Moroney Sue: General Debate 
Moroney Sue: General Debate 
[Volume:645;Page:14630] 
SUE MORONEY (Labour) 
: 
 I have no trouble keeping with that ruling because shonky John Key is continuing to— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No—that word can be considered under Speakers’ rulings 26/6 and 26/7 to be a nickname which is not permitted. I ask the member to withdraw. 
SUE MORONEY 
: I withdraw. I understood the ruling was that both the Christian name and surname of the member were to be referred to and I did that as I began my speech. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No that is not as I understood it. You used an adjective before you used a member’s name and that is out of order. 
SUE MORONEY 
: The last speaker Chris Tremain was struggling to call his leader John Key a man of vision. John Key is such a man of vision that when we challenged Chris Tremain to tell us what that vision was he could not name what the vision of John Key actually is because it slips and slides from day to day. It keeps slipping and sliding. No wonder the backbench MPs in the National Party cannot even name the vision that John Key represents. 
As far as this side of the House can see the vision he represents is that of someone slipping and sliding and changing his mind every other day of the week. No wonder the backbench MPs have no interest in standing up and being on record as naming one single policy. The concern they have is that the policy announced by John Key today might be quite a different one tomorrow. They do not want to put their credibility on the line by getting up and naming one policy because for all they know that policy could be changed tomorrow. 
We have seen a number of examples of that from John Key. He has flip-flopped on sending troops to Iraq. That is not just a minor issue. It is a major issue for New Zealanders and he cannot make up his mind on it. The scary thing for New Zealanders is that if John Key can flip-flop as easily as that on major issues facing New Zealand when he is in Opposition— 
Chester Borrows 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I rise to the challenge of Sue Moroney and I seek leave to table a published policy paper— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No. The member can do that at the end of the member’s speech. That was a frivolous intervention. 
SUE MORONEY 
: Mr Key flip-flopped on Iraq and it has been well documented. He had a belief to start off with and subsequently his belief changed when he felt that public opinion was against him. This is a serious issue for New Zealanders and if he can flip-flop that easily while in Opposition one shudders to imagine what he could do if he ever got the chance to be in Government. In Government the pressure to change one’s mind on very serious issues is of course much more extreme than it ever would be in Opposition. So if he is prepared to change his mind on major and significant issues like that of Iraq while sitting in the luxury of Opposition just imagine how bad it could be if he ever got hold of the reins of power in this country. 
That is not the only issue he has flip-flopped on. He has flip-flopped on another serious issue that dominates the international scene and that is the issue of climate change. He called it a hoax. John Key said that climate change was a hoax. Now he is a firm believer in climate change. If he can flip-flop that easily in the course of 18 months on a significant issue like climate change while he has the luxury of sitting in Opposition goodness knows what he would flip-flop on if he ever got his hands on the reins of power in this country. That is the very thing New Zealanders will come to consider much more seriously as they come to make a decision about how to cast their votes. 
But it does not stop there. Interest-free student loans according to the National Party would ruin this country. Interest-free student loans would be the ruination of this country. That was what National members said when they voted against interest-free student loans. But what do they say now? They know that their position on this issue makes them unelectable. Even though they are firmly against interest-free student loans they have now decided that maybe they will support that policy. How easy is that to say when one is in Opposition? I think New Zealanders really need to contemplate that flip-flop. If National members can think one day that interest-free student loans will ruin the country but think the next day that the policy is one they can support then New Zealanders need to contemplate what National might do if it ever gets the chance to be in Government. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: They don’t know because they won’t tell us. 
SUE MORONEY 
: They will not tell us and I think that Chris Tremain’s speech was another fine example of that. 
Chris Tremain had ample opportunity to tell us what the vision was. He stood up and said that John Key is a man of vision. What is that vision? There is silence. There was not one detail in his speech about that vision. I absolutely understand Chris Tremain’s caution. If my leader changed her mind on a day-to-day basis on issues of extreme importance to this country I would be reluctant to get up and name what that vision might be. I would be reluctant if I thought that vision might change the very next day. So I absolutely understand Chris Tremain’s reluctance to name one detailed policy of this so-called man of vision who leads his party. 
I am very fortunate however. I am not in that position because I can actually talk about the plan that Labour has for the future. We have that plan for the future. Major funding boosts for community organisations were announced by our Prime Minister our leader just 2 weeks ago and she has not backtracked on it one iota. When Helen Clark says she will deliver increased funding to community-based organisations she gets on and does it. She does not change her mind the next day.