As I look about me… I see in total, eight very good points.

It is a credit to Peter Dunne and the message he has always stood for… Truthfulness.. integrity and yes, commonsense… that finally captured the imaginations and confidence of the public.

I look forward with great anticipation, to the next instalment of Richard Prebble 's musings with, I trust, an appropriate amendment.

As to this chamber…I have already been well forewarned and cautioned about the long-windedness of its verbal combatants, its reputation for elevating platitudes into policy, yet all the while burying real innovation and change into an ever dizzying maze of committees, sub-committees and if absolutely necessary, sub-sub-committees to ensure that anything worthwhile will be consigned to legislative oblivion.

I do however believe that my background as a Chef, amongst other things, will actually be an advantage… I am used to handling knives, though I dare say the ones in here may be sharper!

I have, in addition, been advised that the art of politics in this arena, can best be described as "reasonableness"…burnt on the spit of "commonsense"… served up warm to a cold, unreceptive and apathetic public…concerning itself with the making of promises to identify and fix problems that don't exist, yet using slight of hand so as not to be blamed for the ones that do, and defending the indefensible while marginalizing the defenceless.

I am, however, not so pessimistic.

I have had the good fortune to meet with many members of this house and in all cases, I can confidently say, that although the fires that once burned in them to make a difference may have, in some cases dimmed, I don't accept that they have been snuffed out.

What is needed now, I believe, is a renewing of the common spirit of purpose…a new articulation of a believable vision that empowers and ennobles the people of this country…a vision whose expression does not enshrine ideologies above people, but are true servants to them.

In that sense I am an idealist. I bring with me ideas and ideals that have been shaped by the foundation of my past… and the direction I steer for the future. You see…I can't see the point of being here without objectives that are driven by the vigor of ideals.

Now…I do not for one minute expect all 120 of us to hold hands signing Kumbaya… I do expect differences…I do expect arguments. But if executed properly, they will be the twin strengths of our system...a system where debate, argument and deliberation can reach a purposeful resolution.

That 135,918 thinking people gave their Party vote to Peter Dunne and the United Future Party should not surprise us. It is a testament to a hunger for this new ideal…this new vision.

And like all good things,…hard as it may be to believe…we actually have had a few critics.

Now, I know many journalists who are hardworking, honest, objective and even human. But collectively we have been accused of much; I myself have been referred to as a 'Mongolian yak farmer from Ulan Bator'. But, in truth, the only yak-ing I know of belongs to the loud squawking minority members of the journalist fraternity who, rather than illuminate the ongoing battles of parliamentary life, would prefer to descend from the hills when all is over to start bayoneting the wounded. These few are not the purveyors of truth but beggars hungry for their own exaggerated opinions.

Now we certainly cannot claim to have the monopoly of all the answers, but what we do have…is a fervent commitment to work inclusively with this Parliament to support the best policies advanced.

We have been called conservative…we just want a better deal for families.

We have been called moralistic…we just want our kids to have the opportunity of having families who love them, nurture them, and take responsibility for them.

And it seems…people are having trouble with the concept of "common sense".

If, because of our policies mums and dads might find it easier to stay together and work towards a satisfying marriage; empowered to raise kids that won't be hurt by divorce and the poverty cycle that often ensues; if young people are given worthy role models to look up to who make a stand about issues such as the senselessness of violence, crime and drugs; where individual freedom balanced by social responsibility and moral arbitrariness is replaced by sense of purpose; where the temptation to think of an ethical life is not seen as self-sacrifice but self-fulfilment, then I am not sure just what the complaint could be.

Have we so lost our ethical compass… that these things are now seen as bad?

What mind can be so unencumbered by reason that "common sense" itself is raised up to ridicule?

Now…the election put 120 well paid members into Parliament and the electors deserve all 120 of us to contribute.

Because…when asked to imagine how our nation could be, all of us would certainly find common ground.

It is beyond comprehension to envision anyone not wanting a nation that was safe and secure for all;

