United Future
Hon Peter Dunne

Christchurch conference speech

And I’m not just talking about the good time you’ve all been having in the Garden City.

United Future is a party that is central to politics in our country.

It is a party in the middle of the Parliamentary ring that has been consistently punching above its weight  for the past 16 months.

When our team first entered Parliament, the levels of mockery and derision were high; the predictions of imminent disintegration and consignment to political oblivion  were boringly frequent.

We were gleefully written off as yet another quirk of MMP, and there was almost a sense of media affront that the public of New Zealand had voted 8 United Future MPs into Parliament, without first getting the commentators’ approval.

They were not going to be caught again, hence the sneering and the sniggering we had to endure from virtually day one.

Well, today, it’s a very different story.

Our MP’s are recognised as effective, hard-working, thoughtful lawmakers.

They have quickly mastered the arcane practices of Parliament with great skill and initiative.

They work constructively with other MP’s to promote sensible changes to the laws that govern New Zealand and they  are  capable of spotting the dodgy, shoddy changes by those  who  would damage New Zealand or try to tell us how we should think.

 Every United Future MP has made an impact greater than the combined weight of the Opposition parties.

Unlike every other party outside the government, we are not yelling and screaming, or indulging in silly media stunts, or tearing ourselves apart.

We are actually making a difference, a positive difference for families, for business, for New Zealand. 

Paul Adams is to be applauded for  key  changes to   the consumer credit law and to the motor vehicle sales industry that are of considerable  benefit to  consumers. 

Marc Alexander’s tireless advocacy for law and order and the rights of victims of crime is legendary and this week’s initiatives on gangs is but the latest example.

Larry Baldock has had a major influence on  the shape of the new transport legislation and changes to the Resource Management Act to make it more user friendly.

Gordon Copeland has made significant progress in terms of tax changes to promote superannuation savings and the indexation of family support payments to the cost of living to ensure there is maximum benefit for New Zealand families.

Bernie Ogilvy has been working alongside various educational groups to get more recognition of the role of the private education sector.

Murray Smith has been active in the justice area and his advocacy of a more independent method for the appointment of judges has now been recognised by the government.

Judy Turner has made a strong contribution in the area of health and social services, and has successfully overseen the Families Commission legislation.

These are MPs of purpose and integrity, just the type the country needs to make MMP work effectively.

They have enabled me as leader to bring together an effective parliamentary team, and to establish strong, professional working relationships with the Prime Minister and her colleagues to the overall benefit of stable government.

So let me remind you again of what we have already achieved.

With the Land Transport Management Bill, we have begun the process of getting New Zealand’s long under-funded roading network back up to 21^st century standards – an essential part of making New Zealand the prosperous, job-rich country we all want it to be.

Of course the Bill is not perfect – no Bill that has been tampered with by the Greens ever will be.

But we are working hard with the government to make it more relevant to New Zealand’s true economic needs.

The legislation that establishes the Families Commission is back before Parliament, it will be law by Christmas and the Commission will be up and running by July next year.

This is a breakneck pace for getting such a major initiative acted upon and we take great pride in having achieved that.

Despite the Anderton/Tanczos sideshow, the Government will make no change to the legal status of cannabis this Parliamentary term.

Thanks to our work, victims of crime are getting much greater recognition of their rights.

On the other side of the ledger, United Future can take pride in the way it has brought commonsense and rational  thought to New Zealand’s political process.

We have held true to our promise to point out where we think the other parties, and especially Labour, are going off the rails – to the detriment of the country.

We have consistently opposed the ‘pink think’ agenda of the social engineers, and have not hesitated to oppose the government when we disagree with it.

In fact, we have voted against the Labour on just over a third of its more controversial legislation – which is more than the Greens did in the entire three years they were Labour’s support partner.

We have championed the rights of employers to deal directly with their workers in deciding what are fair wages, safe workplaces and holiday conditions – not have them imposed by fiat from outside.

We have led the way in calling for freedom of choice for bar and restaurant owners to decide just how and when they can be smokefree.

We consistently opposed the arbitrary and non-consultative  way the government tore up a significant part of our constitution and imposed a new Supreme Court on us by a bare Parliamentary majority.

We are able to distinguish between physical child abuse and proper disciplining of children so that we do not make criminals of the majority of caring New Zealand parents.

We think all New Zealanders own our foreshores and seabeds – we have said so from day one, and the government, which will need our support for its plans to succeed, knows that full well.

Yet there are still those who do not seem to understand our role and purpose, or why we are supporting the Labour-led government.

The answer is straightforward.

The outcome the voters dealt at the last election meant that only two government arrangements were possible: a Labour government, backed by the Greens, or a Labour government backed by United Future.

A grand coalition on the right, involving National, ACT, New Zealand First and including United Future, even if it could have been established, would not have been a majority in Parliament.

I am amazed how many times I have to spell out the electoral mathematics – in our Parliament you need 61 votes to govern, and the best the so-called grand coalition could have mustered was 57, so it was never even a remote possibility.

