Maiden Statements

NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) Link to this

Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your election to office. I speak to you today as the first-ever National member of Parliament for Auckland Central. I am conscious of the history that we have made in taking this seat for the first time. I would like to thank all of those people who helped on my campaign who made this victory possible. I thank the family of Alfred Kidd, the first Liberal Party member of Parliament for Auckland Central, who supported me during my campaign. Alfred left Parliament almost exactly 100 years ago and I acknowledge his contribution to this House.

I would like to congratulate New Zealand’s 38th Prime Minister, the Hon John Key. The Prime Minister’s legacy has already been to change the face of the National Party, and in doing so he has changed this Parliament and probably the future direction of this country. Our 38th Prime Minister will go down in New Zealand’s history for forming a strong Government at lightning speed.

I also want to acknowledge and thank the Māori Party. In supporting this National Government the Māori Party MPs have shown they are not bound by rigid left or right-wing ideology in their pursuit of better lives for all Māori. In an ability to work with both sides of the House the Māori Party has shown great leadership. I know as a nation we have a lot of work to do to help lift many Māori out of hardship, and often our debate focuses on that, but I want to take a moment to acknowledge all the Māori MPs in this House in the contribution they have made.

I acknowledge my colleagues and I thank the National Party for this tremendous opportunity. I am here only because of the hard work of former presidents of the National Party, including Michelle Boag and John Slater, the current president, Judy Kirk, and the other officers and MPs who worked so hard to build this party.

Today I want to share with you who I am and what I wish to achieve as the member of Parliament for Auckland Central and as a representative of the people of New Zealand. I am the person I am today because of my family and the values I have been taught. I believe in freedom, hard work, determination, courage, an ability to question and challenge, and a commitment to help those most in need. I work hard every day to try to be a person with these attributes. Born in 1980, I am a 1980s baby, and proud. As part of the first intake of the 1980s MPs, I am proud to represent the next generation of New Zealanders.

Probably one of the most defining moments of my life was when my parents split up, around the time of my seventh birthday. My heart goes out to all Kiwi kids out there who have been through this. Grappling with what feels like the loss of a parent, and often being highly suspicious of one that you are gaining, is not an easy thing to go through. However, I consider myself very lucky. Had it not been for this event, I would not have the diverse, bubbly, challenging, and sometimes maniac family I have today and I would not be who I am. With two half-brothers, four half-sisters, one stepbrother, a full brother, a full sister, a mum, a dad, and two current step-parents, created not by marriage but, rather, by convention, I have one full brood. I do not intend to name my siblings, as it would be hugely embarrassing to miss one out. They are all very special to me, and I want them to know that wherever I am they are a part of me, and I love them very much.

It is this interesting family make-up that has formed my belief about families and probably has made me the liberal being I am today. I am not judgmental about how families should be structured—if it works, it works. I think that, regardless of who you are, whether you are bringing up a child as a parent, a grandparent, a dad and mum, two mums, or two dads, if you have the skills, love, and commitment to bring up a child, then I support you in what I am told is one of the most challenging and rewarding roles in life.

At this point I want to acknowledge that there are limits to my liberal philosophy. P has caused massive heartbreak and destruction in my family. There are many families across New Zealand silently suffering with little support. In some instances, they wait anxiously, day by day, for the next car crash, theft, or violent event. My heart goes out to those families who are suffering because of P, and I am committed to working hard to get rid of this drug.

I want to acknowledge my mum. My mum has devoted her life to Gen, Matty, Clinton—my stepfather—and me, and I am in absolute awe of her ability to perform mini-miracles and overcome so many hurdles. My mum’s drive to deliver us opportunities that often seemed impossible to our reach has always inspired me. She scraped and borrowed to pay the school fees to give me a first-class education, she worked several jobs to support my sister, and I do not remember her ever complaining. In fact, I remember that she often had the energy to be an ear to some of the many people who passed through our house needing help. That constant ability to give to others in need is a value I cherish.

I thank my big sister for looking after me during those years when mum was by herself and working. I was not particularly grateful at the time, and I felt rather bossed around. But I think she did pretty well for an 11-year-old. My brother Matty is a legend, a great husband, and a great father. I thank my stepfather for instilling in me the values of hard work, through the wheelbarrows of sawdust I carted at a mere 10c a barrow, to earn some cash, and through barrowing away late into the evening. He would have expected nothing less. To my grandmother Micky, I say that if I ever had to work out where my determination came from, I have only to look at her sitting in the gallery. Three days after an accident and subsequent hip operation, she insisted on being wheeled in for this speech. Thank you for coming.

My professional and academic background has been diverse. I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Otago, majoring in genetics, and I hope to complete a law degree soon. My professional experience includes working in Parliament. The people who work here in Parliament often go on beyond the call of duty, and I thank them all for their service.

Like many New Zealanders, I have done my OE. I moved to London in 2003 and came back last year. I have worked in central and local government, in transport and social policy roles overseas, and in the private sector in project management, where I ran a major information technology project for a financial institution. In my spare time I launched a company utilising Internet technology. It is this diverse public and private sector experience that I hope will give me some perspective and an open-minded approach to all the businesses and community organisations that I try to assist in my role as a member of Parliament.

Since being a youngster I have always run and played sport. I am proud of my sporting achievements. For me, like many Kiwis, sport is not just a hobby; being physically active is a way of life. In my lifetime I would like to see New Zealand host an Olympic Games. For a nation with so many successful athletes, this would be a tremendous moment in our history.

I am fortunate to have travelled the world and I have had a great time doing it. I have represented the National Party as a vice chair of the International Young Democratic Union. In this role I met many young outstanding future leaders and members of Parliament. I have fought for the freedom of others, as the leader of the Belarus freedom campaign. I acknowledge those who do not have the freedom we have in New Zealand, and I am committed to continuing to work to raise awareness of the struggle of these people.

Though I am 28, I think I have crammed a lot in. It is very humbling to have been voted in by the hard-working and good people of Auckland Central. I want to thank them for the opportunity they have given me. It has been a privilege to meet so many Auckland Central residents on the doorstep. Some of them shared with me snapshots of their lives—the good, the bad, and the sometimes out of focus. For those who have opened their hearts and homes, I am grateful that they gave me a better understanding of the challenges we face as a nation. The people I met on the streets of Auckland Central were hard-working, passionate people who care deeply about the future of New Zealand.

One issue that was raised with me by many people in Auckland was the reform of Auckland’s regional government. I am committed to working hard on this. We cannot afford to get it wrong. The reform will require strong leadership from local and central government politicians. If people revert to preciously protecting their patches, then Aucklanders and New Zealand will suffer, and a once-in-a-generation opportunity will be lost. The solution will need to balance the move towards a more simple structure while ensuring there is a structure that supports strong community representation. If we achieve this, it will be a legacy of this Government and its support parties.

Auckland Central is not a typical urban electorate. The diversity of the electorate is reflected in its geography, from the urban jungle to the gulf islands and the inner-city suburbs. The Auckland Central business district drives our nation’s economy, but it is also where people live, work, and play. Over 120,000 people come into the city to work every day. The residents of the central business district live in over 100 apartment dwellings. I look forward to working hard to improve the relationship between local and central government to ensure that people in the inner city have a good standard of living.

The gulf islands are one of the greatest assets Auckland has, and part of my focus as a member of Parliament will be to try to enhance and protect them. Waiheke Islanders—the Waihetians—are a strong, smart, vocal community that needs a good advocate on the national stage. Waiheke faces a delicate balance between sensible development and preservation of the natural environment. While I am in Parliament I intend to work hard with other parties, such as the Greens, to help steer this course and contribute on environmental issues. Our environment is the greatest gift we have been given as a nation.

