Mallard Trevor: General Debate 
Mallard Trevor: General Debate 
[Volume:650;Page:18709] 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 I think the only question about that speech by Judith Collins is how much Lord Ashcroft paid Crosby/Textor to draft it. That is the only question about that speech. I think it was pathetically delivered. 
Judith Collins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That member has made an allegation of corruption about me by saying that Lord Ashcroft paid money for that speech. I take exception to that and I seek your assistance to have the member withdraw and apologise. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: That barely turns what you have raised into a point of order. You are drawing a long bow to say that in my view. I know a lot of members are offended but I think it needs to be a little more direct than what Mr Mallard said. If you are really offended and you say you are I am sure Mr Mallard will withdraw. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I withdraw. 
If I were Crosby/Textor I would ban that woman from using my lines. If I were Crosby/Textor I would not let her deliver my lines. Lord Ashcroft will be asking for a refund if that woman continues to deliver the lines that he is paying for. It is an outrage for Crosby/Textor which is generally known as being a very very competent right-wing spin-meister. It would hate to know that that woman is allowed to deliver the lines that Lord Ashcroft is paying a fortune for. 
We can see by listening to that member why more than half of New Zealanders now know that the National Party has a secret agenda. It has a secret agenda and New Zealanders all over the country are waking up to the fact. I say: “Thank you very much.” to the National Party source who keeps on sending stuff to me in my office. I think it is absolutely wonderful that the National Party is leaking and that stuff is coming to my office. I want to say one thing. Information is not coming only to my office. I never got the health policy; it apparently went to Mr Cunliffe’s office and then Mr Anderton’s office. So we now have at least a multiple methodology in respect of the leaking on the part of the National Party. I have never seen the health policy from the National Party. I have still not seen it but I will be interested in seeing it later on and hopefully I can get it from Mr Anderton. 
If the National Party is so proud of its policies why does it not put them out? National members want to do what Roger Douglas did in 1987 and that was to announce policies after the election. That is what Roger Douglas did in 1987. I want to make it clear that we will not let the National Party do that. If National members are too scared—if they do not have the backbone—to release their own policies then we are absolutely prepared to do it for them. If National’s leader is not proud to stand up in front of an audience and deliver his policy then the Labour Party is prepared to get it out there and make sure that the contrasts are available. 
I am not sure who is responsible for this leak. I think Pete Hodgson got it right. It is someone who thinks that he or she would be a better leader than John Key and does not want to wait another 3 years. I think Simon Power is probably the next leader but I am not sure he has got the nasty bones in him to actually do this and that takes me back to thinking it is more likely that it is coming from Bill English. But in a funny way it might be Bill English in the end working for Simon Power. Not even the National Party believes Bill English any more. He is the person who wanders around saying that John Key does not understand the Working for Families package. He is the person who wanders around saying he wants to prepare Kiwibank for sale. He wanders around indicating that he knows John Key is not competent. So I say to Bill English if he is the source of the things that are coming to me: “Thank you very much but I don’t think it will work for you because your colleagues know you a little better than that.” 
Nathan Guy 
: This is hopeless! 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I agree with the member who is running for Otaki who says that Bill English is hopeless. I agree that Bill English is hopeless and therefore he will not be promoted. The member who I think is a whip for the party is showing no loyalty to Bill English at all. I agree with him that Bill English is hopeless.