Brown Peter: Address in Reply 
Brown Peter: Address in Reply 
[Volume:628;Page:118] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 Outsiders who watched the events of the past few months unfold could have safely reached the conclusion that democracy can be a strange and an unwieldy beast. Indeed if one were to take a quick look around this Chamber one could only conclude that the gods of politics have either a strange sense of humour or a strong sense of irony. If there is a lesson in that—and there always is—it is to never underestimate just how astute the voting public actually is. The doomsayers were quick to write the smaller parties off as non-entities but in doing so they failed to understand that New Zealanders will never accept single-party majority Government again. Under MMP that has gone despite the best efforts of both the old large parties. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Tell us about the baubles of office. 
PETER BROWN 
: The member asks me about the baubles of office. In due course I will get there; he will just have to wait for that. The public has sent a strong signal to third parties that it expects more from them but the public also sent an equally strong signal that it wants third parties to be here in the House. The public wants New Zealand First to be here and dare I say it the public also wants the Greens to be here. The two old parties along with political commentators will just have to get used to that. 
As this new Parliament begins I take this opportunity to publicly recognise and thank those of my New Zealand First colleagues from the previous Parliament who are no longer here. They were good guys and we were really hopeful that they would come back but they did not. We appreciated the efforts they made whilst they were here and I know they will continue to work for the New Zealand First cause. In essence they were fine MPs who made a valuable contribution. From our point of view they will be missed and dare I say it they will be missed in this Chamber. 
But I cannot help thinking as I look around this Chamber that many people including the media must not be feeling very good at seeing New Zealand First back. It was patently obvious that many parties’ campaigns were not just about getting votes for themselves but also about stopping New Zealand First from getting votes. 
Rodney Hide 
: That’s true. 
PETER BROWN 
: Clearly from the Greens and United Future through to—I can hear him now as I speak—the boisterous new leader of ACT we were the enemy. Mr Hide went on  
Agenda  
and endeavoured to explain his “Stop Peters by action campaign” if I have it right. 
Rodney Hide 
: We got him in the seat; we just didn’t get him out of Parliament—next time! 
PETER BROWN 
: Well I say to Mr Hide that is a joke. He labelled New Zealand First as being everything under the sun during the campaign and even gave us half the space on many of his billboards. We were to feature in the advertising of other parties as well. 
Although we clearly took a dent and lost some quality parliamentarians as a result the simple reality is that when the dust settled we were back. We are back and more determined than ever to make our mark. 
Rodney Hide 
: Not in Tauranga. 
PETER BROWN 
: Let me say that right now Tauranga has a temporary MP and that will end. He will be the only MP who makes his valedictory at the same time as he makes his maiden speech. Despite learning some of the lessons of MMP National in particular again displayed the ultimate arrogance of assuming it could get 50 percent of the vote on its own. National learnt the simple lesson of why the public voted for MMP in the first place which was to ensure that neither of the two old parties could capture the political process on its own. In principle that is the main reason that New Zealanders voted for MMP. There would always be a safeguard—and in this Parliament New Zealand First will be and is the guardian—against extremes. We are the guardian against extremes. We were taken on by Labour which said our policies were not affordable all because Labour had already over-promised. As the public has seen our policies have now become affordable—after the election. 
But here is the thing and the media of the country can go ahead and report this because it is the truth: the other parties all came knocking once the election was over. Everybody came knocking once the election was over. After the election Messrs Brash Hide Brownlee and all those whom they could muster came to the New Zealand First caucus room in an effort to persuade us to join their cobbled-together team claiming they could form a Government. 
Hon Members 
: Yeah right! 
PETER BROWN 
: As the Tui ad says “Yeah right!”. What this country wants is stability; what that cobbled-together bunch of misfits offered was to put petrol on open flames. The potential for a Mexican stand-off was one that could not be ignored and it required action on our part. In reality it was a question of which option offered the greatest stability and what the best way of securing it was. One of the options—the option that involved Mr Hide—failed to stand up to any real scrutiny at all. 
 The media of this country if they want to do their job properly must understand one simple thing. Each and every one of the main Opposition members who will spend the next 3 years decrying New Zealand First would have just as easily acquiesced to our requests if it had meant they could sit on the Government benches. 
Ron Mark 
: They would have given their eye teeth. 
PETER BROWN 
: They would have given their eye teeth as my colleague reminds me to get from where they are sitting now to where Labour members currently sit—and I mean every one of them. There are no exceptions. 
Let me be frank. Prior to the election nobody foresaw a 57:57 split with New Zealand First sitting in the middle. When we identified it we were as surprised as anyone. We targeted two aims and only two aims: policy outcomes and speedy resolutions to the discussions. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: God we were good. 
PETER BROWN 
: We are good. So we in New Zealand First will go through this next 3 years knowing that it will be just like the election campaign—everybody will be gunning for us. Well we are ready. Members should fire their best shots. In fact I can say that the New Zealand First caucus is looking forward to the next 3 years. 
Anne Tolley 
: Enjoy it while it lasts. 
PETER BROWN 
: We will enjoy it while it lasts and we will be guaranteeing confidence and supply for 3 long years. 
