Cosgrove Clayton: General Debates 
Cosgrove Clayton: General Debates 
[Volume:619;Page:15040] 
CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour—Waimakariri) 
: 
 I want to talk about leadership and about the concepts of leadership. There have been some great leaders in this Parliament throughout its history. Leadership is about energising the troops. In this country leadership is about being a patriot—about standing up for one’s country and being proud of one’s country. 
However we have a person over on the other side of the House a sort of Scarlet Pimpernel of New Zealand politics—they seek him here they seek him there they seek him all over—Don Brash who wants to be a Prime Minister and a leader of this country yet who goes overseas to Australia to talk about the economy but will not talk about it in New Zealand. Heck no; he will not talk about the economy here! I think he had quite a good tactic. He would not talk about the economy or front up to the economic debate in this country because the growth figures the unemployment figures and the economy are all doing well. He knew that if he shifted the debate on to the economy in this country he would lose. 
So what did he do? He picked the scab off the race issue and went for law and order. That is what he did domestically in this country. Then he went across the ditch to Australia. What did he do over there? Suddenly he was the fount of all knowledge about the New Zealand economy and New Zealand society. What did he say to our Australian cousins? They are our best mates whether or not we like them. On the footy field they are our biggest competitors; they are also our biggest trading partners. What did he do? He put the boot into New Zealand when talking to foreign investors in Australia. That is what his contribution to the economic debate has been about. 
There is a wonderful Australian expression which I know from having lived in Australia for a while. Do members know what it is? It is “gone troppo”. The Leader of the Opposition has gone troppo. He has gone completely troppo. That is what Australians and New Zealanders think of his contribution. It shows he has gone troppo. 
What do we have today in the general debate? Well we have the walking dead in Lynda Scott and Roger Sowry. They are out to grass; they have had a gutsful; they are gone. We have Georgina te Heuheu. The boot has been put into her by the National Party and I am sure there are a few people in this building who would testify to that. She has been treated poorly. 
I want Don Brash to front up to the debate. Look at yesterday—at the people over there who were cowering behind their desks. He was crippled. Every commentator in this country every editorial knows that when he steps into this place he is a beaten man. The best those members opposite can do is to stand up as Tony Ryall did and take limp points of order to try to defend a leader who is not up to it. They made a blue; they should have kept Bill English. 
Even the deputy leader of the National Party will not front for the debate. For 2 days he has not fronted. Will he defend his leader? I do not know why he has not fronted for the debate. Maybe there was a special on at Burger King. Maybe there was a pie-eating contest somewhere that he could win—I do not know. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Many members have talked about a member’s absence. It is not on. The member will withdraw the reference to a member’s absence. 
CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I did take some advice from the Clerk. I am advised but I am in your hands to be corrected that referring to a member who has not fronted for a debate is slightly different from referring to the absence of a member from the Chamber. But I withdraw and accede to your wishes. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Please be seated. The member made reference to a time and that is what was wrong. 
CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I withdraw. So what we have here is the Scarlet Pimpernel of New Zealand politics. The only person on that side of the House who looked happy yesterday when Don Brash was being mauled—when he was being roasted and when his feet were being put right on the hot coals—the one guy who looked as though it was the happiest day of his life was “Johnnie” Key. 
Simon Power looked aghast because the touch of death is upon him. Don Brash has nominated him as the next leader of the National Party and that is the kiss of death. His throat has been cut he is on the hook and it is over; the carcass is up there waiting to go to the works. But “Johnnie” Key is on that runway ready to taxi out ready to spread his wings. As I said some weeks ago he has not made an enemy in the National caucus. He just sits there quietly ready to go—but there is poor old Simon Power. He once thought he would be next off the blocks. The only block he is on now is the chopping-block. He knows that John Key is going to leapfrog him so he is history. 
Then we have Nick Smith the great defender of the faith. He is the man who has a conviction. He is the man the impact player of the National Party who today in this Parliament and in this general debate has been told to front up and give it a bit of guts. I say that Don Brash should show some grit get into this debate defend his own team and show some leadership. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.