Tamihere John: General Debates 
Tamihere John: General Debates 
[Volume:609;Page:6151] 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE (Minister of Youth Affairs) 
: 
 Unlike the front-row prop for the National Party I will not be asking to be heard in silence. [ 
Interruption 
] The member is probably the whole front row but even a normal prop in any front row would be able to handle interjections. It was quite intriguing when Mr Brownlee talked about the right of freedom of speech in this House. He said that this House was the harbinger of that right yet not 35 minutes ago the Opposition absolutely denied the Minister of Maori Affairs the right under the Standing Orders to make a speech in this House in regard to a number of matters. Very very selective amnesia is practised on the other side. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It is important that the parliamentary record is correct. The National Party did not deny leave for the Minister to speak. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: That is correct. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: One of the major differences that I want to talk about today in the debate is the real difference between us and them. We are proud to embrace the wonderful diversity of New Zealand and the New Zealand cultures and we actually reflect those on this side of the House unlike the bankrupt bunch over there. At a time when Opposition parties are pushing a silly line of rhetoric on one standard of citizenship—which is really about trying to return to some dreamt-up 1950s utopia out of somewhere like Dipton or Tauranga—we are busy working to build a vibrant and exciting New Zealand that embraces growing ethnic diversity. No doubt there are some challenges with growing ethnic diversity but with those challenges come new opportunities. New Zealand is coming of age as a vibrant multi-ethnic society and we are excited about that on this side of the House. It is a shame that scaremongering and innuendo are left to the Opposition. [ 
Interruption 
] The old rocker from Tauranga interjects. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Go and tell the tangata whenua that. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: The member always interjects when we talk about ethnic diversity and the like. One cannot say he is like Mick Jagger; he is probably a bit more like Tom Jones—he can at least half-fill a theatre. When the nannies throw their moth-eaten bloomers on to the stage to him he still revels in it—he loves it. He continues to think that it is great. There are a number of things that serve as a clear litmus test between us and them. We understand nationhood. We understand what the Opposition fails to understand which is that unilateral intervention in Iraq is a no. We refuse to make foreign policy on the basis of chasing greenbacks. We will not sell our sovereignty and we are led by leadership that clearly demonstrates that day in and day out. We will not sell Kiwi sovereignty—it is beyond any price. We are well respected in the foreign policy debates in that regard. We will not become the 51st state and that is the end of the story.  
In terms of managing the economy there used to be another litmus test. The question was asked can Labour manage the economy better than any other Government? The answer is in and the answer is yes we can. Spending and revenue have declined by one percentage point of gross domestic product. Government debt has collapsed. We have increased levels of national superannuation affordable rents and the availability of State housing to low-income tenants and we have improved access to tertiary education and health. We have restored capacity in the provision of a range of social services and on and on. We have raised more money and we have spent more money.  
Here is another litmus test which is about first-nation economies and infrastructural support. After 10 years of them what happened? Under those Tories—ably supported by the member for Tauranga—energy roads rail and the planes went down the gurgler as did any ability to run a first-nation economy. They all want to prattle on about America and the free standard of the free market. George Bush has voted US$1.5 billion to support Amtrak. What have we done? We have had to intervene in Tranz Rail because of Ruth Richardson Jim Bolger and Wayne Mapp—the failed doctor from Auckland University. He prattles on about it—Wayne Mapp the witch doctor.  
Clayton Cosgrove 
: He won it in a raffle. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: Yes he won it in a raffle. He sits in this House and has no idea and we have to intervene in a number of areas. So the captains of industry who drove Tranz Rail into the ground and who underwrote the ACT party and the National Party could not run an economy—they know how to rape and pillage it but they do not know how to run it.