There are people who think the environment is an issue that can be put aside when times are tough. I would ask those people to look deeper and realise that from a social and economic point of view, our environment is the most precious asset we have. Great Barrier Island is an untouched piece of paradise, a rough nugget with some of the most resourceful people we will find in New Zealand. The pioneering, resilient spirit of the Barrierites is alive and kicking. I am committed to working with local iwi and the community to advance the basic infrastructure of the island and deliver better marine protection.

The western bay suburbs have developed with Auckland. These are not cookie-cutter subdivisions such as those you might see in the rest of the country. The communities, such as Grey Lynn, Ponsonby, Westmere, Freemans Bay, Arch Hill, and Western Springs, all have their own story and character. The people are multicultural, multi-ethnic, and cosmopolitan. Young families and young professionals are in abundance. This electorate does not just have large corporate headquarters. Some 18,000 small businesses make their living here, and part of my focus in Parliament will be to work with the private sector to promote policies that support these businesses.

The electorate is also home to many arts and creative sector professionals. At this point I would also like to acknowledge the Rt Hon Helen Clark for her dedication and commitment to the arts. The performing arts are part of the vibrant heart of Auckland City. I am committed to ensuring that their voice is heard in this Parliament.

I want to look briefly into the future. The next 30 years, like the last 30 years, will see immense change in New Zealand. Although I have no doubt that the issues of health and education will continue to dominate the debate in our Hansard in 2038, I predict that other issues may be just as prominent as those of the last 10 years, as we have started to see them emerge. The information age has provided immense power, but with that power and insight come the inevitable challenges of using that information. In our pursuit of technology to do things smarter and to provide solutions in medicine and medical-care application, we will need to be aware of the impact on society and the challenges we may face as a result. In our pursuit of smaller, smarter devices to manage our lives, to entertain us, and to communicate with each other we must realise that these great things come with deposits of information capable of mapping every move of a person.

The recent Google application is an example of this—great technology, but the social, moral, legal, and ethical implications could be immense and need to be adequately thought through. Medicine is an area where this is just as applicable. Most people would applaud when they see genetics providing information that can help treat diseases such as cancer; however, our ability to obtain information about children not born yet is an example where not all of society may be on the same page.

This Parliament, and Parliaments of the future, will grapple with these issues. As someone with a background in information technology and genetics, I hope to be able to contribute to these debates. As part of the next generation of New Zealanders, I know we will have to work smarter and harder than the generation that came before us. With an ageing population we will be thin on the ground.

At this point I want to finish by acknowledging the thousands of Kiwis living overseas who long to come home to our nation. The voice of these people is at times muted by distance but they are passionate New Zealanders.

I thank the people of New Zealand for this opportunity. I am proud—so proud—to be the first National member of Parliament for Auckland Central. Thank you.

KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) Link to this

Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your election as the Speaker of the House. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh. That is the greeting Sikhs first exchange when they meet each other or when they part company. It is a reminder to always stay humble and never forget that God has supreme power. Namaste, salaam alaikum, kia ora, and Pacific greetings to all.

Today I congratulate our leader, the Prime Minister, the Hon John Key, on winning the trust of the people of New Zealand to lead our country through these difficult times. It is by virtue of his leadership that I stand here today addressing this House of Representatives as a member of Parliament. I shall always remain humbled by the trust shown by the leader, the Hon John Key; the National Party President, Judy Kirk; and all my National Party colleagues who have shown trust in me. I will do my best to honour their trust.

During the election campaign, I made new friends and supporters, like the electorate chair, Ray Strong; the campaign chair, Kit Parkinson; the campaign manager, Jill Spooner; and Gurvinder Singh, my financial agent. I would like to thank them and all the supporters from all communities for their immense support and hard work. I also want to thank all my friends, well-wishers, and supporters who have come all the way from Auckland—and also from Wellington—to join me on this historic day.

I would like to pay special tribute to my father, the late Bakshi Jagdev Singh, and my mother, the late Basant Kaur Bakshi, who instilled in me the invaluable qualities of honesty, of integrity, and of extending a helping hand to whomever, wherever and whenever I can. I know they would be proud to see their son carry on the family tradition of politics and representing communities.

I thank my family. Without their love, support, and sacrifice I would not be here today. To my wife, Irvinder Kaur, and my sons, Gawanjit Singh Bakshi and Rijakjit Singh Bakshi, who are here today, I say they have been a source of my strength. Thank you very much. My brothers, Karamjit Singh and Paramjit Singh, and my sisters-in-law visited me from India to support me during the election and bless me. I am also grateful to my father-in-law and mother-in-law for their true guidance and moral support.

I would also like to acknowledge tangata whenua, and all the New Zealanders who have opened their hearts to migrants like me and made us a part of this nation. This country has a proud history. It is a history in which my own people have played a part since 1890, when a fellow Indian Sikh, Phuman Singh Gill, migrated here. He married a Pākehā and worked as a confectioner. His descendants today live in Auckland, and I acknowledge Peter Gill amongst them. Indians have served and contributed to New Zealand society in many spheres, like farming, business, and the medical and legal professions. Today our community stands proud in having produced its first Indian Sikh member of Parliament.

I would especially like to acknowledge the New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Air Force for having integrated the Sikh turban and our five articles of faith, commonly termed as the “Five K’s”, into their respective uniforms. They are kesh, uncut hair; kanga, a comb; kirpan, a small sword; karha, a steel bracelet; and kachhera, cotton underwear. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing my baptised brothers to come to Parliament wearing kirpan, which our religion requires.

I entered politics many years ago because of a burning desire to make a difference in the fields of trade, law and order, and inter-ethnic relations. I identify with Mark Twain’s statement: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you did not do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. AND discover.” Exploring, dreaming, and discovering are an innate part of every Kiwi’s world view. That is what makes us a rich nation—rich in innovative talent, rich in exploring new scientific frontiers, and rich in extending individual freedom. Time and again we have led the world in these areas. It is my belief that under the dynamic leadership of our Prime Minister, the Hon John Key, and the brilliance of our Minister of Trade, the Hon Tim Groser, we can create conditions around the world that favour our innovators, our manufacturers, and our producers.

After the free-trade agreement with China and given that talks are in progress for a free-trade agreement with the USA, I think it is time to turn our attention to India, one of the biggest democracies and the fastest-growing economy in the world. I would like to see a free-trade agreement between these two countries.

It may not be out of place to say that the prosperity that trade brings to a country becomes meaningless if the person on the street does not feel safe. The deaths of hard-working Kiwis like Sergeant Derek Wootton, retailer Navtej Singh, cafe owner Joanne Wang, young student Krishna Naidu, and others remind us of the work that needs to be done in the field of policing, in the social sector, in education, and in inter-ethnic relations. This is not only to safeguard our country’s reputation as a tourist heaven, but also to lead the world in providing solutions to tackle crime.

Tackling the causes of criminal behaviour to prevent it from happening is cost effective, and prevents human suffering. We must never lose sight of the fact that even if we put a criminal behind bars, the victims and their loved ones are already sentenced for life. That sense of having been wronged for no fault of their own can spread bitterness in all corners of our society. I humbly offer my intimate knowledge of the South Auckland communities and their specific issues, to help prevent crime before it is committed, because that is the only way to prevent the suffering of the victims. I would like to take this opportunity to stress the need to not lose sight of individual freedom while trying to tackle crime. As Thomas Jefferson pointed out two centuries ago, “A society that will trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither.”

Now I come to the growing ethnic diversity of our New Zealand society. Our first Asian Cabinet Minister, the Hon Pansy Wong, my National Party colleague, Melissa Lee, and I are examples of the growing ethnic diversity of New Zealand society. I also acknowledge Dr. Ashraf Choudhary, Dr. Rajen Prasad, and Raymond Huo on the Opposition benches as part of this ethnically diverse Parliament. I humbly pledge to work with our Minister for Ethnic Affairs, the Hon Pansy Wong, and others to keep the diverse ethnic mosaic of our society harmonious and respectful of each other’s differences. I have come to this Parliament carrying the responsibility of looking after the interests of the people of this great country, and I am fully committed to do my best to serve this great country and its people.

