King Colin: General Debate 
King Colin: General Debate 
[Volume:656;Page:5250] 
COLIN KING (National—Kaikoura) 
: 
 When I listened to Annette King speak before and try to give the impression of righteous indignation I could not help but remember the occasion when she sold enrolled nurses down the drain. She effectively washed her hands of them and said that she could not change anything. However what is probably more to the point— 
Hon Annette King 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I take exception to the comments made by the member. He has misrepresented the facts about me. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy) 
: I believe that is a debating point. 
COLIN KING 
: I think it is probably more appropriate at this time to consider what has been going on in New Zealand. It is a very good opportunity to compare the performance of the National Government in the last 9 months with the performance of the Labour Government over the last 9 years. I think that on this side of the House members can be very very comfortable because a John Key - led Government has made the very best out of the worst situation in 70 years whereas that lot on the other side of the House made the very worst of the best situation in 30 years. We had economic waste and a total blowout of the budget. One would think that when Labour members were in Government they would have realised that a lot more ships were coming here with produce than were leaving. Therefore those members should have known about the balance of payments situation. 
However there is always a silver lining to every cloud. Do members know what that silver lining was? It was on 8 November when New Zealanders said that they had had enough of the Labour Government and that it was time to get rid of it and they instated a John Key - led Government. 
When we look at the other side the House we see Phil Goff. There is a whole range of problems there. He has been totally underwhelming. To draw an analogy when I look at Phil Goff these days he is a bit like a boxer who has got to the very end of the round but he has gone back to the neutral corner because he does not know what day of the week it is. 
In no way is that better illustrated than when one looks at the wonderful situation of the cycleways. We have this fantastic proposal for a cycleway that will go from Hanmer through to Lake Tennyson. The country is celebrating this. People are switched on and are listening to John Key. They have been inspired and they have aspirations. But what did Phil Goff do? He tried to knock the situation. It is interesting that when the nation was glued to Television One on Monday night Phil Goff tried to bag the cycleways. The only bump in the road was Phil Goff being run over in the process. 
What has been going on? We can make a comparison. What has been this Government’s solution to the problems that confront us? We have the Warm Up New Zealand package the maintaining of entitlements and the maintaining of youth training levels at remarkably high levels. Those are the solutions. In comparison Opposition members talk about handing out welfare to millionaires and raising superannuation entitlements to 67 years. Probably the lowest of Labour members’ activities with the intention of trying to further their political ends is to politicise honest New Zealanders then when the story makes it on to the front page to walk away and say: “Oh it wasn’t us.” Labour members show a very very limp expression of what an Opposition should be. 
This Government under John Key has been focusing on job creation and growth. It has been maintaining entitlements improving public services and controlling Government debt. It has provided the Warm Up New Zealand home insulation programme. That is a wonderful programme and this winter has been the coldest in 56 years. The Government is boosting infrastructure investment protecting bank deposits and lifting educational standards. The list goes on and on. 
It is an absolute pleasure to be the member for Kaikoura where we see the beginnings of a fantastic initiative within New Zealand—the cycleway. I encourage members opposite to get on their bikes and go cycling throughout the seven main options. It will be onwards and upwards. 
This is the time to celebrate the choice that New Zealanders made in the 2008 election. We must congratulate John Key on his wonderful performance which goes onwards and upwards. Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker.