Bennett David: Debate on Budget Policy Statement 
Bennett David: Debate on Budget Policy Statement 
[Volume:661;Page:9558] 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 We are talking about the Budget Policy Statement in the debate today but I feel that this debate has been sad because it has been hijacked by the two Opposition parties. They have used it as an attempt to blatantly attack the Government rather than as an opportunity to debate the real issues and the substance that the Government a very constructive Government has been trying to provide over the last year or so. You know it is really sad when we look at the operating environment of the Labour Party and see what it has devolved into. 
Labour is using fear tactics to prey on the most vulnerable in our society and talk about what those people will potentially lose in this world rather than being constructive delivering solutions and working in this Parliament for the common good of New Zealanders. I feel very sad when we see today that the Labour and Green members have taken this debate to a stage where they have taken it away from the people of New Zealand and used it for petty politics when in fact we are debating something that is very much more important—the Budget Policy Statement. 
The Budget Policy Statement gives the Government’s focus for getting a sustainable economy that will grow and go forward. One thing we need to look at is the policy behind that debate. It has not been enunciated much in this Parliament but I think it will be talked about more and more as we go through the next year and look at the Budget and what comes out of it. What I am talking about is the fact that I think there needs to be an attitude shift on the part of New Zealanders. There needs to be a change in approach so that New Zealanders understand that we do have a role to play in the world economy and that we can deliver that successful future. 
A perception change is needed out there. New Zealanders need to know—and they need to have the vision from their Government—that there is a way in which we can earn our way in this world achieve our goals and therefore deliver the services and the society we all seek. That is what I think this Budget will show. The Budget Policy Statement is a setting out of some of the parameters but over the next year we will see a change in the attitude of New Zealanders when they see that there is a way forward and that the way forward is being promoted positively by the Government of the day. 
New Zealanders need to see that they need to value education. They need to see that there is a future in working hard. New Zealanders need to see that there is a future in investing in industry in taking risks and in getting success out of our research science and development. Those are the things that National has indicated that it wants to see come through in its Budget. It wants to see a country that is delivering a new vision of economic growth—economic growth that is based around achievement and success higher wages and a society that provides opportunities for all. 
That contrasts with the Budgets we have seen from the previous Labour Government over the last 9 years. They were all about buying votes and looking at the day—at “this point in time”—and not actually about delivering a constructive future. But I think that delivering a constructive future is what National will be seen as being successful in doing along with its political partners in the coalition and the public will understand that. They are ready for that change in direction and they are supporting it. That is why we see such great support for the Government and Prime Minister whereas the members of the Opposition lack any traction. 
Members of the Opposition do not have any understanding of what the public want and they do not seem to be able to hit any issues. They are looking at an old way of dealing with what the public want. They are looking at an old direction of just spending the money that comes in rather than seeing a new direction where people want to build a future. New Zealanders want to see some aspirations and some goals. They want to see that there is a brighter future ahead of them. That is what National and its coalition partners are delivering and I am very proud to be a part of that. National is setting up a new direction and a change in attitude that have been long overdue. Really that is the only answer in order for New Zealand to get where it needs to get to in this world. 
We cannot live in the situation we have lived in in the past where we have just taken money and redirected it. We need to set up a desire and a passion for New Zealanders to get education to work hard and to achieve success. Those are the vital ingredients for keeping New Zealanders in this country and delivering the standard of living we need. It comes back to a lot of policy over many areas. Now there is the infrastructure to set up that environment so that New Zealanders can take advantage of a world economy where we are very well placed in this region to be very successful. There is a need for national standards so that we have that education base and so that people do not fall between the cracks and then have to be picked up by the Government at a later date. We do not want to see people get to that situation; we want to give them the hunger and the desire to make the most of themselves so that they want to get an education and learn. 
Let us compare those aims with the aims of members of the Opposition. They want to dumb down the population. Opposition members want to keep people down so that they can use their fear tactics about what people could potentially be and aspire to. That is the Labour mantra and the Green Party is supporting it. It is very disappointing when we see what Labour has done to our country and its people in the past when it could have achieved so much more for our country. That is the heart of what this debate is all about—it is about providing that directional and aspirational point of difference. We look forward to seeing that aspiration come forward and we look forward to New Zealanders being constructively successful in the future and building a stronger country. 
New Zealand has done pretty well in the last year when we consider the economic environment we encountered. Our country was in recession. The world was in recession. Under Labour there was falling economic growth rising unemployment high inflation and a rising current account deficit. There were deteriorating fiscal deficits and there was rising Crown debt. All those things happened under the previous Labour Government. It set us up with a situation that was very difficult. 
When we talk to people on street they tell us that we came in at the hardest time but we still delivered for our people. They tell us that Labour left us a basket case. That is what the people out there say—that is what they say. National has delivered when Labour gave us nothing. That is the history of National Governments picking up the can after Labour Governments. The public understand that and they support us because they know we have gone through the tough times and delivered a brighter future for New Zealanders. 
Over on that side of the House we see the Labour Party. We see Shane Jones trying to take over the leadership along with David Cunliffe and David Parker—all three of them. Which one will be the leader of the Labour Party in a year’s time? That is the question. The three bright hopes of the Labour Party are sitting there together. Trevor is not in it now. Those are the three faces—that should be the picture on the news. Which one will be the next leader of the Labour Party? They are all smiling. Each in his heart of hearts wants the job. They are all the right age they are all looking for it but none of them will get there. None of them will ever become the leader of the Labour Party and be successful. They will never do it—because we have leadership in New Zealand right now. 
We now have the leadership and the direction that have been missing for nearly a decade. During that time New Zealanders felt that they were missing something and now they have found it. They have found that direction they have found that leadership and they have found a Government that looks after them and provides a future. That future will be announced in the coming Budget. It is an important Budget because it delivers the essential elements of that future. 
I am looking at those three members. They are smiling again are they not? They do not know which one of them will be the leader do they? We could have bet on them if we really wanted to to see who will be the leader out of those three. They are just waiting. They are waiting and waiting until after the next election because they know that they have got no chance.