Cosgrove ClaytonHon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour): I have to say that I never thought sitting in Mike Moore's home at the age of 14 signing up as a member of the Labour Party that some 33 years later at the age of 47 I would be standing in the House—and of course sitting next to the Labour icon whom we call Araldite" the Hon Annette King whom we honour tomorrow—making this valedictory speech having had the privilege of serving 18 years as a member of Parliament. I served 18 years 9 years of which were with the privilege of being in Government including 3 years as a Cabinet Minister holding eight ministerial portfolios; I spent 9 years in Opposition including 6 years as a front-bencher; and especially I had 12 years representing the wonderful people of the Waimakariri electorate. To quote an old mate every day has been an honour and every hour has been a privilege in this place. There is no higher honour I think in a democracy than to be elected to by your people to serve your country and I thank the people and the Labour Party for giving me that opportunity. My political career has not been without the odd bit of controversy. Those who have been around will remember the stoush in 1993 between Mike Moore and Helen Clark for the leadership of my venerable party. Of course I was and I remain in the Mike Moore camp so it would be fair to say that when I was nominated for selection for the seat of Waimakariri in 1999 things got a tad interesting. The selection meeting lasted until about 1.30 in the morning—which is pretty traditional for Labour Party selections—but somehow I prevailed. The following Tuesday the Labour caucus met and the then party president Bob Harvey who had presided over the selection was asked to make a report on it. According to my old mate the former MP George Hawkins—who could not be here today—Bob's report was short but to the point: "Well I tried. I really did try. I gave it my best shot but he ended up the democratically selected candidate for Waimakariri." Suffice it to say all wounds have long since healed and it was an honour to serve in Helen Clark's Government and to be appointed to work with her as a Minister. She is a true friend and a true stateswoman for New Zealand. The people of the Waimakariri electorate are wonderful souls and I relished representing them. I am indebted to them for their wisdom their friendship and their generosity. In fact on one occasion I do recall vividly their generosity. As a newly minted candidate in 1999 I was doorknocking in a community called Pines Beach—a fantastic little community. I knocked on a door and this young bloke appeared in nothing at all but his underwear looking a bit worse for wear too I have got to say. I said "Look I'm the Labour guy." and he said: "Oh yeah I know who you are. You've got my vote. Don't worry about it. Now you fellows have to raise money don't you?". I said "Yeah we do." and he said: "Hang on I've got a donation for you." He disappeared into the house came back and when he arrived he had a packet of cigarette papers in one hand and a small bag of marijuana in the other. He then proceeded to advise me on how to get as many joints as possible out of a bag of marijuana so as to maximise the revenue for my campaign. Being prudent I thanked him very much for his kind offer thanked him for his vote pointed him in the direction of his nearest polling place and got the hell out of there as fast as I could. I have to say that as a newly elected member of Parliament and this will not surprise many I did relish the debate the hand-to-hand combat and the humour—I will miss it—in this place. Just to reinforce that to the public mind MPs young and old can be disrespectful and brash I recall the day that my old sparring partner and fellow St Bede's College old boy Gerry Brownlee—who would be deeply offended if I did not mention him in my speech—and I had exchanged some pleasantries in the Chamber. Gerry had made a point of making an admiring comment that I was follicly challenged. I think his words were: "That is the worst comb-over I have ever seen in my life." I then looked to return fire. At one point Gerry said to me: "Clayton do you know that you are sitting in the same seat that I first sat in when I was elected?". I replied: "Yeah I know." He looked a bit stunned and he said: "How did you know that?". I said: "Well it's easy mate. The springs have gone." Sadly none of that humour made it into Hansard—which we have corrected today. But I do want to recall on a serious note—because it is true that Gerry and I had our moments in this place and we disagreed and at times we disagreed on policy issues intently. But I say this: I do admire the tenacity and commitment that he showed in his role as earthquake recovery Minister for the great province that we love and the people of Canterbury. It was an honour to serve as a Cabinet Minister not for the title and what comes with the office but to have the power to make a positive change. I am proud of the reforms I have put in place in respect of real estate property law the licensing of builders and building practitioners to try to get the cowboys out of the construction sector the provision of low-cost alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for those involved in leaky-home cases the JP reforms and the passage and reforms to the Immigration Act and I am proud of having got the $190 million business case over the line for the Eden Park flagship venue for the Rugby World Cup. But it is not only in Government that you can make a positive contribution. Sure it is a fact that in Opposition you do not have any real power but you have the power to cajole you have the power to apply pressure and most importantly you never give up. I am proud of the 2-year campaign I waged as State-owned enterprises spokesman with the support of West Coast - Tasman MP and my good mate Damien "Chainsaw" O'Connor to expose the mismanagement and incompetence that led to the collapse of a once export award - winning company Solid Energy. Sadly the only people who paid the price for that fiasco and lost their livelihoods and jobs were the folks who literally worked at the coalface. The Canterbury earthquakes like they did for so many people had a profound and lasting effect on me. I had never seen human tragedy on a scale such as this and the layers of the suffering were deep and complex. The mental and emotional suffering went on and on for the weeks and months and years that followed and for some in our community it continues today—especially the kids. I am proud of the work that we did and I say "we" because I include all Canterbury colleagues and those from other regions from all political parties. We saved lives and I do not mean in the initial physical aftermath of the tragic quakes. The credit for that amazing work of course resides alone with those amazing emergency responders who put their lives on the line for others. What I mean is that in the months and years after we collectively dealt with thousands of folks whose lives were torn apart who were emotionally and mentally on the brink and who were staring into the abyss and we helped them. We battled insurance companies we pressured the bureaucracy and yes at times we utilised the media to make the public case. We collectively—all members of Parliament—hauled those folks back from the brink and got them their lives back. They are now smiling. Their kids are smiling. They are in decent homes. They have got their lives back. I think that is at the very essence of the real work of members of Parliament which is something the media and some commentators forget. I am proud that throughout that period I was the Labour Opposition earthquake recovery spokesman. I did not exploit the situation by politicising it despite the demands of some that I should and the characterisation by others that vigorous public advocacy for earthquake victims via the media was in some way political. I witnessed many things I will never forget—some disturbing but many inspiring—from the spontaneous formation of the Rangiora Express established by Jayne and Mike Rattray who formed their own private air force and flew food by helicopter to isolated parts of Christchurch for weeks to the incredible generosity of people like Dave Pilkington. Dave is a Belfast guy. Kaiapoi had established during the earthquakes an emergency food bank and the call went out for food because stocks were low. Dave ran a pack-house for vegetables—he owned his business—and I rang him up and I said we needed help. In the typical fashion the reply was "Tell me what you need." and then a truck arrived full of fresh vegetables. What I did not know at the time was that Dave of course did not own the vegetables but he had packed them for other businesses. But the truck came none the less and its contents had been paid for personally by Dave Pilkington. I have always tried to be an advocate for business and industry because at its core it is the commercial sector that creates jobs and gives opportunities for people to better their lives. But to grow and develop businesses require greater access to global markets. We need the world; it does not necessarily need us. It is no secret that I have always been and remain a strident supporter of free trade. It is a fact—undisputed—that in the last 50-plus years thanks to open markets more people have been lifted out of poverty than in any time in our history. It is a fact that as developing countries gain access to global markets living standards environmental standards and labour standards are increased and the institutions that encourage investment in those countries are built. I remain a supporter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I note that the argument is made that in signing that agreement New Zealand would give up part of its sovereignty. I respect that view. But the same is true when we sign any international agreement whether it be the Paris climate change treaty International Labour Organization agreements or UN protocols. In each case we as a nation agree that in giving up certain sovereign rights we are attempting to make the world a better place through collective action. This House has produced many a fantastic and incredible trade Minister from Brian Talboys to Joe Walding Mike Moore Philip Burdon Jim Sutton and Phil Goff to name but a few. Each has built on the work of the others to advance New