Field Taito Phillip: General Debates 
Field Taito Phillip: General Debates 
[Volume:614;Page:10389] 
Hon TAITO PHILLIP FIELD (Minister of State) 
: 
 I am very pleased to contribute to the general debate and first up to congratulate the Prime Minister the Rt Hon Helen Clark on an outstanding 10 years as leader of the Labour Party and on 4 years as one of the most outstanding performers as a New Zealand Prime Minister in the history of this country. There would not be a more united Labour Party Labour caucus and Labour Government when compared with any other Government in the history of this country. The quality the competency and the popularity of the leadership provided by Helen Clark and her deputy Dr Michael Cullen are largely responsible for the united state the Government is in. I am proud of that unity which is the complete opposite of the disunity of the National Party Opposition. 
After 10 years of Helen Clark’s leadership we can see in the employment statistics for New Zealand that unemployment has dropped from 9.1 percent down to 4.4 percent. I feel particular pride in the drop in Maori unemployment from a level of 21.8 percent down to 9.6 percent. 
Georgina Beyer 
: How much? 
Hon TAITO PHILLIP FIELD 
: It is 9.6 percent. It is the first time in 16 years that Maori unemployment has been below 10 percent. I am particularly proud of the fact that this Government has achieved a drop in Pacific unemployment from a level of 22.9 percent down to 6.6 percent. That is a huge achievement by this Government in reducing the employment inequalities in our communities. It has been as a result of strong leadership and a commitment to New Zealand and New Zealanders. 
I also want to talk about the state of the Opposition because it is important for our democracy that we have a strong Opposition. I am sad to say that since the election 18 months ago the Opposition has been in absolute disarray and disunity and this afternoon I want to raise the issue of the leadership of the National Party because it is a concern for New Zealanders. One day that leadership may impose certain policies on this country that I think will be disastrous for communities such as the one I represent. I want to mention some of the comments that have been made in relation to the performance of the National Party and to quote from our learned fourth estate—in this case the New Zealand Press Association—on the leadership of the National Party: “The latest trauma over the deputy leadership threw up a fundamental problem that has bedevilled the National Party for many months. No one knows what anyone else is thinking doing plotting or whispering and National desperately needs its leadership to settle down.” 
Another indication of the failure of the National Party leadership right from the start was the resignation of its deputy leader within a matter of weeks after the new leader had supported Nick Smith. The  
New Zealand Herald  
stated the other day that if the Opposition National Party continued to look incompetent in running its own affairs how on earth could it persuade voters that it was competent to run the country? The answer is that it is not competent to run the country. In the 18 months since the election it has clearly demonstrated its disunity in every respect and that it is not to be looked at as an alternative Government. Every politician knows that a house that is divided against itself cannot stand. The National Party has certainly demonstrated that it is in no position to form an alternative Government. 
Labour members are proud of the unity on this side of the House and we need that unity to be effective in Government—particularly in relation to our coalition partnership with the Progressive party as well as with United Future. That comes down to good management by the leadership in relation to how we progress issues in Government and in the House. It is a key issue in relation to how effective we are as a Parliament. 
 One of the concerns is in relation to what Don Brash represents in policy. We know that it is on record that he wants to sell assets. It is on record that he is looking at raising the eligibility age for pensions and that is a huge concern for Pacific communities and Maori as life expectancy for Pacific and Maori people falls well short of 70 years of age. If he raises the eligibility age from 65 to 70 a lot of Maori and Pacific Island people will miss out on a pension and that is just an absolute disaster for this country.