25 September 2008

Mr/Madam Speaker, Members I thank you for the opportunity to make a few comments before I retire from Parliament. The valedictory speech is one of the few opportunities a Member has to speak freely in the House – though I feel compelled to note it must be within Standing Orders!

The final address is also the opportunity to reflect on your Parliamentary experience and acknowledge those who have supported you. If there is one lesson to be learnt in this institution it is that you are as good as your colleagues and your staff. I have been particularly fortunate to work with the Prime Minister Helen Clark whose leadership skills are unparalleled as is her lifetime commitment to service for the people of New Zealand. I shall have regarded myself fortunate to have worked with Michael Cullen as a Cabinet colleague who could never find enough money for my portfolios but who treated my colleagues in much the same way. As the economy goes through its normal cycles of boom and bust we have come to appreciate his prudent management. It is in his role as Leader of the House however that I greatly admire his skills. Leader of the House and for that matter Opposition Leader of the House are roles not understood by most people, yet it is their ability that determines Parliament runs in an orderly, if at times, contestable fashion. I thank them both.

I want to acknowledge my former Cabinet colleagues who provided tremendous support at all times. It is difficult for many people to understand the contestable environment that exists within a Cabinet or the pressure to perform in a timely fashion. It is a strong sense of a common purpose that ensures you stay together through good and bad times. The backbone of support however comes from the caucus that is ever ready to challenge and keep you in touch with reality. Parliament could not function without the commitment to the Select Committee work that is undertaken almost entirely by Members and not Ministers. In this respect I wish to acknowledge Tim Barnett who chaired the Justice and Electoral Select Committee when I was a Minister. He always pushed the envelope beyond my comfort zone, but he was always ready to work to ensure an acceptable solution was found.

If the support of colleagues is essential so is the support from staff. I was blessed with a group of amazing people who worked tirelessly to ensure I could do my job. Mike Fokker and Rose Rigarlsford both deserve specific mention because they made sure my diary and I were always coordinated. This was not always an easy task.

My communication staff worked miracles to ensure the intent of the policies were communicated if not always well received or understood. It is not an easy job. Crowd control which is not normally in a communications job description has been part of the reality of my current communications advisor Rose Hart.

The role of political advisor is an equally difficult one also but I was fortunate to have exceptional dedicated people who filled that role. It’s a difficult one because they often cop criticism directed at me but always remained focussed on our goal and played a big role in whatever policy success I achieved.

As a Minister and a Speaker you are also as good as the advice you get from the public officials. I had the privilege of working with some exceptional people whose professionalism and commitment to the public service is something we should all be grateful for. I must also thank them for their patience. I know I was considered by some as the Minister from hell because of the pace I set but I appreciated their dedication to the public service. I was given some very good advice by a very senior public official shortly after I was elected to Cabinet. It was simply - not to waste any time as it passed all too quickly. He is a wise man, to whom I shall always be grateful. The last 9 years have gone very quickly.

I shall acknowledge elsewhere the invaluable service members of the Clerk’s Office and the Parliamentary Service have given to me as Speaker and the Parliament as a whole.

I also want to thank and acknowledge the people of Tauranga who have supported me over the past 9 years. Tauranga cannot be called a Labour strong hold or even a marginal seat. It is a city I have worked hard for however and must acknowledge and thank Smartgrowth and the Mayors of Tauranga City and Western Bays, and the Chair of Environment Bay of Plenty for their commitment to the region. I have greatly valued the opportunity to work with them for the good of the community as a whole. As I shall continue to live in Tauranga I shall watch its progress with interest.

Finally I want to say a sincere heartfelt thank you to my family. They are not here today because as so often happens in political life family and political diaries just cannot be coordinated. I know however they will be viewing this address, and judging it in the comfort of their homes. The struggle to televise Parliament almost seems worth it on occasions such as this. They will see the unedited version. Their unconditional love and support, and advice especially from my parents, have kept me sane and given me the strength to see the job through to the end. Thank you.

When preparing this valedictory I went back to look at my maiden speech. I wanted to see if I had in fact achieved the goals I had set out. I realise however it is for others to make that assessment. I am satisfied though that given the necessary democratic constraints of coalition government, that little time was wasted. More importantly, I think my colleagues and I have achieved a better policy balance that has recognised the need for a strong public service infrastructure. The market will always have a proper role in the economy, but it must be balanced by democratic government. The current financial crisis has demonstrated the truth of this reality. Part of the reconstruction of that public service infrastructure has been a strengthening of such institutions as unions, NGOs, and lobby groups that now demand the right to participate in the decisions that affect them. How to find better ways for such participation will be the challenge for Parliaments in the future.

