Hide Rodney: Financial Review Debate 
Hide Rodney: Financial Review Debate 
[Volume:607;Page:4148] 
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
: 
 I am pleased that the Hon Rick Barker identified me as a positive and optimistic sort of fellow. I am prepared to offer congratulations where they are due and I do congratulate this Government on sticking with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act which is very important to our economic and social success and also for sticking with the Fiscal Responsibility Act rather than abandoning those twin pillars of the modern New Zealand economy. But I say to Mr Barker that it was a mistake of this Government to get rid of the Employment Contracts Act and it was also a mistake to put up the top rate of income tax. I also point out to this Government that there is a fundamental priority of any Government anywhere in the world and that is to protect the citizens of a country—in the streets in their homes and in their places of work. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: What about people getting harassed on Pipitea Street? 
RODNEY HIDE 
: It is all very well for Mr Clayton Cosgrove to call out homophobic comments just because he cannot even get his secretary to go out with him. If I were that member I would just pipe down. He should just forget that he cannot get his secretary to go out with him and listen to me. I say the fundamental priority of any Government is to protect its citizens. But what has happened to crime under this Government? It has gone up. What has happened in terms of people feeling safe in the streets and in their homes and places of work? That has gone down. 
It is not enough just to protect people from the thugs and the bullies domestically; we have to do so internationally as well. What has this Government done? It has disbanded the combat wing of our Air Force because the Prime Minister says that we do not have enough money for that. What other action has this Government taken? It has abandoned—[ 
Interruption 
] I keep hearing from Clayton Cosgrove. He is fixated on his secretary and not going out with her. He should just listen to the important issues. This Government has abandoned New Zealand’s traditional allies with whom we have bonds forged in peace in trade and in war. It has abandoned them. I say that that is a disgrace to New Zealand 
What happens when this Government says that it does not have the money needed for the police does not have the money to fix ladies’ varicose veins and does not have the money for the air combat wing? Last week we heard that Jim Anderton had allocated $1.5 million to EDS (New Zealand) Ltd for a call centre. I do not remember this Government campaigning to give $1.5 million of taxpayers’ money to an overseas multinational computer company. Not at all! That money was a mistake. That is an example of what we are seeing from this Government. The money is going out to be spent on wasteful things and not on the priorities which are defence the police and the protection of the people in New Zealand. 
In this financial appropriation we see that Te Mangai Paho and Te Puni Kokiri are mentioned. The Government has given over half a million dollars in 3 years to Maori Sportscasting International and what do we know? We know that $7000 has gone back in expenses to a Te Mangai Paho employee so that he could go and watch rugby games—in Sydney twice and all around New Zealand—with taxpayers’ money. This Government says that that is OK. In fact a year later yesterday that employee resigned saying that he did not feel very good about it. But Clayton Cosgrove did not mind. No no—he did not mind. He thought it was OK for that to happen. 
What did we then find today? We found that the same company Maori Sportscasting International received $10000 from Te Puni Kokiri—members will love this—to hold a training wananga for budding sportscasters in te reo in July last year. 
Lindsay Tisch 
: Where was that? 
RODNEY HIDE 
: In Auckland. What happened was that on the Saturday night everyone got in a bus and they all went down to the flash Lakeside Convention Centre in Auckland by the airport. Out came the buffet and out came the booze all paid for by the taxpayer. Oh—and there was band that cost $800. Who should come along with their Labour Party rosettes on the campaign trail but the Hon Dover Samuels and the Hon John Tamihere to do a bit of electioneering at a function paid for by the taxpayer. That is treating and it is treating with taxpayers’ money. 
I ask Clayton Cosgrove whether he agrees with taxpayers’ money that went to a private company coming back to the civil servant who is overseeing that contract and with money that was allocated for the training of Maori sportscasters being spent on a dinner at the Lakeside Convention Centre—during the election campaign—at which there is a band and at which Dover Samuels with his Labour Party rosette got to campaign and John Tamihere got to hongi both of them beside Hemana Waaka. What happened? Well Mr Waaka received half a million dollars over 3 years from this Government. All that he had to do was to kick a bit back to the civil servant and to look after his mates in the Labour Party by helping them to get re-elected. I am surprised that all members of this Government seem to think that that is appropriate. 
Here is what we need to do in order to get this economy going. Let us get rid of the Cullen superannuation fund. Let us get rid of the $2 billion a year that is going into it so that Michael Cullen—[ 
Interruption 
] Clayton Cosgrove still cannot get a date. He goes on and on but he cannot get a date. He tries the people he employs. They will not go out with him so he fires them. I just wish Clayton Cosgrove would focus on this debate rather than going on and on about being unable to secure a date while in Wellington. We need to get rid of the Cullen fund and instead of having Michael Cullen play the role of international financier on the sharemarkets of the world we need to give that $2 billion back to working New Zealanders—the people who create the wealth in New Zealand. If they had the choice between having 25 bucks a week in their pockets or giving that amount to this Government to throw away overseas what would they choose? There is no doubt in my mind that working New Zealanders would choose to keep that $25 in their pockets. That is why Clayton Cosgrove will not allow them to make that choice. In fact if we went to the surpluses that Clayton Cosgrove wants to spend we could give $50 a week to every worker in the country. Alternatively we could take the top rate of tax rate down to about 23c in the dollar the company tax rate down to about 23c in the dollar and the 33c in the dollar rate down to 23c in the dollar. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: Rich mates! 
RODNEY HIDE 
: Cosgrove talks about my rich mates. I am pleased that I have mates—unlike Clayton Cosgrove who is so desperate for a date that he hit on his private secretary and then fired her because she would not go out with him. I find it unbelievable that he complains about me having friends when he cannot get a friend in Wellington. 
The ACT party says we should take the money and return it to productive New Zealand. Let us grow the cake not make it smaller and let us do this: let us apply the limited taxpayers’ funds to the basics of defending New Zealanders at home and abroad through proper police funding proper support for the military and proper support for our traditional allies whom we rely on for the peace and security of our world.