Motions

KEITH LOCKE (Green) Link to this

I seek leave to move without debate, except for brief comments from the parties, members’ notice of motion No. 4 on the Order Paper.

Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) Link to this

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. We had notice that this motion was to be moved without debate. If you recall, we had a discussion in the Business Committee around this matter. Obviously, given the nature of the subject, we will not be refusing leave. But, for the future, members should be very well aware that the Business Committee is asking us to return to the notion that “without debate” means without debate. If one wants debate, then one does not ask for the motion to be without debate.

KEITH LOCKE (Green) Link to this

As I understand it, “without debate” means that the motion does not go through the normal procedure.

Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) Link to this

What I am saying is that we were informed that the motion was to be moved without debate, and, pursuant to the Business Committee’s discussion of this matter, we assumed there would be no comments. The member has sought leave, and clearly we will not refuse it in the circumstances. I simply draw the House’s attention to the fact that the Business Committee discussed this matter, for future reference and understanding, of when leave is being sought by discussion with the whips. In other words, if one is seeking leave to discuss something without debate, it means that. If one wants to seek leave without debate but with brief comments, then that is what must be indicated to the whips around the House—not without debate.

KEITH LOCKE (Green) Link to this

I move, That this House express its pride in the performance of the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team in Melbourne, and recognise the long hours of training put in by our sportsmen and sportswomen in their preparation for the Games. The Green Party, along with, I think, all parties in this House, congratulates all of our sportsmen and sportswomen on their performances. They all put in very long hours to prepare for the games, and I am sure they did their best. We particularly congratulate the 31 medal winners, but I do not think we should get hung up on our medal tally, or on our gold medal tally. For example, Dean Kent, a longstanding swimmer, did fantastically well to achieve a personal best in the 200 metre individual medley. There is no shame at all in his getting only a silver medal. I think it is in that tradition that we should support all of our team and not succumb to some of the armchair critics who only watch the games on TV every couple of years. We really need to support our sportsmen and sportswomen into the future.

Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Deputy Prime Minister) Link to this

On behalf of the Labour Party, might I say how much I endorse those comments. There is no shame in being No. 2 in an excellent team. I will point out that only one country smaller than ours actually won more medals than we did, and that was Jamaica. Given that country’s crime rate, I would not swap our slightly lower medal count in that respect.

Hon MURRAY McCULLY (National—East Coast Bays) Link to this

I would like to associate the National Party with the congratulations conveyed in the resolution that has been moved. In particular I congratulate those who were successful in winning medals at the Commonwealth Games. It has been a matter of some comment that the medal tally was somewhat short of the aspirations expressed at the outset of the games. On that matter I simply commend to the House that this is a time when an orderly review process will be undertaken. It should be noted that a substantial commitment of taxpayers’ money was made to support the team. No doubt officials will be filing their reports and a review process will ensue that will enable us to ensure that every possible step is taken to improve our performance in future games. I urge those who are interested in that matter to wait for that process to take its course.

RON MARK (NZ First) Link to this

As New Zealand First’s spokesperson on sport I rise to indicate that New Zealand First supports the intent of this motion. But we have to say, from where we sit, that coming third often makes one the winner, and that is quite a bizarre situation, is it not? And long may that continue to be the case.

There have been some winners in the Commonwealth Games and I do not think—[Interruption] Well, Maurice Williamson gets gold for “Yap of the Month”, or “Mouth of the Month”, but we will move on from that. We have to move on and recognise an outstanding young lady who made it very clear what her intentions were, and they were to win. In my background in the military it was often said that second was the first loser. However, Valerie Vili had no intention of losing, and special congratulations need to go to her on her mammoth effort in bringing home gold for us.

Minister Mallard has quite rightly signalled to the sporting fraternity in New Zealand that the country that spends money on, and the taxpayers who put money into, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games do expect a result, and I have no doubt that everybody will be scrutinising not so much the athletes but the sports administration. Some may say that the focus should start with the athletes, but others will suggest that we need to look at the administration of New Zealand sport—the selection of coaches, and the process by which people become leaders, coaches, and administrators. Maybe the House, through its select committees, might like to pay some attention to those areas, in time.

Finally, I think that if a gold meal were to be given out to anyone in this House, it would go to Mr Keith Locke for being the winner of “Prat of the Year” for the way in which he ambushed Tony Blair yesterday—

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) Link to this

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The jeering and barracking from the National Party is, again, unacceptable. I know that some of them are denied speaking chances in question time, but they should not make up the shortfall with general barracking and shouting in the House. We just had a very good example: when Ron Mark was finishing, one could barely hear a word. If members cannot keep quiet in a debate on a motion, heaven help us when it comes to other more serious parts of discussions in the House.

HONE HARAWIRA (Māori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) Link to this

The Māori Party joins with all others in congratulating our Commonwealth Games team on their success at the Melbourne games. We also note that hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on the sports; that we brought back, I understand, about half a dozen gold medals; and that we have just finished participating in the 2006 Waka Ama IVF Va’a World Sprint Champs, from which Aotearoa brought home 20 gold medals for a miserly support allocation of $150,000. I thank the Minister of Māori Affairs and the Minister of Youth Affairs very much for their support in that initiative. Perhaps this House might recommend to the authorities that fund such sports that given that the nation’s feel-good factor is improved by the success of our sports teams, considerably more support should be given to Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa, the New Zealand waka ama federation, in its bid to be even more successful at the next world waka ama championships in Sacramento, California in 2008.

Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) Link to this

United Future joins with others in supporting the motion congratulating the athletes on their achievement and wishing them a safe return to New Zealand. We note and lament the fact that no sooner had the games ended than our country once again indulged in the ritualistic self-flagellation that follows every Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games, and Rugby World Cup about why we did not do as well as we should have, and what we need to do better next time around. Frankly what we need to do is give our athletes a chance and stop this mindless bickering and criticism of their performances.

HEATHER ROY (Deputy Leader—ACT) Link to this

The ACT party also joins other parties in this House in supporting Mr Locke’s motion. Some may well have wondered why the Government did not, in fact, bring the notice of motion, and I thank Mr Locke very sincerely for doing so.

All of the New Zealand athletes at the Commonwealth Games were winners. They are athletes who have always trained hard. New Zealand athletes have always prided themselves on training hard and doing their very best at international competition such as this. The ACT party thought that some very unfortunate comments were made, not only in the media, but by members of this House—unfortunate comments, indeed, to people who have spent a lot of time and effort in their individual codes.

New Zealanders do celebrate success but they also celebrate the fine effort that we saw from the New Zealand athletes at the Commonwealth Games. I would say that there is no shame in being the fourth best in the Commonwealth at any sport. I would also say that if New Zealand was ranked No. 4 in the OECD, this country would really have something to celebrate.