Power Simon: General Debate 
Power Simon: General Debate 
[Volume:620;Page:16107] 
SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) 
: 
 If Darren Hughes was ever worried about having to get past David Cunliffe to become the next leader of the Labour Party that sad pathetic little speech from David Cunliffe will have pushed Darren Hughes into a different limelight and a different spot. David Cunliffe is the only member who when he rises for the Labour Party to start to speak has the junior Government whip sinking below his desk with his hand on top of his head shaking his head. Darren Hughes is fully supportive of a man who cannot give a speech in this House without starting with some corny line that he has dug up from the “100 Best Lines” from “Webster’s Best Speeches”. If ever Darren Hughes thought he would have to climb over the corpse of David Cunliffe to become the next leader of the Labour Party let me say to him: “Don’t panic.” It will be a very small step indeed after that sad little speech. 
Having said that Mr Cunliffe did not refer to the complete shambles that local government in New Zealand is currently in. Chris Carter is totally out of his depth. As the Minister of Conservation his output classes in the area of management of natural heritage have failed in 21 out of 35 performance measures. He was ignored by Margaret Wilson—admittedly a reasonably regular occurrence in that caucus—when he tried to advise her against the Te Arawa lakes settlement in Rotorua. The poor man is a total lightweight and now after making a hash of conservation he has moved on to make a complete hash of the local government and district health board elections. 
As my colleague Nick Smith pointed out Chris Carter said at a local government conference in 2004 that the introduction of the single transferable vote was a great example of the successful partnership that exists at present between central and local government. That Minister is now in a bathroom somewhere washing his hands of that matter and saying that it has nothing to do with him. I never thought I would stand in this House and say this but bring back Sandra Lee. She would not have made a mess of this like that Minister has. She would have at least managed to see the elections go through. 
Whatever happened to the Westminster convention of individual ministerial responsibility? It is worth having a look at what Philip Joseph wrote in  
Constitutional and Administrative Law in New Zealand 
: “The convention of individual ministerial responsibility holds Ministers responsible for the general conduct of their departments.” 
Bob Semple would be rolling in his grave. He gave the advice many years ago in this House that he was responsible but not to blame. Annette King has stood in this House and said that the buck stops with her. What does Mr Chris Carter say? “It is not my fault it has nothing to do with me. Nothing to see here. Let us move on to another exciting speech by David Cunliffe.” Let us move on to what else Philip Joseph has to say in his textbook on administrative law: “A Prime Minister will sacrifice a Minister whose personal failings cannot be publicly defended or are an ongoing liability to the Government.” 
I ask the Prime Minister to think very carefully about allowing Chris Carter to continue in that job. He should take responsibility for what has occurred. Eighteen district health boards have been affected around New Zealand. Seven local councils are in complete disarray and tens of thousands of votes have been counted—or not counted; who knows. It makes Florida look like a walk in the park. The buck stops with the Minister Chris Carter. 
I ask members to remember when Helen Clark became Prime Minister. She said there would be new standards of Government. What is Chris Carter doing to those new standards of Government when he refuses to take responsibility for the debacle that has occurred in these local government elections? As my colleague Nick Smith said it is all very well for Chris Carter to wander around at photo opportunities with a tuatara on his shoulder but these local government debacles that have occurred in the last week will be the millstone around his neck. His time is up.