Yet there are still those in the media and business community – people who ought to understand figures – who seem to think it was, and that it is somehow our fault it did not happen.

On the other hand, Labour, the Progressives and United Future command 62 votes in the House – a slim but clear majority.

We therefore took the responsible position to shut the Greens out of formal involvement in government because of their anti-family, anti-knowledge,  anti-growth and pro-drugs policies.

That is why we entered into the confidence and supply relationship with Labour because it would have been irresponsible to do otherwise.

And we are committed to making it work for the full three year Parliamentary term.

By next April, this arrangement will have lasted longer than the entire National/New Zealand First coalition did, and when we meet again for conference at the end of next year, I will be pleased to report to you that the arrangement will have also lasted longer the Labour/Alliance coalition did. 

Where United  Future does not support the government on legislation, the composition of the current Parliament means the government can look elsewhere for support, whether we like it or not.

That is democracy.

With 8 seats out of 120 in Parliament United Future does not have, nor do we seek, a veto over legislation.

New Zealanders have had enough in the previous two Parliaments of small parties being the tail wagging the dog and throwing their toys out of the cot if they do not get their own way, and we campaigned strongly against that at election time last year.

We are a moderate, centrist party, committed to working constructively to achieve goals in accord with our policy objectives.

We recognise that politics are often far more about the achievable than the desirable, and that pragmatic compromise leads to more progress than rigid ideological extremism.

We are not here to push a narrow, or extreme agenda, but to be the middle party capable of working with either of the major parties that the voters decide should lead the Government.

That is what MMP requires and the electorate demands.

We have made, and will continue to make, MMP work the way New Zealanders want it to work.

Our future rests on our ability to fulfil  that role, and I am determined we will not shirk from that responsibility, let alone tear ourselves apart the way others have in similar situations.

We have to look beyond the narrow confines of creed, circumstance and culture and appeal to all New Zealanders who share our values, whatever their backgrounds.

If I seem to  have skipped rapidly through what we have been able to do in the past 16 months, it is only because I want to focus today on my major theme – and that is the leadership of this nation.

I am not suggesting that New Zealand lacks leadership.

Plainly, since the formation of the first Clark Government, the Prime Minister has been the indisputable political leader of the nation, as her consistent strong showing in two General Elections and the preferred PM polls shows.

But it’s instructive if we cast our minds wider than just Helen Clark, and try to assess the strengths and weaknesses of others who aspire to lead this nation.

The first thing I look for in hopeful leaders is a strong sense of vision, of direction and personal commitment.

My vision for New Zealand is for a country that is the best place in the world to work and raise a family because it is a country that:

·    Is smart, vibrant and exciting, and a great place to live

·   Is founded on the core values of truth, justice, compassion and integrity, and celebrates freedom and diversity

·   Understands all Kiwis have to feel part of our country again, if we are to progress

·   Recognises that the New Zealander of the future will be as at home in the worlds of Polynesia and Asia as in their own traditional backgrounds

·    Cherishes the role and worth of education at all levels as the key that unlocks the door of opportunity and prosperity

·    Understands that promoting the pioneer values of innovation and entrepreneurship in business are the keys to our economic future, and that creating wealth and business opportunities for Kiwis lies at the heart of our ability to achieve our national goals.

Of course, underpinning all that is my unshakeable belief in the role of the family.

I agree with Norman Kirk’s comments many years ago that:

“The principal function of a government must be to ensure social and economic justice for all families, to protect their physical security and well being in such a way as to assist parents to achieve an independent, secure and happy life. All social reforms must be judged by the standard of whether they assist the family or not. If they assist the family they are good: if they handicap the family they are bad.”

United Future’s approach to family policy is based on these key principles:

·        The family provides stability, wellbeing and continuity to our society.

·        We support marriage as the best way to promote family life.

·        Marriages and all family relationships require commitment, stability and resilience.

·        The family’s essential function is to care and nurture all its members.

·        A mother and a father are best likely to provide the safe environment children need.

·        Family membership requires a balancing of the rights, duties and responsibilities of each member.

I have just returned from Taiwan – one of the thriving and prospering democracies in our region.

Family issues are all important to that country – but they do not exist in a vacuum.

They are the means which drive their leaders to promote a society that is bold, progressive, innovative and successful – economically and educationally, and increasingly environmentally and socially.

I want New Zealand to invoke that same spirit – a recognition that we are in all this together, and that the proper partnership between government and people is one which achieves progress at a practical level, rather than forever arguing about who should be doing what.

Whether it be through economic policies which encourage investment in high technology activities, or infrastructure; or, in more specific areas like support for educational opportunity and attainment, or the cleaning up of the environment of major cities by making them more people friendly, the message is the same.

We need to be bold enough and utterly determined to succeed, because our families and communities matter.

No longer should it be acceptable to reject ideas because they don’t fit through the right ideological prism, or because we simply have never tried that option before.

Our focus is simple and direct.

We are here to talk common sense, fight for families, and make MMP work.

Now, let’s compare that vision with those of the other parties in Parliament.