I have come to the conclusion of my maiden speech. I would like to share with the House the ideal city from Sikh scripture, which is a guiding light to me and my fellow Sikhs:

JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) Link to this

Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your election to the position of Speaker, and I know that you will serve this House in an excellent manner. Ladies and gentlemen, fellow members of the House, I have always been proud to be a New Zealander. I am now honoured, humbled and privileged to speak in this House.

I am very proud to be a member of the National Party. I was convinced some time ago that New Zealand would be extremely well served by the forward-thinking leadership of the Prime Minister, the Hon John Key. I now find myself with this opportunity to serve under him in his Government. I count that as a great privilege. I would like to thank Judy Kirk, the president of the National Party. She is a wonderful woman, who leads with great skill, insight and warmth. I thank Jo Stuart and Alastair Bell, two of our regional chairs, who have encouraged me in my journey to the House. I thank the great team in New Plymouth, who wholeheartedly threw their support behind me. Special thanks go to Jan Mason and Orm Greensill, my campaign co-chairs for their tremendous support and, of course, to all the campaign team and the many volunteers who literally did the hard yards. My thanks also go to John and Helen Armstrong, who have been great personal supporters throughout the rigours of the campaign. My family has been a tremendous encouragement to me. Of course, I would like to thank my wife, Maura, for her steadfast support, her brilliant analysis of situations, and her unrelenting belief in me.

I am very proud and honoured to be the member of Parliament who represents the people of the New Plymouth electorate. This electorate, which goes from Ōkato in the west to Waitara in the east, and to the summit of Mount Taranaki, is an amazingly beautiful part of New Zealand. The New Plymouth electorate is truly a jewel in the crown of New Zealand, and its time has come. Only 2 months ago New Plymouth was voted New Zealand’s top city, heading off Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland as the best place in New Zealand in which to live, love, work and raise a family. I know that some of the members from those lesser cities want to rise to their feet right now, but I understand that interjections are discouraged during maiden speeches. Added to that, New Plymouth won three out of the five possible gold medals at the UN-endorsed International Awards for Liveable Communities, which were recently held in China.

I bring this to members’ attention because it was not always the case. New Plymouth was described by author E W Payton in 1876 as the “dullest place in the colony … which all the other great bustling cities, had a patronising way of snubbing”. As we wonder about those words, we realise they underscore a story that all New Zealanders can be encouraged by. As a consequence of New Plymouth’s distance from those great bustling cities, it bred a people who possessed what we would all see as a noble trait: self-reliance. With the earliest Māori settling in Taranaki around AD 800, the people of the region have always been resilient and resourceful. When describing the magnificence of New Plymouth and the area, Mayor Peter Tennent said: “It’s because of our heritage of innovation and determination that we have ground-breaking facilities, extensive parks and reserves, a magnificent programme of events and festivals, and a very strong local economy—which combined with our fantastic landscape, makes for a lifestyle that is unequalled anywhere.”

The success of New Plymouth and its surrounding region is not just because we are a cow town, or an oil town. It is because we are innovative and determined to make the most of opportunities that come our way. Being so far from the bustling cities of the north and south, the people of the New Plymouth region were compelled to develop their own strong sense of community, their own expression of art and culture, and their own excellence in industry. That is evidenced today by events such as WOMAD—the World of Music, Arts and Dance festival—and the Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival, which attracts tourists from all over New Zealand and around the world. Pukekura Park, in the centre of the city, has been named a garden of national significance, and the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, the home of the collection of internationally acclaimed kinetic artist Len Lye, is world renowned. Taranaki has a world-class stadium, Yarrow Stadium—carrying the name of the late Noel Yarrow, one of Taranaki’s great philanthropists—where we recently enjoyed the All Blacks playing Samoa. The Davis Cup round against China was also played in New Plymouth. It is also evidenced in the world-class engineering companies that support the oil and gas industry and export their expertise around the world, not just in oil and gas engineering but in the leap that has been made to manufacture some of the best superyachts in the world.

I would suspect that if Edward W Payton were to visit New Plymouth today, he would see a thriving, creative, expansive, exciting, and bustling city. He would write an addendum to his previous statement, which would say: “even if they were snubbed … they wouldn’t notice anyway!”.

New Zealanders, like the people of New Plymouth, have a great heritage of innovation and determination. It comes from the challenges we face from living on the far side of the world. State-of-the-art innovation and best practices are critical to us. We have huge oceans to cross to the bustling cities of the north, and if we are not committed to excellence, and if we are not resourceful and determined, we simply cannot compete. It has always been our ingenuity and resourcefulness that has given us the winning edge. As the world is facing severe economic conditions, it is this heritage—it is this heart—that will pull us through with strength and confidence. It is the story of New Plymouth, which I am proud to represent in this House. It is also the story that New Zealand will win on.

The story of New Plymouth’s future success is yet to unfold: developing greater national and international transport links through the port; the ongoing development of New Plymouth’s infrastructure; continuing development of tourism features and opportunities; the continual increase of opportunities through our educational institutions, which will inspire our young graduates to invest their skills in our region; the ongoing development of New Plymouth’s unique arts and cultural heritage; the ongoing advancement of industries such as agriculture and oil and gas, and all the associated industries that experience the multiplying benefit of their success, which are opening up opportunities for more New Zealanders; and the ongoing enrichment of our communities and the development of community support organisations. People love living in New Plymouth. It is rich in its relationships and sense of community. It has a great can-do attitude. It is a world-class city in so many ways.

I am a son of Taranaki, a returned son. Mount Taranaki is our great landmark. It gives us a sense of location and anchorage. By it, we know where we are and where we are heading. I was born in Hāwera, South Taranaki, to Venn and Margaret Young. Like all good parents they too were landmark people in my life. I would like to acknowledge members of my family—my mother Margaret, who is here today. I would also like to acknowledge Catherine Young, whom many of you will also know. I acknowledge my siblings—Adrienne, Audrey, Simon and his wife Carly, and Geoffrey. I have family members who cannot be here: Andrew and Lynne, Peter and Tracey, and Matthew, Lauren, and Francis. They continue to play a very important part in my life. I thank them for all their support.

My parents were dairy farmers in Ōtakeo, and when I was about 4 years of age they shifted to Cambridge to farm in the Waikato. In 1966 my father was selected as the National Party candidate for Egmont, which later became Waitōtara, and then Whanganui. He was successful and spent the next 24 years serving his constituents and this House. My first recollection of Parliament was coming here as a 7-year-old and meeting the late Sir Keith Holyoake, the then Prime Minister. I remember that meeting vividly. I remember my father’s first office. I remember the shoeshine stools in the men’s toilets, which are still there today. I remember sitting up in the gallery as a small boy, wondering what this was all about. I remember eating in Bellamy’s, with the silver butter knives, the rolls, and the fish that so often seemed to be on the menu.

Throughout my growing years my parents instilled in me a very basic philosophy: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”—the golden rule of life, as my mother said. Later I learnt that this simple philosophy was at the heart of practical Christianity, which later dramatically shaped my life. I was educated in Hāwera and New Plymouth, and later in Palmerston North.

Throughout my student years I enjoyed what many young men enjoyed doing—that is, working in the holidays. My jobs ranged from haymaking, to cheesemaking in the Kaupakanui dairy factory, then to churning out the very first butter from Whareroa—which is now Fonterra’s Hāwera plant, and is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere—and to spending a summer in the Pātea freezing works, followed by a couple of summers in a high country cattle station called Molesworth, which straddles North Canterbury, Marlborough, and Nelson Bays. During my time in Palmerston North I was training to be an educator, a teacher. It is a noble profession—perhaps not earth-shattering, but definitely world shaping. I discovered to my surprise that I was an excellent teacher. I think I was surprised at that because I was not a particularly excellent student. I have been most gratified to receive emails from students even this year, who still count me as their best teacher 30 years later.

