Full text: Richard Prebble's valedictory speech

Valedictory speech by retiring ACT MP Hon Richard Prebble CBE

Madam Speaker,

I think I may be able to help, by confirming this is my last speech to this Honourable House.

The first valedictories I heard were in the Labour caucus by the MPs that were defeated in the Muldoon landslide victory of 1975. So in my moment of personal victory, friends who had lost surrounded me as I listened to speeches that live only in the memory of those who heard them.

Rufus Rogers, a doctor who represented the seat of Hamilton East, said we should remember when legislating that every New Zealander is entitled to one three millionth of the opportunities this wonderful country can provide. Now one four millionth.

I have journeyed across the political landscape but it is still good advice. Many petition this house from business, trade unions and interest groups asking for privileges. All that we are entitled to is the opportunity to one four millionth of what this country has to offer.

I made Rufus Roger's advice my touchstone. I have opposed privilege. Where I could I have dismantled privilege. Those who have been granted privileges by this House have a duty to exercise them to the benefit of the nation. No one has greater privileges than this House.

My first majority was just 284. I was, as Sir Robert would call me, the lowest of the low. When, with the help of boundary changes, I had the biggest majority, even with encouragement I could not get Muldoon to admit I must be the highest of the high.

The Whips who were concerned about recounts summoned me to Parliament on the Monday after the election. I explained I thought I would do well on the specials. Sir Robert claimed you only had to take a bus though Auckland Central to have my team put you on the roll. This is not true; we only enrolled people whose buses stopped in the electorate.

I then went up to the backbench MPs offices, to see my friends like Mike Bassett and Mike Moore, all who had been defeated. Mike Moore said to me, "You wont be here, you will be over in Siberia", as the opposition block behind the Library was known. I came to learn the name did not just refer to the political wilderness but the temperature. The main Parliament Building has its own boilers that provide the heating. Siberia was heated by electricity supplied by the Wellington Power Board who switched off the heaters when there was a power surge such as on cold nights. We wore long johns, coats and gloves yet on those all night winter sessions the Opposition literally froze.

"This is an odd place," said Mike, "It might pay to put your name on my furniture." So I did. As I had nothing else to do, I put it on all the defeated MPs furniture. I came back the next Monday directing the taxi to the library entrance and as I came up the stairs I could hear the unmistakable voice of Bob Tizard, the man who had been deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, our Michael Cullen.

"Who the hell is this Prebble fellow?"

I came round the corner to see a number of the former cabinet ministers milling around.

"I am Richard Prebble," I said, "how can I help?"

Tizard pointed to a pile of furniture stretching all along the corridor. "Why have you got all this furniture and we have none?"

I ingratiated myself to my caucus by inviting him and my colleagues to take their pick.

The only other new Labour MP was Frank Rogers, nicknamed "taxi" by Muldoon. It shows how politics has changed, Frank got his name for literally fighting for the working man's right to smoke in a taxi.

In those days elections were held in November but Parliament did not met until May. Frank could see no reason to rush to Wellington and he arrived in December. He surveyed his empty room and asked me how did he get any furniture?

I suggested he try the Clerk's office. He returned to say that there was good news and bad news. The Clerk agreed he certainly did need to furnish his office and the bad news was that the Clerk's budget was exhausted and the next financial year started on the first of July. I had no idea what to suggest and Frank said he was going to go and find the Bellamy's bar.

I came back the next day feeling bad that I hadn't looked after my fellow new MP and looked into Frank's office only to see it was equipped with the most magnificent furniture. Frank arrived sometime later and I asked what had happened.

" Bellamy's was closed," said Frank, "So I went to the messengers bar. They are wonderful fellows," he said. "I explained my problem and for two bottles of Bellamy's whisky at one in the morning they solved it. That desk comes from the Deputy Prime Minister's office, the good chair is from Adams-Schneider's office and the filing cabinet from Alan Highets." Frank had furniture from every minister's office.

" What did you take from Muldoon's office?" I asked.

"Nothing," said Frank, "We are not mad."

"Frank," I said displaying all my knowledge as a lawyer, "This is theft. You must take a back".

"No way," said Frank. " The messengers, who know how this place works, say I'll be okay".

I was sure that a policeman would come and arrest Frank. Instead some days later I saw the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt Hon Brian Tallboys coming cautiously down the Opposition corridor. He asked for Frank Rogers' office, I gave him directions, then followed him and eves dropped as the Deputy Prime Minister begged Parliament's most junior member to please return his desk, it was part of a set.

