Robertson Grant: Keep Kiwibank Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRobertson Grant: Keep Kiwibank Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 14 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7263. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central): I learnt a couple of things there. The first is that David Bennett is easily confused and the second is that the National Party members have not yet decided what they are going to do on this bill. David Bennett did not say—he did not say. I think David Bennett is a leader in the National Party caucus. I think this is the time for him to step up and talk to his colleagues and assure this House that the National Party will be supporting this bill. The only reason he gave in opposition was effectively that he is easily confused.There is no inconsistency here. This is a bill about Kiwibank. This is a bill about what has now become an integral part of our banking system. It is an important part of what I now presume both the National Government—I will come back to that in a minute—and parties on this side of the House believe is an important role as part of our State-owned enterprise structure which is to have a presence in that banking system and to give New Zealanders the chance to be part of a New Zealand - owned bank that has played a very important role in improving the customer experience in banking in New Zealand and giving New Zealanders the chance to know that their money is part of the reinvestment into New Zealand.The member who resumed his seat David Bennett seems very confused about this bill and was worried about the impact on capital raising and meeting its regulatory requirements. Nothing in this bill affects that at all. The only time when it would mean anything whatsoever would be if the Government wanted to sell it and that is the problem for the National Party members. In their heart of hearts they have never liked Kiwibank. They have never wanted it to exist. They would sell it if they could get away with it. That is the absolute truth about the National Party’s attitude towards Kiwibank.It was not that long ago when Bill English—I think he was taped at a National Party conference somewhere—was talking about the fact that Kiwibank would not be able to be sold in the first term but after that all bets were off. He was caught out. He was caught out telling the truth and he had to recant from that because the National Party members knew New Zealanders wanted Kiwibank there. This bill is necessary if for nothing else because it means the National Party members have to get up now and tell us if they really support Kiwibank. If they really support Kiwibank if they have really disowned what Bill English wanted to do all those years ago then they will back this bill.Chris Bishop—I will wager this. He is up next and I will wager that he will not get up and say he is going to support the bill but he will not say whether they are going to oppose it either. That is what I will wager. I challenge him to do that. If he says they are going to oppose it if he says outright that they are going to oppose this bill then that is the signal New Zealanders know: it is on the block. Kiwibank is on the block to be sold by a National Government. This is the chance for the National Party members to stand up for an institution that has done good in our banking system and that New Zealanders want to see in front of them.I have a fear that Chris Bishop will not do that and he will not stand up and back Kiwibank because the National Government is in trouble. It has got through the Future Investment Fund—the money it made from the asset sales. It has spent it on fixing the Beehive roof and no doubt the panel beating on Chris Bishop’s car down in the basement. It has all been used up now because the Future Investment Fund was up for anything. It was meant to be for education and health. That is what we were told. There is still money to be spent within the billion dollars on each but the Government has spent it. It has exhausted the money. There is nothing left in the Future Investment Fund kitty and now the Government is talking about capital recycling programmes. Well it is very very possible that Kiwibank could be up for a bit of recycling under this National Government.So this bill is the chance for the National Government to put all of that to bed and to say to New Zealanders: “We believe that this is an important part of our infrastructure in banking and what the New Zealand Government believes is in the best interest of New Zealanders.” If the Government does not it shows how out of touch it is with where New Zealanders are today. If it does not it shows that this is still an agenda for the National Party. It has run out of money from the Future Investment Fund and it knows it has got big capital needs in the future. There is going to be a lot more panel beating done on Chris Bishop’s car if he is not careful. The Government has to find that money from somewhere and unless the Government members get up and tell us in this House that they support this bill we know that the National Government’s agenda of selling Kiwibank is on the table. That is the challenge Mr Bishop.