Hide Rodney: General Debate 
Hide Rodney: General Debate 
[Volume:624;Page:19050] 
RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT) 
: 
 I move  
That the House take note of miscellaneous business 
. We saw today that the Prime Minister is totally out of touch with working New Zealand. We heard her reply to a question from the leader of the National Party Don Brash that she did not know what impact her much-vaunted Working for Families package on which she wants to spend $21 million of taxpayers’ money explaining would have on a working family earning $50000 per year. She said that she did not know and that she had not sought advice on what impact the union claim for a 5 percent wage increase would have on a hard-working family. That is how out of touch this Prime Minister is with the day-to-day cares of ordinary hard-working New Zealanders. 
Hon Annette King 
: Two percent and going down. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: Annette King calls out. She has no care at all for those poor New Zealanders stuck on health waiting lists. Why would the Prime Minister say that she did not know? It is simple! 
Hon Annette King 
: The ACT party really cares. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: I say that we do because we have the numbers that the Prime Minister does not have and they are these. I ask Annette King: if people earned $50000 and received a 5 percent wage increase—that is $2500 a year—what would they get in the hand per week? I ask Phil Goff what they would get in a week. I ask Mr Steve Maharey what they would get in a week. Not one of them knows. I will go across and ask my friend Mr Gerry Brownlee how much they would get in a week. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Five lousy dollars. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: Five miserable dollars is what they would get—from a $50 wage increase they would get to keep $5. [ 
Interruption 
] Oh well Mr Goff is like Helen Clark or Steve Maharey. Steve Maharey turned up on the radio with John Key and said that he was not prepared to debate the numbers. That is what he said. 
Stephen Franks 
: He’s not stupid. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: He is not stupid because he knows that those numbers are death to hard-working New Zealanders. 
Here is another thing. Prime Minister Helen Clark has gone out and said that the Government will spend $21 million of taxpayers’ money to promote the Working for Families package—$21 million! There was a front-page story yesterday about the two old parties jacking it up to spend $3 million on party propaganda. The Government is spending $21 million of taxpayers’ money to promote its Working for Families package. 
Why did Helen Clark give a justification for that? I can see why she might think that it is important because clearly she does not understand it. But she said that it is important that people know what they are entitled to because they have to apply for the extra benefit. That statement was false—totally false.  
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Put some feeling in it. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: Pete Hodgson says that I am making it up. Let me explain from the answer to question for written answer No. 1185. Does Pete Hodgson know what those numbers are? No his head is in the newspaper. Government members do not want to know. They just want to rely on the $21 million taxpayer-funded splurge on advertising. 
I say to Mr Hodgson that it goes like this. There are 300000 people who will get the extra benefit from the Working for Families package. Does Annette King know what the answer to question for written answer No. 1185 states? 
Hon Annette King 
: Ken Shirley would do a much better job. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: Ken Shirley is a great MP. I know that the member loves him to bits and I know that he was a great loss to Labour but she should just listen to this. She might learn where $21 million will be going. Steve Maharey had to explain in answer to a written question that all the adjustments are automatic. That is right. If a person is a beneficiary or is getting a family allowance now that person does not have to do a thing. The money just comes along; it is automatic. 
Let me see what the numbers are. Of the people entitled to the Working for Families package 150000 are beneficiaries. Another 100000 are already in assistance. That is 250000 people. They do not have to do a thing. The adjustment is automatic. Another 50000 do not have to do anything either. I say to Steve Maharey that it is a joke.