I noted in my maiden speech a concern for the rights of women. The struggle for equality has been a main thread throughout my life. It cannot be denied that progress has been made. It also cannot be denied that progress has come with women adapting to the system. There is still no fundamental recognition that equality means equality of difference, not equality for women to be like men. This will be the next major challenge. Can the experience of women be incorporated in such a way that they have real choices which extend beyond survival within a system still controlled by the male experience? A practical example is the way we organise the business of Parliament. We have made progress here by trying to accommodate school holidays and we now at last have a room for breast feeding and a child care centre. All good progress but we have not fundamentally looked at a work/life balance that would benefit both women and men. That is one of those big scary ideas we have yet to have the courage to face.

I must also note that Parliament is a long way from being representative while it remains so hard for people with disabilities to work here. People are helpful and that is always appreciated but it is real change that is required. I have tried to ensure those with hearing impairment will get some relief with the new sound system. The price for working in this wonderful old building however is that those with disabilities come through the back door or struggle with heavy doors that are likely to bite off your fingers. Again we adapt to the institution, which is yet to fundamentally recognise the need for change.

Finally I want to make a few comments on Parliament and my role as Speaker. Over the three years I have held the role I have formed some views on the role and on Parliament. As Speaker you get little opportunity to actually speak otherwise you are accused of participating in the debate. I have tried to maintain an uncharacteristic restraint and confined my comments to ‘order’ and ‘would the Member please leave the Chamber’. I therefore thought I would share a few reflections on the role.

First I want to thank those who supported me in the role. Apart from the two Roses in my office, Roland, Pam and Nina ensure the business of Parliament is conducted in a friendly orderly way. The Clerk and her office ensure the business of Parliament is conducted in an impartial and efficient manner. Perhaps the highest compliment that can be made of the office is that their advice can be relied on. I want also to acknowledge those unsung heroes of the House, the Serjeant-at-Arms and his army of messengers who ensure Members are well watered and their notes to each other are delivered.

The role of Speaker has given me a unique opportunity to understand better what it is that makes our democratic form of government work. I thank you for that privilege. I have endeavoured in the role to achieve two things - make Parliament more accessible and to make the administration of Parliament more transparent and efficient. The televising of Parliament was an important part of this project and it still has a long way to go to reach its full potential. We are visited by thousands every year and the education, tour and security staff all do a wonderful job making that a positive experience. We need to invest more in the promotion of Parliament as an institution. There are so many creative ways we can introduce Parliament to the people and the people to Parliament.

The task of transparency and efficiency was thrust on me soon after I took up the office and resulted from accusations by some Members that I was corrupt. I have written fully in another place about my journey of discovery into the administration of Parliament and the role of the Speaker so will not repeat myself here. After three years of work however I believe much progress has been made though much work must still be done. I have confidence it will be done with the support of Members who recognise we must also be accountable.

I will end however on an observation about the notion of the independence of the Speaker. I am frequently asked this question – how can a Speaker be independent and a member of a Party? This question is normally in the context of question time. I long ago realised that you are seen as fair and impartial if you agree with the Member raising a point order, which is usually not a point of order. Like any referee I agree you cannot win and must do the best you can. I must say however that most referees have a range of greater penalties than any Speaker has to exercise. All Speakers face similar problems but MMP has increased the complexity of the job. I shall resist the temptation to comment on the behaviour of Members towards each other or the Speaker.

The public does notice however and lets me know daily what they think. This is why a greater understanding of Parliament would benefit everyone. As I have said on many occasions question time is not truth seeking – that is done through written questions and the official information requests. Question time is about political performance. It is a testing of political positions and the ability of individuals to stand up to the test. It is important and I have no doubt it could be conducted in a less abusive manner but that is in the hands of Members. If I had enforced the Standing Orders strictly the House would have been half empty and the game would have taken three times as long.

We should be grateful however that we are the beneficiaries of such an accountable democratic Parliament. It is the obligation and responsibility on each of us who has the privilege of serving in this House to maintain and enhance our Parliament in whatever role we find ourselves because each role is important.

I am pleased to be leaving to undertake a new challenge but do not regret a minute of the opportunity I have been given to serve.

Thank you