Later in my life I served the people of Waitakere City, west Auckland, as a church minister. I found that to be challenging and rewarding work. It connected me to families and single people, to young and old alike, to business people, tradespeople, labourers, factory workers, and professionals—people in all walks of life. I was their mentor and friend. I shared their happy times and their heartaches. I listened to their stories and stretched my perspective to see theirs. That has helped me to understand where people are at. Through that I discovered what it is to not just live in a community but lead a community. The challenge, as our Prime Minister has articulated well, is to encourage people to have a life of aspiration rather than of envy—to grasp the opportunities that come each person’s way.

It reminds me of the story of a young ambitious man asking an experienced salesman for the secret of his success. The salesman said: “There’s no great secret. You just have to jump at every opportunity that comes along.” The young man replied: “But how can I tell when an opportunity is coming?”. The salesman replied: “You can’t. You have to keep jumping.” I think that is what aspiration is about. It is not just seeing the opportunity; it is jumping for it. It is not just aptitude and education; it is attitude and determination. Education, and encouraging and leading people forward into a brighter and better future has always been my core purpose, no matter what profession I have been engaged in. I trust I can continue this passion as a member of Parliament.

As I come to a close, I say that much of the world is focused on reducing its carbon footprint. We want it to be balanced so we live in a sustainable world. I would like to describe the political footprint I hope to make. When my time comes to leave, I want to leave this place better off than when I came. I want to leave New Zealand better for my contribution than without it. I want to leave a political footprint that is an indelible impression of someone who carries genuine concern and care for his constituents, colleagues, and all New Zealanders.

Firstly, I want to tread carefully with my constituents and colleagues. I believe the best parliamentarian is one who seeks to serve his or her constituents and communities without fear or favour. The leaders whom people admire are those who continually put the benefit of others first. I am not here for myself; I am here for the people of New Plymouth. No one will feel my footprint on their toes. I believe it is important to respect the opinion of others, especially when they may differ from my own. Arrogance is ultimately a step towards ignorance. There is a certain wisdom in understanding that those who disagree with us can often educate us. They challenge our perception and knowledge, and it is only by embracing challenge that we truly grow. I want to be open-minded.

However, I believe it is important to have strength of character so that we remain true to our convictions, whether others agree with us or not. I appreciate the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said: “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion. It is easy in solitude to live after one’s own. But the great men or women are they, who in the midst of the crowd keep with perfect sweetness the independence of their character.”

Secondly, in stepping out, I want my footprint to be seen in strategic advancements that will improve people’s lives. I believe in freedom. I believe democracy offers New Zealanders the best political opportunity for freedom. True freedom requires that people live in social responsibility and concern for one another. Caring is not the prerogative of a socialistic philosophy; it is a universal responsibility. As I tread my political footprint in my community and in this Parliament, I want to support and promote the goal of financial success and independence, alongside a pursuit of personal aspiration and excellence that also seeks to live in social concern for others. Though we live with governmental oversight and organisation, we organise because the social concern for others is often lower than it should be in our communities. Therefore, as we build responsible and mature communities, Government can become smaller because communities become stronger.

Thirdly and finally, in establishing my political footprint I want to leave a pathway for others to follow. I aspire that my service and leadership would be an inspiration to others, that my life would serve as a worthy example to follow. We must never forget that above all things, we are leaders. We will leave a legacy. Some legacies will last days, some will last months, some will last years, and some will never be forgotten. May our monuments be ever seen in the vitality and success of those we seek to serve. The things worth living for will always be the things that outlast us.

I want to be a part of something great that is worthy of the investment of our lives. That is why I am here, that is why I am honoured to serve in the National Party, and that is what I aspire to do. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity. May God bless us all. Kia ora.

RAHUI KATENE (Māori Party—Te Tai Tonga) Link to this

Kei te Manu Kōrero, the Hon Dr Lockwood Smith, tēnā koe. Tēnā koutou katoa. E ngā mana, e ngā reo, rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou. E aku mātua, e aku whaea, ngā karanga maha me koutou kua tae tawhiti mai i Te Wai Pounamu, tēnā hoki koutou. Huri noa i te Whare nei, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa

[Greetings to you, Mr Speaker, the Hon Dr Lockwood Smith, greetings. Greetings to you all. To the powers, languages, and the many leaders, greetings to you. Greetings also to my parents, aunties, and the many callings, including those of you who came from afar in the South Island. To you throughout this House, greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all.]

I am the Māori Party manifestation of a 100-day plan. In true Māori Party style, our plan took us only 84 days to complete. With the outstanding 16 days we have made a start on our 1,000-day plan. The 84 working days between when I was selected to represent the Māori Party in the Te Tai Tonga electorate, on 16 July, and election day have been a journey like no other. It has been a journey with one aim in mind: I am here to serve my people, and because of the love I have for my family. That life of service to, and love of, others is a lesson well learnt as a member of my whānau, hapū, and iwi, as well as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was 12 when I first started to serve by playing the piano and the organ at church. Later I taught and led in various Church auxiliaries. I continue to serve others by being here in this House and representing my people and my loved ones to the best of my ability.

The calling to serve flows within my blood. As I stand here today I am aware of the legacy I owe my father, John Hippolite of Ngāti Kōata, Ngāti Kuia, and Ngāti Toa. His influence on my life was profound. Dad was at the forefront of the Māori renaissance in Nelson and, later, in Hamilton. He was always a strong union and Labour man. In fact, in 1967 after the death of Sir Eruera Tirikātene, dad stood for selection for Southern Maori but missed out to Sir Eruera’s daughter, Whetu Tirikātene-Sullivan. Today, 41 years later, the daughter of John Hippolite completes the circle.

In the late 1960s, with Dr Oliver Sutherland, dad undertook research in the Nelson District Court on unrepresented defendants, many of them Māori. His action eventually led to the legal aid scheme being opened to criminal defendants. The pursuit of justice and his determination to fight for the people led dad to Korea, where he served alongside some 6,000 other New Zealanders who took up the duty, on our behalf, to serve their country. He was always a proud member of the RSA, but he could not support New Zealand’s involvement in the war in Viet Nam. His anger was never about his military colleagues—those who did the hard yards on foreign shores. How could it be? He too had been driven by duty and by honour to serve our country. Dad condemned the fact of Western intervention in Viet Nam, and served his time instead as a passionate advocate for peace and justice, occupying the protest lines.

In the 1980s my father joined the protest line again, in the largest civil disturbance since the 1951 waterfront strike. This period, in which 150,000 New Zealanders took action to oppose the racial policies of South Africa, has been described as a watershed moment in our history. It was the juxtaposition of two ideals that were firmly established in the identity of the nation. Rugby, the national icon, crashed head first into the national myth that New Zealand had the finest race relations in the world. While the policy of apartheid was played out on South African shores, questions inevitably arose at home about how we could allow Māori to be described as “honorary whites”, or label those who protested as stirrers and troublemakers. It was a theme that was repeated just 4 years ago, in the reactions to those who marched in the hīkoi to oppose the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

My father hated injustice wherever he saw it. He marched in the 1975 Land March, and was one of the original claimants in Wai 262, the flora and fauna claim, for which we still await the Waitangi Tribunal report, 17 years after it was first lodged. Dad was arrested at Bastion Point and at Raglan. This key I wear is his. It opens the padlock on the chains on the statue erected by Aunty Eva Rickard at Whāingaroa to commemorate their land struggle and those arrested there. He worked with social and Government agencies to encourage them to find better ways to work with Māori. He supported his Uncle Rangi Elkington to establish Whakatū Marae in Nelson. And he always tried to interest his children in his activities. I know that he is watching and smiling proudly today from heaven.

