Tizard Judith: General Debate 
Tizard Judith: General Debate 
[Volume:627;Page:21848] 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD (Minister of Consumer Affairs) 
: 
 That was one of the best comedy turns I have seen from that member. I congratulate him. I am particularly proud that he is now claiming to be fixing the roads between Auckland and Hamilton. I did not notice New Zealand First suggesting for a moment that we should be spending more on infrastructure. It is a Labour-Progressive coalition Government that does that. I am very proud of what this Government has done. I say to the New Zealand First Party that New Zealanders have not forgotten what it did when it was in Government—and that is what we expect it to do again. 
We have heard a lot of nastiness today in particular from Nick Smith who is probably the nastiest member in this House. I want to put on the record the fact that Jim Sutton applied for leave on 28 April to go to the traceability session of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production conference and then to speak in Christchurch at the annual convention of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science. On 28 April Jim Sutton applied for leave and this morning Damien O’Connor applied for leave to go to his electorate because there has been a major fire at the Fonterra plant a plant that is absolutely vital to the economy of the West Coast and indeed of New Zealand. But National members those nasty snivelling people on the other side of the House would not care about that. 
What I find astonishing is that National appears to be attacking us for taking action that had never been taken in 82 years. That is what they are attacking this Government for—for having the guts to stand up and say we are going to talk to our best mate Australia about its rotten apple policy. We are going to get up and do that because Australia’s policy is not fair to apple producers and not fair to Australian consumers. Has anyone ever done anything like that before in this country? No they have not. Nick Smith is sneering and deriding good Labour Ministers who are getting out there and doing the real stuff. 
I want to say in this general debate that I am appalled at what the National Party is offering. Usually it offers no policy—or the two media statements from last year that make up its arts policy. No I lie—one of them was this year. One was from last year and one was from this year. That is about the average from National on policy. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: It’s more than their defence policy. 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: It is more than National’s defence policy. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: They’re going to have a review. 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: Is that its policy? Jolly good. I hope the people of New Zealand are listening very carefully to what the National Party is saying. National is saying it will spend money twice. Actually no—often it will spend it three times. We need to look at the history of that party. I have looked at the history of Don Brash and as a New Zealander I will feel sick to my stomach on behalf of every hard-working family—every man woman and child—in this country if that man is ever able to put his beliefs in place. I am not talking about his policies because he is not telling us those. There are no policies. I am talking about what he believes. He believes that tax cuts are the answer to poverty. He believes that tax cuts are the answer on housing. He believes that tax cuts are the answer for those who are losing out on education because they do not have a stable home. He says tax cuts are the answer on health. That is what he said. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: He did not. 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: He said it on  
Morning Report 
 last week. I am very very happy to table the transcript. That is—[ 
Interruption 
] I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I know what the member is going to say. I ask Dr Mapp to stand withdraw and apologise. He is a longstanding member. He knows he cannot use that terminology in the House. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: I assure the House that straight after my speech I will table the transcript of Don Brash saying all of those things. This Government is really proud to believe that New Zealanders deserve a fair go. We share New Zealand’s values. We believe in a fair go for everyone. We believe that the underpinnings of solid families are good affordable healthy housing good education and good health-care. This Government has spent more money on those underpinnings put more training into them and delivered more than any other Government in history. We believe in a decent society. We believe in people being able to work. We believe that they should go to their boss when they want a pay rise not come to the Government saying they want tax cuts that would destroy everything New Zealand stands for. 
I seek leave to table a transcript of a Radio New Zealand interview with Dr Brash in which he said that tax cuts were the answer on all of those issues. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.