Within the Labour Party, there are two widely differing strands of philosophy emerging.

On the one hand, there are those who believe it’s better to be in power and able to influence policy over a long period.

On the other, there are the ‘pink thinkers’, the social engineers, the autocratic elite who think they know how we all should think and act and who are hell bent on pushing through legislation that would take all choice out of our lives.

They think there are some decisions that are far too complicated for the dumb voters to have any say in.

They harbour the deep-seated conviction that all employers are bad exploiters of the workers, that employers should bear every conceivable cost while their workers can do no wrong and are entitled to do as little as possible while having every advantage, privilege and right the pink thinkers can dream up.

So Labour’s vision is fundamentally split between the ‘power at any price’ pragmatists and the ‘we know what’s best for you so just shut up’ brigade.

The latter bring to mind Dwight D Eisenhower’s dictum:

 “You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership.”

And what is the National Party’s vision?

Who knows?

Even after the change of leadership this week we still do not know where National stands.

On the face of it, it looks like a shift to the right, despite Dr Brash’s protests to the contrary that he stands for the same things Bill English does.

I thought that was the problem – under Bill English no-one knew what National stood for, which was why he was replaced.

If the upshot of this week’s bloodletting is that there will be no change in direction, National will continue to go nowhere.

At the same time, if National moves to the right to embrace  ACT, it will be unelectable, and deservedly so.

The days of the politics of extremism are over – for the right and the left.

For their part, the Greens certainly have a vision of where they want us all to go.

Unfortunately, that destination is a dark cave where we could all sit in a circle deciding what drug to take.

We won’t be able to light a fire however, as the smoke might pollute the atmosphere, although the haze from their genetically modified cannabis will be ok.

So I don’t recommend inviting the Greens to lead us.

ACT certainly has a vision; they know where we should go and as the voters have made very clear in recent elections, they don’t want to go there, which makes elements of the business community’s slavish and increasingly strident belief that the country’s salvation lies in a National/ACT government that much harder to comprehend.

And what about Winston Peters?

After the Prime Minister, the polls tell us he is New Zealand’s most attractive leader.

 And if that is the case, New Zealand really is the land of opportunity!

So what does he stand for?

No-one knows, least of all  Winston.

We certainly know what he doesn’t like.

He doesn’t like migrants, especially Asians.

He doesn’t like criminals, so he’s going to double the police force.

And he doesn’t like the Treaty, but he still tells Maori voters to back him.

Three bumper sticker slogans and that’s it.

No vision, no direction.

A few weeks ago, I had the temerity to stick my head above the parapets and announce that I want to lead this country.

Predictably, other politicians and commentators lined up to pour scorn on the idea.

And yet, I ask you this: what’s so wrong about having a leader who believes passionately the family is the cornerstone of our society?

What’s so bad about a leader who thinks our taxes should come down?

What’s the problem with a leader who thinks economic prosperity and pro-business policies are what we need to bring self-confidence and values-based living to New Zealanders?

What’s wrong with having a leader who unites, not divides; who listens, not pontificates; who is forward looking and patient, not forever opportunist and harking back to the past?

And when did we last have a leader whose hallmark was common sense?

A friend once gave me a quote:  “Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.”

That describes everyone in this party.

We are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.

You are critical to our success.

Your input at this conference, in your region, and in your electorate, working alongside our MPs on policy and organisation is vital, and deeply appreciated.

We cannot do it without you.

We certainly need your support and encouragement, but we also need your constructive criticism, and gentle nudging from time to time.

I want to acknowledge the efforts of the Board, and the regional and electorate chairs over the last year to build and develop the party infrastructure.

Significant progress has been made, culminating in the opening of our national headquarters in Wellington, but more has to be done yet, and the next 12 months will be extremely busy.

It is about two years to the next election; two years in which we can further convince our fellow New Zealanders that we have earned their respect and trust; that we deserve a greater representation in Parliament to bring commonsense to government; to moderate the excesses of the doctrinaire fanatics.

We are determined to show the New Zealand voter that we can work together for our common goals – not pull ourselves apart by being too narrowly focused, or intent on pursuing personal agendas.

We are tolerant and compassionate, liberal and pragmatic – not superior, smug and reactionary.

We are purposeful  and organised – not starry-eyed and chaotic.

At a time when New Zealand politics lack cohesion, the need for the leadership United Future offers has never been greater.

We are one country of many different strands, each thread contributing to the vibrancy of the whole.

Our future is one we must all share, and have a real stake in.

We simply cannot go on, arguing interminably about what we disagree over, when we should be working together to achieve what we agree on.

Nor can we keep on lurching from one extreme to the other, embracing each new ideological fad that comes along, while the rest of the world leaves us behind.

United Future wants to bring this country together again, to be the best place in the world to work and raise a family, just as we promised on our formation, and I invite every New Zealander, whatever their beliefs or background, who shares our passion for this country, and who believes in decent, common sense solutions to join with us, to help build a better nation and a united future for ourselves and our children.