a nation where each life is wanted… respected… and nurtured to reach his or her potential, with parents who are supported and encouraged to parent with dignity, responsibility and heart; where education is affordable, attainable and purposeful; where the talents of all our people can be harnessed in an economy that rewards them, encouraging innovation, hard work and contribution to our society; where healthcare is accessible to all without the trade-offs between emergency and qualitative life improving interventions; where the aged are respected, valued and accorded due dignity; and the accumulated wisdom of our senior populace are a welcome resource to those of us less experienced. And finally, where we as a people finally acknowledge our responsibilities to our beautiful and life-affirming environment. But we have some serious challenges. And these cannot be met by those who espouse the philosophy of ultimate individualism where the social responsibility of that individual is given no credence. Nor can the challenges be met by the fringe left who delight in bathing in their sanctimoniousness, whose sole contribution to the well being of our nation resides in the littered remnants of their bumper stickers and trite slogans. First and foremost, we must make real the entitlement of every New Zealander to not only feel safe and secure… but be safe and secure. There are some who believe that serious offences are often committed by those who are either unable, or blinded from appreciating the consequences of their crimes. For them…the argument goes, longer tougher sentences should be rejected. But the paucity of such logic appals me. Because if…for no other reason…and I can certainly think of many, the permanent incarceration of a serious, violent offender eases by one tear the burden they have placed on the victim and their family…then longer and tougher sentences will be warranted.

Most importantly though, we must work towards acknowledging the entitlement of the 92% of the public who voted in favour of Norm Withers' referendum, (The one that was written in plain english yet have so much trouble with)…and that means not only 'life' to mean 'life' for the worst offenders, cumulative rather than concurrent sentencing, but also determinedly going after the causes and conditions that contribute to crime.

It also means addressing the reasons for our most senior and experienced police leaving the force (971 just in the last 22 months), and the lapse in leadership, and confidence, both from their political masters and the public.

Meanwhile there has been, since 1990, a 195% increase in child assaults, a rising incidence of murders (99 in the last year). There has been a whopping 108% increase in violent offences just in the last 10 years. And for those who still persist in believing the fantasy of rehabilitation, let me remind you that 83% of male and 75% of female prisoners are re-offenders.

What is needed is nothing short of a war on crime.

We must target families most at risk of breeding the next generation of criminals. Just 5% of New Zealand families are responsible for producing 90% of our criminals.

We must increase support for early intervention and diversionary programmes for youth at risk.

And yes, we must restore truth in sentencing, make 'life' mean 'life' but we must also question, for violent offences, whether parole should ever even be an option. If it is, then we must ensure adequate victim representation and advocacy…and at the very least, make the parole board publicly accountable for their decisions and the consequences of their decisions.

Moreover, we must ensure that victims and their families become the focus of the law and order debate. It would be a monumental waste of money, suffering and effort to fight violent crime if the end result were that the criminals who have violated the rules of civil society were given more importance than their innocent victims.

New Zealand has plenty of heroes, nearly all of them play sport and, if you discount drinking, most are, I suppose, rugby players.

But behind the scenes and away from the spotlight, there are literally thousands of heroes. For me two stand out for particular mention.

One I have already named in passing, Norm Withers. Because of what happened to his beloved mother he literally put his own life aside and, by way of a referendum, gave all New Zealanders a voice. Three years later it has yet to be heard.

The other is Garth McVicar. A man who…like Norm…placed his life and that of his wife Anne on hold, to put the safety and security of all New Zealanders on the political agenda with the Sensible Sentencing Trust.

I am proud to know these men and prouder still to call them friends. To them I owe deep gratitude.

For like them, I cannot imagine a world where the possibilities of tomorrow are not driven by the dreams of today. Every age has a certain spirit that moves through it, asking to be identified so that its message…its imperatives may be seized. These we call 'ideals'. Sadly the very suggestion of ideals and idealism generates a derogatory connotation. Reason and science are the twin currencies in vogue and have certainly contributed to our material life, but it is our capacity to breathe life into our ideals that give us meaning.

But…ideals no matter how noble can be only shadows left hanging in a theoretical space unless practical steps to implement them accompany them. And that implies a concerted focus of what it is that we can achieve.

When I think of my own motivation I am mindful of one thing…and that is to do whatever I can to allow my own son to look back on his life and feel that he has had a life worth living. I believe everyone should feel the same about their life.

Before I take up my seat again, I ask a further indulgence upon your patience as I lay three challenges before this parliament.

Whether we like it or not, the election put Labour in the drivers seat… but it is still the government for all New Zealanders. So the first challenge is to ask all 120 of us to put aside political grandstanding and our superficial differences, and to extend to this Government our commitment to contribute, and to enable it to be the best it can be.

The second challenge is, as a consequence, for this Government to allow us to play our part…honestly…openly…and with cooperation in equal measure. No Party has the monopoly on 'innovation' or 'vision' but by putting together the full sum of our combined talents, we can achieve together the best possible outcome for the people who put us here…our employers, the people of New Zealand.

And finally, to the Prime Minister, we can ill afford to answer the expectations of the people with lost causes, forsaken hopes and unrealised potentialities. I therefore issue to you a challenge to rise above the political fray… to truly lead this Parliamentary term harnessing the best from us…with a clear vision for the possibilities of tomorrow.