David Clendon Maiden Speech

Excerpts.
A family connection to the Treaty of Waitangi

My Pakeha tupuna James Clendon came to NZ as a sea captain in the late 1820s and by the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1835 he was sufficiently well known and trusted by both Crown and nga iwi Maori to be one of the two Crown witnesses whose signatures appear on the Declaration. There is evidence that the final drafting of the Treaty document before it was translated into Maori was completed in James’ home at Okiato, and later in February 1840, at Ngunguru, he put his signature to the Treaty as a witness for the ariki Pomare.

A family connection to Parliament

Dad always worked hard and willingly to support his family, and his job for many years, and from which he retired some twenty years ago, was as a public service chauffeur, driving one of the big Fords that were the forerunner of today’s fleet of BMWs that ferry our Ministers and other senior officials about their work. Recalling that my own father once provided with integrity and sense of purpose, a service to Members of this House, will remind me to show due humility and respect to the small army of people who support in a myriad of ways the work of the Members of this House, and without whose efforts the work could not be done.
The case for sustainable economics

Old style economic and political systems focused solely on distribution of goods and wealth – the Green analysis looks closely at the generation of that wealth, and the unique importance of not compromising the natural capital that is the source of that wealth. The economic decisions we take and implement need to be those which reduce our dependency on a long and increasingly threatened supply chain, not least of all for the oil which literally fuels our current economy.

It is the realities of geology as much as the vagaries of politics or economics that dictates that we must as a matter of urgency effect the transition to a low carbon economy. The business and indeed the wider community is taking a lead in advancing this programme, through such initiatives as the Transition Town movement, and through businesses using a sustainability framework to reinvent their business models, reduce their resource use and enhance their productivity and profitability.

These initiatives reflect a growing public awareness that we need to live our lives and conduct our affairs differently, but we do not need to live any less well. It is past time this government took a clear position and began to provide leadership and support for these necessary changes. Business as usual is an option, but it is an ‘Age of Stupid’ option.



Full Text

Kei to mihi nui, kei te mihi aroha. Ki te whare Paremata, tena koe. Ki nga rangatira ma, nga kuia ma, ki te hunga ora tätou hui mai nei, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

Ko Ngatokimatawhaorua te waka
Ko Maungataniwha te maunga,
Ko Hokianga te awa
Ko Ngapuhi te iwi
Ko Clendon te whänau
Ko David Clendon ahau

Tihei mauri ora!

I deem it an honour and a great privilege to be in this house today, taking up the duties, the rights and responsibilities of a Member of Parliament. I offer my greetings and respects to those who have gone before, to those here now, and to those who in their turn will follow us.
Earlier today I took an affirmation of loyalty to the Crown.

I would now add to that a commitment to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi, as the founding constitutional document of the country I now aspire to serve, as have other Green MPs before me.

My commitment is far from being merely a token or a ‘follow the leader’ statement however. As well as an objective or intellectual respect for the relationship the Treaty established, I feel a close and very personal connection to it, through the diverse strands of my own genealogy.

My Pakeha tupuna James Clendon came to NZ as a sea captain in the late 1820s and by the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1835 he was sufficiently well known and trusted by both Crown and nga iwi Maori to be one of the two Crown witnesses whose signatures appear on the Declaration.

There is evidence that the final drafting of the Treaty document before it was translated into Maori was completed in James’ home at Okiato, and later in February 1840, at Ngunguru, he put his signature to the Treaty as a witness for the ariki Pomare.

After the death of James' wife, he remarried, to Jane Kerenene, the daughter of Takotowi te Whata of Mangamuka, and from that and successive marriages I trace my whakapapa which links me to this whenua, and in particular to the Hokianga, and it to me, far beyond the five Pakeha generations of my family.

So I am in the unusual though not unique situation of having both Pakeha and Maori tupuna whose tohu appear on the two documents that underpin our constitutional arrangements. My Pakeha ancestor also shared with Maori the dubious distinction of losing much of his hard earned fortune through being ripped off in a land deal with the Government, but that is a story for another day.

I believe that any failure of the käwanatanga to respect and fulfil the mana and authority of the Treaty, also undermines the legitimate right of this House to assert its own mana and its own authority. This is one of the principles that will direct and guide my words and actions in this place.

I owe to my Father a debt of gratitude for, among other things, instilling in me a respect for my heritage, both Maori and Pakeha, and a deep affection for this country that we are so fortunate to call our home. While his state of health prevents him from being here today, I know he will take pride in seeing a son achieve such a goal, as in his own way he has taken pride in the achievements of all his seven children and many grandchildren.

Dad always worked hard and willingly to support his family, and his job for many years, and from which he retired some twenty years ago, was as a public service chauffeur, driving one of the big Fords that were the forerunner of today’s fleet of BMWs that ferry our Ministers and other senior officials about their work.

Recalling that my own father once provided with integrity and sense of purpose, a service to Members of this House, will remind me to show due humility and respect to the small army of people who support in a myriad of ways the work of the Members of this House, and without whose efforts the work could not be done.

My Mother is here today, and I stand in awe of her boundless aroha, her ability and willingness to awhi and tautoko her children, her family, and indeed anyone in genuine need who has ever crossed her path. The courage and strength of character that enabled her parents to migrate from Wales almost a century ago, and to make a life in what must have seemed such a distant and foreign land, is very evident in their daughter.

To my own dear daughter I offer my unbounded love and affection. Watching you grow into the remarkable young woman you are today has been the joy of my life, and no parent could wish for more.

