McNair Craig: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
McNair Craig: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:623;Page:18362] 
CRAIG McNAIR (NZ First) 
: 
 The Prime Minister set out what she called her vision for this country a couple of days ago. Then over the last few days Labour Government MPs have been saying how great things are for all New Zealanders and that every New Zealander is experiencing the so-called economic boom. It is very interesting that most of the people whom I have had the privilege of meeting lately are not feeling the economic boom that this Government talks about now. There has been growth but why are average New Zealanders not feeling any direct effects from the growth that we hear about? They tell me that their wallets are not exploding with extra cash and that they are not tasting smelling sniffing not feeling nor experiencing that growth. 
We have to ask ourselves why average New Zealanders are not feeling the effects of economic growth. Well I have some answers that I want to give the House today. It could be because this Government is hoarding a $6 billion surplus and holding it in its fat little hands. This is a greedy Government—that is what we have here. It is a greedy Government holding massive surpluses for election-year politics. While the Government is holding that money people in New Zealand in this nation are dying on hospital waiting lists. I say that is disgraceful despicable wrong and—most of all—devastating for the families and loved ones of those people. Another answer to the question could be housing prices which are six times the average wage. The last time prices were so high was in 1996 when they were four times the average wage. Just about all the young couples whom I know cannot buy their first house. That is a major problem. Those young couples are educated they are hard-working young people and they have degrees and jobs. But this Government along with its policies on immigration and other issues surrounding it is taking that Kiwi dream away from young New Zealanders. This Government would rather concentrate on issues such as social engineering and political correctness than fix the huge issues facing this country as we speak. 
Last election my leader Winston Peters brought out Labour’s debit card the promises that Labour members are not telling people about. I want to read some of his predictions that have already come true or are in the process of coming true as I speak. He said Labour would legalise prostitution and soliciting. That has already been done. He said Labour would legislate for gay marriages and adoptions. It is doing that right now. Mr Peters also said Labour would raise the taxes further on cigarettes alcohol and petrol. Do members remember the famous sherry tax which was supposed to stop youth drinking—stop young people from being out on the streets or having problems with alcohol—the famous tax that did not work? I say to this Government that it should have adopted the New Zealand First member’s bill to raise the drinking age rather than putting extra tax on sherry. That is what I say to this Government and I say that it is way off the track in areas such as those I have just mentioned. 
I also want to raise a couple more of Mr Peters’ predictions that are coming true as I speak. First he said Labour would provide further large payments for prisoners which is what we have seen in this term. Second he said it would continue to bring large numbers of immigrants in every year—and it is doing that; that is what we have seen. All those predictions that my leader the Rt Hon Winston Peters made are coming true or have come true. 
We in New Zealand First are very concerned about that and we say that we cannot let things keep on going on in the way they are going. We must stop that. We must put an end to the social engineering and the political correctness and face the issues. We must face the big problems that I have just talked about with regard to house prices and young people who are trying to get into their first home.