More than two decades after being
elected to Parliament, one of Labour’s veteran journeymen –
David Parker – called time on his political career this
week.
On Wednesday evening, he
gave his valedictory statement to the House, while a
packed public gallery peppered with his former
contemporaries watched on from above.
The valedictory
statement gives departing MPs the chance to farewell
Parliament and reflect on their career.
The standard
duration is 15 minutes, but if an MP has a significant
tenure, the Speaker will usually allow more time. Departing
members have little to lose in a political sense, so
speeches can make for exciting watching – valedictorians
don’t always hold their tongues.
Parker landed in
Parliament in 2002, after the successful “park Parker in
Parliament” campaign saw the former Dunedin lawyer and
businessman narrowly flip the Otago seat to Labour for the
first time ever.
As MPs often do in valedictories,
Parker included a chronology of his career, which – in its
first few years – saw him rise quickly through Labour caucus
ranks during the Clark administration.
“My first break
in Parliament came from ‘corngate’ or the Seeds of
Distrust,” Parker told the House. “The select committee
inquiry unanimously found no evidence of interference or
cover-up by any minister, including the Prime Minister – she
quite liked that!”
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
Following the 2005 election, Parker
was propelled into cabinet as Attorney-General, Minister of
Transport, Minister of Energy and – perhaps most notably –
Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues. In 2007, he
added Minister for the Environment to the list.
Parker
led development of the Emissions Trading Scheme legislation,
one of Labour’s flagship environmental policies, for which
he was named Listener magazine’s 2008
Environmentalist of the Year.
In his speech, Parker
listed “good environmental outcomes” as one of the key
objectives within his political philosophy, along with an
egalitarian economy and the protection of civil
liberties.
In the Ardern administration, Parker was
flippantly referred to by media as the “Minister for just
about everything”, after he was given the Environment
portfolio, along with Attorney-General, Minister for
Economic Development, Minister for Trade and Export Growth,
and Associate Minister of Finance.
‘One last thing
before I go’
As is often the case in valedictory
statements, Parker had one last nudge at convincing the
House of one of his pet policies – tax reform.
“The
revenue-neutral tax, which I proposed, is sometimes
described as a wealth tax, but it’s better seen as a tax on
income from capital. Think of it as an average rate of
return of 4 percent taxed at a third.
“In fact, it’s
less, because the family home and contents, plus an
additional $5 million of investments each-$10 million for a
couple-were excluded.”
The departing MP went into
further detail, pitching his ideal tax system to the House
and outlining exactly how it would all work.
“It’s
always been difficult to convince the other side on tax,” he
said. “At times, I’ve found it surprisingly hard on my own
side too.”
Parker has a personality and manner of
speaking that has seen him called meticulous and
intelligent, but also sometimes boring or nerdy. To his
credit, the Labour veteran is admirably self-aware,
something not all politicians find easy.
In his
speech, he acknowledged that his interest in the specialised
details had sometimes seen him called a ‘wonk’, but said
there were worse traits to have as an MP.
Parker told
the House that his colleague, MP Arena Williams, recently
said he was different to other MPs, because he didn’t
require affirmation and was therefore happy to
disagree.
“It can be a weakness too, yet officials
thrived on it. That’s who I am – a conviction politician,
clear in my values, my ideology.
“No-communist,
part-capitalist, part-socialist, class-not-race and I’m 100
percent sure Labour’s my place.
“I’ve fought many
battles, I’ve stood on principle, I’ve won, and I’ve lost,
but I leave here knowing that on environment, civil
liberties, and most precious of all, a prosperous,
egalitarian society, I’ve tried to move the
dial.”
When Parker leaves Parliament on 12 May, Labour
will lose the wisdom and experience of one of its loyal
veterans, but its legal expertise will be bolstered again,
when he is replaced by human rights lawyer Vanushi Walters,
who is next on Labour’s list. Walters is no stranger to
Parliament, after serving as MP for the Upper Harbour
electorate in the 53rd Parliament (2020-23).
You can
listen to the audio version of this story, along with other
coverage of Parliament this week by clicking the link near
the top of the page. The full Hansard transcript of David
Parker’s valedictory statement is also available here.
*RNZ’s
The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and
issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the
Clerk.
New Zealand’s public broadcaster, providing comprehensive NZ news and current affairs, specialist audio features and documentaries.
Radio New Zealand is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. Radio New Zealand News are vital elements in our programming, providing impartial news and information to New Zealanders every day. Radio New Zealand (RNZ) provides listeners with exciting and independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter.
