Mackey Moana: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Mackey Moana: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 18 November 2009. Volume:659;Page:7786. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
MOANA MACKEY (Labour) 
: 
 It has been a very telling general debate. We have had National member after National member getting up to brag about how great their first year in Government has been. We were treated once again to the always enjoyable court jester routine by the Minister of Housing Phil Heatley but not once did he mention why in an entire year of being Minister he has not done a single thing on affordable housing—apart from tell his department not to promote any of the programmes Labour put in place—so that he can hand money back to the Government to pay for its shambolic $110 billion emissions trading scheme blunder— 
Hon Member 
: And his electorate office. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: —and his electorate office. Chris Tremain went on about how great this Government has been but he did not mention the rising unemployment in his own area and the impact that that has on the people he represents. Allan Peachey still thinks he is fighting the Cold War and that it is his solemn civil duty to weed out the socialists but he did not say a single thing in his speech about the rising unemployment in his area. We had Todd McClay—and when he has to start quoting what an unnamed man on the street said to him we know it is made up I say with the greatest of respect. That member was not able to get the eastern arterial link for his area of Rotorua but he did not say anything about that and I know that his constituents are very unhappy about that. 
But I want to talk about the absolute shambles that the emissions trading scheme has been because it has been a very bad year for the Hon Nick Smith—a very bad year in Government. Other colleagues have talked about accident compensation; I want to talk about the emissions trading scheme because in my time in Parliament I have never seen such a disgraceful process as the process the emissions trading scheme amendment bill has gone through. Last night in the House Dr Wayne Mapp said it was “just an amendment bill.” Well it is an amendment bill that just shifts a $110 billion liability from polluters to taxpayers. Labour had a scheme whereby the polluter paid; we are now going to have a scheme under this National Government with the support of the Maori Party that pays the polluter. This scheme will actually pay polluters to increase their emissions when it is meant to be a scheme one would think that would reduce emissions. 
I know why John Key does not want to go to Copenhagen with Nick Smith. I want to point out that we have a copy of a cheque here: Greenpeace has raised the money through grassroots fundraising to send John Key to Copenhagen. My colleague Charles Chauvel will hold up an example of the boarding pass he can have. Members will notice that the seat number is 7A which is in business class and I note that Greenpeace has raised enough money to send him only one way. I think they will do the fundraising for the return trip while he is still over there. But I know why John Key does not want to go to Copenhagen with the Hon Dr Nick Smith. It is because he is embarrassed. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Point of order Paul Quinn. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: Speaking of embarrassing! 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Order! 
Paul Quinn 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Can I refer— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Excuse me. I am on my feet and have called order. The member will stop speaking thank you; I have called Paul Quinn on a point of order. 
Paul Quinn 
: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. Can I refer you to Standing Order 108(1) and note that it is the member speaking who must use a visual aid and not any other member. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Although the member is technically correct as I understand it the member concerned had spoken with the Speaker prior to the debate and advised him of what she and her colleagues were intending to do. My advice from the member—and I accept the member’s word because we are all honourable members—is that the Speaker had said that that would be OK. I am not going to overturn the Speaker’s OK. I invite the member to continue. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. Paul Quinn always focuses on the important issues at hand! 
As I was saying I know why John Key does not want to go to Copenhagen with the Hon Dr Nick Smith. It is because he is embarrassed. I think the Christchurch  
Press 
 editorial headline today sums it up: “Farcical”. That is what the Christchurch Press editorial said. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: About Paul Quinn? 
MOANA MACKEY 
: I am not talking about Paul Quinn any more; I am now talking about the emissions trading scheme. It was described as being farcical. The Labour Party agrees just as it agrees with the comments of the  
New Zealand Herald  
yesterday that this legislation is far too important to be put through such a disgraceful process—the kind of process we have seen at the Finance and Expenditure Committee where we spent barely 6 weeks on the bill. We finished hearing submissions but did not have time to go through a full departmental report and clause by clause analysis. We also did not have time to get a revision-tracked version of the bill. Why? Because Nick Smith wants to be able to go to Copenhagen and brag that he has passed legislation. 
Chris Tremain 
: This has a familiar ring to it. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: Then I ask Mr Tremain why it is being forced through. 
Chris Tremain 
: It has a familiar ring to the first round of legislation which was passed by the Labour Party. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: Oh great! Mr Tremain says this is familiar and goes back to the round of submissions that the previous Labour Government heard. But Labour when its legislation was going through spent 60 hours hearing submissions over 6 months! Under the National Government the select committee had 20 hours over 4 weeks. Chris Tremain complained about 60 hours over 6 months when we were in Government but suddenly now that he is in Government 20 hours over 4 weeks is an adequate amount for legislation that shifts $110 billion of liability on to the taxpayers of New Zealand. 
Todd McClay 
: We’re four times as efficient as you are. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: Do members know why Treasury made the mistake with the figures? That happened because Treasury was not given adequate time to do the analysis properly. It is absolutely incredible to see Government officials come along to a select committee and have to say that they have made a $50 billion mistake because of the completely unreasonable time pressures they were put under. What a shambles!