Bridges SimonHon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga): What a wooden speech from Megan Woods—wooden by Woods. I don't know why fresh talent like Ruth Dyson isn't in Cabinet and we've got something like that—Megan Woods—in Cabinet. I don't know why Jacinda Ardern made some of those choices.But I will give Megan Woods this: she showed the same dripping-with-intentions kind of content that we've seen from Jacinda Ardern that we've seen from the entire Government. All intentions the best intentions in the world—just ask them. Jacinda Ardern—I think as she said in a media interview prior to the election while leader of the Labour Party so not long ago she would be judged on her intention. But Mr Speaker—Madam Speaker I should say; I'll get there—the reality is very very different.This is a Government that despite the intentions has been off to a rocky start that has shown—well let's be generous to them: they've been barely competent. Let's be generous: barely—a glistening of incompetence here and there in the House not getting Cabinet committees set up incohesive coalition arrangements a situation where Stuart Nash doesn't know what his policy is several times—Hon Kris Faafoi: Come on simple Simon.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: —Kris Faafoi the great hope of the New Zealand Labour Party—and a lot of spin.I want to go through some of I think the real inconsistencies we've got in the Government and across the various parties. I want to start with the Greens because I think if you look at the Greens you've got a great tragedy there. I'm not talking about Gareth Hughes' moustache. I don't mind it; it is Movember—it is Movember. [Interruption] Yeah well that's right—pot calling kettle. I think it's a great tragedy that we have had—what is it?—18-19 years that they've been in Parliament hugely high-minded rhetoric on the environment but you'd have to say when you look at them now it's been all intention it's been all spin because the reality is that they are happy to see the Kermadecs—the single largest marine reserve New Zealand would ever know; I think it's something like the fourth or the fifth largest marine reserve in the world—and to see nothing happen on that. They talk there right now but I say to them Shame" because if that isn't true how else could we on this side judge their actions in this matter? We know that New Zealand First—with its fisheries interests with its Māoris' interests in these areas—has successfully stopped that bill from happening. We know it's a cynical dirty little manoeuvre to see it sit there on the Order Paper while absolutely nothing happens in this area. The intentions sound good but the reality is incredibly hollow.We actually see the same happening in fisheries where despite all the high-minded talk from the Greens—they're talking amongst themselves because they don't want to hear this speech—they have done absolutely nothing. They have done absolutely nothing while the GPS while the cameras have been wound back again by New Zealand First in relation to this important environmental matter. We've heard earlier in this week Eugenie Sage—absolutely missing in action. It is quite clear that when this issue has come up she and the Greens have done absolutely nothing. I say shame on the Green Party on that issue.I think the biggest tragedy of all of this frankly is that the Green Party in the lead-up to this election hated National more than they love the environment. They hated National more than they love the environment. I say that that needs to change actually for New Zealanders and for the environment. I hope James Shaw who I think it is actually ultimately in his heart a fine guy but who's shown weakness in relation to Metiria Turei and who's shown absolute weakness in relation to the issues around a coalition—he needs to turn himself and that party into a real environmental party that can work with the National Party. I hope on issues like the Kermadecs I hope on issues like cameras in fisheries they will do that and they'll put aside being Labour Party lapdogs in what has been for them not a first- or a second- but a third-rate deal for "environment New Zealand".New Zealand First who come down to this House full of the big talk of the regions full of how bad it was before despite the fact—actually I challenge the members opposite to find a time in history when we left office when more regions in New Zealand were doing so well and had as high growth as they did and as low unemployment. They probably won't be able to. I know numbers aren't their strong point but I don't think they'll be able to even if they try really really hard. That's the intention. It's all going to be good in the regions but they have got policies—Hon Chris Hipkins: Cheer up Simon. Cheer up.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: No I'm happy. I'm happy on the inside Mr Hipkins. Most of that's because of you but we won't go there.They have the rhetoric on the regions and seek to kill immigration they seek to kill irrigation they seek to kill transport projects around this country and they want to by joining with Labour with the barmy industrial laws we're going to see go through this place—Darroch Ball: You're just making it up.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: —and we'll be seeking to stop those Mr Ball—kill small businesses right around New Zealand.Hon Kris Faafoi: This is not a future leader's speech—Amy's was better; I preferred Amy's.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Oh wait we've got an interjection over here—was that Tamati Coffey? I just want to say to the member Coffey that he comes from a very proud tradition in this house of weathermen and I hope he has every success like the last weatherman that was in this House. I wish him all of that success and more.So I say to New Zealand First: watch your demise in the polls because the rhetoric doesn't meet the reality of your—Darroch Ball: Stop being so negative.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: And we'll be there with our popcorn Mr Ball watching the Jonesy - Ron Mark show as they duke it out. I say actually to members in this House: while you're watching look out for the dark horse of it all Fletcher Tabuteau because he might come through the middle with Darroch Ball's support.Then of course we come to the Labour Party in this House where again you see the intentions the big talk the gesturing and the virtue-signalling frankly on a variety of issues—parental leave actually. Can I say personally myself having a baby with my wife later this year possibly by Caesarean I'm privileged because I'm a member of Parliament: I can take time out. But actually they won't even change the law so that people like me who aren't in Parliament can spend time with their children. They won't change the law. They're leaving fathers—basically it's fathers out. The intentions do not meet the reality and issues like—and we saw it today in the House with Manus Island where actually after all the virtue-signalling from Jacinda Ardern around the world in Asia talking to the Prime Minister of Australia: their policy is identical to the National Party's—our longstanding position.We have heard actually Winston Peters today—to the extent that I could understand what it was he was trying to say in this House; to the extent that he tried to answer those questions—back a mile away because he knows it's naive. He knows that it's virtue-signalling without really any—Darroch Ball: What are you talking about? You've just said it's your own policy. So your policy's naive.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: The rhetoric Mr Ball the rhetoric that we're seeing—if they're taking all these things on when they haven't counted the costs in what is a new issue here they haven't done their homework.So I say good luck to this new Government. I say good luck to them. But at the moment if we look at what we've seen it's going to be a long three years for them because they're barely competent and because on a range of issues the intentions have not met the reality. We've seen already Ministers of the Crown who cannot front up and come to this House and who have needed to be shielded by other Ministers in the Government. So I say on this side of the House we'll be holding this new Government to account we'll be making sure that we do everything we can to ensure that New Zealand doesn't go sideways because this side of the House is ambitious for New Zealand."