Brown Peter: Adjournment Sittings of the House 
Brown Peter: Adjournment Sittings of the House 
[Volume:622;Page:18135] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I say to the House that my contribution will not generate anywhere near as much laughter as the last contribution—principally because it will be based on facts and not largely on imagination. But the honourable member did get one thing right and I warn the Government: it will have a very tough year next year because the leader of New Zealand First will be back and in full cry. Government members can sit there but Mr Peters will be here in full cry. 
I begin by paying tribute to your good self Mr Speaker. You might have noticed that we have from time to time made it a little tricky for you in that chair but we do wish you well. We recognise you as the father of the House and I think that that goes for everybody here. We think you have done an honourable job and we recognise that you have gone overboard at times to be exceedingly fair. We know that you are going to embark on a new career and I am sure that my New Zealand First colleagues will join me in saying that if you get the opportunity to go to the Dennis Compton Lounge in the Emirates Stadium I am certain that if you need someone to accompany you I could find someone to fill that position. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Arsenal forever! 
PETER BROWN 
: I also wish to thank the staff who work around this complex. They do a magnificent job. Believe it or not MPs are not the easiest people to work for and the messengers security staff administration staff parliamentary staff select committee staff and Office of the Clerk staff service—if that is the correct word—our needs very very well indeed. I think it is appropriate at this point in the year that we remember their efforts. 
I must also thank New Zealand First’s office team. We are fortunate enough to have a team of very competent people. I do not wish to be boastful but we have a team of very competent advisers researchers press staff and secretaries. 
Rodney Hide 
: Name one. 
PETER BROWN 
: I would be here all afternoon if I named them. I must also thank the many workers both paid and non-paid who work outside Parliament on behalf of New Zealand First. Without them we would not be here and we would not get significantly bigger come the next election without their efforts. 
I also wish to thank my parliamentary colleagues. They are an excellent bunch to work with. Many of them are first-term MPs and I can honestly say that they have performed exceedingly well in this House. I do not want to say any more because they will not get their heads outside the building; but they are a great bunch to work with. 
This has been a somewhat unique year principally because it was the 150th anniversary of Parliament. That is the very special year in the parliamentary calendar. That fact was recognised but we probably could have done a little bit more to sell the celebration to the public. During the year we witnessed not one but several large protests on Parliament’s grounds—from the hikoi on the seabed and foreshore through to the Enough is Enough march recently. We have had pretty much every world view presented to us and I think the MPs have listened to a very large extent with an open mind and have been very fair. 
We have passed in the House over 100 pieces of legislation this year. That is quite a lot and it represents a lot of hard work by many many MPs. 
Rodney Hide 
: What about the poor people who have to live with them? 
PETER BROWN 
: I say to Mr Hide that we have passed laws that ensure that the seabed and foreshore are in public hands and will remain there. I wish to thank the Labour Government in particular for working with New Zealand First on its idea to pursue that. We have passed laws that allow for civil unions and I suspect that we will see a few of those after the next election. We have seen the resolution of the allocation of the Treaty of Waitangi fisheries assets after more than a decade and New Zealand First in particular welcomes that. 
I cannot let this occasion pass without a making comment on the Supreme Court. I have to say to the Labour members: “We told you so.” That is not a phrase I use very often but we told the Government that there would be problems if it did not listen to us on the Supreme Court. The court has already demonstrated why its lack of experience on some issues makes it a perilous place as our final court of appeal. We have opened Pandora’s box and now we will have to live with it. 
Next year is election year and it will be a dynamic year as far as New Zealand First is concerned. I have some words of caution for people on both sides of this Chamber. I say to my ACT friends— 
Rodney Hide 
: Name one! 
PETER BROWN 
: I think I might have one. But so that I get it right I say to my ACT colleagues that they should not attack the Government’s social welfare policies too much next year because come September they will need them. I say to United Future members that they should pay close attention to the national anthem because if God does not save them the worm sure will not. I have a message for National members. They have pinched one or two—or three or four or five—of our policies but we will not divulge any more. They can watch the next election and pay careful attention. 
That brings me to my final point. I am putting this Government on notice. Winston Peters will be back here in full cry. Our team will be refreshed and willing to go and Government members will feel the pain. So I hope they have a happy Christmas because they will have a darn hard new year. 
Finally on behalf of New Zealand First I wish all members a merry Christmas. I promise them that it will be tough next year so they should have a good break. I say to all New Zealanders on behalf of our leader in particular and the parliamentary team that I wish them a safe and happy Christmas. Let us hope that next year we can do better for them.