My mother, June Gray of Kai Tahu and Ngāti Māmoe, was also always very politically active. It was never enough to be enrolled in our family; you voted, and you supported your candidate any way you could. I have thought about mum as we reflect on the low turn-out rate by Māori in this year’s general election. I wonder how it is that 80 percent of the general population turned up to vote, but only 62 percent of Māori eligible to vote on the Māori roll turned up on the day. Representation in a democracy is not only a basic human right. It is also a sign of faith, to move forward together as a nation.

Mum was a member of the Labour Party right up until Labour took its great leap right in the 1980s, when she stayed left with her Jim, and thereafter she doorknocked for him, took petitions out, sat at cake stalls, drove her children to distraction with her devotion to him, and did everything she could to make sure that he was re-elected, election after election, until she became too sick to carry on. Mum was also a prolific letter writer—writing letters to the editor on local and national issues. I wish she was well enough to be here today; she would be so proud to know that I am here in the House with her Jim, even though we have different politics and philosophies.

So our family was programmed to be political. One of my brothers previously stood unsuccessfully for election to this House. Another has stood unsuccessfully for election to his local council. I am really proud of them, but I am even more pleased that my record is better than theirs.

At about 14 I joined the Labour Party, and when I was old enough to vote I faithfully voted Labour for many years. As a young teen I joined the protests against our involvement in Viet Nam. Later, raising a young family scaled back the time I could devote to political activities, but as a university student I protested against the Springbok tour in 1985, against the education policies of scaling Māori down, and against other discriminatory practices. It was at about this time that I stopped voting and supporting Labour.

My politics have always been defined by my upbringing and my experiences as a Māori, a Māori woman, and a mother of Māori children. I have always supported parties that provide the most support and benefit for our whānau, hapū, and iwi. Career-wise I have made the same choices. Although university had not been part of my life plan, when our children were of an age that meant I was ready to return to the workforce, I decided that I needed to set the example for my children and further my education. I started a Bachelor of Arts degree at Waikato University, but after just 1 year turned my focus to the law. It was a decision motivated by the injustices I had observed through my involvement with a group of women involved in Women’s Refuge. While some in the group decided to help through social agencies, I wanted to make the law work for our women.

It was Martin Luther King who said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” It is a principle I believe in wholeheartedly: the principle of collective responsibility, not retribution. I cannot be a bystander to life. I chose to immerse myself in the mechanics of law and, now, the machinery of Government, in order to ensure that the powerful and the powerless are reconciled, and peace and justice prevail.

And so our whānau moved to Wellington, and my adventure with the law started. It was only a matter of time before the Treaty became my passion. The light switched on through the legal system course, and turned to full beam during the constitutional law course. Helping to turn on that switch was Alex Frame, who made the Treaty components of my study so vivid and so compelling. It was all about the timing. While I was learning the theory of constitutional law at university, that topic became even more vivid because that was the year that Sir Graham Latimer led the Māori Council on its most controversial case, when it took on the Labour Government over the sale of State-owned assets and won.

I spent many hours in the Court of Appeal being educated in the practice and impact of constitutional law. Twenty-one years later, the ruling of the Court of Appeal in New Zealand Maori Council v Attorney-General is worth repeating for the record. In summing up, the president, Sir Robin Cooke, said: “We have reached two major conclusions. First that the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi override everything else in the State Owned Enterprises Act. Second, that those principles require the Pakeha and Maori partners to act towards each other reasonably and with the utmost good faith.” Our nation is better for the vision and courage of Sir Graham Latimer and the New Zealand Māori Council in pursuing that case.

That was a time, also, when I first watched David Baragwanath QC; now Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias, for whom I was later privileged to act as junior counsel in the High Court and Court of Appeal for the Māori electoral option case; and Martin Dawson, who was to become counsel for Ngāti Kōata’s tribunal claims. I mihi to them and to Martin’s whānau. We still miss him, and he was never far from our thoughts when 3 weekends ago the iwi, hapū, and whānau of Te Tau Ihu received the final report of the Waitangi Tribunal into our claims. In the tribunal’s report, it traced back the whakapapa of the claims put forward by people such as Martin—claims dating back to as early as 1860, when the people of Te Tau Ihu had already lost most of our original estate. The report describes the after-effects of the Crown’s failure as being evident in grinding poverty, social dislocation, and loss of culture. But impacts were also evident in the Crown’s failure to protect or to provide for Māori interests and rights in their customary fisheries and other resources.

I worked at the Treaty of Waitangi policy unit, which is now the Office of Treaty Settlements, where I observed firsthand the Crown’s attitude and behaviour towards, and policies on, the Treaty and Māori. I thought it would be the obvious springboard to make change—change for the betterment of our people. Hope reigns eternal. It was a brutal initiation. It is very easy to become cynical and defeatist in that sort of environment. I still think it is vital that Māori keep working within the system to effect change. But it is equally vital that Māori have strong support systems, both inside and outside the system, in order to keep focused on who we are and why we are there; otherwise we risk system capture or total meltdown.

While I was working there my husband and I were privileged to represent Ngāti Toa at the Māori Congress—for a while with my father, who represented Te Rūnanganui o Te Tau Ihu. Through our involvement with the Māori Congress we were able to represent Māori at various UN conferences. The biggest eye-opener about our participation in those fora was how hard the Crown worked internationally at maintaining the fiction that New Zealand was a harmonious community, that our race relations were the best in the world, and that the Crown upheld the Treaty of Waitangi. Would that that were true! I mihi to Moana Jackson and Aroha Mead in particular for the work they did and continue to do with the indigenous networks and the UN, and say kia kaha.

Finally, after 9 years I finished my law degree and was admitted to the bar. How proud my parents, husband, and children were that day! The first law firm I worked for as a barrister and solicitor was Woodward Law Office. I remember long days and nights working in Auckland and Wellington—sometimes so long that I would have my youngest daughter curled up asleep under my desk, waiting to go home. Like many young mothers, I know about the tension between having a career and wanting to be with your children.

And just to prove what a glutton for punishment I was, at that time I was also one of the tutors for the Māori laws and philosophy course at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, became the director of the course for 1 year, sat on the manawhakahaere for some years, and for several years tutored the Māori legal entities course there. I mihi to Professor Whatarangi Winiata, who has touched so many lives through his influence.

I moved to the Crown Forestry Rental Trust, where I met the most amazingly committed people, both those working at the trust and those working for their whānau, hapū, and iwi. I later was employed by Te Ratonga Ture—the Māori Legal Service—and became involved in the community law centre and met more committed, if not driven, people. These were people like Tariana Turia, Pita Sharples, Hone Harawira, and Te Ururoa Flavell; people like the absolutely dedicated members of Te Tai Tonga whom I have worked with over the last few weeks; and the 23,000 members of the Māori Party, who believe they were raised to advocate for positive change, and who want a better world for us all.

It is also right for me at this time to acknowledge the passing of two great tōtara: Monte Ōhia and Rangitihi John Tahupārae. These two men exemplify for me a dedication and love that positive change can make. Haere atu kōrua me ngā mate puta noa te motu ki te Atua. Moe mai i te aroha.

[Depart, you two, and the deaths from throughout the land, to God. Rest there lovingly.]

I also acknowledge their wives, Linda and Rose, who truly were their pou tokomanawa—tēnā kōrua.

I began my kōrero by remembering that there is no greater calling than to be a servant of the people. That calling is not just an individual pursuit; it impacts on my whānau: my husband, Selwyn, my five children, my son-in-law and daughter-in-law, my five mokopuna, and all the mokopuna to come. And so I end in acknowledging them and their commitment, their dedication, and their love, which I know will fulfil me through the challenges I know will accompany me every day in the life of the MP for Te Tai Tonga.

