Heatley Phil: General Debate 
Heatley Phil: General Debate 
[Volume:655;Page:4590] 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Fisheries) 
: 
 It is not often that I get a round of applause before I start speaking but I very much appreciate getting that applause from the Labour Party. 
To me the Labour members seem depressed really. They are depressed because all I hear from them is constant complaints. They complain and they complain. I remember when John Key floated the idea of a national cycleway and they complained that it would never happen. Then John Key said that he would put $50 million towards it and they complained that the money would never see the light of day. Then we announced that there would be $50 million in the Budget for the national cycleway and they complained that it was not coming soon enough. They complained that the cycleway was not a good idea until the rest of the country—right throughout the provinces and even in the metropolitan areas where people knew it would be good for the provinces—said that it was a great idea to have a national cycleway a series of great rides throughout New Zealand. Everyone in New Zealand except for the Labour members over there who are very depressed thought it was a great idea. Labour complained. 
Labour complained about the upgrade of State houses when I announced that I was upgrading them because they were in a slum condition. I said that I did not want this Government to be a slum landlord and that we would pour a whole bunch of money into State houses across the country and Labour members complained about that. When I said that we would sell State houses to the tenants if they could afford to buy them so that they could go into home ownership Labour complained about that and said that we were just selling down the housing stock. I said that we would use the money for replacement houses so that we would not run down the housing stock. Labour members complained about that and said that the money would not stimulate the economy. I said that we would put the money from the sale of the State houses into building replacement houses and that it will be a new build. It will be a new build so that the construction industry will get work out of it. Labour members complained about that. They said that we would end up building houses in the worst areas of the country. I said that we will build State houses in the areas of high need. Now they are complaining about that. 
We are upgrading State houses and we are selling State houses to tenants. We are getting replacement houses we are making sure that they are new builds and still Labour complains. 
I was delighted when Gerry Brownlee announced the $323 million package to insulate top and bottom private households right throughout this country and also to subsidise home heating. One-third of a billion dollars is being put into upgrading private houses right throughout the country with no income caps. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Don’t tell me Labour whinged again. 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: Labour complained about it but worse still the Green Party complained about it. Today I announced that we will increase the number of State houses over the next 3 years including this current year and the Green Party is complaining about that too. 
Why are those members so depressed? I think they are depressed because they are taking the wrong drugs. They are simply taking the wrong drugs. No longer is Trevor Mallard taking his anti-anger pills; he is actually taking pills that are depressing him. So they complain complain and complain. 
I will tell members the biggest shock for New Zealand. When National was voted in and it decided and announced to the country that it would fund Herceptin did Labour complain? No. There was a big long silence. Do members know what that silence said? It was Labour members wondering why they did not think of doing that. Women are dying of cancer and families are suffering. Why did Labour members not think about doing that? When National funded Herceptin Labour did not complain; there was a big long silence. Labour members asked themselves why they did not do the right thing. It was because they had lost touch. 
The reality is that every week John Key and the team announce a new step forward a new solution to problems young and old and all Labour members do is complain complain and complain. They whinge. They are the worst of Oppositions. They are not putting up alternatives; they are just complaining about what the National Government is doing. I think those members are philosophically in tatters. How can it be that a National Government can put more into State housing than a Labour Government?