Frank explained that he had no desk and Tallboys offered to take him to the Foreign Affairs Department where Frank could have his pick of any furniture.

Over the next few days each cabinet minister had to come and negotiate the return of his furniture.

It was then I realised that Parliament is a very different institution. We do have privileges so the executive cannot stop us holding Ministers to account. Shamefully too many MPs have abused our privilege but we must maintain the right to fearlessly debate and criticise.

I claim to have done my bit. Those who have measured these things tell me that I have more words in Hansard than any other MP in our Parliament's history.

I started my career in politics in 1966 by being campaign organiser for Norman Douglas, Roger Douglas's father.

Norman taught me you couldn't lose what you do not have. Always keep a copy of the electoral roll by the phone.

As constituents ring asking for assistance and saying "I voted for you" Norman would look them up on the roll and then say: "You are not on the electoral roll, so we have established you are a liar. What can I do for you?"

I would occasionally receive calls from people who lived in Robert Muldoon's Tamaki electorate. For 18 years we shared a boundary. When he got one of my constituents, he would say, "You are Richard Prebble's constituent, I know he is a wild young man but he is a good electorate MP. Here is his home number, he wont mind you ringing. He is a bit of a night owl, ring him after 10pm and say I told you too."

When his constituents rang me I would say, "Parliamentary protocol means you must approach your local MP. Muldoon is good to his constituents. Here is his confidential home number. He gets up very early; best ring him before 6am and say I told you to ring." I would then add no matter how impossible the problem. "Sir Robert is Prime Minister, he can easily fix your problem."

We did that to each other for 18 years.

Sir Robert even fixed their problems. Like the constituent who had been ringing us all to say that the SIS were beaming gamma rays at his head. Muldoon just said. "I am the Minister in charge of the SIS. Why didn't you ring me earlier? I will have it stopped today."

I realise that I will be remembered, as much as any of us are remembered as part of the Lange government. David Lange is critically ill. Let me pay a tribute to him, a great New Zealander. We all know he was the greatest platform speaker of his day so let me record what only his cabinet witnessed; David Lange was a brilliant chairman. His cabinet passed some of the most far-reaching reforms in our nation's history yet cabinet rarely met after lunch. He kept the discussion focused while allowing all ministers to make their points.

How did he do it? He used his wit to diffuse tension. He would start each cabinet with a monologue of his recent experiences with insights so funny I have seen Cabinet Ministers fall off their chairs with laughter. Like the time he told us he arrived home late at night only to find the Ministry of Works had fitted unrequested security.

He opened the gate only to be blinded by spotlights. He concluded this must have been requested by his escorts to ensure that if there was an assassin they did not by mistakenly shoot the wrong man.

I am proud to have served in his cabinet.

I am sure the whole House wishes to join me in telling David and Margaret and his family that they are in our thoughts and prayers.

It is I think the greatest honour in a democratic society to be elected by your neighbours to represent them. I am very grateful to my staff, my many supporters to my family, my children and my wonderful wives and the voters who have returned me so often. I am a little incredulous that I am the longest serving Member of Parliament.

We are one of the world's oldest parliaments. We now have the best select committees in the Westminster Parliaments. The Jonathan Hunt ruling that MPs may use their allocation of supplementary questions as they choose has made our question time very searching. Instead of a Minister facing a limited number of supplementaries, Ministers can now face a gruelling cross-examination. It is part of the reason the government has found Parliament so hard going this year.

But we could do much better.

When I first arrived and knew nothing I received half an hour for my maiden speech and now under the Standing Orders my valedictory is officially 10 minutes. Most speeches are just 5 minutes. I defy anyone to explain ACC reform, the Resource Management Act Amendments or taxation changes in 5 minutes.

There are many MPs, through no fault of their own, who have not spoken in total 20 minutes this session. They cannot represent their constituents or give value for the cost to the taxpayer of an MP in less than 20 minutes a year. Our parliament does not sit long enough.

While we meet for more days of the year than the great parliaments, we are in session for fewer hours. The most powerful legislature, the US senate, still has unlimited speaking time but they meet all hours and even on Sunday. To be a real check on the executive, this House must meet for more hours.

Not to pass more laws, there are already 1,441 Acts of Parliament and an estimated 40,000 pages of Statute Law and that's not counting the 2,850 regulations in force. No wonder small business complains of red tape. No MP could possibly read all the legislation we pass each year.

