Dyson Ruth: Address in Reply 
Dyson Ruth: Address in Reply 
[Volume:628;Page:445] 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 I add my congratulations to you Mr Deputy Speaker on your very well-deserved appointment. It has been rather frustrating to listen to the National Party tonight. It has been a bit like the days—as many people in the House will recall—when we used to hear confession. That is what it has been like to listen to the National Party tonight. 
The star confessor has been Maurice Williamson who was tonight promising absolute heaven on earth for Auckland motorists. If National was the Government there would be no traffic problem in Auckland because Maurice Williamson would have fixed it! He would have sorted it out if only people had known better because National had all this money put aside to spend on Auckland roads. Maurice Williamson seems to have forgotten that he was the Minister of Transport under the previous National Government and that not only did he do nothing about Auckland’s traffic congestion but it became worse. He left that shambles when he was unelected as Minister of Transport when that National-led Government was thrown out. 
Ron Mark 
: He vetoed that policy. 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I say to Mr Mark that he should take another call if he can. He has a lot to contribute to this debate. He has done only a little tonight but the volume more than makes up for it. 
Maurice Williamson is a bit like the rest of the National caucus—it promises everything and delivers nothing—but because he used to be a Minister he is worse. He did absolutely nothing in all that time to help with the Auckland gridlock problem. The only good contribution Maurice Williamson made in this House was in his singing ability. I can well remember his songs when he used to sing alongside Brian Neeson and Wyatt Creech about the “Deadwood - Blues Brothers”—about how he was part of the “Deadwoods” and how he was about to get cut out of the National Party by the then president Michelle Boag. He sang very well but he did nothing at all about the Auckland traffic problem. 
So Maurice Williamson should not come into this House and tell us just a few weeks after the election that he has all the solutions because we in this House all know that when Mr Williamson had the chance as Minister things went backwards and that they would again if he was in that position. He was the man who was knocked out by National’s then leader Bill English for being disloyal to his party. But when Don Brash was elected as leader back came Maurice Williamson. Frankly some people are beyond recycling. 
Even though Maurice Williamson’s singing is great he is clearly past his best as is Don Brash the current leader of the National Party. Don Brash is perhaps best described by the  
National Business Review 
 which is not a paper that I often quote from. But I was very attracted to its headline which stated in reference to Don Brash’s speech in the Address in Reply debate “It’s like taking a soufflé to a barbecue.” The article stated that Don Brash needs to learn to take a little more advice and that in his reply to the Speech from the Throne his words fell short. It stated: “… National squandered a major opportunity.” That is what every major media outlet in the country has been saying. The article further stated: “Brash likes to retain responsibility for the content of his own speeches.”—well frankly no one else would claim credit for the content of his speeches—“He writes the majority himself and seeks opinions from pointy-headed acquaintances. … National staff need to wrest the pen out of his hands.” 
Dr Brash’s deputy leader Gerry Brownlee is shining just as poorly. Disregarded by most of his colleagues he started off this parliamentary term with an extraordinary attack on the Governor-General. To quote the  
New Zealand Herald 
: “One of the prime requisites of political leadership is an understanding of constitutional procedures and a certain sensitivity to the position of Governor-General. Mr Brownlee has declared himself deficient on both counts.” Well the article was counting only two things; if it had counted more he would have been found deficient on all counts I am sure. 
I wonder whether that was yet another Maurice Williamson - type cunning plan. That attack on the Governor-General may actually have been a back-door attack on the leader of the National Party Don Brash. Perhaps Mr Brownlee does not have the self-confidence of Brian Connell who said upfront what a poor view he has of his leader. Gerry Brownlee must have known that Don Brash had received a letter from the Governor-General saying: “Call me because I won’t call you.” He is the deputy leader of the National Party so he must have known that that letter had been received by his leader yet he attacked the Governor-General for not ringing Don Brash. Dr Brash clearly did not feel under attack. He clearly felt very strongly in support of his deputy because only 3 days later he leapt to the defence of his deputy saying that he was a first-class deputy leader—only 3 days after Mr Brownlee had embarrassed himself up and down the countryside. 
Perhaps Mr Brownlee should take a lead from Brian Connell who after his most recent mistake issued a full and an absolutely credible—not—apology saying that he deeply regretted the way his comments were interpreted. Dr Brash said that Mr Connell had clearly apologised to himself and the caucus but Dr Brash refused to express confidence in Mr Connell or to say whether any further action would be taken against him. Brian Connell did not return any calls over that period but he again said that he deeply regretted the way his comments were interpreted. It is no wonder that that caucus with so many new people looking so distressed about the performance of their leader—in the House and outside it—and the behaviour of their deputy is now scouting around way beyond John Key and Simon Power for someone who will be a leader in the future. 
The best part of being in this Parliament is having robust debates with a competent Opposition. Frankly over the last 6 years that has not been possible. I was hoping that with the new intake of National MPs and with the increased diversity—although smaller membership—in the House we would have that possibility. After hearing the maiden speeches and seeing the performances in the Address in Reply debate I was deeply disappointed. This again will be hard work for our Government but with the support of New Zealand First United Future and the Greens I am confident that we will deliver on our manifesto and continue well into the coming term.