Gudgeon Bill: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Gudgeon Bill: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:623;Page:18305] 
BILL GUDGEON (NZ First) 
: 
 I asked a question today during question time. I asked the Minister for Social Development and Employment: “Does the Minister expect benefit restructuring to reduce dependency on the State if so how long will it be before this happens and what will be the numbers?” I would just like to quote from a past President of the United States Ted Roosevelt who said: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena … who strives valiantly … but who knows the great enthusiasms the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least he fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” 
As I listened to the statement made by our Prime Minister yesterday I thought about the very words that that past President of the United States said. When will the people who are in the situation of being on a benefit ever feel success and failure? When will that happen? New Zealand First is about making things happen for the country. It is about sensible achievement administration accountability to the citizens of this nation answering to the public for all that has transpired and ensuring that what our forefathers sacrificed their lives for is protected and remains as the foundation and governing criteria of this nation. 
Yesterday I heard that a leading point was made towards changing the flag. No—our forefathers and those who fought in previous wars would not agreed. This brings me to the matter of Agent Orange. Why is this debacle going on? There has not been even an apology. Our veterans are getting to the stage where they are demanding compensation. New Zealand First supports that and we will support further investigation into why these things are swept under the mat. 
I refer now to immigration. New Zealand First is not averse to immigration. We invite those people regardless of ethnicity and race to come here but as skilled qualified people who will contribute to the goodwill economy and overall culture of New Zealand. Our country is not a stepping stone towards receiving a New Zealand passport and heading for our neighbours or any other nation for that matter. 
It is interesting to talk about welfare. Sir Apirana Ngata said in the 1930s that the welfare programme would be detrimental to the Maori people and to anybody else on it. Today the fruits are before us. For the last 12 days except Sunday my son has been running a swimming complex in a township in Waikato. I asked some young Maori boys whether they would like to be good swimmers and reach the Olympics. They replied: “No.” I asked them: “Why not?” and they said: “Because it’s too much like hard work. The interesting point is that the police have been invited to that place. Why? The reason is that those who are unemployed are causing too many problems. They have nothing to do but drink and get into trouble. Consequently this particular little town has the highest statistics of domestic abuse in the country and ranked second to it is another little town about 5 kilometres away. People talk about welfare and dangling the carrot. What for? To keep the votes coming? We have a responsibility to sort this out. As Sir Apirana said it is detrimental to our nation.