Rodney Hide 
: I’ve got the seat that Mr Brown wanted. 
PETER BROWN 
: I say to Mr Hide that he will have to sit there for 3 years after which time he will permanently disappear. 
This is an opportunity for New Zealand First to demonstrate that multiparty democracy works. We have ensured that there will be stable Government for 3 years. We have ensured that the Government will be able to govern but will not be free to pursue extreme agendas. This is not a coalition arrangement for one very simple reason: although we support confidence and supply measures our support is not guaranteed for any other aspect of the Government’s programme. We will vote on all other matters issue by issue just as we said we would before the election. 
Rodney Hide 
: What happens if you’re in Korea? 
PETER BROWN 
: I say to Mr Hide that we are seated on the cross benches and we will vote accordingly. To those in the academic community and to the various political commentators who have tried to force our political arrangement into one box or another I can only say: “Show some imagination and create a new box.” 
We intend to make this arrangement work. Members are about to witness the next step in New Zealand’s democratic development: a multiparty democracy in which divergence exists on some issues but the stability of the Government remains because both the political will and the mechanisms are in place to resolve the differences. We will be making it work. This is a sign of democratic maturity which I believe the voting public will welcome. The feedback thus far to New Zealand First is very very positive. There will be no more political lapdogs subsumed by the larger party but a mutually beneficial arrangement that serves the nation’s interests. That is what we have signed up to. 
Many great policy developments will occur as a result of this arrangement. I tell members to listen carefully to me. For our senior citizens there will be increased superannuation a golden age card and a huge injection of funds into elder care. That would not have occurred but for New Zealand First. Those are significant improvements for our senior citizens which as I have said would never have occurred if New Zealand First had not entered into a confidence and supply agreement with Labour. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: Why didn’t National do that? 
PETER BROWN 
: That is a question that is best left to National to answer. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: Because they’re losers. 
PETER BROWN 
: That may well be the answer. It is true that the arrangement does not deliver on everything we wanted but it is a significant start. It is a sizeable starting-point. To those members who condemn our party for supporting the plight of our senior citizens I challenge them to do that and to condemn the increase in superannuation in particular— 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: Don Brash will be the first person to get a golden age card. 
PETER BROWN 
: Well there we are. Mr Brash will be the first one. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: Tell me what else we have done. 
PETER BROWN 
: I say to my good friend that I am coming to it. I am trying to proceed with this speech. To those who are in doubt about the plight of the elderly I suggest they spend the next winter coupled with an elderly person just to see how hard it is. There are close to 500000 senior citizens in this country—people over the age of 65—and many of them if not most of them are suffering. It is about time we in Parliament looked at their plight and helped them. 
Similar cards to our golden age cards occur in other developed nations yet we have neglected this sort of progress for far too long. This card when it is fully implemented will ensure that all public sector entitlements as well as a range of commercial discounts are able to be located in a single card. 
Rodney Hide 
: What year? 
PETER BROWN 
: It will make life simpler for our senior citizens and it will also ensure that they get due recognition of their contribution to society. To answer Mr Hide’s question this will be addressed as a matter of urgency in the 2006 Budget. 
The next move is close to the heart of New Zealand First’s caucus. We will have 1000 more sworn police officers in this country in the next 3 years. They will be coming on on a regular basis and by the time of this Government’s third Budget there will be 1000 more police officers. This is only the beginning. We are determined to get the police to population ratio closer to that of Australia. 
Let me just tell Opposition members because I think some of them may be interested in this that currently we have 18 police officers per 10000 members of the public. I ask members to say from their hearts whether that is enough. Those 10000 members of the public want to have access to a police officer 24 hours a day. If they are working and they get in trouble or if they are at home asleep and there is trouble they want to have access to a police officer whenever that occurs. [ 
Interruption 
] The member thinks this is a joke. I tell him that it is deadly serious. 
If we allow those 18 police officers to have weekends off and to have holidays we are down to about 4.2 police officers per 10000 people at any one time on an 8-hour shift. If we put them on shifts then one of those 4.2 officers will be on traffic duties. We say and have said consistently that that is not enough. We want there to be more police officers. 
Ron Mark 
: Front line. 
PETER BROWN 
: Front-line police officers; sworn police officers.As a result of that initiative families will begin to feel more secure in their homes and on the streets. 
Now this may please the Opposition members from the National Party: during this Parliament we will see dramatic moves towards a high-wage economy. National members are always making noises about wanting wages to go up. They probably get enough but we will be increasing the minimum wage to $12 by the end of this term of Parliament. We will be making company tax more competitive and there will be a strong focus on a strategic export plan. New Zealand First is determined to ensure we shed the low-wage mentality that this country has. We will get rid of that and embrace the concept of a high-wage economy underpinned by a well-performing export sector. And if the Opposition members who are now sitting here quietly want to know who will benefit from that I will tell them: everybody will benefit under that scenario. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: They’re in awe of this Peter. 
