Goff Phil: General Debate 
Goff Phil: General Debate 
[Volume:632;Page:4206] 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Defence) 
: 
 I move  
That the House take note of miscellaneous business 
. Madam Speaker I am sure you will agree that it is great to have the House back in session and to see that in terms of the performance of Dr Brash and the National Party absolutely nothing has changed. In 2 days they have absolutely failed to make any impact in this House at all. We remember what a disaster the last session was for Dr Brash. Members may remember the “walk the plank” incident when Dr Brash looked as shaky and uncertain of himself physically as everybody knew his political performance had been. And that was meant to be a photo opportunity for the National Party! I ask the National Party which adviser told Dr Brash that that would look good on television. Was it Gerry Brownlee Bill English or John Key? With friends like that no wonder Dr Brash does not need enemies. 
Then members will remember the email fiasco. Dr Brash called a press conference to talk about an email from himself only to say that he had not seen the email. He seemed surprised that that was what the press conference was about and he asked a journalist whether he could see a copy of the email. Again which of the advisers told him to go ahead and do that? I think it was John Key who is studiously avoiding eye contact. I think it was his advice because John Key sees the main chance. 
So it was that at the start of this session John Armstrong from the  
New Zealand Herald 
 wrote an article challenging Dr Brash entitled “Brash should lead or leave”. Of course we can see from the way Dr Brash has fronted up to this debate which option he has taken. When it gets hot in the House Don Brash is always there leading from the front. Don Brash has not led. He has not led in his caucus he has not led in the House and he has not led the country. 
Yesterday was just another disaster for Dr Brash. He addressed the Local Government New Zealand conference and—as his colleagues know because at least half a dozen of them have received telephone calls about it from their local mayors—he gave an appalling performance. Perhaps it was not a good idea for Dr Brash given his current position and performance to begin his speech by preaching to the conference about what good leadership is. It was a bit presumptuous the delegates thought given that he had scored a lofty 13 percent in the latest TV3 poll. But I do agree with his line about the sort of leadership that allows others to flourish because flourishing on the front bench opposite preening themselves are the three pretenders to take over from Dr Brash as soon as they can agree amongst themselves which of them will be the contender. 
Dr Brash’s speech was ill-judged in many ways. He spent most of it telling the elected representatives at the conference how hopeless they were. One mayor told us that he talked to them as if they were “a bunch of dicks”. That is how the mayors felt about it. 
The speech was not only ill-judged but also very revealing because it showed the old ideological Don Brash who emerges from time to time from behind the cloak of populism he tries to create for himself. There was Dr Brash telling the delegates that he would run down central and local government services just as he has revealed from time to time his desire to privatise Kiwibank New Zealand Post and the Accident Compensation Corporation; to raise the retirement age which he does not admit very often in the House but it is on the record; to cut benefits; to scrap the minimum wage; and to compel young mothers to adopt out their kids. 
There again was the Dr Brash who spends his time focused on running down his own country. New Zealand he said has no prospect of keeping its brightest and best people and no prospect of climbing back up the ladder of developed nations. Who in this country would want a leader who tries constantly to promote himself by diminishing his country? Dr Brash has done that time and time again and it is disgraceful that he does so. That man has no vision and no leadership and his days are numbered.