Bennett David: General Debate 
Bennett David: General Debate 
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DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 Mr Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I asked a member not to make inane interjections when a member first got to their feet and I say it again to members on the Opposition benches this time. There is nothing wrong with interjections but let the member speak first and have something to interject about. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: Today we have seen the true Labour. It has envy and hates people making money. It does not want to see this country progress; it wants just to take people down. A Labour member comes in here with an article in the paper and thinks it is God’s gift to the world to get on the front page of the paper for once. Labour members come in here and ask questions about it. Labour’s leader Phil Goff is so keen to get the tax on farmers argument going yet they pull away. They have pulled away within 2 hours of question time. We heard Stuart Nash talking about how the numbers might be a little bit low now. They are pulling away from the argument because they know they have lost. Stuart Nash is trying to win a provincial seat by going out there and saying that businesses should pay tax on their income or turnover. That is never going to get anywhere and Labour will never get anywhere doing that. 
Let us give Labour members a history lesson and a lesson in accounting. Revenue minus expenses equals profit. That is what people are taxed on. We are not taxed on revenue or expenses; we are taxed on profits. It does not matter what business people are in—whether it is farming forestry fishing retail industrial manufacturing or any business—if you want to do that to farming you do that to the whole industry in New Zealand. Tax everybody on revenue. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Do not bring the Speaker into the debate. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: Labour wants to tax everybody on revenue. Let us see how long that lasts. Labour members should go to South Auckland and tell those businesses that you are going to tax them on revenue and you will see how many people are still in work at the end of that day. That will be the true test of Labour. Labour members do not know what they are talking about. If you want to— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: What is it that the member does not understand about the word “you”? 
DAVID BENNETT 
: I know. I understand. If Labour wants to tax revenue then it can do so. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It had better be a good point of order. I have just dealt with the issue about the member using the word “you”. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: It is a separate issue. I seek your advice. On a previous point of order in respect of the same matter you advised that if personal offence was taken and if an explanation was given that it was not our intent to have a turnover tax then that should be accepted. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will resume his seat. The member was not given leave to make a personal explanation. I allowed the member under Standing Order 106 to clarify in a point of order a matter in respect of his own speech. That is a debating matter; it is not the same as a personal explanation. Other members are perfectly at liberty to refer to the matter again unlike with a personal explanation. Leave has not been granted for a personal explanation. A point of order was allowed for the member who claimed misrepresentation. I have allowed that. Members have heard the explanation and the matter is being debated further. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: That is another example of Labour retracting in their points of order to say now that they will not have a turnover tax. You talk to your leader who came into this House today and— 
Hon Annette King 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You have just ruled. He immediately went back to bringing you into the debate. He has been here many many years. Surely to goodness he can get through a 5-minute speech without— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Let me just remind the honourable member that she interjected using the word “you” only a few short minutes ago. I did not pull her up on it. Interjections cannot use “you” either. I do not want members to interrupt other members’ speeches. The Speaker will deal with minor matters like that. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: Labour members want to break up this speech because they know they are getting a lesson in accounting and they do not like that. They do not like the real truth. 
Let us have a look at what happened in farming in the last couple of years. It is in the most difficult times. It happened when the payout came down. They were difficult times. There was high debt and a low payout. Many many farmers nearly went to the wall. Mr Cunliffe has been at a select committee where the Reserve Bank has come in and questioned the debt levels of farmers. He really knows what is going on if he would only admit it. That is the reality of the situation. Labour members are then comparing payouts in high years with payouts in low years. It is very very naughty of Labour members and the media to do so. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: How come there’s no profit on a record payout? 
DAVID BENNETT 
: Well that is the thing; Mr Cunliffe does not understand that revenue minus expenses equals profit. He thinks that revenue is profit. That is the difference. That is what Labour wants to tax; it wants to tax New Zealanders on revenue. It wants to go to every business in New Zealand and tax on revenue. I want to see Labour go out and do that. Let us see you put that in your manifesto Mr Cunliffe. That is the great Minister of Finance you want to be. You will tax the country on revenue. The Green Party members are also talking about introducing a capital gains tax. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is the member seeking a point of order? It had better be a genuine point of order. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Under Standing Order 106 the member has transgressed again and gone to the extent of using this member’s name. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member has already had the chance under Standing Order 106 to argue that he has been misrepresented. Unlike a personal explanation it is not a matter that cannot be referred to again by the House. Members are at liberty to debate the matter further. The member had the chance to argue that he has been misrepresented. The House has heard that I allowed that but it is not like a personal explanation where members cannot refer to it again. I do not want to have speeches interrupted lightly. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: Mr Cunliffe will not seek a point of order and make a personal statement because he will not go out there and say he does not believe in taxing revenue. He does not have the guts to stand up in this House and say— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Now I will interrupt the member. This is serious; the member will wipe the grin off his face. The member cannot allege that another member lacks courage. We had that earlier on today. In fact I asked the Hon David Cunliffe to withdraw and apologise. Now I ask this member to get to his feet to withdraw and apologise—and I want him to do so seriously—when I have sat down. He will sit down now and when I have sat down he will get to his feet and do it with some sincerity. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: I withdraw and apologise. The member over there had the chance then to make a personal statement and deny that Labour will have a revenue tax but he did not. He sat there and just let it go. The Green Party talks about a capital gains tax in regard to farming. Well there is a capital gains tax in regard to farming and it is that if you sell a property within a certain period of time the profit on the sale can be taxed. Also you have a yearly capital gains tax on farming unlike in any other business where you are taxed on livestock and that is a capital gains tax. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Does the member not understand how to use the English language to avoid saying “you” all the time? The member has just said “you” three times in succession “If you do this you do that.” “If that is done” is the way to do it. The member should use the other part of speech. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: The Green Party needs to understand that when there is taxation in the farming sector there is a livestock tax and the livestock tax is a capital gains tax. That is something the Green Party tends to forget.