Brownlee Gerry: General Debates 
Brownlee Gerry: General Debates 
[Volume:611;Page:8767] 
GERRY BROWNLEE (NZ National—Ilam) 
: 
 If there are any students of the general debate in this country they will have noticed today a very significant change in the Labour Party’s usual attack. Normally Labour members engage themselves in a petty attack on the Opposition and run off with all sorts of spurious arguments about why they will be in Government for ever. Today though we have seen those same speakers often turning the argument back into a defence of the indefensible Helen Clark—turning this whole debate into a defence of the Prime Minister Helen Clark. 
Hon John Tamihere 
: What’s your point? 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: The honourable member John Tamihere concedes that that is exactly what they are about. 
The events of the last few days have started to show what will become the hallmarks of this Government—no accountability and double standards. That will be the mark of the Helen Clark Government when historians look back at it in years to come. Is it not fascinating that my friend Shane Ardern can commit the same act as Bob Tizard did some years ago in driving a tractor up the steps and towards the doors of Parliament House and at the will of the Prime Minister has a police prosecution brought against him for reckless behaviour? Yet the Prime Minister herself when faced with “paintergate” and the art fraud imposed upon the community of New Zealand simply refused to cooperate with the police. Even though the police were able to say that there was a prima facie case for her to be prosecuted she was able to avoid such a prosecution. 
I ask Labour speakers to start considering whether the line in the police’s own comments on that case should apply to Shane Ardern. While the police said that there was a prima facie case for the Prime Minister to be prosecuted and that the ingredients of the offence had been met it might have an impact disproportionate to the seriousness of the conduct issue or the personal culpability of the parties involved. Why is it that the police can apply that opinion to the Prime Minister but not to Shane Ardern? 
Government members should not start getting sanctimonious about whether the police are being attacked for exercising double standards when by their own standards that is clearly at play in this case. In this instance the police are acting only because the Prime Minister instructed them to do so. It was the Prime Minister who came out and said that Shane Ardern had committed an offence of disorderly behaviour. That was her prosecution not that of the police. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not know why but the senior Government whip Mr Benson-Pope has made statements that are clearly out of order and he should be asked to withdraw and apologise now. He said: “Produce some facts before you start telling lies.” He knows that he said it and we need an apology from him. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: Could the member repeat what he said Mr Benson-Pope said. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: The senior Government whip said: “Produce some facts before you start telling lies”. That is out of order and unparliamentary. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: I ask the senior Government whip whether— 
David Benson-Pope 
: My words were: “Produce some evidence before you start telling lies like that.” I withdraw and apologise. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: It is a fact that on nationwide television the Prime Minister said that in her opinion Mr Ardern had committed an offence of disorderly behaviour. The police then came trumping into Parliament and bailed up Mr Ardern—without the permission of the Speaker it would seem. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I apologise for interrupting Mr Brownlee’s speech but you have just reprimanded Mr Benson-Pope the senior Government whip asked him to withdraw and apologise and he immediately starts a continuous barrage of interruptions and interjections across the Chamber. It is totally unacceptable. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: I thank the member for raising that. Members should have regard for those who want to listen to the speeches being made in the House. I have no problem hearing Mr Brownlee but clearly those at the back have a problem. I ask that continual barrage types of interjections not go on. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Government members are sensitive to the points I am making simply because they know that in this case the double standard of Helen Clark the Prime Minister of New Zealand is exposed in the rawest way possible. She got off a charge in respect of which the police said there was prima facie evidence for her being convicted of forgery. She then goes around pointing the finger at Shane Ardern declaring that he has behaved in a disorderly way and the police came jackbooting into this Parliament stamping all over the rights of privilege that members of this House have and what do we get? We have the Speaker saying: “Well I didn’t know and I might deal with it some time after Mr Ardern has faced the music at the court.” That is setting up a double standard and New Zealanders are not stupid. Interestingly it is on the simple act of driving a tractor up a few steps to Parliament that people will see that the Government has just gone way over the top. 
The issue of double standards of course also applies to the “corngate” affair where the Prime Minister goes round saying: “I want this exposed to the public” but sits in the House today and blocks this House from debating that very issue.