Mallard Trevor: General Debates 
Mallard Trevor: General Debates 
[Volume:612;Page:8978] 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 What an interesting day this is. We heard from Murray Smith of the United Future party a discussion of what one should do to 2-year olds to keep them in line. Then we celebrated the second anniversary of Bill English coming to the leadership of the National Party. It was a very very flat speech from Mr English but he then acted like a 2-year-old at the end of it. He stomped out like a 2-year-old. We could tell that he was unhappy with his performance. We could tell that the rest of the National Party was unhappy with his performance. But one of the things about being a leader is that when one is not happy one has to have the ability to absorb it take it and show some leadership—not to stomp around this Chamber like a spoilt child who was not allowed a lolly. 
Maybe he has gone to the National Party economic caucus committee. He apparently has not been to one for nearly a year according to Don Brash. Maybe he has gone to find out why Don Brash is wandering around Christchurch saying that the National Party is going to put GST up to 20 percent and cut the highest tax rate. Why did Don Brash tell a group in Christchurch that the National Party was going to putGST up to 20 percent and cut the top tax rates? Why? Because it is consistent with the views of Richard Prebble. It is absolutely consistent with the views of Rodney Hide— 
David Benson-Pope 
: What about Stephen Franks? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
—and Stephen Franks; he is making it clear that he is the aspirant leader for ACT. It is absolutely consistent with being the ninth member of ACT in this House as we all know that Dr Brash is. Will he come down here and deny it? 
Simon Power 
: You used to be good! 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I agree with Simon Power that Dr Brash used to be good. But he came in here and he was flattened like a bit of bread under a steamroller. The National Party got to him and he lost whatever potential he had. That is why now the National Party is looking to Gerry Brownlee. Is it not sad? Apparently when he canvassed for support it was like one of the candidates for Cabinet in the 1980s and I counted the votes. He canvassed for support a couple of months ago and got only one person supporting him—himself. But is it not interesting that the National Party now is not looking to Mr Power but looking to Gerry Brownlee? Just as we know that Don Brash is the ninth member from ACT Gerry Brownlee is the 14th member from New Zealand First. He is out with them regularly having a great time around town sorting out portfolio responsibilities and trying to do deals about who is sitting in what seat who is running against whom and which of his National Party colleagues will be sacrificed. 
Given the approach in the last 2 years and given the way that Bill English—“Wiremu Pakeha”—has destroyed the vote of the National Party I am not surprised that National Party members are looking for somewhere to go. But I want to know whether Gerry Brownlee gave Phil Heatley’s seat to Brian Donnelly to give more security to New Zealand First in the longer term. Is that true? It is one of the rumours around. 
We know that Brian Donnelly is a much harder worker in Whangarei. I know from the representations I get that Brian Donnelly is a much harder worker in Whangarei than Phil Heatley. But did Gerry Brownlee deal with his seat? What about Shane Ardern? Is it true that Don Brash said: “When we ran in Taranaki – King Country we nearly won it?”. Did Don Brash deal with that seat too?