Robertson GrantGENERAL DEBATEHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I move That the House take note of miscellaneous business.What a good time it is to be in Government in New Zealand when we have a Government that has got ourselves in a position where we're managing the accounts carefully and prudently and making the investments that will make a difference to building a more productive more sustainable economy because that's exactly what the Government is doing. In the Budget that I had the honour to deliver we are investing record sums of money in the provinces of New Zealand in lifting skills and building our research and development capability and in taking the necessary steps to create the economy for the middle part of the 21st century.We are a Government focused firmly on the future and that future is more productive more sustainable and more inclusive for New Zealand. Sadly on the other side of the House the eyes are fairly squarely fixed on the rear-vision mirror and that could not have been made more clear than by the National Party's associate finance spokesperson Alastair Scott.Hon Members: Who?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Alastair Scott. So in last week's debate on the Investment Statement the National Party's associate finance spokesperson uttered the following words: But why should all our doctors and nurses work out of a building that's owned by the Government?" That'd be a hospital. That's why they should be working out of a building owned by the Government because it's a hospital.It gets better. Alastair Scott the associate finance spokesperson for the National Party said "We cannot and do not know how to manage $28 billion to $30 billion - odd worth of houses". Well that lot didn't know how to manage them but on this side of the House we do because we're actually investing in them.Mr Scott in his speech then got philosophical for all of us. He said he wanted to know what the purpose of us all being here was—what's the purpose of Government? This is what he said: "Is it to own buildings? Is it to own hospitals? Is it to own schools and social houses?" And do you know what Mr Scott's answer to that question was? "I say no absolutely not." The associate finance spokesperson of the National Party is now revealing to us all where the direction of the National Party is going: it is firmly in reverse—firmly back to the old tired ideological idea of privatising everything.Mr Scott wasn't finished. He carried on. His privatised paradise had more to it. Mr Scott said to the House "Just imagine if we sold $30 billion worth of housing assets and gave it to the 65000 tenants and said 'See you later.' "—see you later. Now he did go on to say "We will still look after you. We will still have wraparound services. We will still take taxpayer money to support those … most in need but we do not need to house you." That's the National Party of old. That's the National Party we know so well—"We don't need to house you."So if we summarise the associate finance spokesperson for the National Party his plan is we don't need hospitals we don't need schools and we don't need social housing. Actually I haven't even got enough time today to go through all of the other things.He also described universities as being "lazy assets" for the Government. Several problems with that statement: the first of them is that we don't actually own the universities. They own themselves and they'll be thrilled to learn how lazy they are all being. He also had some concerns about tarmac and how much tarmac the Government should own which I found to be an interesting statement given the obsession by the National Party members last night to make sure they owned as much tarmac as they possibly could in every single part of New Zealand.So Alastair Scott the associate finance spokesperson for the National Party is now leading the way. Now Simon Bridges did talk about possibly a breakaway party. I think the time has come for the "Alastair Scott Party" and I know there'll be members all over that side of the House who will be dead keen to join that. On this side of the House we're just going to get on with running the country."