Goudie Sandra: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Goudie Sandra: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 21 February 2007. Volume:637;Page:7567. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
SANDRA GOUDIE (National—Coromandel) 
: 
 One of the worst reality programmes ever produced is playing in a town near us. It is playing right here in Wellington and it is called “The Taito Phillip Field Saga” or better still “50 Steps Too Far”. It has all the ingredients of every bad show one can think of—deceit denial cover-ups disgraceful behaviour and allegations of bribery and corruption. The name of one such reality show— 
The Biggest Loser 
—sums it all up. Unfortunately the biggest losers in this case are the New Zealand taxpayers who for months have paid Taito Phillip Field to do nothing. Also we must not forget the workers who have been exploited and ripped off in the process. We have to ask ourselves what Labour really means in relation to its much-vaunted ideology of standing up for the workers. Clearly Labour members have not stood up for the workers in this case. The workers have been left and hung out to dry. It is an absolute disgrace. 
Helen Clark has directed the whole show. Her latest production is as John Key so aptly describes it “The Grand Coalition of the Unwilling”. Or perhaps it would be best called “Survivor” because that is what this saga is all about—cynical political survival. Clinging on to power is all that motivates this desperate and dangerous Government now. How else can Helen Clark justify accepting the proxy vote of someone whom she has just slung out of caucus—someone she has described as immoral and unethical? Previously she said this person had been vindicated by a half-million-dollar Clayton’s inquiry. It was an inquiry that she set the parameters of so that she got the result she wanted. But she has not been getting the results she wanted of late because one day she has this person’s proxy vote but the next day she does not. Of course this person was absent from the House yesterday speaking with the police. 
If we want to talk about denial the former Minister of Immigration Paul Swain has to take the cake. He denied any involvement in the overstayer’s case despite meeting the overstayer at the member’s house in Samoa. Another name that features in this sorry saga is that of Damien O’Connor. He is also starring in a few other bad-news reality shows called “Problem Gambling” and “Corrections and Parole”. We certainly know what is happening in each one of those episodes. If we take “Problem Gambling” talk about a lack of ministerial responsibility in the construct and oversight of contracts! If we take “Corrections and Parole” there have been constant failures and a lack of accountability and responsibility in those two areas. But just like all those reality shows bad management wasting money and no responsibility are par for the course under this current regime. 
Long gone are the days of Helen Clark’s so-called collegial Cabinet. We see it time and time again with this Government—cover-ups and an endless supply of stuff-ups and shameful acts of irresponsibility. One of Helen Clark’s own Ministers was once quoted as saying: “She demands very high standards of herself.” Are these the same high standards she employed during the disgraceful episode of “speedgate” “Doone-gate” and “paintergate” just to name a few or is it a case of “Do as I say not as I do.”? Never mind Helen says that she will reveal all in her autobiography. 
There should be enough material in that for a full-length feature film. After all Ruth Dyson was sin-binned for drinking and driving Marian Hobbs was done for location perks and Parekura Horomia is rolling through the credits unscathed while his ministry the Ministry of Maori Affairs cannot even justify its own expenditure. He was castigated by the Auditor-General for failing to be able to account for the expenditure of a whole ministry. In my view that is an incredibly serious matter. Where is that on the airwaves? Nobody is standing up and saying: “Hey I’m responsible for that.”—certainly not Parekura Horomia—and no way is Helen going anywhere near that. I can think of nothing worse than having a ministry that cannot even account for its own expenditure. 
The teflon is finally wearing off. The audience is about to call time. It has had enough of this Government’s failed ideologies and its insistence that the State knows best and should be in control of everything. The cast of this show has truly lost the plot. We have only to look at what is happening with the amendment to section 59 of the Crimes Act in relation to the children-smacking bill. We have received a huge number of emails on that issue. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! I call the honourable member— 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would just like to read from this last page— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No no. 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: I seek leave to table this document which states: “This show is due to be canned in 2008. And to Helen Clark I say in the words of Donald Trump ‘You’re fired!’.” 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is there is any objection to that course of action being taken? There is.