Jones Shane: General Debate 
Jones Shane: General Debate 
[Volume:641;Page:11140] 
SHANE JONES (Labour) 
: 
 In contrast to that loud rant where metaphors were mangled vocabulary was lost and the rest of us were gagging until it came to a suitably fitful end I would like to bring our attention back to what must pass as either the most dismal or the most useless party conference that we have had the displeasure of seeing in recent times. Usually National people like to convey to voters and to members on the Government side of the House that they are match fit and that there is an actual game about to take place. Now on the back of that conference the leader—and I admit that leaders do from time to time feel great pressure—Mr Key not only got the name of his own party wrong but came back here showing hubris arrogance and boy did he fall a long way off the horse that he believes he is riding unchallenged to victory! That showed how timid disorganised and actually disunited the front bench is on that side of the House. 
 Not only has there been not a single idea or anything that is fresh—not a single fresh idea—from National but there is a deep abiding belief in its born right to rule. The National members are not going out to the nation to capture the minds of young people and reassure old people. They are not doing that because their leader is saying two different things about retirement savings. Mr Key is saying two different things about superannuation in his short and no doubt to be unsuccessful reign. He has also spread deep fear amongst the toiling families of Aotearoa as to what is to become of student loans. 
What was evident in the last election was the unstinting courage of Labour’s leader. Without a sliver of doubt Helen Clark made the most amazing call and all children and parents came flocking to a leadership that was going to deliver reassurance and security in terms of the future of education. But none of that has been shown by Mr Key. Yes I did say that I thought he was dyeing his hair—I did say that. I think it is because of the pressure the man faces in his seat. But the pressure does not really come from the media. It comes from the fact that Mr Key has tried to climb too quickly with ideas that are too shallow and with a belief that he does not have to fight—that he does not have to go out there and capture the confidence of the people. That is why National will not be successful. 
Hon Members 
: Oh no! 
SHANE JONES 
: That is why National will not be successful. Yes despite the clamour there will be no success. 
I turn to all the nonsense about a select committee not being able to receive submissions and refine a bill to do with such a vital area as the funding of elections. Of course our Labour Party does not want to see ongoing destructiveness take place through shadowy forces being unwilling to stand up and own their own funding etc. The opposition to addressing that issue comes from the National side of the House. Every voter knows that religious destructive shadowy forces joined up with Dr Brash and that they were caught out many millions of dollars later. The country knows that democracy cannot be bought; democracy has to be earned. Despite Mr Key’s great wealth he actually has to go out there in order to enjoy the confidence and trust of the people. That is what needs to happen. Of course the conference demonstrated that the National Party is miles away from that—it has not a hope; not a single sliver of hope—which is why it fears Labour’s attempt to bring transparency openness and fairness to the matter of how elections should be funded. 
The Electoral Finance Bill is very simple but why does National fear it? That party knows it must continue to bring bucket loads of money to the next election. But you see the average Kiwi is not overwhelmed by that. The average Kiwi saw the mounting amount of dough thrown in all sorts of directions by shadowy commercial forces and by religious destructive exclusive divisive forces all of which were commandeered by Dr Brash. Did that lead to victory? No it did not then and it will not now.