Zealand's global interests in a bipartisan way. We must move back to a cross-party consensus on international trade. Stakeholders in our community must be engaged with. They must be brought into the discussion and not shut out as they have been in the recent past because fear is a creation of the unknown. Trade policy must last well beyond a 3-year electoral cycle but colleagues to do that it requires movement from both major political parties—Labour and National. I want to pay tribute and thank a number people who have been unwavering supporters of mine but who have also had a profound influence on my life. To the people of Waimakariri thank you for allowing me to represent you for four terms. I loved every minute of it. Waimakariri is like a little slice of New Zealand. It is a strong and generous community that has been through so much in recent years but it has bounced back. Its enthusiasm is infectious. To my electorate team and to my committee members—my members are so ably led by Sally Thompson who is here today—thank you. Sally may hold the record for being the longest-serving committee chair in Labour history. My team were loyal to a fault—hardened campaign battlers who relished an election fight. They organised raised money and campaigned without fuss or glamour—they just got stuck in. I thank them for their commitment their support and their friendship which I will never forget. To my local staff both past and present especially Emma Linda Juliet Heather and Nelly—you are world-class. Our staff after all are at the front line when it comes to assisting local people. They are the unsung heroes every day as they see the heartache and deal with the frustration of those who need help. It takes a dedicated kind of person to deal with casework especially during the years of earthquake recovery. To my current local staffer Donna Dawber I give a special note of thanks. You are not only a fantastic and highly respected staff member but you are a close mate. Only you and I know the sacrifices you made personally for the job and to support me and I thank you so much. To my then ministerial staff and the public servants I have had the privilege to work with thanks for your professionalism for your judgment for your advice and for always telling me the truth and challenging my thinking without fear or favour. You all worked unbelievably hard to support me and to implement the then Government's programme. But let us be honest you also played hard as well and in some ways I still remember those very very long parties. No Minister has had a better staff. To my parliamentary staff past and present—Willy Tim Lorraine Ben Steph Maryanne and Maylene—I say thanks for the endless hours and for coping with the ever-changing schedule and for the sheer hard grind that is Parliament. It does take a special set of skills to cover up for my mistakes. To my—[Interruption] I knew that would get 'em. To my researchers Richard and Corrine and my media staff at the time Miles and John I say you are all exceptional political hunter-gatherers. A note to all the parliamentary staff security messengers caterers cleaners travel folk the library—that wonderful institution we have—and its researchers the Office of the Clerk and all staff. I thank you for the support you gave me. To my mother and father Barbara and Rex thanks for all of your love and support. I would not be standing here today had it not been for the sacrifices you both made. It was the two of you who taught me the values that I have tried to live by—thank you. Also thanks to Jane's parents Don and Barbara who I think were not too sure about their daughter's judgment—[Interruption]—yeah I knew that would get a laugh too—or taste in men when she first brought this MP home to meet them. Thanks for supporting me and for being there for Jane on the many many occasions when I could not be. To Mike and Yvonne Moore who are my other family and my closest friends—Mike and Yvonne could not be here today but I know that they are watching from home. I know—and I can bet the house on this—that I will get a call from Mike at the conclusion of this speech with a gentle critique and some ideas to convey. Too late—I have gone. It is no secret that Mike has had a profound impact and influence on my life as a mate and as a mentor. A journalist once wrote—when I was first selected as a candidate—that I even looked like Mike. I reminded that misguided soul that at that time at least I was thinner and had more hair. Some have even speculated that Mike wrote many of my speeches—a notion that I suspect he would still argue was legally actionable given some of the questionable and varying quality of my contributions over the years. It was an honour to work for him when he was a Minister when he was a Prime Minister—and I remember those glorious 8 weeks like they were yesterday; I could tell you a few things Jacinda—and when he was leader of the Labour Party. The 1993 campaign was incredible and is etched into my memory as it is for the three fellow "Beagle Boys" who sit in the gallery. They are Peter Sue—well Sue is an honorary one—and Barry. It is worth noting that the 1993 election result was the biggest increase in seats in Labour history apart