Chadwick Steve: General Debate 
Chadwick Steve: General Debate 
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STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
: 
 I rise to speak to the women in this party and the women of this country because this was the week when we celebrated International Women’s Day. Yesterday we got our first woman Speaker in the House—something that we are incredibly proud of on this side of the House. We celebrated a precious token and that was the right to vote which was gained in 1893. Around the country women met for breakfast yesterday and we talked about the gains that this party has achieved for women. 
Another issue that happened this week was a 1-day hearing on the elimination of violence against women and children. I want to say that not one member of Parliament of any party other than the Labour Party turned up for that hearing. I found that really sad when other parties are talking about their issues. They did not take the opportunity to come and present at that 1-day hearing that was attended by a lot of women who came and talked about the issue of violence in this country and that is recorded by women. 
But I want to talk also about what we have done for women. It is not just about income in our back pocket as families it is also about things like paid parental leave which from December of this year will go up to 13 weeks. It is about increases in early childhood education—millions more are going in for funding childcare and after-school care subsidies for our children.That is a wonderful thing. In 2007 there will be 20 free hours and for families that is huge. So it is not just the net gain in our back pocket. 
We also talked that day about strategies that we need to improve on and this was a Government that was prepared to listen to what is working what is not working and what it can do better. I wonder whether the Leader of the Opposition has any reflections on that. 
Let us look at that leadership style and its impact on women. It has been divisive alienating colleagues—and one-time allies including women around the country notice that. We watched the treatment of Georgina te Heuheu. We understand she got a safe little job but fancy getting rid of somebody who spoke proudly on Maori affairs! We watched Lynda Scott challenge the leader and for that challenge she has resigned and will be gone. We watched the latest debacle with Katherine Rich—the doyenne the new look and the intelligent woman who could have been branded with National so cleverly. We watched her being pushed to the back benches and women in this country do not like that. 
Helen Bain observed that the sacking of Katherine Rich by National was like watching bystanders observing the wreckage of a car crash—not knowing what to do or who to blame. It was an absolute tragedy. Was it about those who could talk and would talk and those who would shut up? There is a huge gap in the Opposition that will not be closed at this election by women of the country when they go to the polls to make their decision. There are no women on the front bench of the Opposition. Even Mr McCully is too busy to be seen sitting next to Katherine Rich who is back on the second row. He doubts whether they can win the election and he would resign from the campaign committee. 
Murray McCully should go to ACT. Catherine Judd acknowledged that Dr Brash is the ninth ACT MP. Perhaps he could help ACT with its campaign. That leader that man with “gravitas” we have heard with “considerable pulling power for the girls”—that was in his biography—and does anyone in this House have any reflections on that! That is the man who has admitted he was backed as the leader because he would lose less badly. It is all rather sad really. 
That leader has more than a few speckles on a cream carpet. He has custard on his face with the flip-flops he has led since he has bungled his way through policy decisions in this House. 
What about his women? The disunity within will cause more distress to Dr Brash than the cream carpet with a few speckles. Dr Brash alleges that he has lived and worked with women throughout his professional career. “I think I do it effectively.” he said. “It just happens that we don’t have a large number of women in my caucus at this stage.”