I have always believed that our parliament would be better if there were a group of independently minded MPs who sat on the cross benches, advocated rational economics and kept everyone honest. Leading such a party has been the highlight of my career. The only new party, not formed by present MPs, to break into the House.

I rang Rodney on the Sunday of our victory and said, "Come down tomorrow, we need to put our name on some furniture." We were referred to the floor where the United Party had their office. Somewhere in this building there is a store of green wheelie bins. It is how many careers end as defeated MPs were throwing documents into wheelie bins that just 48 hours earlier had seemed so important.

I recall the chaos of the 9 weeks of government negotiations. Parliamentary Services said they could not allocate ACT any telephones until they knew who was in government. I pointed out that the only thing we knew was that ACT was not going to be in government because we were the only party not negotiating with Mr Peters.

Rodney managed to find a desk with a computer. He started to use it, but it was incredibly slow. He rang the computer support service who said they would be there directly. The technician appeared a few minutes later with a trolley and a brand new PC. Installed it and took the old one away.

"How did you know what was wrong," said Rodney.

"All MPs want a PC on their desk," said the technician. "So we give them the old discards. If they complain, we give them a PC that works."

"Get many complaints?" asked Rodney.

"Not really," was the reply.

From that conversation I realised Rodney would take to politics like a fish to water.

I recall one of Muriel Newman's first questions. A patsy to Jenny Shipley. "Could the Minister outline the advantages of the National Government's announcement to sell six small hydro stations?"

Jenny Shipley no doubt thinking that ACT were going to be a doormat said what a good question it was and waxed on about the advantages of the sale. Then Muriel asked, "If selling six small hydro stations is such a benefit to consumers, why not sell six big ones?"

I think we have been raising issues that parties would rather not consider ever since. I note that ACT has voted against the whole of Parliament twice this week, on the cricket tour and the nuclear issue.

I have one more incomplete piece of business. It reduced me to tears when it happened so I hope I can tell it. Helen Clark said this week that she thought the public's response to the return of the unknown warrior was her personal highlight and I think that is because so many New Zealanders did not return that every family has its story.

A few years ago I received a handwritten letter asking if I was any relation of Bill Prebble who was in the Battle of Crete. I wrote back and said there is only one family of Prebble's in the world so we are all related. My middle name is William. Bill Prebble is probably a descendant of William Prebble who arrived in New Zealand in January 1840, which is why the Treaty does not apply to us. Why did he ask?

I then got this letter. He explained that the battle of Crete had been a much bigger muck up than had ever been admitted. We were all teenagers in our platoon. Our sergeant who we called the old man was Bill Prebble aged just 23. We lost our officers on the first day of the battle. Our sergeant led our platoon across Crete, displaying great bravery and single-handedly taking out German machine gun positions.

Bill Prebble got us all off and we owe our lives to him. When we got to Egypt the platoon went to see headquarters. We thought our sergeant should get a medal for bravery, we believed the Victoria Cross. We were told that because no officer had witnessed the actions there could be no medal.

Our platoon thought this unfair so we took an artillery shell, polished it, engraved it and in our own ceremony presented it. We fought together across the desert and into Italy.

On the road to Monte Cassino Sergeant Bill Prebble was hit in the head by a stray bullet and died instantly. We had to leave his body, just taking his personal effects and I picked up the shell case. I carried in my pack for the rest of the war and it has sat in a place of honour in my sitting room. Now I am old it needs to rest with a relative.

I have been proud to have the shell case of my unknown relative in a place of honour in my office in Parliament. Now it is time it was presented to Sergeant Bill Prebble's closest relatives. I have asked the army who are unable to find his file. From the Cassino War Cemetery I have found his name was actually Roy Francis Prebble, son of John and Ivy Prebble of Christchurch. He is the one because the shell case is engraved R.A. Prebble. I can see teenagers getting the middle initial wrong. So I am using my valedictory to tell his story so that a closer relative can claim this symbol of bravery.

As Bill Prebble died defending our democracy it is fitting that he is now remembered in the pages of Hansard.

All that remains Madam Speaker is to wish you and all the members all the best. Be careful our there. Those who are about to be defeated, I have been there. It is not so bad. Once you are out of Parliament New Zealanders are very forgiving and very kind. Who knows, like me within a year you could be chairman of a New Zealand/Vietnam Railway. I am having some refreshments in the ACT caucus room and you are all very welcome. See I am mellowing already.

ENDS