respected, and in fairness...
I call the Rt Hon David Carter. Thank you. I rise on this particular
cause to
cause to support the amendment proposed by the honourable
member Dr Nick Smith. And I had
no intention of taking a call on this particular
legislation until learning of
this bill amendment, SOP that Dr
Nick Smith has advanced. I do it on this
as a List Member of Parliament, a List
as a List Member of Parliament, a
this Parliament as a List member of the National Party, but never, never
to be told what my conscience should
do, never, never being told how I
should vote on any particular issue.
I come into that caucus
every Tuesday very privileged to be
there as a member of a
national caucus, but under no circumstances
as a member of a national caucus,
putting my name forward for 23 September last year did I give my
conscience to the
September last year did I give my conscience to the now Leader
of the National Party, the Hon
Simon Bridges, or whoever
the leader might have been. I come here
with my conscience, my ability to exercise
my vote on every particular issue.
But what this legislation does
is it changes my employment conditions.
And I think the Hon Dr Nick
Smith has found the
solution. Allow Members of Parliament to come
in at the next election and if they want
to be bound by those rules they know
those rules on the they put
their nomination in. Because I doubt
whether I would bother to
stand to be a member of any
political party when I gave my conscience upon
nomination to
nomination to whomever the leader was. I'm not interested
in serving in a
in a Parliament like that.
Well, Dr Duncan Webb interjects and says that this bill
doesn't do that. It does.
exactly how to vet. If he done lick Jacinda
exactly how to vet. If he done lick
will get kicked out. That is what the legislation does. Coming
back into the 52nd Parliament, one
of the privileged positions I
have been able to obtain is serving on the
international Parliamentary union's
Human Rights Committee and
we investigate serious abuses of human
rights against many
of the 45,000 Members of Parliament who have
joined the IPU. I'm not suggesting
for one minute that this rates
right up at the top of the human
rights abuses that occur around
various democracies in this world, but I am
saying it's the start of a rot. And
I've observed this Parliament for
many, many years. And I've observed
the management of
various caucuses, particularly the New Zealand First
Caucus, and I know
why this legislation's here. It is because
the Rt Hon Winston Peters does
not have a personal ability to
manage his Caucus. That's right!
have a personal ability to manage his Caucus. That's right! But
that shouldn't impose on me a change
of employment condition. That's why I
think the Hon Nick Smith
has a solution. Put this out until
the start of the 53rd Parliament. Let
us campaign on it
start of the 53rd Parliament. Let us
public's point of view, the voters' concern for this legislation.
If they like it, it won't worry
them at the next election. But then if I
advance my name to be a member of
the National caucus at the
next election I will know my employment
conditions. I will know that
I'm then bound by a piece of legislation
that tells me
currently the Hon Simon Bridges controls my
conscience. Well, if that's what
I want to enter into, I do so with
my eyes wide open. But don't advance
legislation like this that changes
those rules effectively retrospectively. I stood for the New
Zealand National Party at the last
election. I stood as a List
member, but I never gave my conscience
to the Hon Simon Bridges. I wanted to
exercise that as I see fit without
the threat of being expelled
from this Parliament because I stand by
my principles.
I call the Hon Andrew Little. Thank you. Just from the session we
had just before the dinner break and
the contribution we've heard
just now, I just wanted to respond to a
couple of points. The
right honourable member who spoke raised the
issue of retrospectivity. He is a former
Speaker of the House and he's
entitled to have his views and
his words very carefully considered. And
I do that. I just want to say on the
point of