Ross Jami-Lee: General Debate 
Ross Jami-Lee: General Debate 
[Volume:674;Page:20488] 
JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) 
: 
 I think we have just heard from the tail that will be wagging the next Labour Government dog if a miracle is pulled off at the end of the year. If that miracle is pulled off at the end of the year and Labour is in Government then the member we have just heard from Hone Harawira will be the tail that is wagging the dog. It will be a very sick dog because from what we know of the last Labour Government as New Zealanders we will be in trouble. 
Let me remind members how sick the last Labour Government dog was. We had a decade of deficits left for this Government when we came into Government. A decade of deficits was left for us. Power prices had increased by 72 percent in 9 years. We were left with an emissions trading scheme that would have doubled costs to households by about an extra $330 a year. 
Floating mortgage rates peaked at 11 percent in 2008. I remember those mortgage rates. That was when I bought my first house and we took one of those higher mortgage rates that the last Labour Government left us with. The official cash rate peaked at 8.25 percent and food prices were up 21 percent. That was a worrying time for New Zealanders. Unfortunately for members on the other side I tell them that they have no hope of getting across the line because New Zealanders just do not believe they will get far. 
The Labour campaign manager Trevor Mallard is sitting over there. Let me remind members what the Labour campaign manager has spent the last week doing. He has spent it filibustering in this Chamber trying to fight voluntary student membership. It has been an appalling display with point of order after point of order being raised. Then there is Phil Goff. Labour has spent the last week trying to work out how to remember whether Phil Goff had a meeting with the SIS. The third thing the Labour campaign manager has spent the last week doing——and you will love this Mr Williamson— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is a grievous insult to you Mr Speaker to suggest that you are Mr Williamson. I am sure you are offended; we are offended on your behalf. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am very grateful for the member’s concern but he should not interrupt another member’s speech. 
JAMI-LEE ROSS 
: I know that Trevor Mallard is enjoying this very much because the third thing I am going to mention that the Labour campaign manager has been doing in the past week is cycling around Pakuranga. The big thing in the Labour Party campaign strategy is a cycle race in Pakuranga. That is what Trevor Mallard has been doing. We saw him on Saturday cycling around Pakuranga. That is what those members are focused on. 
The Labour campaign plan gets even better. It has three points to it: more tax more debt and higher spending. If a miracle is pulled off at the end of the year and Labour gets in as the next Government we will have to look forward to more tax more spending and more debt with Hone Harawira as the tail wagging the Labour Government dog. 
I feel sorry for the Labour candidate in Botany because we have a good story to tell and I am looking forward to telling it. I am looking forward to telling the people of Botany that we have spent $2.5 million upgrading and modernising eight schools in Botany. We have 300 police officers on the streets of Counties-Manukau which is helping to lower crime in my electorate. Crime has dropped by 9.5 percent— 
Hon Member 
: 9.5? 
JAMI-LEE ROSS 
: —9.5 percent—since this Government has been in place because we have put more police on the streets of Counties-Manukau. All Labour members want to do is cycle around the streets of Pakuranga yet we are putting more police on the streets of Botany. I am also looking forward to telling the people of Botany about the more than 3000 extra elective surgeries coming through the Counties Manukau District Health Board. I will be looking forward to telling them about the extra funding for early childhood education—$1.4 billion which is the highest amount that has ever been spent on early childhood education. I will be talking to them about the 87 percent of 2-year-olds in Counties-Manukau who are now fully immunised with dedicated staff working towards getting that percentage up to 90 percent. 
Those are the good news stories that we can tell. Those are the good news stories that National candidates around the country will be telling the voters in their electorates. All that the Labour Party has to talk about is more tax more spending and higher debt—and that will be a worry. I am pleased to have spoken in my first general debate. I say to Trevor Mallard that I am looking forward to the cycle race and let us look forward to the next Hone - Labour Government. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.