Dunne Peter: New Zealand Day Bill — First Reading 
Dunne Peter: New Zealand Day Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:624;Page:19299] 
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 I move  
That the New Zealand Day Bill be now read a first time.  
I indicate at the outset of my speech to the House that if this motion is subsequently adopted I will move that the bill be referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee for consideration. The one thing that a country ought to be able to be proud of is its national day. It is the one day each year when all New Zealanders whatever their origins their circumstances or where they live ought to be able to say this is the occasion for them to celebrate proudly all the things they uniquely bring to the national table of what makes them New Zealanders. It is a day to celebrate the differing strands that make up our nation. But sadly for too many people our national day as it now stands Waitangi Day 6 February has become a day to do either one of two things: ignore it or if the weather is fine go to the beach. I do not believe that the country’s nationhood can be founded on such apathy or can be celebrated with pride when for most New Zealanders 6 February has become a day on which to yawn and look forward to the next day. 
The New Zealand Day Bill proposes very simply that 6 February be renamed New Zealand Day and that New Zealand Day be celebrated on the Monday of the week during which 6 February occurs. The reason for that is this. I believe that the ability of people to get together to celebrate in the communities up and down New Zealand in their own way is greatly enhanced if the national day is regularised to occur on a particular occasion without the disruption that we now have because it occurs sometimes on a weekend sometimes mid-week or sometimes over a long weekend. When I introduced a similar bill in 2000 I observed that it was something that the late Norman Kirk had introduced into this House over 30 years ago. I recalled some of the words that he used at the time to promote the nation’s national day as New Zealand Day. I think those words bear repetition this evening because even though time has passed by their wisdom still stands. He said New Zealand Day 6th February “is not just a day for the people of Northland”—and we should bear in mind that in those days it was not even a public holiday—“nor for Maori but it is a day for all New Zealanders to celebrate the unique gift we possess by virtue of being New Zealanders.” That theme is what lies behind this bill. 
Some people have said that I am trying to downplay the significance of Waitangi and of the Treaty of Waitangi. In fact if one looks at the purpose clause of this bill clause 3 one sees that it states: “The purpose of this Act is to make provision for the observance of 6 February in each year as a public holiday to commemorate both the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand’s national identity.” So that argument goes out of the window.Others have said that this bill is a knee-jerk reaction to unfortunate events that have occurred at previous Waitangi Day celebrations. I would say two things in response to that claim. Firstly Waitangi Day sadly over the last 10 15 or maybe 20 years has become a day marred by protests dissent and division. It has become a day that increasingly New Zealanders have felt alienated from. So it is not just a sudden occurrence. 
Secondly at the same time we are again starting to see in this country the emergence of a sense of nationhood. Partly it is because our population has become diverse. The new communities that have come to New Zealand over the last 10 years have brought new cultures and new aspects that we all seek to embrace. The Lantern Festival that marks the commencement of the Chinese New Year would never have been considered even worth noting in New Zealand probably 5 years ago. Now it is a prominent feature of our calendar. Similarly there is Diwali the Indian lights festival in October. Celebrations that mark the different cultural contributions of many different groups in New Zealand such as the Pasifika events of last weekend are becoming more and more part of our mainstream. What is happening is that as these events go on New Zealanders are becoming more excited about them. We are on the verge of shaping the New Zealander of the future as a person who is at ease with all those cultures and is unique in that respect. I therefore believe very passionately that in terms of our nationhood and in terms of our future as a country we ought to be bringing our national day together as one where all New Zealanders feel they have a part to play. That is not the case at the moment. 
Some people have also suggested that while the notion of what I am proposing is correct the day is wrong—that Waitangi Day is a special day and should not be tampered with in this way. I am open to suggestion—and if this bill goes to the select committee as I believe it will maybe this is something the select committee can examine—as to whether there is another more appropriate day. But the difficulty I have is that when particular days start to be suggested it is very difficult to find one that is adequate. Anzac Day has a special significance for New Zealanders. I do not believe we would want to see that tampered with as a national day. I think the implication of changing the Queen’s Birthday celebration to a national day celebration carries some other connotations that people may not want to consider at this stage. Many have suggested the old Dominion Day 26 September as a more appropriate day. Again if we are celebrating our nationhood our diversity and our future is making our national day the day on which we became a British dominion the appropriate day to celebrate our nationhood? As I say I am open-minded on the issue but as I have looked at it I cannot think of a better day than Waitangi Day. 
My colleague Mr Field reminds me that Norman Kirk at Waitangi in 1973 when he first talked about New Zealand Day also talked about New Zealand’s unity coming through the recognition of its diversity. I think that this country 30 years on is at the point where we have the confidence and the maturity to be able to confront these issues properly and rationally. We should not be bashful about stating proudly as our colleagues across the Tasman do as the United States does and as many other jurisdictions do that this is our national day. It is a day for all New Zealanders. It is one where people from the strands that make up our national fibre come together as one celebrate their differences but recognise that fundamentally they are New Zealanders. It is New Zealand Day.