Gallagher Martin: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Gallagher Martin: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:623;Page:18212] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 It gives me great pride to make my contribution to the debate on the Prime Minister’s statement of this afternoon the only real and authentic state of the nation speech to be given by a political leader this year. I will briefly quote from the conclusion of the Prime Minister’s speech where she states: “Later this year New Zealanders will determine the course the country will take for the next 3 years. The choice this year is straightforward: stick with the Government they know works is getting results and is building a stronger future for New Zealand; or run the risk of lurching back to the division the unfairness and the sheer nastiness of the 1990s. That is no future for our country. … We are building a nation that offers fairness and opportunity is tolerant and respectful of all and is economically dynamic creative and committed to a sustainable future.” She also mentioned that this is a nation with huge potential. 
Now I want to invite members to turn on the 6 o’clock news on Television One and reflect on the lead item because that gives us the absolute contrast to that. Yet again the item relates to the leadership of the National Party. I acknowledge the previous speaker and agree that I do not think it is appropriate to call Dr Brash the Leader of the Opposition but he is leader of the National Party. Members know that Dr Brash started his career with Nick Smith as deputy leader. He did not last very long. Then a year ago Dr Brash lost a spokesperson Georgina te Heuheu. Now of course Katherine Rich has been forced out and forced to fall on her sword. Dr Brash also suggested on television tonight that it was somehow PC to question why—how many front-bench slots does National have now that Winston Peters’ party takes two chairs; one two three four five six seven—out of 51 percent of the nation’s population no one can make the top seven slots in the National Opposition’s line-up. I have to agree that something is seriously amiss if it is “PC” to ask what is wrong with the major Opposition party when it cannot find even one woman given that women are 51 percent of the nation’s population to occupy at least one of the seven slots. Frankly that beats me. 
The previous speaker talked about the real Opposition leader and I have to concede in terms of this afternoon’s performance and other performances that obviously the real Opposition leader is certainly not Dr Don Brash. I acknowledge the contribution that Winston Peters made in that area. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: A ramble! 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: I ramble yes because I am actually rambling through the new spokespersons’ line-up and if we are going for a ramble we have to take a very long ramble before we even find the new spokesperson on health. I think that it is without parallel and precedent that the Opposition spokesperson on health is—dare I say it; I had to ramble a long time to find him—“Dr Paul” Dr Paul Hutchison. He is not even ranked. National gives such importance to health that Dr Paul Hutchison is not even ranked. He sits in a chair from which if he fell he would be out in the lobbies. I deliberately went to the National website over the tea break to look for “Dr Paul” and the health portfolio and he is not even ranked on the National Party website. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: People will use a member’s full name. 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: I congratulate “Dr Paul”— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: There are two things now. The member has said “Dr Paul” three times. He must use the member’s full name or his title. He must not bring the Speaker into the debate either. 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: I refer to Dr Paul Hutchison. I am not referring to the famous radio doctor that those of us of a certain age will remember. There was a radio serial entitled  
Dr Paul 
. I think that some of the skills displayed by Dr Paul in that 1960s “back to the future” radio serial will have to be employed by one Dr Paul Hutchison. Before he looks at the nation’s health he has to help his own caucus. Let him look at the health of his own caucus. I say to Dr Paul Hutchison that he has some immediate surgery—some immediate GP work—to do. Dr Brash must sit on the couch; he is not a medical doctor. I say to the medical doctor Dr Paul Hutchison that he should have a session with the non-medical doctor Dr Brash. I believe that tonight Dr Hutchison can help his caucus. 
The National caucus is in amazing disarray. What a day this is when it was supposed to show National’s great vision and its response to our Prime Minister’s wonderful state of the nation speech. Yet again Dr Brash—I say to Dr Hutchison that he needs help—has today handed the mantle of Opposition across to Winston Peters. Quite frankly it was an incredible performance today. Even Lynda Scott the retiring member of Parliament has been quoted on Television One as not being happy with the demotion of Katherine Rich. Other people have said to television reporters tonight that they are also not happy. National members can put on all the brave face they like in this House tonight but any sort of momentum they may have taken from Orewa II or whatever it is has completely evaporated this evening. I say very sincerely and genuinely to Dr Paul Hutchison that he is a medical doctor and that he has to do some work to help his party. 
I am very proud to be part of this Labour-Progressive Government. Indeed let us tick off the achievements. Without wanting to provoke my good mate Doug Woolerton who spoke previously I say that I sense that in his heart of hearts—and he will vehemently deny this—there is a pang of jealousy. He would never admit it—not even in his dreams because he would have to wake up and apologise to his leader; apparently even dreaming is under the monitoring of the leader and that is fair enough—but there is some really good news up on the board. This Government provides sound stable leadership. We in this Government are proud New Zealanders. We believe that this country has every reason to be confident about its future. We are proud of the fact that we have economic growth of 4.6 percent; I ask Dr Brash what he does not understand about that. More than a quarter of a million jobs have been added to the economy since 1999; I ask Dr Brash what he does not understand about that. The crime rate is at the lowest level it has been at in 21 years. We did not hear very much about that. What does Dr Brash not understand about that? The Working for Families package is out benefit numbers are down there are almost 7000 Modern Apprentices more than 126000 people are in industry training and there has been a significant boost to health and education spending. 
Winston Peters said a very interesting thing earlier. I want to reflect on the stability we would see with a National-led Government that I humbly suggest to him I believe would give his party and others great cause for a degree of troubled reflection. Winston Peters quite accurately said that Dr Brash should not even dream of leading a Government unless he was going to include New Zealand First. Basically all the numbers and polling that one can stack up show that Dr Brash could not do it without Winston Peters’ help. The problem of course is that New Zealand First has I believe far too much integrity to contemplate sharing the Treasury benches with the ACT party if it is still here. Let us imagine the sight of Rodney Hide. How would New Zealand First accommodate Rodney Hide as part of that numbers package? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: You can’t. 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: Winston Peters says that he does not and could not. I think that is a very clear message to Dr Brash. Speaking from my side of the bench as a Government member I say that that is a recipe for instability in that Dr Brash could not get the numbers. 
Finally I say I am proud and delighted to be part of this Government. It is doing great things for the Waikato the region I represent and I am proud to be a New Zealander at this time of great hope and optimism.