Nash Stuart: General Debate 
Nash Stuart: General Debate 
[Volume:676;Page:21733] 
STUART NASH (Labour) 
: 
 First of all I pass on my regards to Allan Peachey. I wish him a speedy recovery and good health in retirement. I also pass on my thanks to Dennis Laplanche the security guard who saved the poor individual from jumping down here or from whatever he was trying to do. He has suspected broken ribs and it is— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I have just cautioned the previous speaker. Members cannot refer to events that happened in the gallery and that is set out in Speaker’s ruling 8/4. 
STUART NASH 
: I also want to mention that when this happened John Key said: “You should be ashamed of yourselves; that’s down to you guys.” All I want to say is that I think Mr Key— 
Hon Tau Henare 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Less than a minute ago you told that speaker that he was not to refer to the— 
STUART NASH 
: But it didn’t happen in the gallery. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: There is a point of order on the floor. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: —incident in the gallery. He has done it again. That is the third time. 
STUART NASH 
: I am referring to something that the Prime Minister mentioned when he was sitting in the House right over there. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The issue has been dealt with but I again caution the member that he must not refer to something that happened in the gallery. There is Speaker’s ruling 8/4 and the member is warned. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Point of order. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Mr Henare I have already dealt with the issue but I will hear the honourable member. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It says in Speaker’s ruling 8/4: “A member is not in order in referring to what is happening in the gallery.” I seek your ruling on the word “is”—it says present tense. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: It does say present tense Mr Henare but can I say that in keeping with the situation that we have had in the House today I think the ruling that I have made is entirely appropriate. 
STUART NASH 
: All I would like to say is that Mr Key actually said: “You should be ashamed of yourselves; that’s down to you guys.” when he was looking at Phil Goff. I say to Mr Key that I think he needs to take a good hard look in the mirror and I will leave it at that. I say to Mr Williamson to quote a former Governor of California: “I’ll be back.” 
I would like to quote from an article by Gareth Morgan and Susan Guthrie. Gareth Morgan is a well-known economist and economic commentator in this country. He said: “At last we have arrived at the point where the most conservative proponents of market economics admit that the past 30 years since Reaganomics and Thatcherism were unleashed has resulted in a serious distortion of our tax regime. The only opposition to significant reform is now the ugly Hard Right rump which favours jungle economics … It is indeed a revolution that has swept the world’s financial press as finally there’s recognition of the damage wrought from policies that have allowed greater and greater wealth disparity in most developed economies. … Taken together with so-called taxation reform that in effect has exempted the rich from tax on the credit-fuelled capital gains we have ended up with a grotesque polarisation of wealth.” I would like to repeat that: “we have ended up with a grotesque polarisation of wealth.” Only Labour in this House has been listening to the IMF the OECD the World Bank Warren Buffett and the vast majority of tax practitioners in this country and all but two OECD— 
Paul Quinn 
: Comprehensive capital gains Stuart not cherry-picked! Read the whole thing. 
STUART NASH 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am not too sure which Speaker’s ruling or Standing Order it is but I am led to believe that a member cannot leave his original seat to come down to another seat and interject in the way that Mr Quinn just has. 
Paul Quinn 
: The particular ruling the member refers to refers to advancing one’s position for the purpose of interjection. I think it is well acknowledged that my beautiful baritone voice carries magnificently across— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member is referring to Speakers’ rulings 63/1 and 63/3. I tell Mr Quinn that the rulings go on to note that when a person does move to facilitate interjection if that interjection continues and it becomes overriding the member can be asked to go back to his or her original seat to interject. I have not done that yet but I am listening. 
STUART NASH 
: Only Labour has a plan to truly reform the tax system. Only Labour has a plan to ensure that all New Zealanders pay their fair share of tax. Labour will put money back into the pockets of all New Zealanders not only the very wealthy. Labour will make the first $5000 tax free we will increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour and we will take GST off all fresh fruit and vegetables so that every New Zealander has the chance to make healthy choices. Our tax reform will allow us to pay off debt and keep our State assets. National’s plan includes keeping a flawed tax system and selling State assets. Labour will reform the tax system making it fairer for all. Labour will never ever sell State assets we will never sell our power companies we will never sell Air New Zealand and we will never sell Kiwibank. 
In New Zealand under this National Government we have seen tax cuts for the very wealthy paid for by an increase in GST for everyone. In fact the increase in GST was done even though John Key stood in front of the people of New Zealand and said he would not increase GST—and he did. He promised he would not and he did. So all New Zealanders paid for the tax cuts for the very wealthy. Let me give the House an example. Someone who earns $1 million a year—and about 700 New Zealanders do—received a tax cut of $1000 a week. Someone on the median wage in Napier received around $11 a week. That is very definitely not enough to cover the increase in the cost of living. That simply is not fair at all.