Key John: General Debate 
Key John: General Debate 
[Volume:624;Page:19060] 
JOHN KEY (National—Helensville) 
: 
 If there is any political party in this House that is losing confidence it is not the National Party—it is the Labour Party. 
I make this observation very simply for the benefit of the House. That speaker was the Minister of Customs who a couple of weeks ago was allowed to front the petrol tax issue. Labour members decided they should not put up Dr Cullen so they went to the Minister of Customs. Today we came down to the House and we asked a very simple question about petrol tax. I can understand why Labour members would not want to give the issue to Rick Barker; I understand that and I will not question their strategy team on it because it was probably a wise choice. But the Associate Minister of Finance Trevor Mallard sat in the House and if he had not made such a hash of his question yesterday he might have got a shot at it. Even he now lacks the confidence of the inner circle of Labour. He is no longer a safe pair of hands because Bill English has made him look like the inept bungling fool that he is. He is now unable to come to this House to answer basic questions on taxes. He is the Associate Minister of Finance and he has to give those questions to the Minister of Transport. Mark my words Labour is not looking terribly flash. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: Ha ha! 
JOHN KEY 
: I tell Mr Cosgrove to look around the Chamber today. The entire front bench had their heads down. The entire front bench was not looking chipper and I am sorry but Labour members know a disaster when they see one coming and it is called election 2005—mark my words. 
Andrew Little from the Amalgamated Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union Ross Wilson from the Council of Trade Unions and Mike Williams from the Labour Party all want something; “5 in 05” is what they want. Well I have a piece of advice for Andrew Little Ross Wilson and Mike Williams. They should be extremely careful what they wish for because I have a prediction for them and it is that they are going to get what they asked for. They are certainly going to get “5 in 05”. They are going to get $5.20 for their workers per week. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: What a disgrace! 
JOHN KEY 
: What a disgrace! The party of the workers has sold them down the river. They will get a $2500 pay increase and they will get to keep five bucks. By the time they fill up the car they will be down for the week. That is the party of the workers. 
What did the Prime Minister tell the Leader of the Opposition Dr Don Brash the next Prime Minister of New Zealand? What did she tell Dr Brash? She said: “That’s right when the unions go out there and strive for a 5 percent wage increase all of that money will go back to the Government.” It is not bad enough that it is running a $7.4 billion operating balance; more of that wage increase will go back to it. So the average worker is now sitting at home saying: “Let me work this one out. I’m potentially going to go on strike to get a 5 percent wage increase. It’ll cost me probably days of militant action. I’ll be picketing out there in the cold and the rain and the wet. I’ll be begging with my boy for a raise and when I get it I’ll lose more money than if I’d stayed in the comfort of my own environment.” Members should check it out. If that is the party of the workers no wonder there is a confidence crisis taking place in Labour. That crisis is well founded. 
This morning I had the wonderful opportunity to go on  
Morning Report  
with Steve Maharey the architect of the Working for Families package. I sat there and Geoff Robinson in those tones of his said: “Mr Key can you explain the situation?”. I said: “Workers will get $2500 as a pay increase; they will get $5 to take home per week.” He looked at me and said: “That can’t possibly be right.” He turned to the architect of Working for Families Steve Maharey and Mr Maharey said: “Oh I’m not going to argue with John about the numbers. They’re right.” They are right! Can members imagine the workers of New Zealand having their Weet-Bix listening to Steve Maharey and spitting their Kornies all over the breakfast table? The poor kids are wondering why they have got cornflakes all over them. All of a sudden the workers realise that they should not have been painting those signs stating “Strike Now” and “5 in 05” in their garages in the weekend because they are about to lose money. It is a disgrace. That is the situation. That is Working for Families—one of the most deeply flawed policies this country has.