Brownlee Gerry: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Brownlee Gerry: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 24 October 2007. Volume:643;Page:12656. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) 
: 
 Does anyone remember the headlines that were around on 21 March 2005? They were fascinating. One stated: “Talented Kiwis dominate the Labour list.” Who were those talented Kiwis? It cannot have been Taito Phillip Field. It cannot have been Dianne Yates or Jim Sutton. It cannot have been Ann Hartley Dover Samuels Paul Swain Georgina Beyer Marian Hobbs or Steve Maharey. Neither with an announcement imminent can it have been Judith Tizard. The reason is that those members are all going. They are the people who have said they are off. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Where’s Judith Tizard going? 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I understand Judith Tizard has been offered the chair of Watercare Services in Auckland and is looking to do some great things in that regard. 
The Labour caucus is now 25 percent down on the numbers it had in 2005 and apparently according to Phil Goff—the leader-in-waiting—everything is just so wonderful that one would have to wonder why Labour members are bailing in their droves. And there will be more departures. I expect by the end of the week we will have heard that Jill Pettis Martin Gallagher and Steve Chadwick have decided to go and that will take out a number of people who could have been talented additions to Labour’s Cabinet. 
Hon Members 
: Ha ha! 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Seriously it was in the headline in the paper so we have to believe it. 
What does that leave the Labour Party with? It leaves it with a number of people who have very safe Labour seats. That has to be the rump—or the heart should I best say—of the new Goff-led Opposition. Those people include of course Tim Barnett and Harry Duynhoven. I cannot understand why Harry Duynhoven has not been mentioned in the promotion stakes; I find that staggering. There is also Martin Gallagher whom I mentioned before. He may be one of those guys who goes or stays. There is George Hawkins Mahara Okeroa Lynne Pillay—I know that some of these names will be new to members—the Hon H V Ross Robertson and of course Mr David Benson-Pope. Those people clearly with their safe seats will be part of the future of the Labour Party. 
We have watched members opposite through question time today and we have seen the congratulations commiserations or whatever it is that is going on around Judith Tizard. We have watched the glum face of Mr Mallard who clearly is taking a step back. 
Simon Power 
: He’s not happy. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: He has been very unhappy over the last couple of days. We saw an exiting performance from Mr Burton today. We have noticed that Darren Hughes is off getting a new suit fitted and therefore is not in the junior whip’s seat today. Sue Moroney is there and she will be taking up her new position in it shortly. Labour did want to move Parekura Horomia but a little like me it is damned hard to get him to go. 
We want to know who is coming through. Who will replace Rick Barker? Who will replace Mark Burton? Who will replace Mahara Okeroa? Who will replace Damien O’Connor in the ministry? One would have to start looking at all of this and conclude that because 25 percent of the members of Labour’s caucus have bailed saying they are out of here because it is going to be too tough and because only another 25 percent are rock-solid in their electorates and will definitely be coming back to the House then David Benson-Pope starts to look like a very good bet. I think Helen Clark’s dilemma there is knowing how good he is. She will need to have a bit of a talk with him. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: What about Taito? 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: My colleague behind me asks: “What about Taito?”. Well when we look at the list and see that people are bailing all over the show then we realise maybe Helen Clark should creep over to that lovely office he has had and say: “Taito can we sort things out?”. I am not so sure— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member’s full name should be used. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Actually this is a general debate so we can be quite broad. Perhaps we should come back to the “member for Papatoetoe”.  
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Speakers’ ruling 26/7 states members cannot use a member’s first name; they must use the full name. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think members are aware that the term “Taito” is a title and not a name and therefore I think its use is acceptable in the House. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member is actually right. I stand corrected and I apologise. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I say to members that that particular member by offering that point of order may be crawling his way back. I will start to review my position there. 
I want to say Mr Assistant Speaker that you have a fantastic knowledge of Standing Orders and Speakers’ rulings. You are an enormous talent in the Labour caucus. Why is there no speculation about your future? I think that is most unfair. But I want to say that looking at the way things are going with 25 percent of your colleagues bailing out and a whole lot of others thinking about whether they are going or staying when you are sitting in one of those very safe Labour seats things look promising.