New Zealand Parliamentary Debate

General Debate [4429]

SHANE JONES

: Oh, I hear Mr Brownlee-the person who recently said that he would offer a friendlier face in relation to the Treaty and in respect of Te Ao Maori. I can just imagine, at this time of te reo Maori, that we have my whanaunga from Ngati Porou, Parekura Horomia, standing up. He would be likely to say Porourangi is his rangatira. He would be likely to say that Tuwhakairiora is his whare. What would we hear from Mr Brownlee? No, he would say te ingoa o taku whare-the name of his whare-is the Angus Steak House. That type of korero has no prospect of fulfilling his vague promises. It is negative. It is not designed to drive forward an agenda that will bring the country together and provide a very forward-orientated approach, unlike our agenda.

That is why it is a great deal of pleasure to accentuate all the positive points about the business review that has been announced up and down the country in halls, schools, RSA clubs, and hotels. People are clapping and they are happy. Very positive and thoughtful things are coming forward. Exporters to the four winds are actively waiting for not only some members of the Finance and Expenditure Committee but also the Minister of Revenue and the Deputy Prime Minister to go and visit them about such ideas. But- Interruption In fact, I can see the Opposition members are almost lapping up every word, because it is enlightening when compared with the constant negativity, cynicism, and presentations without humour.

But I did see some humour. I looked at Te Waipounamu recently on television, and was one of the few New Zealanders to pay a wee bit of attention to the various National Party speeches that were lamely given to a very bored crowd. I watched our colleagues from the other side of the House line up, and I saw they were not unlike a group of Muppets. There were no brown Muppets. We know, although it is te reo Maori time, there were no brown Muppets. The one that was there for a very short period of time has since been dispatched and has been long since written off, at the very time that those members say that they will embrace Te Ao Maori and the Treaty. That got me thinking, of course, about who, for example, would be Miss Piggy. No, it will not be a person from South Auckland. Neither did I think that Mr Brownlee would be borrowing Dr Moodie's dress this morning-no, no. I saw Kermit the frog.

Hon Member

: Who was that?

SHANE JONES

: Oh, those members have a great debate amongst themselves, because I know they cannot agree amongst themselves on who their leader should be. They are pouring bile-all of it, of course, completely unwarranted-on the Government side of the House, in an unfortunate attempt to steer our attention away from the very forward-thinking initiatives and agenda-setting ideas we have.

I have been warned, however. In fairness to Mr Brownlee, I must say that my matua Dover Samuels has told me to be very careful before I start to say negative things about the man from Te Waipounamu. Dover Samuels told me that Mr Brownlee will sing better than I could ever sing, and that I will never match him as he delivers his rendition of Meatloaf. I must confess that my matua Dover Samuels has also told me what that member will sing in relation to the aspirations of that human sedative, Dr Brash. He will add to the Elvis Presley song we saw and heard on television, because he will be offering Heartbreak Hotel to Only Fools Rush In. I can see it now.

That is the level of confusion that exists amongst those members. In the absence of any clear ideas or anything interesting in place of the falsehoods and the divisive thoughts they are spreading amongst the Maori Party and other people, they do not have the slightest intention of delivering either a bicultural, modern, progressive view, or even a multicultural view, to our people. That is why, for a long day to come, those members will be lost where they are, in Opposition. There are no contesting or contrasting ideas from them as to how we can lift either business or communities. No,