Benson-Pope David: Electoral Finance Bill — In Committee 
Benson-Pope David: Electoral Finance Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:644;Page:13650] 
DAVID BENSON-POPE (Labour—Dunedin South) 
: 
 I would like the opportunity for a brief call; I will be more expansive later on in the debate. 
I think it is important that we consider these matters in the wider context. Most people in this country know that we are here because of what the National Party—not the Exclusive Brethren not the racing industry but the National Party—got up to in 2005. I think it is important in the wider Australasian context that we think about the wider social context. We live in a time of substantial proliferation of the so-called independent thinktanks. We are only too aware of the extent of the covert flow of funds in our communities. 
We have in terms of the media reporting a lack of objectivity about this issue. There was the extraordinary position recently of so-called independent commentators such as David Farrar a National Party staffer and ACT bagman Mr Boscawen being characterised as having some degree of independence and objectivity. That is clearly not the case. 
But there are some glimmers of hope—more in the Australian media I must say than here. I refer members to the excellent ABC documentary  
The Brethren Express 
 which contains fascinating New Zealand material. It is yet to be shown on our television. One can assume that the decision to show it here will be made shortly but it is available to members and to listeners by way of the ABC website. 
There are also some other local resources about the Australasian socio-political scene that are extremely informative and useful as a resource to our whole community. The first one I refer to is some wonderful work by an academic called Marion Maddox an Australian who is now in the department of religious studies at Victoria University in this very city. Marion Maddox is the author of the book  
God Under Howard 
 and her exposé of the marginalisation by the former Australian Prime Minister of the traditional churches and his encouragement of the fringe churches is an extraordinary read. When I have finished these comments in a few moments I will ask leave to table her Ferguson Lecture given in New Zealand in 2006 which makes extraordinary reading. 
I close by referring also to another most important resource; namely the evidence given to the select committee by Nicky Hager which is not contained in his book and is quite new material. I refer members to that document—in particular pages 2 to 7 of the transcript of his evidence—and I would like to make one direct quote. Mr Hager stated on page 4 of the transcript: “I suspect that the National Party helped to draft the Exclusive Brethren ads but I don’t have proof of that. What I am absolutely sure of what I have absolutely confident knowledge of is that the people who the Exclusive Brethren liaised with and informed of their plans completely were the leader Don Brash the finance spokesperson John Key and the campaign manager Steven Joyce and that a very short period after that the whole campaign team—people like McCully and Brownlee—also knew. The subsequent denials were not correct. They were untrue.” 
Thank you Madam Chair. I seek leave of the House to table the 2006 Ferguson Lecture  
God and New Zealand Public Life 
. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? There is an objection.