from the 1935 landslide. It was incredible to watch Mike's determination and sheer grit as he campaigned and prevailed to become Director-General of the World Trade Organization the highest international office ever attained by a New Zealander. We all remain so proud of his work on behalf of New Zealand as Ambassador to the United States. He was indeed a worthy recipient of the Order of New Zealand. I want to place on record my thanks to former Prime Ministers Dame Jenny Shipley and Sir John Key and the then foreign Minister Murray McCully for recognising and utilising Mike's energy and talents on behalf of our country. I lament the fact that my own political tribe never did the same when in Government. Mike has always stood up for the Kiwi battlers. With his trademark enthusiasm his relentless energy and his fundamental belief in Labour values he has always been and will remain an inspiration to me. An incredible legacy from a Kawakawa boy who left school at 15—he was a Labour leader a Labour hero a true patriot and the ultimate true believer. I owe him a debt I can never repay. Most importantly my thanks go to Jane. My darling Jane—the love of my life—thank you for all your unwavering support in good times and in bad. Thank you for your advice and your good humour. Thanks for your forgiveness for all those absences and all those jobs at home that never got done. Thank you for the unseen work you did in our community and the sacrifices you made in support of my career. You are always a ray of sunshine even in the darkest moments. To the Labour Party—the members the supporters and the colleagues—thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of an incredible movement. The Labour Party's greatest strength throughout its history is its ability to constantly evolve and recognise and address the changing needs and priorities of our community. My late grandfather was Labour to his bones. He started life working at Millar's bakehouse in Invercargill. Some years later he saved enough money to buy a barber shop. He became a business person. His mates thought that given he had changed jobs from being a worker to becoming a boss that would mean he would be a Tory—a National Party supporter. They thought he would change sides. Not so. Yes he worried less about overtime and wage rates and more about depreciation and tax and staff and making a business profitable. In essence his priorities had changed but his values had not. He stayed loyal to Labour because it was Labour that evolved with him with new policy and new vision that recognised his needs. From time to time in its history my beloved Labour Party has stopped evolving and when that happens people become disengaged and the party seems distant from them. This is something that we as a movement must guard constantly against. Jacinda you have hit the restart button on the evolution of our party. You have turbo-boosted it and long may that continue. I will miss this place and if I am honest I will as I have said miss the day-to-day political combat. Politics is infectious. It gets in your blood. It is like cocaine as it is addictive. I am reminded of the words of the infamous Graham Richardson—who for those who do not know was Bob Hawke's Minister for Social Security in the 1980s—when he described the excitement of politics as being better than sex and almost as good as a big feed. I do not agree with Richardson's extreme notion—although Trevor Mallard may; I am not sure—nor will I comment on its component parts but it does show that from time to time our Australian cousins can be slightly misguided. I will treasure the friendships I have made across the House. Contrary to popular belief we as MPs may argue with each other—in fact that is actually what we get paid to do; to tease out the good ideas and challenge the status quo for the good of our country—but we do not hate each other. This Chamber is like a boxing ring. This is the "Circus Maximus". You slug it out with your opponents and then you have a beer with them afterwards—this is a good thing. I know like other former members that once I leave this place I will suddenly as if by some miracle have all the answers to the great problems and issues that eluded me when I was here. And I know that my Labour colleagues especially Kris Faafoi and Megan Woods are looking forward to me inflicting those views on them year after year after year. To all colleagues on all sides I wish you well. To Jacinda and Kelvin you carry the hopes and dreams of so many with you and that is a heavy challenge to bear. You have energised our party and this campaign. The people of New Zealand are sitting up and taking notice. No longer can we be called old and grey—apart from me. Your enthusiasm has become infectious and I would wager to say it is making some of our political opponents look like the last committee meeting at the Kremlin before the Berlin Wall came down. I make a prediction here tonight. I am no soothsayer but I reckon we are going to go up in the polls and up in the polls substantially. Jacinda I look forward to 24 September when you will change our party's tagline from "Let's do this" to "We've done it". I wish you all the best. I am now out of here.[Applause]"