Horan Brendan: Adjournment — Sittings of the HouseText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHoran Brendan: Adjournment — Sittings of the House[Sitting date: 11 December 2013. Volume:695;Page:15518. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]BRENDAN HORAN (Independent): I echo the thanks expressed already to the very many people who make this place our Parliament work. I do want to make particular mention of three teams who have enabled me to operate as an effective Independent MP. First is my team of PhilLyth Mike andKarylene O’Neill and Peter Morse and my beautiful wife Miranda. To our Clerk Mary Harris and her team of capable people associated with supporting the House—these people have been absolutely wonderful in providing answers and advice for me and I thank you very much. Mention must be made of the Parliamentary Library a team of tireless researchers led by PeterQuin. To function again as an effective MP my team and I make heavy use of their services and the one job I have dared not ask the library is how many jobs my team and I have lodged with them this year. I would like to thank some of the very good people who have left Parliamentary Service in the past 12 months. Geoff Errol Sophia Mike Grant Alex and there are others. I must say that services have diminished somewhat in your absence and we miss you.In this year I have talked with and dealt with parties and members across the House and I thank Gareth Hughes and the Green caucus for their commitment to democracy in casting my proxy vote. I thank Labour MPs particularly Sue Moroney and Grant Robertson and their predecessors. We talk and although we do not always agree we always engage positively. I thank Te Ururoa Flavell and his two ministerial colleagues—also Hone Harawira has been very good to work with.I thank the National members and Ministers who have provided time for meetings on a range of subjects. I also acknowledge Katrina Shanks who is leaving this House taking a new direction. Over the last 2 years I have valued her input on the Māori Affairs Committee and I wish her well for the future. I would also like to acknowledge my colleagues on the Māori Affairs Committee. We have gone through a lot of work this year and it has certainly been an emotional but a very rewarding journey. I also wish to acknowledge the mighty and unforgettable presence of Parekura Horomia.I came to this House in 2011 determined to do two things. One was to be a hard-working and effective MP for the 3-year term of Parliament. The second was to do good things for New Zealand and I have been proud to do that in 2013. Twelve months ago I found I was an Independent MP and not because of anything I had done. But I came into Parliament under the slogan “For a fair go” and I thought: well I can either be bitter or I can get down and give this work a fair go. And that is what I have done. I am not one to hold a grudge and it is Christmas so I wish those agents those vile people a merry Christmas. To members I say that I hope no other member current or future or their family has to endure the crucible that my family has been tested in all because ofvile wicked and false allegations and I am glad that that chapter is now about to be closed.As John Key has said a most important skill in politics is being able to count. I have a vote and on a number of occasions it has been crucial in the decisions of this House. The first occasion was ensuring the passage of the honourable David Clark’s bill to Mondayise Waitangi Day and Anzac Day which passed on a vote of 61 to 60. Every vote was important and mine was one. Recently a member’s bill was defeated on a tied vote of 60 to 60 and my vote was the 61st important vote against it. Because of my vote the new law on legal highs requires reporting every year on the work of the Psychoactive Substances Expert Advisory Committee.There is a lot of other work but we are running out of time. I would just like to say that I have a Christmas wish for Tauranga and it is that this Government does the right thing and takes Route K and its debt in its entirety which is a $60 million noose around the ratepayers of Tauranga. I also have a Christmas wish for the people of New Zealand and that is that we get our ultra-fast broadband infrastructure in place as quickly as possible.To all the members here arohanui. I wish you love and time with your families over this Christmas and into the new year. Thank you.