Swain Paul: General Debates 
Swain Paul: General Debates 
[Volume:607;Page:4974] 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 I move  
That the House take note of miscellaneous business 
. Poor old Bill English! He is the classic English patient. Last week he was feeling a bit crook. Today he is on life support and the medical reports coming out from the hospital are not all that good. The fact of the matter is that Bill English ain’t got it never had it and now is dog tucker. Mark our words; he is dog tucker. We have only to go to the Tremain cartoon in the  
Otago Daily Times 
 to see a drawing of a teacher in front of a class saying: “Right class what’s it to be today English or History?”. From the back of the room out of sight comes: “English is history.” The teacher says: “Who said that?” “Donald Brash sir.” said one of the children and from the back of the room out of sight comes: “I never did.” 
When one becomes the subject of cartoons it is time to go. We have only to ask some people who know Bill English like Max Bradford a former member of the National Party who says: “Mr English always seems a bit of a fence sitter. He suffers from a fear of taking any position that could alienate anybody.” If we need an example of that how about the article in the  
Sunday Star Times 
 in which Mr English told the press yesterday that although the poll was not good news it vindicated his belief that National should not have taken a strong stance supporting the allied war in Iraq. Mr English told the press that while the poll was not good news— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: An interjection has been made that brought me into the debate. The member will now stand withdraw and apologise for that interjection. 
David Benson-Pope 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I say to the member who is talking while I am on my feet that he will be leaving the House if he does that. He should know not to. The debate will carry on. I also warn the member who is speaking that members have to be called by their Christian names and surnames or Mr or Mrs or whatever. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Mr English was asked whether he personally agreed with the stance taken by National and he said he supported his caucus decision. He said: “That’s how it works. You work through it and you get your position. You don’t change it. There’s no distinction between my personal view and the one I’m now espousing.” If anyone can understand what that means then he or she is a better person than most in this House. Then on Saturday night in his article in the  
Clutha Leader 
—that great clarion call of truth from the South Island—he said: “The other night I was watching TV with some of my children when we heard a loud bad word.” I wonder what that loud bad word might be. Maybe it was “Brash” or “Brownlee”. What about “coup” or was that loud bad word “caucus”? What about “backstab” “numbers” “signatures” “roll” “disloyal” “loser” or “fence sitter”? “Why bother Bill” might have been another. There are heaps of loud bad words that that member would have heard just recently. We know that he is dog tucker. 
Now we come to the new National Party. I think it is fair to say that the leadership torch in the National Party is being handed on to the older generation. If Don Brash is the answer Lord knows what the question is. The  
National Business Review 
 states: “Don Brash has the ability to make Sir Geoffrey Palmer look like a tub-thumping populist and matinee idol.” I would agree with that. Then we go to the line-up. Of course Bill English is gone in history. When one looks at the new line-up—all 13 of them—the first thing we notice is that there is no Tony Ryall no Roger Sowry and no Nick Smith. After the next reshuffle those three will be out in the lobby. That is how far away from the front bench they will be. The rest of the line-up is Don Brash Gerry Brownlee and No. 3 is Wayne Mapp. We on this side shudder knowing that the old bumbler himself is No. 3. A sense of duty brings Bill English in at No. 8 as the Minister of Health. Bill English is gone and the whole lot of them are dog tucker.