Nō reira kei te Manu Kōrero, e te Whare, tēnā koutou katoa.

[So to you, Mr Speaker, and the House, greetings to you all.]

Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) Link to this

GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) Link to this

E te Pika, tēnā koe. Ki ngā mema o tēnei Whare, tēnā koutou katoa. Tēnei e mihi ana ki ngā tangata whenua o Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara. Koutou nō Taranaki Whānui, nō Te Āti Awa. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings to you, Mr Speaker, and to all members of this House, greetings. I acknowledge the local tribes of Wellington, those of you of Taranaki Whānui, and Te Āti Awa. Greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all.]

Mr Speaker, I first of all want to acknowledge and congratulate you on your election to the position of Speaker, and I want to pay my respects to the mana whenua of this place. I feel an enormous sense of privilege, gratitude, and history to stand here today in the House.

In 1954 and 1957 my grandfather Bob Wilkie ran as the Labour candidate in the Wairarapa electorate—a somewhat thankless task at the time. His advertisement in that long-lamented journal the Featherston Chronicle just before the 1957 election reads, in part: “I believe it is the responsibility of all in prosperity to care for those in adversity; that the welfare of the nation in the future depends on the children of today, and every assistance financial and otherwise should be given to those who have undertaken the responsibilities of parenthood.” Although times may have changed, the core values of social justice, community, and family that lie at the heart of my grandfather’s words and the Labour Party’s existence remain as important as ever today. I hope that Bob, who is in the gallery today, is proud that his grandson has made it to this place—and I wish him a happy 89th birthday for tomorrow.

These values of social justice that drew me to the Labour Party, a party of principle and vision, are what drive me today. I believe that the fifth Labour Government took giant strides in the journey towards social justice. History will judge programmes like KiwiSaver, Working for Families, and 20 hours’ free early childhood education as landmarks in our economic and social progress. I felt privileged to work with and for Helen Clark and Michael Cullen. They are true campaigners for social justice and people who have dedicated their adult lives to the betterment of New Zealanders.

I stand here today—I hope not unluckily—as the 13th representative of the Wellington Central electorate since it was named as such in 1905. I am humbled by those who have gone before me. My predecessors have included people of remarkable talent and vision, such as Peter Fraser, whose legacy in the area of education I will return to; Frank Kitts and Dan Riddiford, men who played significant roles in shaping this great city outside of this House as well; and Fran Wilde, who showed enormous courage and fortitude in sponsoring the Homosexual Law Reform Bill through this House. Fran, of course, left Parliament to play a key role in the development of this absolutely, positively wonderful city, and she continues to serve the region today.

My immediate predecessor, the Hon Marian Hobbs, was a tireless advocate for Wellington and for Labour values. She is principled, passionate, and honest. I could not have had a better teacher when it comes to representing the diverse communities of my electorate. I cannot promise to call everybody “darling”, “dearest”, or “thingy”, as Marian did, but I do give my commitment that I am first and foremost the MP for Wellington Central, and that I will stand up for all Wellingtonians and for the city and its beautiful environment.

I acknowledge in the House the two other cast members from the campaign that we called “Survivor: Wellington Central”. The Hon Heather Roy and Sue Kedgley are both articulate and principled advocates for the causes they believe in, and they were warm and friendly in what was from time to time a difficult campaign. I venture to suggest that not many other campaigns dealt with water pistols and exploding Taser guns, but that is Wellington Central for you. I look forward to working with all MPs from the Wellington region to advance the well-being of our constituents.

I also acknowledge those who have broken ground in Parliament. In particular, I salute my colleagues Maryan Street and Chris Carter. In his maiden speech 15 years ago Chris Carter said that he hoped his presence in the House would make it easier for other gays and lesbians to aspire to political office. For my part, I can say that it has. I am proud and comfortable with who I am. Being gay is part of who I am, just as is being a former diplomat, a fan of the mighty Ranfurly Shield - holding Wellington Lions, and a fan of New Zealand music and New Zealand literature. My political view is defined by my sexuality only inasmuch as it has given me an insight into how people can be marginalised and discriminated against, and how much I abhor that. I am lucky that I have largely grown up in a generation that is not fixated on issues such as sexual orientation. I am not—and neither should others be.

I am here today on the strength of support from my friends and family. In particular, I acknowledge the support and love of my partner, Alf. We are living proof that it pays not to stereotype—we met playing rugby. I was the number eight and he was the half back; a great combination. I also have had the pleasure of sharing in the growing up of Alf’s two children over the last 10 years, and of being part of his wider whānau. Taku aroha i a koe.

I also take this opportunity to acknowledge other new and returning members across the House. For all the differences that we may have over the direction of this country and the policies that we need in order to get there, I know that they are here to do their best, and that they have worked hard to be here, and I salute them for that.

My ability to make it through the campaign and win in Wellington Central was down to the hard work and sacrifice of hundreds of people. Some of them are here today. I thank them all again. My campaign team in many ways mirrors the Wellington Central electorate—argumentative, informed, creative, energetic, and young. And yes, we also had a few public servants in the campaign. Public servants have a right to participate in the political process, and I look forward to the new Government upholding its campaign promises to support and respect public servants. I suggest that a good place to start might be to stop referring to hard-working public servants as useless bureaucrats. I have been a public servant in this town, and I know that almost without exception, public servants give their total commitment to the Government of the day, whichever Government that may be.

Wellington is, of course, more than—as Don McGlashan put it—“the suits and the briefcases along Lambton Quay”. It is our most sustainable city. More people walk to work or take public transport than anywhere else in New Zealand. We need to do more to encourage that through better integrated, more reliable public transport services. Wellington Central is also home to the wonderful Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, which I encourage all members to visit, and other fantastic outdoor education facilities. A significant part of this is the town belt, a tremendous legacy to the city that surrounds the inner suburbs in green space. There are some questions around the legal status of the town belt, and from time to time land has been taken from it for other purposes. In consultation with the Wellington City Council and interested parties I plan to sponsor legislation in this House to ensure that the town belt remains in, and, just as appropriate, is returned to, public ownership.

Along with the outdoor activities, Wellington’s vibrancy is built around its creative sector. It is not hard to be swept along by the rich creative energy of this city. As the poet Lauris Edmond has put it, “This is the city of action, the world headquarters of the verb.” I believe that one of the great legacies of the fifth Labour Government is the growing sense of pride and identity expressed through our arts and culture. This is more obvious in Wellington than perhaps anywhere else. Our creative industries not only are the centre of our social life and tourism but also are part of the growing businesses of this city. The future of the Wellington economy, as with the rest of New Zealand, relies on those who can establish sustainable businesses that leverage off our natural advantages and capitalise on innovation. In Wellington the self-styled Silicon Welly, a group of businesses led by young entrepreneurs, is leading the way in the development of software and information technology solutions that are being picked up around the globe.

There are, of course, many people in Wellington Central whose lives are a world away from selling software on the world stage. For many of them, substandard housing is a problem. Too many homes in this city are poorly insulated and overcrowded. This makes them unhealthy and energy inefficient. I believe we must, as a country, make a key priority the quality of our housing stock and the provision of adequate social housing.

Wellington is also a place where many migrants and refugees begin their lives in New Zealand. We are a nation of migrants that benefits so much from each new wave of migration, yet I do not believe we do enough to support and welcome our newest New Zealanders. The bursting pride I saw from graduates at the Multicultural Learning and Support Services English language course last week here in Wellington needs to be matched by a strong commitment to support and work with them as they find their feet.

