Power Simon: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Power Simon: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:660;Page:8701] 
Hon SIMON POWER (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 Today we heard the Prime Minister set the agenda for 2010 and into the next general election. The debate of ideas has begun today in the tax area the conservation area the public services area and the science and innovation area and from today what will be just as interesting will be to see how the Labour Opposition positions itself in respect of many of these issues. 
Today we heard the Prime Minister talk about capital investment as one of the key pieces of work that the Government has been undertaking. The Capital Market Development Taskforce which was started by the Hon Lianne Dalziel and continued by me in my commerce role reported just before Christmas and we are expecting the Government to respond in some detail to that report in the very near future. Measures to promote investment in capital markets will be critical to that—the large piece of work around the Securities Act review; legislation that has not been reviewed in 35 years but will be critical for getting a savings and investment culture into our capital markets. The single economic market concept with Australia something that I am lucky enough to have been charged with is likely to move into a new phase of vigour in 2010. I can see my colleague Darren Hughes over there chuckling to himself at the prospect of my having to spend a bit of time out of this Chamber while we work on that agenda over the course of the next short while. This is a critical component of showing our international competitiveness and of aligning those regulatory regimes in the securities insolvency and court proceedings areas with our Australian counterparts to ensure the free flow of capital and business transactions across the Tasman. 
In the justice area 2010 brings a huge amount of work to this Parliament. Work around the simplification project for the criminal justice processes will overhaul the way the criminal justice system works probably in the most significant fashion in a number of decades. An overhaul of legal aid and the way that that operates within the justice system will also be a critical component of ensuring that efficiency is what drives the court system and that rather than using a debate about the court system and having that debate from the perspective of lawyers judges and lawmakers we have that debate through the eyes of those people who find themselves in the criminal justice system through no fault of their own. The delays they have to experience and unusual practices that might be slightly arcane and archaic in nature need to be looked at. The legal system belongs to the people of New Zealand and it must continue to develop and continue to evolve. Our legislative processes have to reflect that ongoing evolution in the way that we practise law and the way our justice system operates. 
A big discussion is looming in the area of alcohol in 2010. The Law Commission is due to report to me at the end of March or the beginning of April with a piece of work that has taken many many months to conduct. Of course against all of that background there are two significant pieces of work around our electoral system: legislation around the electoral finance changes that have not just been worked through by the Government but had ample opportunity for the public to have a say on how those processes should fall out and legislation dealing with a referendum on MMP is also shortly to make its way here following some consultation and further discussion across Parliament. 
A lot of work is coming out of those areas in 2010 but I cannot leave this opportunity without making the odd comment about what we witnessed in this Chamber today from Mr Goff. For me Mr Goff started strongly enough when he stood up but he started to speak and one of the first sentences out of his mouth was “I do not support GST.” That tells us there is no denying the baggage of a political career that stretches over nearly 30 years. This is the man who sat in Cabinet when GST was introduced and who sat in a Cabinet that increased GST. The problem with having nearly 30 years of political history and baggage on one’s back is that one can only recreate oneself so many times. The problem with an institution like Parliament is that we have very very long memories and everybody in this Chamber whether a participant at the time or a student of political history realises and remembers Mr Goff’s critical role in those decision-making processes. 
I will tell members what I noticed most about Phil Goff’s speech today. It was not Phil Goff; it was Shane Jones. I found it just fascinating and so it begins. The odd hint is dropped around the place about Mr Jones’ leadership aspirations. There is a quiet nod from the contender on TV in the weekend that he is interested in the job. There is a  
North and South 
 article out just today by Guyon Espiner promoting Mr Jones as the next Labour leader. I have to say having sat through 9 years in Opposition that I know the signs all the little bits that are working together and all the groundwork that is being laid; I have seen it all before. I have to say that the giveaway for me was that when the Labour supporters of Mr Goff were up and clapping famously for his speech I had a casual glance over to Shane Jones in this Chamber and he literally licked his lips. He knew it was all over and he was standing there thinking to himself that opportunity was coming his way. Everybody on this side of the House noticed it. 
Another thing I noticed about Mr Goff’s speech today was not about Mr Goff; it was about having a bit of surveillance over his colleagues what they were looking like and whether they were interested. Darren Hughes did his usual interested peer-over-the-leader’s-shoulder act and he is to be commended for this ongoing dramatic performance that he indulges in at every set piece that Parliament has. Jacinda Ardern also looked relatively interested from the back. She nodded occasionally at the odd salient point and at the odd point that was not so salient. 
I was interested in some others in the blocks opposite. Clayton Cosgrove was totally disengaged from the process. He had no interest in what was going on at all. Down in that corner Chris Carter was an interesting case. He is a man desperate to be seen as useful. Phil Goff is working through his mind the components of whether to do a reshuffle and whether he should have the older more experienced grumpy MPs on the backbenches or whether he should promote some younger more thrusting characters on the other side who are keen to be involved—those members who are quietly making their cases like Charles Chauvel and battling away in complicated areas like the emissions trading scheme and accident compensation. This is a man who thinks he is on his way up but Phil Goff cannot quite make up his mind whether he is prepared to take that risk. Poor old Chris Carter is desperate to be useful and is chipping in at every other opportunity. 
My old colleague Trevor Mallard is now clearly more interested in blogs than he is in politics. That man was sitting there reading blog entries on his computer while his leader was on his feet responding to the Prime Minister’s statement. Again he was totally disengaged. But it was the action on the cross benches during Phil Goff’s speech that drew the Government’s eyes and it is clear to us that Mr Jones has his path well and truly laid out.