PETER BROWN 
: They clearly are. We want to see New Zealand’s company tax rate put on a competitive footing with that of Australia and indeed with that of other developed nations. We will work with other parties to achieve that. I ask the National members who seem to be taking this a little seriously to get in behind us and help us because we believe that this policy has wide parliamentary support. 
In terms of Treaty issues we will see significant progress in resolving historical Treaty claims. Those are a burden on our society and the industry built up around grievance will be put on a pathway towards resolution. We aim to create harmony where there is division as the past is laid to rest and the future is entered into as one people—as New Zealanders proud of their nation and their intertwined histories. 
We will ensure that our inadequate immigration laws are reformed. We place the security of our borders as being amongst our highest priorities. As events happening in Australia demonstrate we must remain ever-vigilant in this country. This is a significant victory for New Zealand First. Those who were here in the previous term of Parliament know how hard we worked in order to get the Government and whoever else to recognise our concerns. Where once our views on immigration were vilified now they have become very much—to borrow a phrase frequently used by politicians—mainstream. I will remind members of where New Zealand First stands on immigration. We believe that our immigration policy must be skills based. Immigrants must have good health. They must be crime free and remain so and they must be prepared to integrate into our society. By that I mean that they can keep their culture and their religion but there must be an obvious commitment to this country. 
Rodney Hide 
: Thank you! 
PETER BROWN 
: If Mr Hide doubts that then I say to him that he is standing for division in this country. 
There will be no further strategic asset sales under our confidence and supply arrangement. [ 
Interruption 
] I repeat to the member: there will be no further strategic asset sales. That means we will be keeping Meridian Energy Mighty River Power Genesis Power Transpower TVNZ New Zealand Post and Kiwibank. There will be no “for sale” notice on them. We will ensure that the carbon tax proposal in relation to the Kyoto Protocol is thoroughly reviewed. 
Rodney Hide 
: Start the review. Somebody ought to start it. 
PETER BROWN 
: It will be thoroughly reviewed. 
We will ensure that free health-care for under-sixes is a targeted objective in health and we will work to ensure there is access to adequate emergency health-care. We achieved that last time but to put it bluntly it has been allowed to slip. We will tighten things up. Ultimately we would like to extend free health-care to all primary school children. But that is in the next move. 
I will tell honourable members what is close to my heart and I am delighted with this: the Tauranga Harbour Bridge will be toll free. 
Hon Member 
: Who said that? 
PETER BROWN 
: New Zealand First did. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: That’s amazing. 
PETER BROWN 
: It is amazing. 
Ron Mark 
: “Bob the Builder” reckoned he was going to do it. 
PETER BROWN 
: The National Party has claimed that it could do it but with a Lego design. We will stick to the original design—the design that has been approved and produced by professionals—and it will be toll free. Over the course of a year that will save the public who use the bridge—particularly Tauranga and Mt Maunganui people but also others who use it regularly—several thousand dollars and over a lifetime a huge amount of money. They have paid for one bridge in Tauranga and we are determined that the second bridge the Harbour Link project will be toll free. 
We will ensure that the neglected racing industry is placed on a fairer tax footing compared with other gaming industries and that it can maximise its export potential. I know that the National Party pinched our policy on that but we will deliver it. The National Party must be absolutely grateful to us because we will deliver that policy. It is one that we devised and the National Party pinched it so National must support it. 
Rodney Hide 
: Say it again. 
PETER BROWN 
: No no I have plenty to say. I will show members something—a huge pile of documents. 
Rodney Hide 
: He’s been shopping. 
PETER BROWN 
: I have been shopping. 
These are letters from individual physiotherapists outlining their concern about the way they are treated about the way physiotherapists are accredited about their funding and about the endorsed provider network. They emanated from one discussion I had with some physiotherapists and from one press release. I do not know how many physiotherapists there are in this country but I think the vast majority of them wrote to me. Also included are letters from supporters of physiotherapists and from people affected by the physiotherapy industry. We have in the supply and confidence agreement a clause—for want of a better term—saying that the problems of physiotherapy will be reviewed and looked at meaningfully. I will table these documents so that Government members will know just how serious—[ 
Interruption 
] Well I will not table them I say to Mr Hide; I will put them on the bench so that the Government can take stock of and note the importance of doing something positive for the physiotherapy industry. I am told that physiotherapists are leaving their industry in droves. 
There is more. The agreement we have contains a lot more measures but I do not have enough time to outline what they are. What I will say is that as I have indicated we have some baubles—baubles that will create higher wages that will lower company taxes and that will help to grow our exports.Those are significant baubles. We have significant baubles that will give a better deal to the senior people in this country. We have the golden age card and I cannot think of anything better than that as a significant good bauble. There are many many more. New Zealand First is quite happy to have signed the confidence and supply agreement because we will deliver to New Zealanders. 
I conclude by offering a piece of advice to Don Brash and Gerry Brownlee. It is a quip made by David Lange and I think it pertains pretty significantly to Don Brash and Gerry Brownlee. David Lange once said when he was in trouble with his own caucus: “They are not trying to pull the rug from under me but they most certainly are polishing the floors.” We hear a rumour that Brian Connell is buying a lot of floor polish so the honourable members had better watch out.