Power Simon: Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill — In Committee 
Power Simon: Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:622;Page:17905] 
SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) 
: 
 Two questions leap to mind while we are discussing Part 5. The first unanswered question is what does the United Future party think of Part 5? The reason I ask that question is that that party supported the urgency motion that had us here until midnight last night will have us here till midnight tonight tomorrow night until midnight Saturday night and we will be back on Tuesday— 
Rod Donald 
: Monday. 
SIMON POWER 
: We will be back on Monday as well. I probably will not leave. Senior whips do not leave. I will not leave. United Future has a responsibility to have its representative in this Parliament rise to his feet to explain to this Chamber why it is—at least Rod Donald has the decency to rise to his feet to make a contribution during the course of this debate. We may not agree with him. He supports urgency. We certainly do not agree with that. However United Future sits there dumbstruck is trampled over and refuses to make a contribution on Part 5 and more particularly on the crucial clause 148. 
I tell members who are present in the House this morning that I cannot wait—and I know that Clayton Cosgrove cannot either—to get on the platform with United Future candidates before the general election later this year. National members will have great fun with them. That party which proclaims a principled and reasonable approach to politics puts up an amendment to reduce tax paid by New Zealanders and then votes for a bill that does exactly the opposite. It could have pulled the Civil Union Bill from the clutches of the Government but sat on its hands and did nothing. 
This morning a bill comes before the Committee whereby a clause is included to give the Government direct power over Crown agencies to affect Government policy and what does the United Future party do? It sits on its hands and makes no contribution to this debate at all. If a party supports the Labour Government on matters of confidence and supply Mr Copeland should rise to his feet to justify to this Parliament and to New Zealand why the United Future party supports this House sitting under urgency and is supporting legislation particularly Part 5 that will do nothing more than centre in Helen Clark’s hands even more power to direct the bureaucracy. 
David Cunliffe who let us face it is very disappointed about Monday’s announcement sits there and says nothing. He does not take any calls. He could end up with the customs portfolio but it is unlikely. He should get on his feet to answer some of those questions. As a graduate of the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard he should reassure the Parliament and the country that this will not affect the way in which neutral independent democracy works. We know what will happen if one becomes a close personal friend of the Prime Minister when one is in the bureaucracy. Just ask Ross Armstrong what happens if the Prime Minister’s directions are not followed when one is in the bureaucracy. What happens is that one is hung out to dry. 
Members should wait until later this morning when the TVNZ board—this is my prediction—will be hung out to dry over the Judy Bailey fiasco. This is what happens and officials in this Parliament should be worried. When one gets too close to the Government as one will under clause 148 bureaucrats officials members on boards of Crown agencies and State-owned enterprises will be hung out to dry with whatever political expediency Helen Clark believes is necessary to pursue her own narrow-minded agenda. 
That should be worrying for what historically has been a proud and independent public service in New Zealand. That should be worrying for those who have been independently appointed to boards of State-owned enterprises and Crown agencies throughout New Zealand. The Tertiary Education Commission is a classic example. The Government cannot help but get its fingers on every little board agency and now deep into the bureaucracy of New Zealand because it simply is a group of people who are total and complete control freaks. That is the only way to describe it. What happened? United Future let it happen week after week after week in this Parliament and with important legislation like this refused to take a call.