Goff Phil: General Debate 
Goff Phil: General Debate 
[Volume:623;Page:18675] 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade) 
: 
 The 9-year experiment of the ACT party is almost over. Its founders have deserted it. Roger Douglas has given up. The members hate each other. There are eight people in the party and six of them think they should be leader but only 1.6 percent of the country thinks that ACT should have anything to do with governing or that it should be in Parliament. We will see the last of that party in September of this year. 
But the public is asking another question and that is the question I want to focus on today. That question is: where is Dr Brash? This is the third week of the parliamentary session. Dr Brash asked a question on the first day and he has not been heard of since. Maybe he is following the advice that it is better to remain silent and be thought inadequate than to open one’s mouth and prove it. Time and again in this House Don Brash has opened his mouth and proven his inadequacy to lead the National Party. Bill English knows that. Bill English sees that. Bill English remembers that he was stabbed in the back by that newcomer to Parliament. Bill English will show the same loyalty to Don Brash as Don Brash showed to him and he cannot wait. 
Dr Brash is as silent now as he was during that great catastrophe the tsunami. I remember that Dr Brash left the country 3 days after the tsunami to take a holiday in Hawaii. He said nothing before he went. He lay on the beach for 10 days and said nothing. Then he came back and criticised his fellow New Zealanders for doing too little about the catastrophe. Don Brash has learnt nothing. This House remembers when Don Brash made a comment in the  
Australian 
 newspaper about this country being just another small Pacific Island State on the path to failure. There is the man who wants to be Prime Minister of New Zealand but runs down his own country. And he got the reaction. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Rubbish! 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: That member knows the record. The article was written and that is what it said. Well I am proud to be a citizen in this small Pacific Island country. I am proud to be a citizen in a country that since the year 2000 has created more than a quarter of a million jobs. I am proud to be a member of a Government that has seen unemployment in the last year alone fall by 19 percent to the lowest level in more than 21 years. I am proud to be a member of a Government that is currently seeing 126000 people in job training with over 8000 of those on the Modern Apprenticeships scheme. I am proud to be the Minister of Justice in a Government that has seen crime fall by 18 percent to the lowest level in 21 years. 
But I go back to my original question. Why has Dr Brash been rendered mute in this country? I believe that it is a crisis in confidence because of his appalling mismanagement of the Katherine Rich affair. I want to finish by quoting this question asked by Linda Clark to Dr Brash: “Do you have a problem with women?”. Dr Brash replied: “I don’t believe so.” Linda Clark said: “Well Georgina te Heuheu; Lynda Scott is not standing again or seems to feel marginalised by you in some way; and Katherine Rich. No female on the front bench.” and Dr Brash said: “There are a number of reasons why Lynda Scott is leaving.” and “Georgina certainly is a woman; Katherine is as well.” What perception and insight! He said: “I’ve explained why both of these people couldn’t continue in their portfolios.” Linda Clark also said: “But you’ve got to be able to work with women.” and Dr Brash replied: “Er absolutely—and I can.” Yeah right! 
The problem with Dr Brash is not that he cannot work with women but that he cannot work with any of his caucus. There are now more former front-bench members of the National caucus than there are people currently sitting on the front bench. Dr Brash has brought a management style from the corporate sector to his caucus and it has failed. More than one of them has a grin on their face right now anticipating the day Dr Brash will be knifed in the back.