels. In my view it is a statement of the depth of the relationship between our two countries. I know that Liberal members too come across the Tasman to participate in the National Party campaign. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: It must be terribly exciting for them. 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: If members of the Opposition will briefly stop their heckling I will do what I think is appropriate and very gracious and that is to give praise to the National Party candidate for Hamilton West Mr Tim Macindoe. During this part of my Address in Reply contribution National members might like to listen with a degree of decorum and silence when I honour and praise him for his work and his conscientious endeavour as a candidate for Hamilton West. Interestingly enough I do not think that a cross word passed between us. I say to him that I respect his integrity. I certainly know that he worked very hard as a candidate for Hamilton West and was understandably disappointed in terms of the final outcome. 
A number of Hamilton West National Party activists ran a campaign saying that people should vote for Mr Macindoe as the electorate representative because Mr Gallagher would get in on the list. They said that Hamilton could get two MPs. In my view the only way that the National Party can guarantee an extra National MP for Hamilton City is to ensure that next time Mr Macindoe if he chooses to stand again is given a better ranking than No. 62 on the list. I do not know what he has to do. Maybe coming from me he does not want this kind of promotion—it may not help his chances—but I say that National members should give him his due. He took the fight to Winston Peters in Tauranga 3 years ago. He has served National before as a candidate. I think that National can do better for Mr Macindoe than to place him at No. 62 on the list. I hope that in future if he decides to stand again National will acknowledge his hard work in the Waikato and the contribution he can make to the National caucus. I just make that observation. 
I also take this opportunity to say how proud I am—and David Bennett in his speech acknowledged this—of being part of the Waikato team. Of course there are political issues that divide us but we are intensely proud to represent our excellent region. I take the opportunity also to acknowledge that we have a very very fine city council which is under the able leadership of Mayor Michael Redman who is proving to be an excellent mayor. I also acknowledge in particular the mayor of the Waikato District Council Peter Harris and the mayor of the Waipa District Council Alan Livingston for their excellent leadership as part of the Waikato regional mayoral team. I acknowledge the role of Environment Waikato as well. 
I look forward to working with those democratically elected bodies along with other community groups to promote and continue to push for the Waikato. I think we have some excellent news and this Government has done some excellent things for the Waikato. I am so proud and pleased with the Speech from the Throne which outlined a great and wonderful programme over the next 3 years for this country. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Name one. 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: We will spend $1.75 billion on Waikato roading over the next 10 years. That is one and I am proud. That member’s colleagues sat on their backsides in the 1990s but we are doing. We are not talking; we are doing. I am proud of that. 
Finally I also take this opportunity if I may to acknowledge the passing of a very great and wonderful New Zealander Rod Donald. It was my privilege to attend along with many in this House his funeral in Christchurch. I just place on record my sympathy to his family. What a fine family they are. I also welcome back Nandor Tanczos. He is another Waikato-based member of Parliament. I feel for Nandor Tanczos for the circumstances and the pain he went through in terms of returning to this House but I welcome him back. 
I am proud to be back here. It is wonderful to be back here. I will continue to work really hard for the people of the Waikato.