Hodgson Pete: General Debates 
Hodgson Pete: General Debates 
[Volume:616;Page:11928] 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 It is not too often in this country that we get as clear a revelation as we had on a television programme last night when the leader of the National Party was questioned on a range of issues and disclosed viewpoints that most New Zealanders did not know about. They did not know that the Leader of the Opposition had a needs-based foreign policy or that a needs-based foreign policy on Iraq was one where he felt the need to cuddle up to those nations that chose to invade—a “guns-for-butter” foreign policy. We must make no mistake about it; if we push the smartly dressed mild-mannered softly spoken man a little further we reveal warmongering. That is what happened. He was questioned about Iraq and he said: “I guess in hindsight it is easy to see what might have been done differently. We are not yet through this Iraq situation”—I thank Dr Don Brash for the revelation—“It looks more and more messy by the month.” 
 What amazing prescience this man has! He said: “I feel very uncomfortable about where we currently are.” And then the presenter said: “Yes but would you have gone in with John Howard? That’s the question.” He said: “I think the answer to that is yes.” This guy notwithstanding 12 months of experience with Iraq and whether or not we got that decision right would still say that he would have gone in. That is remarkable. 
He has a needs-based nuclear policy. The needs-based nuclear policy in this case is to cuddle up shall we say to the nuclear military complex. He says: “I’m uncomfortable with where we are currently.” What can that be code for? No nuclear ships or nuclear weapons are allowed in this country. We have been nuclear-free for well over a decade—very close to two decades but just the same the Leader of the Opposition says that he is uncomfortable with where we are currently. 
Then the long-awaited report which was due to arrive in the middle of March and now nearing the end of March it still has not apparently arrived is going to be how the National Party sorts it out. I say: “Be very careful.” This country does not want nuclear weapons it does not want to be part of the nuclear military complex but if there is a needs-based nuclear policy to get alongside the nuclear military complex then it seems the National Party is again going to contemplate that. We have a needs-based asset sales policy. In this case the need is to put State assets up on the block for the mates just like in the 1990s—that is “If it’s there hock it off.” 
Remarkably Dr Brash seems unaware that in just 2 years 200000 new Kiwibank accounts have been opened. That is 400 new accounts for each working-day. So 200000 people have chosen to shift to another bank. It is not easy to do that yet he is going to hock it off. Does he not understand that people have gone over to Kiwibank in order to put pressure on the foreign-owned banks in order to put competitive pressure on the system and to ensure that they can access the good services of that bank and know that it is New Zealand - owned? That is why 400 people have joined that bank each working-day for the last 2 years. Dr Brash is going to sell it. 
He has a needs-based superannuation policy and on television last night he got lucky. A questioner came in and said: “I’m 56 my spouse is 51 are we safe?”. Dr Brash said: “Yes.” Had they been 46 and 41 he would have said: “I’m uncomfortable with the current settings for superannuation policy. We have a needs-based superannuation policy”. The need in this instance is to cut taxes. But one cannot cut taxes without cutting superannuation. So the needs-based superannuation policy will be OK for a 51-year-old or a 56-year-old or for me aged 53. I say to those aged 41 43 46: “Don’t put a ring around that.” Anyone under 50 is in trouble. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Wrong. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The deputy leader of the National Party now disagrees. Would he like to talk with his leader and sort out their differences because they are singing different songs.