Goudie Sandra: General Debate 
Goudie Sandra: General Debate 
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SANDRA GOUDIE (National—Coromandel) 
: 
 Here we are in the worst global recession since the 1930s with a Government working hard to ensure the most effective use of taxpayers’ money and what do Opposition members do? They hop on a bus and just like the polls head south. All 30-plus members headed out to the masses for a series of “love-ins”. If the  
Otago Daily Times 
 is anything to go by the “love-ins” were essentially with themselves because barely anybody turned up. One has only to look at the article where it states that a community forum in the evening in Wanganui ended up being largely dominated by Labour Party members. One of the Labour Party stalwarts said: “I did hope to hear more definite decisions from the Labour Party” but it couldn’t do it in Government so it is hardly going to do it in Opposition. In fact the Labour Party even had a bit of an identity crisis because the colour of the bus was green. Oh my goodness me the bus was green! 
The Opposition leader Goff says how conscious Labour is of cost at this time. What a pity Labour did not think about that while it was in Government. What else did Goff say? He said: “The great thing about New Zealand politics is it can be intimate you can get to talk to your elected representatives in a way that’s not possible in many other countries.” No wonder he said that; he had to go on a bus trip with 30-plus colleagues just so he could have a conversation with them. Nobody else was turning up to the meetings. What did the blog say? Danyl McLauchlan a left-wing blogger I might add has made some criticisms of “some half-witted re-branding exercise with pictures of Goff riding around on horseback and a bus trip to Whanganui.” And of course the bus was green. Mr Martin Kay says about Mr Goff: “The normal boyish chatty style is replaced with a grave monotone that would make a promise of free icecream and lollies sound like a robot reading a telephone book.” The bloggers were also saying that the wheels had actually fallen off the bus before it had even left Auckland. That is what the bloggers are saying. 
Meanwhile back in the engine room Ministers continue to work for efficient and effective outcomes for all New Zealanders. We have had a huge uptake for our voluntary bonding scheme which will see more health professionals working in our rural and provincial communities. A number of jobs have been created through increased infrastructure spending on roading and State houses. 
Hon Maryan Street 
: Except in Wanganui. You can’t get doctors in Wanganui. And why not? Ask Chester. 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: Members should listen to that member. She is raving on about Wanganui. Clearly it did not happen for her on the bus. Even more jobs have been created through the youth opportunities package and the assistance being given through the Restart package. There is also the huge uptake in people taking advantage of our home insulation package. Of all the initiatives the home insulation package was a huge winner. I have to say we were swamped with young professional doctors wanting to take advantage of the voluntary bonding scheme. One has only to read today’s  
Dominion Post  
editorial to see an excellent example of the leadership of the Ministers of this National Government. One has only to read  
New Zealand Herald  
articles to see that it is quite clear that there is leadership throughout this Government. There certainly was not leadership in the previous Labour Government for 9 long years. We just cannot get over the duration of that period under the nanny State. Old Mother Hubbard emptied the cupboard. There was nothing left in the coffers. I would not put those people in charge of a piggy bank. 
The Hon Judith Collins is a fine example of outstanding leadership engendering confidence and support from people throughout New Zealand. I exhort those members of Parliament opposite to read those editorials and they actually might learn something. They need to listen to the Minister of Education who said they need some literacy and numeracy training. By crikey! They could not manage a piggy bank. If there is one thing the Opposition members are in desperate need of it is some expertise. They need to go back to school. They need to learn how to do their sums. They need to know what they are doing in terms of what they are reading. In actual fact they need to start listening and start doing some homework.