McClay Todd: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
McClay Todd: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 01 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4187. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
TODD McCLAY (Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee) 
: 
 It gives me pleasure to rise and speak on Vote Finance in the Appropriation (2012/13 Estimates) Bill debate. Can I say that there was the real Opposition the real leader of the Opposition that great Australian Russel Norman. He is the one who is standing up and speaking up for everyday New Zealanders at least as far as he says. 
Here is the problem you see. What has happened in this last Budget is that this Government led by the Prime Minister John Key and with our Minister of Finance Bill English has delivered a Budget to New Zealand that focuses on responsible management of Government finances and on how to make the engine that is New Zealand go faster—how to make it grow and grow faster. What we have seen in the last week or two is the Labour Party rebranding itself grabbing great strong National Government policies and saying: “We’ll have a little bit of that as well.” 
So what have we heard from those members? They are in favour of mining. In fact they want to do more mining. It is good that they have finally woken up to that because before the Budget they were saying they did not mind New Zealanders going to Australia to work in mines but they could not be doing that here. Well everyday New Zealanders want to work hard they want to stay in their own country and they want good jobs. This Government is focused on finding the very best way to balance the environment with mining so that our economy can grow. So Labour is saying it wants more mining. The real Opposition that great leader of the Opposition that great Australian Russel Norman is saying he is not opposed to mining; it is just he has never found a mine that he agrees with: “No problem we don’t mind mines but we don’t like any of the ones that are here or any that are proposed.” 
We have also heard from the Labour Party that it is now in favour of reducing debt. It does not like borrowing any more; it is in favour of reducing debt. The problem with that is that before the last election and before this Budget was delivered those members said they had no problem with getting some more debt as we could pay it off some time in the future. Well here is the difficulty: the real Opposition that great Australian the real leader of the Opposition Russel Norman is saying that debt is fine: let us tax New Zealanders more let us go out and borrow a lot more and spend it on lots of things for New Zealanders but let us not find a single way to grow the economy to grow a way for the Government to get more resource and make our economy stronger and better. 
And then finally what has happened? The Labour Party has said that it too now accepts that we should get back to surplus by 2014-15—that is its policy. Labour members have said they believe that the Government will do it then or thereabouts and that that is something that they too would do. Before the last Budget that was not their policy at all. Certainly before the last election they were saying they would borrow a lot more money make a lot of rash decisions around spending and make New Zealanders work longer and harder to pay that back into the future but now they have changed their position. Getting back to surplus by 2014-15 is acceptable to them. 
The problem they have got on the other side is the real Opposition that great Australian Russel Norman who is the leader of the Opposition is actually saying that it is not about going back to surplus then; it is about borrowing more money spending more money racking up debt on behalf of New Zealanders and then finally some time in the future paying it off. 
The reason I raise this is because our Budget and our focus on finance deliver a better more competitive and productive economy for New Zealanders. We have heard others in this debate today refer to the John Key - John Banks Government. Well I have got to tell you based upon what we have heard from the Opposition I would rather have that. I would rather have John Banks any day than a Russel Norman - David Shearer - Hone Harawira Government which is what the Opposition parties are pitching to us. So it is fine for the Labour Opposition to say at the next election: “We’ve changed our position. We’ll have more mining. We’ll have less debt less borrowing and we will certainly get back to surplus sooner.” but the people it will have to do a deal with to try to form a Government in New Zealand are that great Australian the real leader of the Opposition Russel Norman and Hone Harawira who have different policies across the board and will not accept that at all. 
On this side of the Chamber we are focused on what matters and I say it again: give me John Banks any day over some of the others whom that lot over there will have to cast their lot in with come the next election. I look forward to the debate that we will have as we go forward and to hearing from the Labour Opposition what its position is on water in New Zealand and whether it backs some of the claims that are being made around the country. I bet you we are not going to hear anything about that at all. 
Delivering better public services is something the Opposition hates. It hates us doing better with the money we are entrusted with to spend on behalf of New Zealanders. Well the Budget that has been delivered by Bill English does that. It focuses on better public services for New Zealanders rebuilding Christchurch—