I arrived in Wellington 14 years ago, looking to find my feet. I had grown up largely in Dunedin, in the cloak of a Presbyterian family, where my parents—who are here today—raised my two brothers and me to believe that we are all created equal, to treat others as we wish to be treated, and to work hard for our goals. They gave us love and support, and allowed us to dream but be practical with it, and I thank them for that.

I was interested in politics from an early age—not, however, as early as my colleague Darren Hughes, whose first words as a baby, I understand, were “Mr Speaker”. My political consciousness grew around some key events. I swelled with pride and too many sausage rolls from the school canteen as I saw David Lange on television at the Oxford Union debate. Not only could an overweight guy with glasses succeed but also New Zealand could stand up to world powers hell-bent on destroying each other, and us in the process. I was proud then of our independent stance on the world stage, and I was proud to play my part in later years, working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and representing New Zealand at the UN in New York.

Through the late 1980s and into the 1990s, I became distressed at the direction I saw Government take. The unfettered, market-knows-best, laissez-faire, user-pays philosophy did untold damage to my community. The Employment Contracts Act arrived in 1991. At the supermarket where I was working at that time to pay my way through school and university, I experienced firsthand our penal rates disappear, our conditions lost, and the value of our wages sink. I have never forgotten the impact of that law on working New Zealanders, and I have worked ever since to support the rights of workers.

At university I became involved in the fight against user-pays in education. I ended up as the student president at Otago University and, in turn, here in Wellington for the New Zealand University Students Association. I learnt a great deal as a student politician. I learnt to organise, I learnt to campaign, and I learnt what it meant to stand up for what you believed in. After one particularly rowdy but peaceful protest I was accused by a policeman of being the biggest quasi-terrorist in Dunedin. I told him I was trying to lose weight.

Above all, I learnt that it is education that will make the difference to people achieving their potential in life. Peter Fraser and Clarence Beeby laid out the vision for the State’s role in education in 1939: “the government’s objective broadly expressed, is that every person, whatever his level of academic ability, whether he be rich or poor, whether he live in town or country has a right, as a citizen, to a free education of the kind for which he is best fitted and to the fullest extent of his powers.” Although much has changed in the intervening years, Fraser and Beeby’s vision is the one that I come to Parliament determined to develop and make real for the 21st century.

We have a great education system in New Zealand, staffed by dedicated professionals. We must build on that to ensure that it provides the basis for a strong, inclusive society going forward. There is not enough time today to talk about all the areas where we can work on this, but I want to make mention of one in particular. The current arrangements for funding of special-needs education need an urgent and serious review. Although successive Governments have put more money into this area, I know of parents who are still going through extreme stress to get the resources they are entitled to, and in some cases those resources are not sufficient. The Education Act says that every child in New Zealand has a right to an education. We have a responsibility to make that real.

My vision for making real the ideals of social justice that I spoke of earlier is a vision for a modern, inclusive New Zealand, where we equip our people with the skills and knowledge to succeed in an ever-globalising world, where we celebrate and promote diversity, and where we truly are our brother and sister’s keepers. The solutions and ways to achieve this will not all be found in Wellington or in Government. My generation of politicians must be open to a range of potential solutions. They will be found in our communities and our families, on marae, and in workplaces. It is the job of Government and of politicians in general to bring those solutions together and to provide leadership and support.

I want to help build a modern, inclusive New Zealand where we do not accept children growing up in poverty. I believe we should set goals to eliminate poverty in New Zealand, and work out a programme of redistribution that will see incomes and spirits lifted together. A modern, inclusive New Zealand also needs to be one that looks after our environment. The health of our natural environment is critical not only to our way of life but also to our economy. If we want people to stay in New Zealand, we need clean water to swim in and clean air to breathe. If we want carbon-conscious consumers across the world to buy our goods, or tourists who are spoiled for choice to choose to come here, then we need to be able to show that our 100 percent pure, clean, green image is a reality. Sadly, in many cases, it is not.

A modern, inclusive New Zealand will be one where we do not build more jails but where we work with and across communities to ensure that people do not end up in prison in the first place. A modern, inclusive New Zealand needs to ensure that we acknowledge the place and role of Māori in New Zealand as tangata whenua in the Treaty of Waitangi. I would like to promote one small step in that regard. I believe that te reo Māori should be taught in all schools for all pupils up until at least age 14. Learning a language is one of the keys to understanding a culture, and in this case it is our own culture. This is one small step that we could take to build a more harmonious society. A modern, inclusive New Zealand will harness the best of being a Pacific nation. The emerging Pasifika communities in New Zealand need to be supported and developed, and those communities will also play an important role in New Zealand’s place as a peacemaker and conflict-resolver in our region.

In conclusion I say, quite simply, that the reason I entered the political arena was my belief in social justice. My desire is to play a part in making my community, city, country, and world a fairer and more equal place, because it is that equality that will drive aspiration, opportunity, and success for all. In my time in this Parliament, it is my commitment that I will work to build an ever better, fairer New Zealand, where we seek to ensure that achieving one’s potential is not just the preserve of the privileged, but possible for all. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.

CHRIS TREMAIN (Junior Whip—National) Link to this

I seek leave to extend the House sitting time into the dinner hour in order to allow the maiden speeches to be completed.

BRENDON BURNS (Labour—Christchurch Central) Link to this

As I stand to speak in this House for the first time, I wish to pay tribute to what has brought me here and to give some sense of what I hope to achieve as a member of this House. May I also, Mr Assistant Speaker, acknowledge your elevation and the Speech from the Throne from the Governor-General.

Like some other new members, mine is a migrant’s story. In the early 1920s my dad’s Uncle Mick fled grimy Liverpool, determined to find a better life than England offered him as a working man. He landed in Wellington, working and saving until the Depression hit. Only with the first Labour Government’s election was he able to put a deposit on a house, and send for his wife and the son he had never met. They had been separated 15 years. Uncle Mick later encouraged my father, Jim, and my dear late mother, Julie, to come here. He told them it was a great place to bring up a family, and he was right. I still regularly thank my parents for having the courage to bring me and my five brothers and sisters to New Zealand when I was 4 years old. We were almost wholly bog Irish by extraction, Catholic and working class.

KEVIN HAGUE (Green) Link to this

Ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama. Tihei mauri ora. Ko te mea tuatahi, me mihi ahau ki Te Runga Rawa nāna nei ngā mea katoa. Tēnā koe. Papatūānuku te whaea e takoto nei, Ranginui e tū nei, tēnā kōrua. Ka mihi mō ngā mate, ka tangihia e tātou i tēnei wā. Nō reira, e ngā mate, haere, haere, haere ki Hawaiki nui, ki Hawaiki roa, ki Hawaiki pāmamao. Āpiti hono, tātai hono, te hunga mate ki te hunga mate. Ki te hunga ora, tēnā koutou. Ngā mihi mō ngā mana whenua o tēnei rohe, Te Āti Awa me Ngāti Toa Rangatira hoki, tēnā koutou. Ngā mihi ki ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa, mai i Te Ika a Māui tae noa ki Te Wai Pounamu me ngā iwi katoa, tēnā koutou. Ināianei ka huri ahau ki te kōrero e pā ana ki te kaupapa o tēnei wā.

[To the world of light and enlightenment, ’tis the sneeze of life. The first thing for me to do is to acknowledge the Almighty Above, who created everything. Bless you. To Mother Earth lying here, and Sky Father standing before us, greetings to you two. I pay a tribute to the departed whom we mourn for today. Farewell, depart, journey on to the great Hawaiki, the long Hawaiki, and the distant Hawaiki. Let the dead be bound and bonded to each other. Greetings to you, the living, and the guardians of this region, Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira, greetings. I acknowledge the indigenous people of New Zealand from the North Island to the South Island. To you and everyone, greetings. I turn now to the topic of this address.]

