Bridges Simon: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Bridges Simon: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Sitting date: 30 January 2013. Volume:687;Page:7647. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Consumer Affairs) 
: 
 It is a great privilege to speak in support of the Prime Minister’s motion and his statement from yesterday. Can I just acknowledge the previous speaker Damien O’Connor who spoke in the main a load of nonsense in his speech. But he did say one good thing and that was to acknowledge the fine contribution that Dr The Rt Hon Lockwood Smith has made in this Parliament over a very long time. Of course I suppose—they are not quite eulogies—when the words are written in the papers perhaps in the next few days about him and his tenure many will talk about him as Speaker and of course he has made a fine contribution. But let it not be forgotten of course—as Damien O’Connor was talking about some trade issues—what a great trade Minister he was for this country as well. He has a fine legacy in that and he will be doing a very good job for this country in London representing us in the United Kingdom which is one of our oldest friends and allies. I just want to acknowledge him as a great parliamentarian Minister and Speaker of this House. 
Can I just say that this is a Government I am very very proud to be a part of because we are delivering a brighter future for this country. You know you heard from the other side earlier today—from the likes of Dr David Clark—as I say a load of tosh. They have this mantra about how we have the worst economic record in 50 years. What a load of tosh coming from a party that talks about its $7 billion surpluses and so on and so forth and the best of economic times in the world when it was in Government—all on borrowed money—yet it could not do anything about the significant issues that the country had then. Those members harp on now about things like child poverty. Well they had the opportunity to do something back then and they did not. Now we are in and we are cleaning up the messes that that party singularly failed to deal with. In that context of course we are in what has been the global financial crisis—a global recession. We have come out of that and we are doing the right things to put this country in a very strong position. 
As we look around the world at the context that we are in actually this is a country that is doing better than most Western countries with lower unemployment with low interest rates and with low inflation. 
Phil Twyford 
: What are those jobs? 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES 
: It is a good country to be in. Yes we are not quite there Phil Twyford. No one is acknowledging we are but it is a great country and we are the party in this Parliament with the credible plan. We do not make up numbers about housing plans and then backtrack as the leader of the Labour Party did. We are the party with the credible plan to make this a better country and we are implementing it day in and day out. I for one am very proud to be a part of that. We are responsibly managing the finances. That is not the chequebook activism that Phil Twyford on the other side wants. We do not go out and make new promises every day that we have not costed. Actually we want to credibly and responsibly manage the finances and get back to surplus. We know you cannot just live in the borrow-and-spend world that Phil Twyford thinks is a good place to be. No we cannot just have rail plans and bicycle plans and tofu plans here there and everywhere. That is not the sort of country that we want. 
We also have a wide-ranging and comprehensive plan to build a more competitive and productive economy. Really that is what this is all about. Day in and day out we are doing things. I will talk very shortly about some of the things we are doing some of the areas I have been privileged to be a part of but we are doing them. We are making a difference while the other parties particularly the Labour Party that Phil Twyford is a part of flail around without any credible solutions. We are driving better public services. 
If you wanted I suppose a symbol of what we are doing there are as Tony Ryall said before the dinner break 35000 more elective surgeries every year—hip operations knee operations and cataract operations. For the people in Tauranga and the people in Te Atatu—that place that I have lived in for longer than Phil Twyford ever has—we are doing those operations day in and day out. We know and we heard—I did not know this actually—that Maryan Street has talked about how we need to tone down the elective surgeries and that we need to do fewer of them. How bizarre. It is not exactly a vote-winning strategy I would have thought Phil Twyford. You know we are a party of elective surgeries and of better sooner and more convenient health care. Maryan Street is more concerned about her euthanasia bill—and I make no comment on it—than she is about elective surgeries for people in this country. Well you know there is the difference right there and we see that replicated in health and in education. 
I thought the Prime Minister made an excellent point when he said that of course the Greens and Labour want water-quality standards. They want to fetishise air-quality standards. They are not necessarily bad things but how about a little bit about educational standards national standards? If we are going to have standards for water and air how about—this is radical I know—we do the same for children? How about we do the same for children? Well we are a party that has and it is making a difference. Some of what we are doing is controversial but we want five in five children doing well in this country. The results are actually getting there. They are getting better. The trend is right. Hekia Parata is to be commended for what she is doing and for what the Government is doing in that area. 
We are supporting the rebuild of Canterbury. I know there are going to be great things happening down there as that rebuild picks up. The jobs and the story of growth are very exciting to hear about and I want to see it this year. I am very impatient to get down there and see more of it and the good news that is coming out of that very vibrant part of our country that of course has been hit hard. 
As a Minister outside Cabinet it has been a great privilege to be part of the story of building a more competitive and productive economy. As Minister of Consumer Affairs—it is my touch wood last day as Minister of Consumer Affairs—I have greatly enjoyed working with the officials and delivering some very good results. 
Phil Twyford 
: The wheel clampers love him. 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES 
: Well Phil Twyford may laugh but actually we acted on the wheel clamping. It is just one of many issues where we acted. Of course we have worked on the Consumer Law Reform Bill which is going through the House to pass this year and the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act the consumer credit legislation—some call it the “Loan Shark Bill.” Those bills when they become law will be excellent for consumers and we know in this party that what is good for consumers is good for business because confident and informed consumers make for more efficient market places. So I am very proud to be a part of that. I know that Craig Foss having talked with him is going to see that work through with aplomb. 
Climate change is also an area that I have been very gratified to play a role in. We have heard again some nonsense from the other parties on that but the fact of the matter is that we want to be part of concerted global action. We are this year going to make more announcements around complementary measures and so on and what we are going to do domestically in terms of our carbon footprint. I am proud to be part of that story. 
In regard to transport can I just say it has been a great privilege being Associate Minister of Transport working with Gerry Brownlee. Because I am running out of time can I just say on the warrant of fitness reform that it is going to save Kiwis time and money. Phil Twyford shamelessly came out against it because he wanted to be on  
One News 
 with me. I know that Phil—I know that Phil. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES 
: Mr Twyford member for Te Atatu. But the fact of the matter is that it is a popular reform which is helping to make our economy more competitive and productive as money goes from that area into other parts of the economy and jobs are created where they should be. So it has been a great privilege to be part of that to be part of the John Key - led Government. 
Can I just finish by saying David Cunliffe has entered the House. He is still very much animated in the Labour Party so David Shearer better watch out. On this side we are very strongly behind John Key. We are looking forward to a great year for the National Party the National Government and for all New Zealanders.