Kaye Nikki: General Debate 
Kaye Nikki: General Debate 
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NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) 
: 
 One thing that we learn when we door-knock is that we will hear some of the most personal stories. We learn about what is happening on the ground. I have a conversation very regularly with people that goes like this: “Why is Labour so out of touch?”. The conversation goes like that because people understand that it has been a tough couple of years but they also understand that they need to have a Government that will put in place policies that will secure their future. People understand what National was handed. They understand that we had a major global recession. They get it that we have had several massive events in Canterbury—we have a $5.5 billion bill there. They understand the blowout in ACC. They understand that the Opposition has unfunded policies. I understand some of the situations that have been raised by the Opposition but I tell those members that some of the people who come through my office—and I have had 7000 constituents do so—get it. They are smart intelligent people and they want to have a Government with a plan and policies that will ensure their futures are guaranteed—and they have that. 
Let us talk about our plan. What we have done is massive in the time that we have been in Government. We have reformed the taxation system. We have significantly reduced regulation with the reform of the Resource Management Act. We have reduced regulation in the building legislation. We have been aggressive in terms of free trade with Hong Kong Malaysia and now India. We have done a significant amount in terms of the reform of governance within Auckland. We have done a whole lot of things that are all about improving the economy in New Zealand because we know that it is not the Government that creates a whole lot of jobs; it is actually the small businesses out there that do so. We know that improving the economy is the best thing that we can do for some families. 
I want to make it very clear that we on this side of the House care just as much as the members on the other side of the House. The difference is that we know that people out there are smart. They are intelligent and they understand that our policies add up and that we have made some really hard decisions to help some of our most vulnerable people. 
I will just briefly touch on Christchurch. It is really tough down there. This is huge for our country. The Labour members stand up and give speeches about Christchurch but how can they stand up and give those speeches when Labour has not actually said how it would pay for the rebuild of our second-largest city? My biggest request to those members is that they explain that. We hear them talk about $5 billion worth of spending policies such as taking GST off fruit and vegetables the $5000 tax-free policy that David Cunliffe has announced and all sorts of other things. I say people are smart. They understand that we cannot afford those things when we are trying to do the basics just in order to rebuild our second-largest city. 
My message for the Labour Party is that the biggest thing that people say to me is that those members are stuck in a time warp. They are living in 2004; they are not in 2011. Their policies are all about spending. They are not prepared to make hard decisions in terms of reforming our economy reforming our social welfare system and ensuring that we have standards in our education system so that we do not have a whole lot of young people who are unemployed. But we have here a very clear contrast. We have a very intelligent electorate partly because of social media. People can actually look at the costs of parties’ policies. People get it that the members on this side of the House are prepared to make really hard decisions in the social area about education and about the economy in order to ensure that we turn this country round which we have started to do in one of the hardest periods our country has seen. I can tell members that it does not matter whether I talk to constituents in Grey Lynn or in the central business district; they get it. They understand that we care just as much as the Opposition does but that we have the policies to turn this country round. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.