I opened in Māori because I believe my first words in this House should be in the first language of this country. Earlier this week I took up my place in the House, declaring allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen, but I take this opportunity to also declare my intent to honour the commitment made by her ancestor, which is the Treaty of Waitangi.

I come to this House hoping to make a significant personal contribution to those issues that are important to me, most especially the future of the planet upon which we live and depend, and the type of society that our children and our grandchildren will inherit. It is perhaps fanciful to think of my own personal contribution, and more appropriate to instead acknowledge that my role is as one of many: those who have come before and those who will come after me, and those many working today in the very many aspects of the national and international Green movement. I salute you all.

Being elected as a list MP perhaps brings a particular awareness that my being here is not a result of my work but a result of the work of very many others. I want to particularly acknowledge some of them. First of all, I acknowledge my family: my father, Chaz Hague; my brother and my sister-in-law, Stewart and Bronwyn Hague, who are in the Gallery today; and my partner, Ian, and my son, Thomas, who are not here today. I owe you all a great debt. I express my love and I promise to do my best to repay that debt. I acknowledge those others in the Gallery; Green Party staff, members, and supporters; my fellow Green Party MPs; those who may be listening or watching in New Zealand and around the world; my wider family; my friends; those who worked so hard to maximise the Green Party vote at this election, particularly in West Coast - Tasman; and, indeed, members of the worldwide movement of Green parties.

I want to explicitly acknowledge that I have friends from other parties in this Parliament and previous Parliaments. We all come to this House with differing personal philosophies but, I hope, a shared commitment to those whom we serve and to future generations. I give you an undertaking that I will listen to what you have to say, and I hope that you will offer to reciprocate that commitment.

I am conscious that I come to this Parliament bringing with me the hopes and expectations of many, and I want to itemise some of those. There are cyclists, who want to see roads safe and well-engineered for all road users, or who see the fantastic potential of a national network of off-road cycling tracks. I acknowledge the Kennett brothers, who have launched today their latest edition of Classic New Zealand Mountain Bike Rides. There are those who love wild rivers, who hope for a new economics that values intrinsic natural characteristics and recreational use, instead of just easily measured short-term financial gain. There are gay men, lesbian women, and the wider rainbow family, who demand truly equal rights and equal opportunity. There are those who work in public health, who know that the health of a population is largely a reflection of the power it has over its own circumstances and the environment surrounding it, and that good health improvement can result only from political will. Let us provide that. There are those people who understand that the same formula of empowering communities and creating supportive environments is also the answer for problems in education, in social welfare, in criminal offending, and in many other areas. Indeed, these are not separate problems, but all in large part manifestations of a common cause—marginalisation. Let us fix that, too. Also there are those many New Zealanders who believe that our collective future depends on a relationship between Māori and non-Māori that honours the Treaty of Waitangi, and, finally, the many who hope for a better future for our kids and for our planet.

That is what I call a politics of aspiration. I guess my potential to disappoint is great! But I do not experience these expectations as a crushing or repressive weight, but, rather, as a surging wave that lifts me up and sustains me.

The challenges we face are very great indeed. Our biggest obstacle, as New Scientist recently reported in a grim edition that pales the international credit crisis into insignificance, is a world economy geared to the sole aim of economic growth. Growth is not inherently bad, but the indiscriminate approach to growth that sees any type of growth as good is our problem. Growth based on the increased use of non-renewable resources is by definition unsustainable, and occurs at massive and irreversible cost to future generations. Growth achieved through the bubble economics of speculation is exploitation of another sort, where the non-renewable resource is human dignity and human happiness. We must change to an economy of sustainability as a matter of urgency. We know this, but we have not done so, because of investment in the status quo—both direct, financial, literal investment and emotional investment, which brings fear of the changes that will be necessary to achieve sustainable living.

One of the strengths brought to this House by the Green Party is our charter, which is based on four solid principles: ecological wisdom, social responsibility, appropriate decision-making, and non-violence. I absolutely reject the idea that ethical or moral behaviour has its only source in religious faith. On the contrary, my personal philosophy presupposes that there is no higher power that has, for some reason, disadvantaged some people and, conversely, privileged others, or that will intervene to rectify this disparity or compensate its victims. In the absence of such external power, the responsibility for determining how we should live together and the responsibility for acting to achieve that state is solely, but collectively, ours.

Only two coherent philosophies are possible: survival of the fittest, with no regard to the effect on any other person, or a world in which we recognise our interdependence and have respect for the equal and inalienable rights of every person. I have a passionate adherence to the second of these belief systems. Effectively, this personal belief of mine is the equivalent of the social responsibility principle in our charter. It has echoes in the idea of “to each according to their need; from each according to their means”, or, in my personal motivator, “If not me, then who? If not now, then when?”. This is, for me, at the heart of my feelings of self-worth—that I have acted in an ethical and honourable way.

What are these inalienable rights that each person is entitled to? Eleanor Roosevelt, who was the driving force behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, talked about equal justice, equal dignity, and equal opportunity without discrimination. Another valuable right to conceptualise is autonomy, provided that the exercise of that autonomy does not reduce that of another person. For me the opportunity to make decisions affecting one’s own life, tempered only by the effect of those decisions on others, is driven directly from this idea, and is exactly the idea captured by our principles of appropriate decision-making and non-violence.

However, it is the principle of ecological wisdom that is my greatest motivation for standing here today. In the same way that first-principles thinking leads me to a bedrock belief in universal human rights, this thinking also leads me to consider the rest of the natural world, not only from the perspective of resources that are necessary for the sustenance of human life but also from the perspective of the rights or intrinsic value of entities in their natural state. My personal principle is to take only what resources I need from the natural world and to harm the natural world to the least extent possible. This is the thinking behind my being vegetarian for nearly 30 years. But regardless of whether our attitude to the natural world is driven by philosophy, as mine is, or by the more pragmatic considerations of what is required for human beings to survive, the logical consequence is ecological wisdom.

My sense of urgency comes from the growing unease and certainty that I have that the human race is reaching, or has reached, some fundamental limits to its ability to take from the natural world. But we are not yet responding appropriately. Human beings are not well adapted to deal with gradually unfolding risk, or dangers that are rare but catastrophic, and our inaction now imperils the human rights of those generations yet to come. In the words of Lester Brown, “We are crossing natural thresholds that we cannot see and violating deadlines that we do not recognise. Nature is the timekeeper, but we cannot see the clock. … We are in a race between tipping points in the earth’s natural systems and those in the world’s political systems. Which will tip first?”. In the past, we have been saved from the consequences of our inadequate responses by technological advance. Although technology may now help us, it is currently ill-directed and it will not be enough.

At a time when, across the world, a small flame of hope has been kindled for the future of the human race and for the planet by the election of Barack Obama, I am reminded of events that are 40 years old. One of my childhood memories is from 1968 in my grandparents’ house: a hush upon us all and tears streaming down my mother’s face as we heard of the death of Bobby Kennedy.

As a new Green Party MP, I am particularly conscious that I am standing on the shoulders of giants. When I greeted those who have passed on in my introductory remarks, I thought, of course, of Rod Donald. But I also thought of my mother and my sister, both of whom also died too young and did not live to see this day. I dedicate my time in Parliament to them.

I know that some of you will look at the size of the problems we face and see them as insurmountable—that nothing that any one person can do will make any difference. Margaret Mead pointed out that, in fact, it is only the actions of individuals that make any difference. My own experience has incorporated many issues where the odds seemed hopeless, but the steadfast application of individuals made all the difference. The most notable of these was the anti-apartheid movement, where the apparently impregnable fortress of apartheid was brought down by the actions of individuals.

In June 1966 Bobby Kennedy spoke in Cape Town to the National Union of South African Students’ Day of Affirmation, and said this: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” Let us now cast our pebbles into the pond. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, huri noa, tēnā tātou katoa.