To my partner Lindis, to my siblings, all of my whänau and friends, I thank you for the support you have given me, and that I know you will continue to give me as I face the challenges and difficulties that will inevitably arise from this task I begin in earnest today.

To my fellow Green Party members, I thank you for the confidence you have shown in me by putting me in a position to take up this role, and I commit to upholding the Party’s values and principles, and to working to achieve our shared goals and aspirations.

In particular, I acknowledge Sue Bradford, whose remarkable dedication, courage, intellect and sheer endurance won the respect not only of her friends and those of like mind politically, but also of many others from across the political, social and economic spectrum. Kia kaha Sue, you have set a very high standard for me to reach for.

There has been a deal of speculation that, as Sue has departed from this House to return to the ‘Parliament of the Streets’ that was the first forum for her political activism, so too will depart the Green caucus’ commitment to social justice issues, our concern and willingness to advocate and fight for the most vulnerable and least well off in our society.

One commentator went so far as to suggest that we were seeing “the rise of the intellectual Green MP: cogent, abstract, and not as connected with how people really live their lives.” While I have no difficulty associating Green MPs with intelligence, cogency, or the capacity for abstract thinking, I certainly take issue with the notion of disconnectedness from real people, real lives.

Nothing in fact could be further from the truth. The Green choir inside Parliament has lost a powerful voice, but as one leaves another will step up, and the song remains the same.

Some of the misapprehension may have arisen to the extent it is known that one of my assigned roles is to demonstrate that existing Green Party principles and policies do not conflict with and indeed can readily align with the interests and aspirations of much of the business community, in particular the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which are at the heart of our economy, who are collectively our major employers and producers.

Smart business people know that as employers it is in their interest to treat their employees decently and fairly; that a relationship built and maintained on mutual respect and hard-earned trust is one of the necessary elements of a business that will survive and indeed thrive in good times and bad.

A recently published report from the NZIER suggests that “there is benefit in demonstrating progress towards sustainability, but it is important to shine the spotlight on our policy mix to ensure policy programme priorities make both economic and environmental sense”.

From the Green perspective, it is impossible to do anything other than consider the environment when making economic decisions. The environment is the ultimate source of all the material wealth we may produce. The state of our ecosystems and the services they provide must be included in any genuine assessment of individual and collective wellbeing.

Old style economic and political systems focused solely on distribution of goods and wealth – the Green analysis looks closely at the generation of that wealth, and the unique importance of not compromising the natural capital that is the source of that wealth.

The economic decisions we take and implement need to be those which reduce our dependency on a long and increasingly threatened supply chain, not least of all for the oil which literally fuels our current economy.

It is the realities of geology as much as the vagaries of politics or economics that dictates that we must as a matter of urgency effect the transition to a low carbon economy. The business and indeed the wider community is taking a lead in advancing this programme, through such initiatives as the Transition Town movement, and through businesses using a sustainability framework to reinvent their business models, reduce their resource use and enhance their productivity and profitability.

These initiatives reflect a growing public awareness that we need to live our lives and conduct our affairs differently, but we do not need to live any less well. It is past time this government took a clear position and began to provide leadership and support for these necessary changes. Business as usual is an option, but it is an ‘Age of Stupid’ option.

The business case for sustainability is overwhelming – our 100% Pure New Zealand branding has been highly successful internationally, which provides a powerful motivation to make the image real. A brand that oversells itself will eventually pay the price of such greenwashing, and selling ourselves as 100% Pure without assuring the integrity of that brand is an exercise in digging a hole into which our major income providers, our primary and processed food production and our tourism industry, will eventually fall.

Despite much of the rhetoric and its commonplace portrayal to the contrary, the economy is not an independent being, a creature in its own right. The economy is essentially comprised of a complex set of social relationships, with decisions made based on sets of values and assumptions. It is also usefully understood as being a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, and if the parent company should fail, so too will the offshoot.

Invariably every economic decision will advantage some and disadvantage others, at least in the short term. A democracy will be imperilled to the extent that the same group in society is always winning, while other groups are always losing.

We need to focus on reducing the income gap that has been widening for too many years – that way lies a nation made up of a minority with too much to lose and a majority with nothing to lose – not a recipe for stability or harmony.

Other policy areas in which I will be working to advance Green ideas and practice are in tertiary education, research science and technology, resource management, and Auckland’s governance. With these and other portfolios it is clear that I will never lack for work.

I am sure that I will make mistakes in this House – I trust that they will be honestly made and not repeated. I look forward to engaging with sector groups, NGOs, and members of the public with an interest and expertise in these issues. I look forward also to engaging in the substantive debate that I sincerely hope occurs within the Parliamentary precinct, alongside or perhaps behind the somewhat formulaic and superficial engagement that is too often the public face of politics.

My default position in debate is to always look first for the common ground, the points of agreement, that which unites rather than divides. Consensus seeking as practiced by the Greens is a powerful tool for resolution of conflicts, and I will always be willing to give ground where it allows all parties to get some of what they need, if not all they may want.

What can never be compromised are points of core value, core principles or belief. A person or a party can only sacrifice their integrity once, and that will not happen on my watch.

I look forward to the work, the opportunities and the challenges of what I hope is a long and honourable tenure in the career I begin today. Kei te haere ahau ki te mahi!

Te toka tumoana
Ka tu, ka tu, ka tu
Ahakoa I awhatia mai te rangi
Whakapakakatia i te whitinga o te ra
To toka tumoana
Ka tu, ka tu, ka tu.